I packed a bag as light as I could, this time. I knew I would have to carry my two backpacks far, at times. The first leg was from my casita to the bus stop on the main road- about 1 mile. So at 5:30am on Tuesday morning I set off on another adventure. A Cariamanga bus, simple and clean, picked me up at 6:10 and we stopped at Izhcayluma and picked up a young gentleman named Dave. He would also be going to Perú. The road south of Yangana turns ugly. A narrow, muddy, bumpy and slow meander through the Southern Ecuador Andes. After 5 hours we arrived in Zumba and discovered that the collective to Balza would not leave until 1pm. Dave and I decided to share a taxi for $20 for the hour-long trip to the Peruvian border. Dave is a 25 year-old who works on Wall Street. In Balza we got Ecuador to stamp us out and walked over the Canchis River to have Perú stamp us in. We also exchanged money in Ecuador- 3.2 soles per dollar. And older gentleman welcomed us to Perú and for $18 he would drive us to San Ignacio, where I intended to stay the night. Along the route the streets were lined with coffee spread out to dry in the streets. It was a beautiful blue sky, a nicely paved road, as are all so far here, and dry warm air to clear my sinuses. San Ignacio did seem so welcoming. Very small with dusty roads. So I decided to continue with Dave to Jaen. We packed into a van with 8 other folks and headed south along the Chinchipe River. The topography leveled out into a valley of rice fields. At 3:30 in the afternoon we pulled into Jaen. Dave would continue to Chachapoyas so we said goodbye. I checked into the Pim's hotel for 70 soles-$21.50. Jaen was a pleasant 83 degrees and the town is surrounded by the Andes' foothills. In the morning I made arrangements for a mototaxi to take me to Gotas De Aqua for some birding. He would take me for 10 soles per hour. We set off at 6:30am and I quickly discovered he did not know where he was going. They lie here in Perú as well. He started to take me back toward the city so I told him take me to my hotel. It was now 7:15 am and my day was shot as far as birding. I gave him 5 soles, which pissed him off, and went to breakfast. The desk-girl called a man informed me
that he would come see me. He was Luciano from Gotas de Agua. We met and he offered me a room for 60 soles, meals for 10 soles, and an entrance fee of 25. He said he would return to pick me up at 2pm. He arrived on a motorcycle. No, I don't think so buddy. He called a mototaxi and the driver took me to the reserve. Rustic. No water, no shower, but there were birds. Inca Jay popped up first, then a Pearl Kite. I took a walk before dark and settled in for a meal of yucca and bananas. Some meal. I brushed the spiders off the bed and went to sleep under a mosquito net- the first time I have used one. I awoke to Tataupa Tinamou calls. Breakfast was to be at 6am. Luciano did not show until almost 6:30. I was
not happy. By the time he cooked an egg, some bananas and yucca it was after 7am. I told him I came here for birds not to eat and he snarled at me. Fuck you. I could have stayed in
my 'nice' hotel and taken a mototaxi here if I wanted to start birding at 7 am. They just don't get it through their thin skulls. When I pay the higher prices at birding lodges they know that I want to be in the field by 6:15am and every minute counts. I hurriedly ate and ran off. He offered to be my guide for 25 soles but I didn't trust his knowledge at this point. I took a trail into the thick greenery where the mosquitoes were the worst I have encountered. Ran back
to get the repellent. The trails were not maintained well. By 9:30am I was finished. I dipped on two important birds. No Marañón Crescent-chest or Little Inca Finch. Shit. Some college kids gave me a ride back to town where I exchanged more money and caught a car service to Bagua Grande, an hour away through the Marañón River valley. From there a van service to Pedro Ruiz along the Utcubamba River valley. The scenery here is spectacular. In Pedro Ruiz I took a mototaxi up to the Posada de Cuispes. Jarvi welcomed me and showed me to my room with a nice inviting fireplace. I would be here 2 nights. The cliffs along the mountains are high and dripping with waterfalls. Some fall more than 1,000 feet. Some of the world's highest falls are in this area. Stunning. I met some ladies from Spain- a lot of Spaniards come here- and we chatted a while about traveling. They had been to places I am going to. After a few Cusqueña beers we had a nice dinner and I slept well. At 5 am Fransisco came to take me to one of the falls in the deep montane forest. It took 30 minutes in the mototaxi to get to the entrance. The sounds of the forest just before sunrise are so incredible. Hooded tinamou, wrens, antbirds, thrushes, parrots and tanagers. Fransisco kept prodding me to move on and I finally took the lead. Birds are difficult to see but you hear them everywhere. I watched an Andean Emerald hummingbird build her nest with spiderweb. By 8:30 am the birds are quiet and hidden. I asked Fransisco to let me walk down the road for 20 minutes and he could then come get me. At the inn there were more Spaniards. We joked about language differences and I took a walk up the road in the afternoon. I let some kids look through my binoculars and they were so friendly. Even Jarvi was amazed by my binocs. A full moon rose and they watched it through the lenses. I made arrangements for a mototaxi to take me back up to the forest the next morning. A mother and her young daughter picked me up at 7 am and dropped me at the forest. I could bird all alone. I saw 11 species of tanagers. Andean Tyrant came into view. I watched the Andean Emerald again. Magical. My cancer went away. I am at peace alone in the forests of South America. Beaches, paramos and jungles too.
In the afternoon I went back down to Pedro Ruiz and caught a van to Pomacochas. A taxi took me to a hotel on the lake and the rate was $60. Shit. Hosteria Pumacoches. Nice room but the place was in ruins. At first I was angry at myself for spending that amount but when the moon rose over the lake and I sat on my private balcony to glare at it, I was soothed. There was a dance performance by kids in the Plaza de Armas that afternoon. So much culture. In the morning breakfast at 6am and a mototaxi to Huembo Reserve for the Marvelous Spatueltail. It was a 20 minute ride and my chofer waited while I birded. A young girl of about 10 named Jenny took me down to the feeders where all the hummingbirds would come to feed. She filled them and the Hummers arrived quickly. First were many Sparkling Violetears. Then Green and Brown Violetears. Then a female Spatueltail. Go get your boyfriend. She did, he came for 3 minutes. Zowie! An iridescent male in all his glory. They live only here in theses valleys. I wished I had my old cameras and lenses. Jenny took me to a trail which I walked alone and saw a few more species of birds. Then back to the hotel, packed my bags, paid the high bill and told the guys that this community sure makes a lot of money off that hummingbird. They wanted $80 a night at Huembo Reserve for a very modest room. In all, I spent almost $100 just to see that bird. Worth every penny and the locals know that. Back in a van to Moyobamba down in the Amazon.
So here I am in Moyobamba at almost 3,000 feet in altitude. It is warm but cool at night. My hotel with a view of a park costs $12.50 a night. It is comfie and pleasant. With WIFI. I took a walk to the Plaza and found a bar. No food, just a bar. BINGO! A nice bar at that. Then I found another bar. Sunday night and the bars are open. Great local music. Tomorrow I go to a hotel in a bird forest. Then to Tarapota. I love Perú.
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