2017-08-31 day 137 Thur



We decide to continue on this road as although it goes south for a while it loops back up to Moyobamba. When we got to the next little town we could not find a decent road past it. They all petered out.

One house in this town had 3 really fancy looking roosters tied up by the leg.


So back to the main road. Had to pay the security guards another S/1 as we went past.

Came across a reserve for the endangered Hummingbird “Marvellous Spatuletail” It has two long tail feathers that it uses to attract mate. We wondered around and paid our entrance fee. We saw other hummingbirds in the trees and at the feeders but it was drizzling and we had been warned we would not see much.

We continued our long slog on wet pavement, came across a car that had its back bumper resting on the far edge of the gutter, with both back wheels hanging in the gutter (tropical gutters here). He asked for a push. So John (disbelieving) and another guy lifted the back of car and he drove off!!
Running out of daylight so decided to stop by the waterfall close to the road, however by the time we found a spot to do a U turn there was a track going up the hill, 22 switchbacks later we were at the top with maybe one possible camp. Drove around the town and decided to perch at the top of the hill.

A couple of motorbikes stopped and I had a chat. A young (14 yr old) boy had a bit of English. The older one said he’d ring his girlfriend who spoke English; Haley who is an American working for the American peace corp. She has lived in this village for a year focusing on malnutrition in children and with adults in sex education. Haley was in Lima so did not get to met her. Haley’s Peru mum, Jhany ,came to visit and invited us to coffee at 8am the next morning. Finally all the visitors left and we could get some sleep.