Jacaranda Journey

This "sweltering rainforest metropolis" straddles the base of the Andean foothills and the edge of the jungles of eastern Peru

A noisy little town dominated by motorcycles

The town that substituted cardboard seat coverers for meter maids; no burnt butts here.

Junge cuisine staples of fish, grains, chocolate, purple corn

A few types of local Amazonian fish

Grilling up juanes (bundles of steamed rice with fish or chicken wrapped in a banana leaf), meat, and plantains

Amazonian dish called "patarushca" - shrimp or fish served in a bath of tomatoes, sweet peppers, onions, garlic and sacha culantro (a type of cilantro) wrapped in a flavorful bijao leaf

This dish is called "Ninajuanes" - beaten eggs wrapped with bijao (heliconia) leaves and cooked in the oven.

Amazon Snake potion, an aphrodesiac served at La Alternative Bar

Our transportation from Tarapoto to Chachapoyas shared with 13 other people packed to the gills - inside and on top

On the way from the lowland jungle of Tarapoto to the highland of Chachapoyas. This is the habitat of the Marvelous Spatuletail Hummingbird

The spectacular highlands around Chachapoyas

Main square of white-washed buildings and the cathedral

The town of beautiful wooden balconies

Pedestrian street (note the balconies)

The landscape is rife with ledges containing "tumbas" - ancient tombs. Sadly most have been looted. But still there is much in the way of ruins and ancient sites to be discovered in the unexplored area.

Mummy taken from one of the cliff tombs. Note her hair is still intact.

Mother and child

Tourists can hire a horse instead of walking. Here the locals are coming up the trail at the end of the day.

Blankets and stirrups - locals provide tourists with horses for the trail to the tombs

Six decorated clay figures served as tombs for ancient Chachapoyan leaders and warriors.

Human bones lie scattered at the base of the cliff containing the sarcaphagi - an eerie sight.

Gocta Falls is the third highest waterfall in the world

"Dscovered" by the outside world in 2006, the Falls were known to the locals who believed that a mermaid lived at the base

Peru's national bird

The Northern Highlands is a mecca for orchid lovers

Wayra is a non-profit that helps women improve the marketability of their textiles and helps get them into the crafts economy

Limeños Rocio and Agosto are building their house and working to protect the community and fiorest

Artist rendering of Kuelap showing the 400 circular stone dwellings atop the high walls

Twenty meter high stone walls surround this ancient pre-Incan citadel

The ancient citadel is an oval 700 meters long perched on the edge of a cliff top and surrounded by high walls

Three narrow entranceways forced would-be enemies to enter single file, making them vulnerable.

One dwelling has been reconstructed

Stone friezes in characteristic rhomboid or zig zag design

Ruins of the foundations of 400 circular stone dwellings contained within the protective walls.

Stone figures carved in the walls

Stone figures carved in the walls

The surrounding countryside, habitat for the Marvelous Spatuletail Hummingbird

Center for the Spatuletail Hummingbird sits surrounded by deforestation

Many species of hummingbirds are found at Huembo

Photo of the male in the Huembo visitors center

Santos waves us goodbye as we leave Huembo