http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/San-Mart-n/Tarapoto/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from South America , Peru , San Martín , Tarapoto en-us Thu, 23 May 2013 23:26:37 +0000 Thu, 23 May 2013 23:26:37 +0000 Guayaquil Cuenca VilcabambaGuayaquil may be Ecuador39s biggest city but it definitely isn39t the prettiest. We walked along the renewed riverfront parade and around a colourful little hilltop village with a nice view of the whole city but after that there wasn39t much else to do. So the next day we went to Samborondon a suggestion from our Quiteo friends which turned out to be a http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/San-Mart-n/Tarapoto/blog-656464.html We headed to the jungle on small trucks one of the trucks managed to have a flat tyre so we had to pull over to the side of a mud road and change our tyre. We got our life jackets on and travelled to our reserve the boat journey was a good 56 hours with a spot of lunch cooked by our guides. We saw monkeys snakes piranhas birds sloths and other lovely creatures. In the evenings we went allig http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/San-Mart-n/Tarapoto/blog-630204.html Part 1Boats galore over the past few daysWe headed to the cargo boats after our last blog quitos. We all realised hammocks arent so uncomfortable after all minus the occasional collisions in the night. Some people liked to make the most of the space available and spread out. Laura sat in her hammock thinking shes a pea due to the lovely vibrant green colour of the hammocks. It took a wh http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/San-Mart-n/Tarapoto/blog-630195.html Tarapoto was a good base point for some great hikes to various waterfalls. We recommend you to get information at the tourism agency of the municipality which is in Plaza de Armas. This is a public information point and therefore allows you to plan your own trips without having to go on more expensive tours organised by private agencies. In fact this office puts you directly in contact wit http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/San-Mart-n/Tarapoto/blog-561074.html After 4 nights in the Barranco district of Lima I ventured out with a local to the amazon region of Tarapoto. It was a nice view of the county side along the 29 hour bus ride. Went north up the coast then cut inland over the Andes for the remaining 10 hours. As the bus travelled along the thin ambilical cord connecting the amazon cities towns villages with modern civilazation the landscape http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/San-Mart-n/Tarapoto/blog-455108.html I know I havent blogged since Christmas Sorry. A lot has happened since Ive been back...I wont bore you with all the details but in nutshell Ive been completing the last stage of my project writing my masters thesis traveling a little and trying to enjoy the time I have left. Its really strange to me that my time here is coming to an endalthough Im extremely http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/San-Mart-n/Tarapoto/blog-393411.html Coming from the delightfully friendly town of Chachapoyas we were high on the concept that small town Peru was fundamentally different to the surly indifference we have often received in Peru. So we embarked on a bus journey to Tarapoto our gateway into the Amazonian rainforestjungle areas. Granted the bus journey was over four hours longer than expected due to the search and seizure of a susp http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/San-Mart-n/Tarapoto/blog-340070.html Hola...Well good news I was finally able to claw my way out of the Amazon Basin 2 hours up into the foothills of Perus Northern Highlands in the city of Taropoto. I definitely got my fill of the jungle... whether it was swimming in a tributary of the amazon with pink dolphins playing soccer with native children in an isolated village of 200 salsa dancing with a prostitute in a bar during a t http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/San-Mart-n/Tarapoto/blog-305813.html To David Skinner the road from Tarapoto to Yurimaguas really is not bad yes there were land slides mud rain all that good stuff that makes the old saying its the journey not the destination true to the core. I can only highly recommend it some say its for the adventurist but when you see old men like me in a taxi going through the mud etc. anyone can do it. Now to qualify this I must sa http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/San-Mart-n/Tarapoto/blog-247693.html Had the decision made for us to go to Yurimaguas today Sunday as on Monday the road from Tarapoto to Yurimaguas will closed for 18 hours mas o manos due to construction rock slides and all that other good stuff traveling is made of. I had read many accounts of travel on this road however they do not live up to those stories minimum of 10 times worse in some peoples opinion. But what a trip i http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/San-Mart-n/Tarapoto/blog-247352.html Ok guys Gerson and I are in Tarapoto. Arrived last night found a nice hostal bloody Macaws talking in espanol waking you up in the morning. Anyway went to the small village of Lamas today beautiful little village at 1000 mts. cold like 70 F got to get back to warmth of the lower elevations JJ you would probably need your heater. Michelle you would like it here not like some of the places http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/San-Mart-n/Tarapoto/blog-246994.html suite des photos au paradis avant de rejoindre Hunachaco avec Nico pour quelques jours tranquiles au bord de la mer... srnit trouve temps de retourner dans le monde connu et tordu...for now. retour a deux. noel sous les oliviers. new york en afrique... tout est possible...alles ohne stress on we go. peaceMarion http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/San-Mart-n/Tarapoto/blog-230979.html Enjoy http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/San-Mart-n/Tarapoto/blog-222898.html coucou a tousoui je vous sens derriere moi ca fait du vent qui souffle sous mes ailesJe vais bien. C est meme dur de decrire a quel point je vais bien tant je me sens heureuse dans ce ptit paradis. C est un peu dur a decrire...je vais donc faire de mon mieux dans le peu de temps que j ai avant que ma petite camionette reparte vers le village. je suis donc posee a San Roque de Cumbaza un tout http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/San-Mart-n/Tarapoto/blog-222075.html Trujillo wasn't the most exciting place but went to look at Chan Chan a massive city built out of mud chimu people before the inca's. Got the bus to Tarapoto at 3pm and spent 16hrs bashing from one side of my seat to the other windy roadscrazy driver Another night bus journey though so couldn't see any impending accidents. Slept quite soundly though. Arrived in Tarapoto about 8am such an http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/San-Mart-n/Tarapoto/blog-204667.html After nearly one year several lifetimes jungle adventures living with Shipibos near Pucallpa buying a small piece of land and living on a yucca and banana farm...and drinking about 1 gallon of ayahuasca over a period of 10 months I am going back to America. I would like to share my experience with those of you who happen upon this blog.... to perhaps awaken you to the hidden power both you http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/San-Mart-n/Tarapoto/blog-140610.html We next traveled west by boat from Iquitos to Yurimaguas 60'soles travel time 2.5 days. The boat ride was typical with no unusual excitement.....a lot of people crammed into a small space with hammocks hanging everywhere like a can of sardines. The views were lush and green with many sightings of river dolphins. After arriving at Yurimaguas we found that there was a city protest and everyth http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/San-Mart-n/Tarapoto/blog-140581.html The TigerPhillipo the Italian brought this little tigre. She is 1 month old here and in about 1 month you will no longer be able to hold her as obviously she will be too dangerous when she plays as you can see from the photos she is already having a good chewIn an attempt to give this little one a better life Phillipo bought her for a mere 200 soles so about 40 pounds. Once she is a bit big http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/San-Mart-n/Tarapoto/blog-77007.html Sophie and Paul come to visitAs 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 Rachs 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 l http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/San-Mart-n/Tarapoto/blog-75465.html So I work in the orphanage in the mornings helping the psychologist and then I go off and play in the various different houses that the kids live in of which there are 6.The kids are lovely as are all the staff that work there. But they just love having kisses and cuddles I am teaching them Snap and they love singing If your happy and you know it clap your hands There are about 40 childre http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/San-Mart-n/Tarapoto/blog-74441.html