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Published: July 28th 2006
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Sophie and Paul come to visit
As it is currently the local Patron Saint Festival (which goes on for about 2 weeks we think although I am not sure many of the locals are too sure either!), we went for dinner and then straight to Rach´s local bar for drinks - the local drink which involves a lot of sugar, a lot of alcohol, an egg and I think that is it, known as Pisco Sour. Very nice! We then were lucky enough to enjoy some great street entertainment, a little random but the whole of Tarapoto appeared to grind to a halt and it was really good!
Then we moved on to one of the Pandia´s in honour of the local festival. This is where a member of the community opens up their house for others to come and enjoy a good old party! The dance is the famous bit, and involves a very repetitive live band (sounds a bit like snake charming music with a lots of drumming) and you dance round very aggressively holding on to your partner and pushing the couple very hard in front of you as you run round fast in a circle!
As gringos I think we were slightly vicitimised, but it was highly amusing!
Then we met up with Ricardo, Rach´s friend, who kindly took us to Papillon the only nightclub! Went the week before and I love it, but its hysterical. Every Thursday there is this brilliant huge live band, with scantily clad women for you men, and they are great. But each week they sing the same songs in exactly the same order! Brill! Also, if you get there before 12pm, it is free for women and men pay. The women then dance downstairs whilst the men watch from the balcony, they can then descend on their prey at 12pm!!!
Finally made it home in the wee hours of the morning shattered!!
Off to nearby village
Despite Rach´s lack of sleep, there was no rest! On Friday afternoon we went off to this village about 45mins away. It is a beautiful village full of people who have tried to escape the hustle and bustle of Lima. We were staying at this amazing eco-lodge of friends/associates of Rach´s boyfriend. Set right in the jungle the lodge was all made out of bamboo
and was a spiritual place based on the Maya calendar, etc. The toilets were all eco friendly, it was set on hillside and the paths to each part of the place were made of little stones - terrible description I know!! But anyway, quite an amazing place!
So after a tour round we went off with our hosts and some other Americans staying to the river for a swim - boys all jumped off a very high jump…. Wasn´t convinced!
Then home for cards and supper. Bed early at 10pm in our little cabins as we had a 5.30am start! So we woke at 5.30am to our alarms and torrential rain…. Do we or do we not attempt our day hike if it is raining???
So we get up have breakfast, and it is decided that as the rain started to dry off that it would be fine, and so off we went!!
So we walked for 3 ½ hours up to these water falls, after about 20 mins I thought I was going to die… it was all up hill through the jungle… and then it started to rain, and I don´t mean silly English
Kids loving the street entertainment
These are the little kids who work all night selling fags, sweets and looking after your bike in order to make a living. We are friends with 2 of them, and I will later tell you about the visit to his house! rain I am talking serious tropical monsoon rain… it was actually cooling at first but made us completely soaked through and we were wading through puddles in our trainers!
But we made it, and the waterfalls were lovely, but as we were now so high and wet we were frozen and so going for a swim was not an option! We huddled together and ate lunch. At this point the rain started to pick up and within the 40mins we stopped under the shelter for lunch the waterfalls had grown massively, there was so much water!
Despite freezing we had to get back, so we ran out into the rain and in order to warm up ran back at the start - me slipping everywhere!!! On our way up we had crossed many little bridges that crossed mini waterfalls, the falls had noticeably grown, but maybe not as much as this one huge one… see the picture! The water was pounding on to the bridge and even our 14 yr old guides face appeared to whiten slightly…. Little worried about how we would get back and if a big wave hit us crossing we were toast…. So it
Papillon
Nightclub - the band! was a hands and knees crossing, was petrified! Paul kindly caught Rach, me and our guide Leo crossing… but we made it!!
So 3 hours back, still raining and then it stopped and then the mossies attacked…. Deet was all washed off by the showers and I guess we just stopped thinking about them… the result was not nice… me arms were bitten to bits and as always I swell up like a balloon and didn´t feel too good - the photos sum it up! Much medication and strict orders not to scratch I am now healing!
Oh and once we finally managed to get back after wondering through the village hunting down our taxi that was already 1 hour late, we finally made it back to Tarapoto. The rain had clearly been an issue here too as the flat was flooded… no windows you see!!! But we are all still smiling!
Unsurprisingly it was an early night that night!
Sophie and Paul left on the Monday, so life was back to normal. Hot sunny Tarapoto with some rain showers now and then.
Visiting the street boys family
One of the
reasons why this month has been so special is because Rach has enabled me to visit and see the real side to life in Peru and not simply the tourist side. She has become friends with a couple of the kids that work on the street and one boys whose mother had just had her 4th child really wanted us to go and visit. Here you just turn up, no real set time and if there is one you tend to be about 2 hours late anyway! So on Saturday at about 6pm we finally got on Rach´s bike and went off in search of his house.
He lives in what some refer to as the ghetto´s of Tarapoto, so all little mud huts with very humble families all piled in. So evetually we found his house, and we went in and they got out their best chairs for us and their best glasses and gave us this drink that they had been preparing all day - it was incredibly strong alcoholic drink made of eggs, coffee and tons of booze.... amongst other things! They were expectin us Sunday (??) and were having a big day of it. So
anyway, we promised to also return the next day but stayed a good hour. They sat on the floor around us and we chatted. Baby came out, 1 month old and very cute. He sat on my lap for ages, I was very conscious of the fact he did not have a nappy on, as they can´t afford them, and sure enough he wet himself! nice!
Sadly I was sick the next day and could not make it, but Rach went and I expected her back after an hour or so - 6 hours later she rocks up steaming drunk! She had been fed alcohol all day! Have attached some of the photos Rach took from the day though.
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Jo
non-member comment
Wow!
Hello Hunny, this all just looks fabulous, and to say that I'm jealous would be an understatement!! Look after yourself, those bites look rough!!! Can't wait for the next installment... missing you xxx