I have abandoned my Chacha and have returned to sweaty, sultry, tropical Tarapoto. I arrived Thursdaay night after a very long day on the road and have spent most of my time resting. I sit now on the patio in order to dodge the mosquitoes. Sounds inside out, doesn't it? There is a great cool breeze blowing though, and my room is stifling hot even with the fan going full tilt. Highs of 33, and hotter still in my room.
Over a lovely treat of fried plantain stuffed with cheese I said goodbye to my students, ladies and friends in Chachapoyas, on a day that also had me walking out into farmland to get a last look at the lush fields and great vista of mountains and ravines. Beautiful sunny clear day, hot dry tropical sunshine and a last evening strolling the main plaza. Lovely. Had I not committed to other travel plans I would happily have occupied my little haven longer.
One sour note on my final day was the hard evidence of the stupidity of the majority of drivers here. While Steve and I were out on our walk there was a long drawn out car honking incident. There was no crash so at the time I thought no more of it. Further along our walk we heard a siren approaching, and it took us a while to see where it was coming from and where it was going. Around a bend it disappeared and then silence. It was then that we noticed the smoke coming up from the ravine, well down off the road. I don't know what kind of vehicle it was, car, combi or bus, but it is unlikely that there were survivors. They were either trying to pass on a curve or driving at kamakazi spead (pretty standard fare here), and took their passengers with them.
Not something I really needed to see the day before I undertook 12 hours worth of road travel.
Up early for breakfast with Janet, who together with Eduardo took me down to get me on my way to Pedro Ruiz to catch my bus. Eduardo carried my bag, which is a good thing because it feels heavier than when I arrived even though I haven't added anything to it. Must be weaker than when I got here. So with a request to the driver to drive carefully, I was settled and headed down the long windy road out of town and on toward the next phase of my trip, passing through canyons dotted with bromelids like a child dotted with chicken pox.
Pedro Ruiz is a sleepy little transit town, and although I have been informed there are many great sights to visit in the immediate area, most people don't stop and investigate. Like me they simply arrive, transfer vehicles and leave.
There was an extremely helpful and attentive clerk behind the ticket counter, who very patiently deciphered my halting spanish, made a change in seating for me and kept an eye on my bag while I passed the time until my bus passed through. He was cute too.
It was not long before my bus was climbing again... headed almost immediately into high mountains covered in more vegetation than the scrub, grasses and bromelids seen around Chacha. We are headed east (well doing circles this way and that, but eventually eastward) through the Caja del Selva, or the eyebrow of the Jungle. High tropical mountains whose rainfall runs into rivers running east into the amazon. Ridges are shrouded in mist, clouds and humidity.
I am thankful for Gravol.
We got stopped at a police checkpoint for about 45 minutes while the drivers logs were checked, lisences examined and cargo searched. After this the trip got a little hairy, I guess because the drivers wanted to make up the time? I am travelling Movil Tours Bus Line, considered as one of two superior choices for safety, but I was holding my breath during stupid pass after pass and cringed several times as brakes were slammed to avoid colision. Not impressed.
But make it safely I did, and after fending off a flock of mototaxi drivers at the station I found one that was willing to take me to the hostal I wanted, and not the one they got commission from. Kisses hello, key handed over and I pretty much keeled over into bed. After I got my mosquito net up, of course. Only took a few moments to collect my fair share.
And I sit and melt in the heat. No more thought of wanting to live in the tropics. Although a river walk tomorrow would not be something I pass up.
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