Family Time
Trip Start
Nov 10, 2007
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127
133
Trip End
Nov 15, 2009
Tarapoto, Peru
Saturday, September 12, 2009
When we boarded the bus, someone was sitting on one of our assigned seats. A long discussion ensued about where this woman should be sitting and it turns out someone was sitting in her seat so she took this one. The woman in her seat took it because someone was in her seat...and so on. Finally the driver was summoned to straighten it out. I don't know why this is so hard if everyone has an assigned seat printed on their ticket but apparently logic has nothing to do with it. In the end, no one moved and Ronal and I were given two other seats. I couldn't help but wonder when the person assigned to these seats would arrive but fortunately it never happened. The only reason we really wanted our original seats is that they offered a lot more legroom which is a luxury on a long trip.
Before long we were heading up into the mountains and through more stunning Peruvian landscape. And soon the temperature was warming up so that by lunch time were enjoying our lunch at an open air restaurant.
I brought out my Lonely Planet to look up where we were along the route to Tarapoto and was dismayed to see that we were barely a quarter of the way! At this rate we would never make it to Tarapoto in 14 hours! What the hell! Why did the guy at the station tell me 14 hours? Surely he know that was bullshit. Of course this wasn't the first time I've experienced this kind of "misinformation".and I've struggled to understand this phenomenon. The only thing I can think of is that they'd rather give you a wrong made up answer than admit they don't know the truth.
When I was traveling in Peru in May there had been a strike by indigenous tribes that closed the highways in Amazonia. On this trip, Ronal pointed out the Curva del Diablo where the strike came to a deadly end. He described the Natives lined up along the crest of the hill along this long curve, spears in hand, bodies painted; I imagined a scene out of an old Western. Having been close to these Natives in their fur and paint in May, I was impressed by how intimidating that sight at this curve must have been. So much so that the government ended up strafing them with helicopters and by the time it was over 7 police and 27 Natives were dead, although some figures are as high as 72 Natives.
Anyway, it was a long slog and we ended up pulling into Tarapoto at 5 a.m. and took a motocarro to our hotel and crashed!
It was wonderful to be back in the jungle heat after being so chilly in Lima. We stayed at a hotel in the Banda de Chilcayo which was nice and quiet and had a pool. It also happened to be just a few blocks from where Ronal's cousin Juan Carlos and his family live so we spent some time with them. Juan Carlos is a funeral director and philosopher. I enjoyed getting to know him and we had some great conversations.
On a whim, we decided to look at some land that was for sale about 5 miles outside of town. It was a beautiful piece with a series of ponds for raising tilapia and other fish, banana, papaya, and mango, scattered around the 15 acres and a covered open air living area. The owner showed us around the place and pointed out the numerous improvements he had made...although I can't say I was enamored of the collection of exotic animals...
Ronal paddled the canoe to a small island where he collected coconuts and we each had a refreshing drink. It was a sweet little place and I could certainly see the possibilities, but the price was aimed at gringos (read: expensive) and just the contemplation of buying a place confirmed my feeling that I really don't want to own a place now. Waaay to much commitment!
