I have just got back from Echarate which is about the closest I will ever get to a rainforest experience. My friend Wilber accompanied me as it was a bit of a risky venture to undertake on my own. We caught the bus on Tuesday morning at nine thirty, which was already an hour and a half into its journey from Cusco. By paying slightly more we were in a spacious coach with plenty of leg room and were given snacks on board. I was glad we paid a bit more because the cheaper bus which arrived first was pretty clapped out. About half an hour into our journey through the Sacred Valley there was a rest stop whereby all the men and some of the women left the bus and all proceeded to relieve themselves on the side of the road in full view of everyone! I vowed there and then there was no way I could do that no matter how painful it got!
An hour later, just beyond Ollantaytambo we were stopped by traffic police and were unable to proceed because the bus driver didn´t have his papers with him. Everyone was groaning and protesting and eventually it was agreed we would have to wait until the drivers papers plus a spare driver arrived from Urubamba. This took almost an hour and a half with most of us milling about in the open air, buying snacks etc, and best for me was being able to use the restroom before we continued on our way.
The journey was a bit hairier than expected as we were following a mountain road that wound ever higher and higher, the road not being wide enough for two vehicles to pass except here and there and there were no barriers at the side of the road apart from on some of the most dangerous bends, with a steep drop into the abyss below. In the end I tried not to look as being on the side of the bus looking over the edge was worrying to say the least. But the mountain scenery was spectacular with high waterfalls cascading down from the peaks. If I thought the early part was scary it got even worse later on when we got higher - we were in cloud forest which is like fog and I could barely see the edge of the road so couldnt help but worry what the driver´s visibility was like! At times the road was unpaved and slick with wet and mud. Finally there was the long descent to the rainforest and this was even scarier as the road got narrower and we crossed little bridges that looked barely wide enough for the bus to get across and some roads were unpaved and very muddy.
We finally reached Quillabamba at 3.30 pm, from where we took a moto to the main terminal and got places in a collectivo (shared taxi). Whereas between Cusco and Urubamba and vice versa they only take four passengers in a Toyota Corolla Estate, in Quillabamba they take six - two up front and four in the back. In order to have a more comfortable ride I paid for both places in the front but even with this it only cost 15 soles, about three quid.
Quillabamba is on the edge of the rainforest and the next part of our journey took us further into the rainforest to a place called Echarate. This road was unpaved, and a mass of deep potholes so that the driver was weaving from one side of the road to the other to avoid the worst of them. It was a very bumpy ride indeed, and because the best traction was on the very edge at times it felt as though we were teetering on the brink with a steep drop to the river below. We passed banana plantations and hidden among the tall leafy fronds we could see little houses and yards with ducks and chickens and barefoot children. We finally reached Echarate at 5pm and then had to look for our friends Raoul and Victoria and after asking around the shops in the Plaza de Armas we soon found where they lived and Raoul was really surprised to see us as he expected us to arrive a couple of days later and Wilber said it was much more fun to come earlier and surprise him.
Soon we were sitting at tables on his patio and sharing a couple of bottles of beer and coca cola (here they mix beer with coca cola but I prefer one or the other, not mixed). The climate felt very tropical and assorted insects were buzzing in the trees. After the beers we popped across to a restaurant across the road and had roast chicken with salad and chips for supper. There was a guesthouse right next door so Wilber popped in and booked us in but in a shared room of four beds because that was all there was available, but Victoria thought the other two beds would be empty. I had earlier told Wilber I would rather book into the guest house because I didnt see any extra beds in Raouls house and didnt fancy sleeping on a beaten earth floor!
After dinner we went for a walk around the village and saw the old mill where sugar cane used to be crushed, the ultra modern outdoor swimming pool with curving slides, the market and police station - as we passed the latter I peeked in and a policeman waved at me! After that we retired for the night, and to our dismay found the other two beds were occupied. It made me very glad that I had Wilber with me as otherwise it would have been very risky as the only female! Thankfully Raoul had persuaded Wilber to stay a couple of nights rather than go straight back which was what he had originally intended. I slept with my iPod, mobile, camera and purse all shoved down the front of my pyjamas and a skirt on top!!! Fortunately nothing went missing in the night but Wilber said we had best book something more private first thing as it could be very dangerous if sharing with the wrong kind of people. We were lucky enough to book a room with 2 beds in it for only 5 soles extra. The showers were shared ones and cold water but that was quite welcome in such a warm and balmy tropical climate.
It rained really heavily that night and was still raining for a while next morning but cleared up eventually. Victoria and Raoul prepared a lovely breakfast of a tomato, red onion and cheese salad, with the delicious Quillabamba ground coffee and yucca to accompany the salad, which we again enjoyed in the open air on the patio. Afterwards we went for a walk in a neighbouring plantation and Raoul explained about various trees - there was one called Palo Sano where the milky sap from it is used on fractures and broken bones and then bandaged up and this substance actually heals the breakage more quickly. Another tree was inhabited by ants - Raoul said the wood smells very fragrant when burned on a fire but it is too hazardous to cut down because all the ants jump on you. We saw cacao trees and where one had fallen on the ground Raoul broke it open and we tasted the milky substance around the cacao pods. Once the seed is extracted it is milled and dried and that is how chocolate is made. We also passed mango trees and the ground was littered with fallen mangoes, oranges, grapefruits etc and beyond were the banana plantations. At one point which we did not cross Raoul said an indigenous tribe lived. I asked if they were dangerous and he said no, they were pretty civilized!!!
When we got back, our next visit was to the town hall and in the foyer could be seen in miniature all the plans for new bridges and roads in the vicinity. We continued upstairs and on the upper floor Raoul persuaded the office workers to let us pass through and go out onto the terrace to take pictures. I took some great photos of the views from there including zooming in on Raoul´s house with his wife and kids in the yard waving at us!!
We next got a taxi to take us to nearby Concepcion, where there was an animal park to visit. This proved really enjoyable as there were all sorts of birds, including varieties of parrots, some talkers, herons, there was a deer roaming which allowed you to get fairly close, and the most interesting of all was a tigrillo, a spotted cat like animal a bit like an ocelot, pacing up and down in its enclosure. One of the other visitors said the enclosure was a bit small for it and its zoo keeper said we often let it out and proceeded to do just that. It turned out the animal was quite affectionate and playful and especially enjoyed the company of children so we were all enjoying it and I managed to get it to climb voluntarily on my lap and had a couple of photos taken. What was especially cute was it had a little friend, an otter like animal, and to see them playing together was amazing. There were lots of other animals including several kinds of monkeys. We all really enjoyed our visit there. Afterwards we walked to the bus stop and had to wait for a passing collectivo and when one did arrive it only took us halfway to a place where the road split into two directions. We had to wait there a while and eventually a lorry stopped and everyone proceeded to climb in the back and I said I wasnt sure if I could manage that but luckily a woman passenger up front called out and said there was room for me. In this way we managed to get a lift the rest of the way back and then went to the nearby cafe for a late lunch, a set meal of the day which consisted of soup followed by a kind of chicken stew, all for only 80p a head!
In the afternoon we decided to go and visit a place called Siete Tinacas - this involved motos down to the river and then we had to walk across a very narrow foot bridge spanning this wide river. We could only go a few at a time as it was only a wooden bridge and swayed as you walked so you had to hold onto both sides, and I was glad to get to the other side safely. There we had to wait and try to get a lift in a passing carro. There were chickens wandering all over the road, people selling food and drinks, leaping into action whenever a carro or bus stopped briefly as two women were opering stop and go signs as the bridge was only wide enough for one vehicle. Most of the carros were either full or didnt want to go there, or the cost was too high. Finally we persuaded one guy for a reasonable price and it was another hairy drive on the opposite side of the river with equally as many pot holes. When we got there we had to pay to enter as the way in was through someone´s private property, but it was well worth the visit. Siete Tinacas is a series of seven waterfalls, the last of which pours into a deep rock pool, a lovely grotto like place. We took some nice photos there before the driver, who had waited for us, drove us back and I was glad to get back before dark as walking across that bridge would not have been so good without light to see by. Back in Echarate once more we went and had dinner and then said our goodnights to Raoul, Victoria and family and spent an hour in the municipal internet cafe before returning to the guest house. It was still only 9 pm and I didnt think I would get to sleep that early but surprisingly slept really well until nearly 7 the next morning.
We had breakfast with Raoul and family again - this time hunks of cheese and crusty bread rolls which the delicious chocolate drink from the cacao produced in Echarate and Quillabamba and delicious it was too. It started to rain again which put paid to our plan to visit the chacra, Raoul said the rain would be twice as bad higher up the mountain and carros would refuse to drive up there. It was a pity as I had been looking forward to picking coca leaves and coffee. So we stayed indoors most of the morning and watched Victoria prepare lunch which was a guinea pig roasted on a stick over an open wood fire, along with spaghetti and potatoes, sitting in their kitchen which has a beaten earth floor with a couple of chickens tethered in there, the walls made from adobe bricks and no windows - the light comes from gaps between the walls and the corrugated roof or through the open door. We sat on benches and watched as the lunch was prepared and the children were playing in the yard and after a while came running in with grapefruits that had fallen from trees onto the ground in the neighbouring plantation, and we all had one and they were surprisingly sweet.
After lunch we all piled into a collectivo and headed for Quillabamba, having decided to return to Urubamba the following morning, as Wilber had to get back because of work. The ride back was even worse than coming because of all the heavy rainfall - what was a dusty pot-holed lane on the way to Echarate had become a slippery and very muddy lane full of deep potholes filled with water, so again it was a weaving all over the road journey to avoid the worst of them. At one point a passing car from the opposite direction going through a deep puddle sent a wave of muddy water straight through the open window drenching all those in the back! We made it okay to Quillabamba though and our first stop was to Pineda Guesthouse which belongs to Alfredos older brother although I didnt get to meet him. A young guy was in charge of reception and when I asked for Senor Justiniani was told he wasnt there. After booking in and leaving our things we went walking all of us so that I could see the best of Quillabamba and I was especially impressed with the two markets and the beautiful parks, Plaza de Armas being the biggest I have yet seen, all with an amazing assortment of beautiful mature trees in addition to all the flowers etc. Unfortunately by this time the battery in my camera needed charging so I was unable to get pictures until I had a chance to recharge it. We went and booked our tickets to get back to Urubamba on a bus leaving at 8.30 next day and around 6 pm went and had dinner in yet another roast chicken restaurant which seems to be their favourite! After dinner we said our goodbyes to Raoul and his family, with Raoul saying they hoped to come on a visit to Urubamba in January and would see us again then. I really enjoyed my visit with those lovely people. Wilber and I then spent an hour in an internet cafe and then went looking for a bar - which surprisingly was very difficult to find but eventually we found one and proceeded to share 3 litre bottles of beer before returning to the guesthouse for the night. Despite being only 22 years old Wilber is a really good friend and fun to be with and I was so glad I had him with me for this trip otherwise I wouldnt quite have had the courage to undertake it alone. Once I have visited a new place at least once I am okay about going there alone next time, but still a bit nervous about going off somewhere unknown. Although on the edge of the rainforest Quillabamba is a lot more tranquil than I had imagined. In fact I hope to pay another visit there before returning to England, perhaps with Nohemy and Alfredo next time if they get the chance to leave the building of the extension for a few days in the new year.
Without an alarm clock I was worried about getting up in time next morning, but woke naturally at 5.30 and had a shower and got ready. I woke Wilber at 6.15 saying that if we could get out by 7 pm we would have time for a decent breakfast before the journey home. We found a really nice place for breakfast and enjoyed huge glasses of papaya juice followed by fried fish (a local river fish called peluza which was one of the tastiest imaginable) with bread rolls and mate de coca tea to finish. We then made our way to the bus terminal of Selva Sur and outside bought quantities of the Quillabamba coffee, slabs of chocolate produced locally from cacao, and some fruit.
The journey homeward was again on slick and wet mountain roads and in places the road was littered with stones where there had been a bit of a landslide - there is a steep gulley on the mountain side of the road which catches minor landslides. In some places huge boulders looked ready to topple higher up, so I imagine it can be quite dangerous in really wet weather when a really bad landslide could be enough to push vehicles over the edge. Having recharged my camera overnight I took a few pictures of those mountain roads which will appear in my photostream in early December. We had one rest stop on the way where there were proper restroom facilities and a series of restaurants selling hot food and there was just time to get hot meals to carry back onto the bus. As with the outward journey we both listened to andean music on my iPod most of the way back. We arrived back in Urubamba about 1.30 pm where Wilber rushed off to the restaurant as he had to sort out a problem with part of his equipment in time for the following day, and I headed straight back to Nohemy and Alfredo who were pleased to see me safely back. It was great too to get back to the lovely sunny weather of Urubamba after all that rain.
