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We had considered riding
the bikes down as far as possible, and then hiring a boat for the trip
down into the Manu Reserve. After a lot of investigation we learned that
the rainy season had been particularly harsh on the road. We would also
be faced with the problem of what to do with the bikes once we got to
the end of the road. The only way in after a certain point is by river.
We opted for a package excursion with one of the more reputable companies.
Even though it came out to about 4 times our daily budget, it turned out
to be a rather wise decision. The tour included everything from rooms transportation
and meals to guide and river pilot. Our first stop on the way in by road
was the Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge. This Lodge is in the cloud forest at an
elevation of about 5,000 feet and is about 160 miles from Cusco. The trip
takes about 10 hours. The first 40 miles out of Cusco is paved and goes
quite fast. Then we ascend to about 15,000 feet by dirt road before beginning
our descent into the cloud forest. The last town of any significance is
Paucartambo. It is the capital of its district, and is famous for its celebration
of the feast of the Virgen del Carmen held in July.
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People come from all
over Peru for this festival. The lucky ones are able to rent floor space
to sleep. These bronze statues represent the costumes of the town's many
"fraternities" of dancers. The occasion is a three day festival in which
the colorfully costumed dancers try to outdo one another. To be elected
as the annual head of your fraternity is a high honor and responsibility.
The head is responsible for any dancers who may return to Paucartambo from
out of town. He must provide food and lodging for them and their families
and guests for the entire three days.
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As we continued down
we passed no fewer than two dozen landslides caused by this seasons rains.
Although the rainy season had been over for more than a month, in many
places the road was gone and new routes were being cut. In other places
8 foot high mounds of mud had fallen onto the road from above. Big
trucks and 4-wheel drives went about the task of climbing over them to
pack them down. We would not have wanted to cross some of them on bikes.
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If someone breaks down,
like this bus, you either wait or help.
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NEXT
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