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Published: September 19th 2010
Cathedral
CajamarcaThat would be Chachapoyas. Home of the best ruins no one has ever heard of. The entire region is filled with ruins that have not gotten any publicity compared to the overrun Machu Picchu and hence don't see anywhere near the number of tourists. So it has that going for it. Which is nice. Other areas in Peru described below. The general route was north from Lima to Trujillo then cutting inland to Cajamarca, Chachapoyas, and Yurimaguas which is the end of the road and beginning of Amazon River travel to Iquitos.
Lima (Miraflores)
Accomodation and Food Spent 2 full days and only one night in Miraflores to ensure finding a sports bar (The Corner, great atmosphere, so-so food) to watch game 7 of the NBA finals sadly lost by the Boston Celtics mainly because they couldn't box out my grandmother. Stayed at K'usillu Backpackers for $13 for a single room with private bath and a continental breakfast. Better to pay in $US than
soles (1 $US ≈ 2.8
soles, also written S./ 2.8) and the price was going up when I was there.
June (i.e., southern hemisphere winter) is certainly not the nicest time to visit Lima. The
temperatures are mild but there is a pervasive coastal fog that envelops the entire city lending a depressing grayness to what is already far from one of South America's glorious capitals. I should be accustomed to depressing grayness having lived in Seattle for 11 years but that is not the case.
There is an overabundance of cafes in Miraflores, including Starbucks which I was not about to start frequenting. I spent a lot of time at sandwich.com which, contrary to the name, is an actual cafe and not something on the web. It doesn't look like much but the pastries and espresso drinks are delicious and great value for Miraflores. Sadly, Dove Vai has recently closed and should be a pharmacy by the time this blog entry is published. There are as many pharmacies in Lima as Starbucks in Seattle so I'm not sure what's behind that move. Difficult to find any sort of
almuerzo (economical set lunch found everywhere in South America except Miraflores). Many restaurants serve set meals in the center which is a long S./ 1 ride away in a
colectivo. Get used to
chicha helada with
almuerzos. It is cold, slightly sweet, purple corn juice
which is much more refreshing than it sounds.
Transport No problems using
colectivos but keep your wits about you using Lima's public transportation. I witnessed someone trying to steal a cell phone from a woman as she was talking on it. Many minibuses pass Miraflores's main avenue to the center. There is only one route to the bus offices on Av. Javier Prado and it is marked as such. Unfortunately, Lima (as well as many of Peru's cities of considerable size) does not have a central bus terminal. Can always take taxis but there's nothing interesting or economical about that.
From the airport to Miraflores is S./ 45 with Taxi Green which is located past the main, overpriced taxi/limo desks. Pay the Taxi Green desk and get a receipt which is given to the driver. Good system as it avoids any misunderstandings owing to language barriers. Worked out to ~$16 when I was there but if you are by yourself you can get the taxi for S./ 40 if your Spanish is adequate. On the subject of
efectivo (cash money), in the arrivals hall are numerous ATMs of the GlobalNet chain charging a flat $3 fee for withdrawals
using foreign cards. There is also a money exchange booth with rates marginally less than what is found in the city (2.7 vs 2.8). Bring $20US to cash at the airport for the taxi. Use ATMs or FOREX bureaus in the city proper for better rates. Scotia Bank and a few others did not add surcharges to ATM withdrawals. BBVA does add a whopping $5 surcharge and this is not mentioned on the ATM or at anytime during the transaction. The surcharge only shows up on the receipt. How convenient. At least GlobalNet was upfront about the surcharge.
For the truly frugal, there are
colectivos from just outside the airport to Miraflores for S./ 2. I briefly contemplated using the service but reconsidered since the minibuses are not designed to accommodate luggage but it could probably be managed by buying 2 seats.
Since my flight (AeroMexico 18, recently decertified by the FAA, rather disconcerting) arrived after midnight and immigration formalities/baggage collection took an absurdly long time, I opted to crash on the floor in the upstairs "lounge" area for a few hours before taking a taxi to the backpackers in the morning. It wasn't that bad and is
quite common since many international flights arrive in the middle of the night and many tourists are flying first thing in the morning for Cuzco, etc.
I eagerly left Lima for Trujillo with Tepsa Bus. Normal price was S./ 55 but there was a promotion with a 20%!d(MISSING)iscount. The bus left at 21:30 and arrived at 7:00. Nice, uneventful ride but chilly. Same trip with Cruz del Sur was over S./ 80. I took Cruz del Sur many times in Peru in 2004 when their service was far superior to many other bus companies. I think that is no longer the case and have a hard time seeing the justification for being twice as expensive as a competitor. Cruz del Sur's reputation among backpackers has been cemented by Lonely Planet over the years and many readers would never think of venturing outside the confines of the guidebook.
Trujillo
Accommodation and food I liked Trujillo, a small, clean, seemingly prosperous city that is often overlooked by backpackers preferring the nearby beach community of Huanchaco. Stayed at Casa de Clara's very close to the center, paying S./ 20 for my own room sharing a bathroom having the best shower
Cumbemayo
Near Cajamarca in Peru. Breakfast is S./ 5 extra but I recommend going to one of the fine restaurants in the center for all meals. Clara is an archeologist who leads tours to Huaca de la Luna and Chan Chan, the main Moche (pre-Incan) and Chimú (conquered by the Incas) sites around Trujillo. After a red-eye flight to Atlanta, sleeping on the floor in Lima's airport, and only one night in an actual bed I was in no condition to take a tour immediately after arriving in Trujillo on a night bus. But I did and, not surprisingly, got very little out of it.
The center of Trujillo is full of great value places to eat, specifically DeMarco's Restaurant on Pizarro. There are two other quality places adjacent and many cafes nearby. I tried
ceviche for the first time in Huanchaco and it did not disappoint.
Ceviche is not quite sushi as the fish is marinated in lemon juice which sort of "cooks" it. Huanchaco is nice, probably nicer in summer when the water is presumably warm enough for swimming.
Transport Colectivos between the terminal area and Trujillo's center are S./ 1 while a taxi is S./ 3. Like Lima,
there is no bus terminal, just a scattering of bus companies from where their respective buses depart and arrive. I managed to walk from Tepsa's office to Linea's office where I bought a ticket on another night bus to Cajamarca for S./ 25 but there are other more expensive, presumably plusher buses. Found out later that Linea has an office in the center, very convenient if staying in Trujillo. Left Trujillo at 22:30 and arrived in Cajamarca at 6:00.
Colectivos between Trujillo's center and Huanchaco are S./ 1.5.
Cajamarca
Accommodation and food Split a double room with an Ozzie that I met on the bus from Trujillo. We stayed at Hotel Plaza, right on the plaza as the name implies. S./ 25 for a creaky double and shared bath with dubious hot water. Next 2 days kept the room for myself for S./ 15 per night. Incredible deal for the location. One nice aspect of the hotel was they let us check in immediately upon arrival early in the morning. There are a lot of great places to eat in Cajamarca which is famous for dairy production and ice cream. Up San Martin is a oddly combined Mex-Italian restaurant
which makes decent pizza but the real draw is the S./ 10 liter of sangria. Goes well with anything. Set meals abound all over town for S./ 5 or less.
Transport Taxi between bus offices and center is S./ 3 but can also walk in 15-20 minutes (not recommended late at night or early morning when many buses depart). Left for Kuélap with Movil Tours on time at 6 am. Stopped in Celendin at 9 am for ~30 minutes where incredibly cheap breakfast was available, S./ 2 for an egg sandwich and
surtido which is blended fruit juice with banana, papaya, and a slice of beetroot for color. Lunch ~12:30 pm was awful. Bring your own. Stopped in Leymebamba ~3:30 pm and Tingo ~4:30 pm. The fare to Tingo was S./ 45 and S./ 50 all the way to Chachapoyas. The fare is prorated for all the intermediate stops so I only paid S./ 5 from Tingo to Chachapoyas. Better to walk to Movil's office the day before departure to buy a ticket although many passengers showed up at the office ~5:30 am to buy tickets without incident.
One important note about the scenic bus ride up to
Kuélap
Entrance to the fort Leymebamba. During my early days of traveling, when I read a description of "scenic views" on a trip it meant scenic views on a trip. I've now arrived at the conclusion that "scenic views" is a euphemistic phrase to say, "Many of your fellow passengers will be vomiting profusely throughout the trip and actually missing out on said scenic views." This trip was no exception. Fortunately, the bus is stocked with plastic
bolsitos but unfortunately the vomit laden bags are tossed out the window after use.
Colina Santo Apolonia Hill at the upper end of
2 de Mayo. S./ 1 entrance. Nice views.
El Cuarto de Rescate The Ransom Chamber did not actually hold the ransom for Atahualpa, the Incan chief captured by Pizarro. Unfortunately did not get to see it as it was not open the day I went which I think was a Monday. Entrance fee is a few
soles and includes the adjacent ethnographic museum.
Cumbemayo Area of ancient canal headwaters. Peru is actually very dry and receives hardly any rain west of the Andes. Took a tour for S./ 15 but it was exclusively in Spanish so did not get a complete understanding.
There are English speaking tours. Departed Cajamarca at 9:30 am, returned at 2:30 pm, and the actual tour was 4 hours or so. Bring warm clothes, water, and snacks unless your idea of a snack is freshly fried fatty pork skin (
chicharon) with corn nuts which was a big hit with the Peruvians on the tour.
Ventanillas de Otuzco Colectivos leave frequently from the market area for S./ 0.80. Entrance is S./ 4. Much more time spent in transit than at the actual site but it's a nice area and is open from 8:30 am - 5:30 pm.
Baños del Inca Interesting hot springs a short
colectivo ride from Cajamarca (S./ 0.70). It is subdivided into indoor pools of various sizes. One hour in a small private bath is S./ 5 per person and could probably hold 4 or 5 people. Took showers there instead of the hotel.
Kuélap
Accommodation and food The nearest town is Tingo which is a great base if planning to hike to the ruins. There is exactly one place to stay in Tingo - the appropriately named Hospedaje Tingo. A single was S./ 15 and included good coffee and bread before departing
for the hike early the next morning. Delicious set meals are S./ 5. Fresh juices and cold beer are available. A local woman stopped by with corn based moonshine. The owner gave us mangoes too. Colorful place.
The sweaty hike to Kuélap is straightforward, well marked, and fairly stout. It initially follows the river back out of town but soon ascends a steep trail to the village 30 minutes before the ruins where drinks and snacks can be purchased. The ascent took almost 3.5 hours, 2 hours at the site was enough, and the descent was a quick 2 hours. Entrance fee is S./ 12. Guides can be hired but I'm not sure English is spoken. One huge advantage to hiking from Tingo is that the tour groups from Chachapoyas don't arrive until 12:00 pm or so. Until then the site is empty except for the archaeologists and restorative construction crews. Hiking will also preclude several hours of unnecessary transit to and from Chachapoyas.
Transport See Cajamarca for details. Should arrive in "Chachas" around 6 pm from Tingo but the police checkpoint might cause an unavoidable and unwelcome delay.
Chachapoyas
Accommodation and food Stayed in Hotel Continental
which was located one block from the main plaza. After hard bargaining, paid S./ 45 for 2 nights in my own room with a tepid water bathroom. Mostly non-descript places to eat but there was an OK vegetarian restaurant near the plaza.
Transport Was mostly concerned with getting to Gocta Falls and onto Pedro Ruiz from there. The girl at the tourist office was extremely knowledgeable about both. Getting to and from Gocta is easy and much cheaper than taking a tour. There are frequent share taxis to Cocachimba then to Cocahuaica or San Pedro de Valera. From either of the latter towns, it is ~2 hour hike to the falls but maybe quicker from Valera as it is at a slightly higher altitude. Each share taxi should cost S./ 5.
There are frequent buses to Chiclayo (possibly daily) and Tarapoto. Movil Tours does the reverse trip to Cajamarca daily at 6 am.
Gocta Falls I made the mistake of taking a S./ 50 tour with Nor Oriente Tours. I recommend
NOT TAKING ANY TOURS with this company. The night before the trip I was told that the price included transport, guide, lunch, and entrance fee so
it seemed like a good deal. Not only that, I was told the transport would include a ride to Pedro Ruiz where I would be dropped off to catch a bus passing through to Tarapoto. Later the same day the owner told me the offer to Pedro Ruiz was rescinded but there would be a festival in Valera and catching a share taxi to Pedro Ruiz after the hike would be easy. No problem. But I should have suspected something was up when I offered to pay but was told I could pay in the morning. When I paid in the morning I noticed the receipt check boxes for lunch and entrance fee were left unchecked. The office girl said that she never told me lunch and entrance were included. At that point it was too late to take the public transport option. I'm certain she was banking on that and that I would pay for the tour which I did as a matter of expediency. The tour left and the hike was maddeningly irritating as our group seemed to be stopping every 10 minutes for a rest break. The hike is a piece of cake for a reasonably fit
person and the guide's mandated breaks only seemed to interfere with my enjoyment. After the 2nd or 3rd break, I and 4 others ditched the group and tramped on ahead. There is one overlook that is actually below the main trail which might be missed without a guide but we ran into another guide who pointed it out to us. To make matters worse, upon returning to an almost deserted Valera it was painfully obvious that there was no festival and any public transport anywhere would be at a premium since it was Sunday. I tried to talk to the tour van driver into taking me to Pedro Ruiz but he would have none of it. He had never heard of the tour agency upon producing the receipt for inspection.
As luck would have it, after 30 minutes of waiting a share taxi did depart for Pedro Ruiz for S./ 5. I was expecting a long wait in Pedro Ruiz for a Chiclayo-Tarapoto bus to pass through but it was only 15 minutes before a Civa bus stopped. I paid S./ 30 for the ride which was on a comfortable but very cold bus showing movies. Watched
The Invasion with Nicole Kidman and while entertaining, it was merely a plagiarized, contemporary version of
Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Buses in South America often have stewardesses and I asked if the bus was going to stop for a meal break since I did not eat (or pay for) lunch after the waterfall hike. We weren't stopping but the stewardess found me some beans, rice, and fried banana which really saved me. Later, there was a long stop in the Moyabama terminal where
choclo (corn on the cob),
humitas (tamales), and
anticuchos (dried beef heart strips marinated and barbecued) could be purchased. Arrived in Tarapoto just after 11:00 pm, almost 8 hours after departing Pedro Ruiz.
My suggestion for Gocta would be to use share taxis but leave early from Chachas, very early if tracing my steps to Pedro Ruiz and Amazonas. The distances are not that great but share taxis generally don't leave until they are filled with 4 or 5 passengers.
Tarapoto
Accommodation and food Across the street from the Tarapoto bus terminal is the humble, and more importantly, quiet, Morales Inn where a single can be had for S./ 20 with mild persistence. There's a fan,
Llama
Kuélap cable TV, cold water bathroom, and marching ants are included at no extra cost. Back at the terminal area for breakfast was fresh squeezed orange juice (a cheap staple all over Amazonas) and egg sandwiches, both for S./ 1.
Transport There is a Yurimaguas bus from the terminal leaving
a la madruga (at dawn) although I never did figure out if that is a specific time or a general recommendation, as in, "be here at dawn and we'll leave when 40 passengers have filled the bus." If the idea of waking at dawn for a bus is unappealing, Gilmer Tours leaves hourly from 5:00 am onwards for S./ 15. Take a moto taxi for 2 or 3
soles to their terminal in the city center. The bus ride to Yurimaguas is 3 hours and there is a brief stop about halfway to stretch or buy a snack. Plan to sit on the side away from the unrelenting sun.
Yurimaguas
Accommodation and food There are many places to stay in Yurimaguas but most visitors are there for the sole purpose of river travel to Iquitos and are permitted to stay on the boat before departure once passage has been
secured. Only spent half a day or so in town so don't recall much but there are many roasted chicken restaurants, juice stands, and a central market (closes early) where there's literally tons of available fruit for the boat trip.
Transport From the Gilmer Tours bus terminal there are moto taxis to the port area for S./ 2-3. Once at the port, it is a short walk back to the center of town.
Boats to Iquitos At the port area, there will be several boats awaiting departure. One will have a blackboard indicating date and time of departure which is frequently changed. I arrive around noon on Monday and fortunately the Eduardo V was departing at 8 a.m. on Tuesday. Probably best if you don't let anyone "help" you carry your bags to the boat or otherwise offer assistance. It is very easy to arrange on the spot with possession of adequate Spanish skills. Upon boarding the boat, there will be a desk with the first mate selling tickets. I opted to split a
camarote (cabin) with a Dutchman, each paying S./ 120 which included meals starting from lunch Tuesday and ending at dinner Wednesday. Food is also
Tingo - old and new
Old above, new below. I stayed in old Tingo. included in deck class but is really meager compared to cabin class. Cabin class is definitely worth it if only for security of belongings which most definitely do go missing from deck class as an unfortunate Ecuadoran couple found out at the end of the trip. There are 2 deck classes, upper and lower, and both require a hammock available for purchase on the boat for S./ 20-25. I rented one from the cabin boy for S./ 15. just to have a place to chill outside the cramped cabin. In hindsight, it wasn't really necessary. If you stay in deck class, the boat does not provide cutlery or a bowl. No one told me that until the first meal but cabin class gets to eat off not so fine china.
We did in fact leave Tuesday morning just a bit after 8 a.m. and arrived in Iquitos ~7:30 a.m. Thursday. There were principal stops at Lagunas (for Pacaya-Samira park) and Nauta in addition to a few other stops one of which was to purchase mass quantities of bananas which would later be sold in Iquitos at a healthy profit. Skiffs often pulled up to the boat while we were
moving to pick up or drop off a passenger or cargo. The boat ride was actually one of the highlights of the trip. I thought I would be bored out of my wits but it was very relaxing after my initially torrid pace and I met a lot of other travelers from all over the world.
Iquitos
Accomodation and food I stayed at Hostal Baltazar on Condamine. A single with fan, cable TV, a hot water bathroom, and use of internet enabled PCs was S./ 35. Nice place and great price for being just a few blocks from the central plaza. Lots of places to eat for all budgets. Amazon Cafe does a nice S./ 10 set dinner and Ari's can't be beat for breakfast,
granizado maracuya (passion fruit slush) and people watching. Many juice bars at the central market.
Transport From the boat terminal to the center, 6 of us split a moto taxi for S./ 9 + S./ 2 port tax which can be avoided by catching a taxi in the street. I didn't venture anywhere from Iquitos except the triple border at Leticia. There are 3 speedboats leaving on different days and there was no
service on Mondays. I went with Golfino paying $70 which was marginally cheaper than paying S./ 200 although I'm sure this will be adjusted given the dollar's inexorable nose dive into fiat currency oblivion. The
rapido (projectile-like fast boat) was supposed to leave at 6:00 a.m. and arrive at 3:00 p.m. It was more like 6:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. making for a long day but breakfast, lunch, water, and movies were included and there was a toilet on board. The boat left us at the triple border on a floating dock literally in the middle of the Amazon River. From there is the water taxi mafia although they benignly call themselves a cooperative. Costs S./ 10 per person for transport to immigration for the Peruvian exit stamp then onto Tabatinga, Brazil or Leticia, Colombia. In hindsight, I wish I had taken one of the cargo boats from Iquitos to the triple border. It would have taken 2-3 days compared to the 8 hour speedboat ride but it would have been much cheaper. Besides, I didn't love Iquitos and spent way too much time there.
Leticia is purportedly nicer but more expensive than Tabatinga, its Brazilian counterpart. Better to
Gocta Falls in the distance
On the approach from the first viewpoint. sleep in Tabatinga but do everything else in Leticia. Minibuses between the towns cost S./ 2. I stayed at Hotel Amazonas Real which was a real rip off. 40.000 COP for a single with fan and cold water bathroom and that took bargaining down from 60.000 COP. At the time of the trip, 1 $US ≈ 1900 COP. Restaurant Antioqueño serves good set meals for 6-7.000 COP. Another Amazon mafia exists in Leticia, this for transport to the airport. The police have banned moto taxis from the airport and the only mode of transport is a taxi with a fixed price of 7.000 COP for the 3 km distance. One way around this is to take the
colectivo for Km 11 for S./ 1 (all 3 countries' currencies accepted in the 3 towns), get off at
zoologico, and walk the remaining 5 sweltering minutes. If arriving in Leticia by air there is an environmental tax of 16.000 COP. No tax if arriving by boat. I flew from Leticia to Bogotá on Aerorepública for ~$75 booked 11 or 12 days in advance in Yurimaguas on the slowest internet connection on the planet.
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maria jose
non-member comment
esta muy genial tus t blog