November 2013
From the jungles of the Amazon, Anne-Laure, a spirited French soul on her own adventure, and I bid farewell to Iquitos, Peru. Our travels took us to first to Moyobamba where we filled our bellies with fried cheese and samplings of gizzard and stomach, mmm!
Next up was another roll-off-your-happy-tongue town called Chachapoyas, nestled in the mountains. The collective, a van-taxi, full of locals, dropped us off in Huancas, a small village in the heart of cloud encroached mountains. Canyon de Sonche, a local’s secret, greeted us with breathtaking views of a lush gorge all to ourselves. En route back, we were invited to try our hand at sheep sheering by a local woman. The sheep is bound for three hours while the woman gently removes her wooly coat.
Near Chachapoyas, we explored Kuelap, a grand ruins of the Chacha “cloud” people. Eye-widening views from the peak included circular ruins of the ancient civilization and majestic mountains tickling the clouds.
From the tranquil mountain towns to one night in smoggy Chicaylo and a final rest in the seaside surf town, Huanchaca.
“The raw shell of existence created by the jungle is rebuilt with a newfound openness and trust in the universe. I have no idea where I’ll be in four days… and that’s okay.”
