All of our belongings were strapped to the roof of 12 passenger van. Each seat was occupied. Our families in rows 2, 3 and 4. Jose-our guide, Ernesto-our cook, and Manuel-our driver, in the front. This van seems to be about as large as a typical minivan in the US.
The ride was bumpy out of town but not nearly as bumpy as an hour and a half into the ride nor throughout the duration thereafter. We went from a 2 lane "highway" to a dirt track. For 7 more hours. 7 hours of death defying, spell binding, OMG, we're going off the cliff, roads. The road was dusty, bumpy, full of obstacles. Seriously full of obstacles.
However, the vistas were breathtaking.
We stopped for a picnic lunch in a small, Spanish colonial town, Paucartambo, in which the local Catholic Church is home to a statue of Mary that was blessed by John Paul. Then on the scary dirt road again until we reached a lower level of the cloud forest, where we stayed the night.
We walked the last half hour then grabbed our gear and walked a trail to our lodge for the night.
Ernesto's dinner was fantastic--soup and spaghetti with meat sauce. I assume it was beef but who knows?
We bought headlamps a few years ago after spending 6 hours bailing out our sump pump during a hurricane. I now understand their true purpose--lighting the way to the toilet in the jungle.
Now we are tucked into our cabin rooms and falling asleep to the therapeutic sound of a nearby river. Tomorrow brings the chance to see the jungle from a raft then going deeper and lower into the jungle, necessitating the use of Deet and goofy looking outfits.
