Peru has been a struggle for Mark, Maya, and me, but we hope to find our groove one of these days. Not that anything bad happened. Just that things have been difficult – finding internet, being able to sleep at night due to noise, witnessing all the trash, not connecting with the locals, weird vibes, the bad quality of food in stores, the higher cost of living – and fuel…
Jaen
The border crossing from Ecuador into Northern Peru in La Balsa was busier than usual on a Sunday, but everything went relatively smoothly and was wrapped up within two hours. As always, the TIP (Temporary Import Permit) for the vehicle took the longest to obtain. Our biggest disappointment happened at immigration. Mark and I requested a “visa” for six months, but the officer was only able/allowed/willing to give us three. Peru is a huge country to explore within three months by camper.
From the moment we touched Peruvian soil, the roads turned into smooth pavement and offered a welcome change. People were drying coffee beans alongside, which cut the width of usable surface in half, but traffic was light. We took in the sights and pushed all the way to Jaen, the first city. We found a decent-looking camping spot by a river and needed the local currency (soles), a Peruvian SIM card and data plan for internet, and food.
All we found that Sunday late afternoon was an ATM to get cash. The vibe in town was weird – we were stared at a lot. When relaxing on a grassy lawn in this “affluent” neighborhood, we observed the scene in the shantytown across the river: someone tossed a full garbage bag over the wall and into the stream, a guy peed over the side, another one climbed down into the dumpsite of a riverbed via a wooden ladder and cut green clippings, probably to feed his cuy (guinea pigs) – a local delicacy. The big, deep-voiced dog of a neighbor literally barked all night (how is that even possible?), so we didn’t sleep.
The following morning, we stopped by a modern mall and grocery store and managed to obtain a Claro SIM card with the help of an employee (as a tourist, you usually have to go to a main office, fill out paperwork, and leave your fingerprints before buying a SIM card), which allowed us to hit the road without having to navigate the narrow streets of Jaen. We didn’t buy much food, because we were appalled by the high prices. We had no idea yet that almost everything in Peru is twice as expensive compared to Ecuador and Colombia; we thought we’d stumbled upon a pricey store.
Cocachimba
A few hours of driving on decent, paved roads brought us to the “third-largest waterfall in the world,” Gocta Falls. There are two options for visiting these falls: a strenuous hike to the bottom of the lower falls from Cocachimba, which has tourist facilities and a free camping spot that sounded attractive, or a slightly easier, more gradual hike to the bottom of the upper falls from the tiny hamlet of San Pablo. We craved a quiet, comfortable campsite, so decided to drive to Cocachimba.
Big was our surprise when the dirt road to this town (and the one to San Pablo across the river as well) was closed! We pulled over and inquired: during the week, these roads are currently only open from 5:30pm until 8am and for one hour during the day, from 12:30pm to 1:30pm.
Mark and I were tired from the driving and a failed attempt on a stressful, narrow, dirt road to different waterfalls earlier that afternoon, so wanted to get settled. But there was nothing else to do but wait. Since there was no cell service at this spot, we hung out in our chairs and chatted with a couple of backpackers; a good way to pass the time. It was almost dark after we navigated the incredibly rough – being prepped to get paved – route up the steep hill.
The free, quiet, public parking lot was located on the edge of Cocachimba, where dogs were well taken care of and played on the green square/soccer field and where the surroundings consisted of green, verdant hills, scattered with waterfalls during the rainy season. Not now. We explored the little town to get a feel for it and had a peaceful first night. We hoped to spend a few days here.
Because the trail to the Gocta Waterfall was tough from here (a multiple-hour hike with a 2,000ft/610m elevation drop) and dogs were not allowed, Mark set off on this adventure by himself, while Maya and I walked up another mountain to check out a potential camping spot.
She and I played by a river (where she bit a chunk out of my finger when trying to snatch a stick I was holding) and climbed a steep mountain in the blazing sun, which had me out of breath with a headache anyway… Not the best plan, but the scenery was pretty. The camping spot was too hard to reach in a big rig.
San Pablo & Gocta Falls
Unfortunately, cell service was inadequate to do work, so we had to leave Cocachimba sooner than expected and come up with another plan. We could head to the town of Chachapoyas for a guaranteed connection, or we could try and make it to tiny San Pablo, down and up crappy roads within the lunch hour, believing an expat that this is where the cell tower was located… Sure. Why not?
We counted on plenty of time to fill our tanks with potable water at this parking lot, but the pressure was so weak that our departure time of 12:30pm arrived while our tank only showed 2/3 full. Apparently, we needed more than an hour to take care of this chore, but it was time to go!
We bounced down and up the work zones (you can’t really call these roads) right in time to arrive by the peaceful square of San Pablo, pretty much under the cell tower, by 1:30pm, ready to make some money. It was quiet here (no produce to be found; one tienda had bread but was closed the next day when we needed more), which was a bonus.
Since the trail to Gocta Falls was more gradual from this end, Mark, Maya, and I spent a day reaching this magical spot and returning downhill. Dogs were allowed on this stretch, the entrance fee was less than from Cocachimba, and we had the place to ourselves. Epic, indeed!
When asking Mark which part of the falls he preferred, he called them both special and different. From Cocachimba, the lower falls are more impressive, taller, and set in a cradle of cliffs. From San Pablo, the setting is more natural and peaceful and the upper falls are still impressive.
Pueblo de los Muertos
After a few days, we left “civilization” via the road construction again, to visit our first ruins in Peru: Pueblo de los Muertos.
This burial site is located along cliffs towards a valley and very remote. The trail goes down, down, down and had me worry about the steep and long return.
Erosion had already taken its toll on the chambers and part of the site was inaccessible, but what remained is still quite impressive. I huffed and puffed during the ascent, fighting sweat and a headache. Mark was more enamored by the ruins and Maya, as always, was a champ!
Chachapoyas
In Chachapoyas, we filled Thirsty’s gas tank for US$140 (ouch!) and found a decent parking spot by a relatively quiet square, from where a pedestrian-only street brought us towards the main plaza.
The locals are proud of their cute town, which is obvious everywhere, from the lack of garbage and visibly cared-for dogs to the upkeep of the buildings and parks. It was a joy to explore the neighborhoods.
Before leaving the next morning, we spent effort and time to obtain a SIM card for Movistar in order to get online through two carriers. An hour and a half, multiple fingerprints and signatures, and 1 sol (30 cents) later, we thought we were set, but realized soon after that the app with the cheap plans doesn’t accept foreign credit cards. We have since tried to deal with getting data plans for Movistar and there always has been an issue.
Calla Calla Pass
Then, we were ready to face a challenging one-lane mountain road with two-way traffic for three days! The first part of the road lead through a pretty river valley and we barely saw a soul. We passed through tight Leymebamba, famous for its mummy museum, which we didn’t visit because the entrance fee (the equivalent of $10 per person) was too steep.
The views along the narrow mountain road were cool and traffic was light, so this first day was finished successfully at the Calla Calla Pass. Minutes after we pulled in at this elevation of 12,000ft (3,600m), the wind picked up and the spectacular views disappeared. Soon and throughout the night, we were enveloped in fog and clouds, while the camper shook vigorously.
The countryside
Mark and I woke up to zero visibility at the pass. Scary to start the next leg on this narrow, cliff-hugging road. We’d read that the fog usually disappears ten minutes down the road and it did. I wondered why we had slept in those wet and cold conditions, while we probably could have found a more comfortable (but most likely not quieter) spot 2,000ft/600m lower…
It was a taxing day. For six hours, the concentration and focus, especially by Mark, was high. Passing opposing cars was stressful, but the views made up for it. Once we reached Celendin, we rewarded ourselves with tasty bonbons from a chocolate store.
The night was spent at a small gravel pit off the main road. We enjoyed the countryside around us and being part of a community of farmers. Walking Maya up the gravel track revealed rolling hills, cautious smiles, and cows being milked on the spot.
Cajamarca
On day three of this journey, we still had two hours of driving to reach our first big city, Cajamarca. Not a lot of overlanders stop here, but we really needed groceries after ten days of being creative with what we had left. We succeeded in finding Tottus, a giant supermercado, a few blocks from our overnight parking spot by a square.
The downtown area offered attractive sites, some of which you have to pay for. My camera was happy snapping photos of the historic buildings, courtyards, streets, and squares. Mark and Maya were patient while I entered a couple of the museums.
Ventanillas de Otuzco
These “windows” are another burial site, close to Cajamarca. We had hoped to spend the night there in a more peaceful environment, but the owners of one parking lot charged too much money and the owners of the alternative spot were killing a pig. I’ll spare you the details, but based on the inhumane manner this event happens here, I was not willing to give them any money for camping.
The Ventanillas de Otuzco are a quick but picturesque visit. The three of us stared at the empty cubbyholes, marveled at the smart way of keeping visitors out by a cactus fence, and read the few signs in Spanish. I tried to forget about the ear-piercing sounds and activities next door. Photos never tell the entire picture – and often far less than a thousand words.
Since we failed finding a place to sleep at the ruins, we returned to our urban camping spot in Cajamarca, heading to the Pacific coast the following day. This destination was something we (rightly) had mixed feelings about.
Curious about a previous ten-year chapter in our nomadic lives, which includes eight years aboard a 35-foot sailboat in the tropics with dogs, check out my compelling, inspiring, and refreshingly honest travel memoir:
August 29, 2023 at 16:51
Wow, Liesbet, what a difference crossing a border makes. Judging from your final sentence, it doesn’t sound like the coast is much better.
Those burial sites are amazing… I’ve never seen anything like that. We visited a mummy museum in Guanajuato, Mexico that was pretty interesting, but $10 does sound like a “stiff” (pun intended) entrance fee.
August 29, 2023 at 21:08
Hi Janis,
The Peruvian coast is desolate, ugly, and quite miserable, stacked with trash. But we knew this. But we still found a few “gems” as you’ll see in the next post, whenever I get to it. Life has been extremely busy and usable internet not easy to find.
I’ll have to find a mummy museum elsewhere. Maybe in Mexico one day as well. 🙂
August 29, 2023 at 17:05
At least you’re getting your steps in each day and seeing some beautiful scenery. The various waterfalls look impressive. Glad some of the townspeople got friendlier as you journeyed onward.
August 29, 2023 at 21:10
Hi Terri,
Our natural surroundings are improving every day right now, being back in the Andes, where waterfalls are aplenty as well. As far as the steps… at these high altitudes, I don’t get much exercise anymore, unfortunately. Mark keeps on hiking and Maya is not affected at all! 🙂
August 29, 2023 at 18:02
Finally, a few nice experiences, thank goodness! You have certainly had your trials on this trip. Those one-lane-two-way roads give me chills. Stay safe out there! 🙂
August 29, 2023 at 21:14
Hi Diane,
We’ve done quite a few of those hazardous, crazy mountain roads, but this one, 08B, took the prize as it was sooooo long and high-focused. Happy to never do one of these again for a while. Luckily, the road was paved! We will have to see how the “Death Road” in Bolivia compares to this one. 🙂
Yeah, RVing in South America poses challenges unheard and unexperienced of in Canada and the US! Many of them. But, we expected this. We will just have to keep the energy going or sit somewhere for a while to recharge our batteries. (Probably soon.)
August 29, 2023 at 19:21
Your last stop was incredible. I’ve seen places like that in the Southwestern deserts here.
Chachapoyas does look like a nice place.
You still travel where I absolutely wouldn’t for many, many safety reasons.
August 29, 2023 at 21:17
Hi Alex,
Those Ventanillas are probably one of my favorite ruins so far in Peru. It would have been nice to peek into the cubbyholes, but the cacti would have attacked me for trying! 🙂
If we fear new countries and cultures, we will never get to experience their diversity and beauty. Lots of people travel in South America, overland and via planes. We do our research and count on the best in people.
August 29, 2023 at 21:18
Lots of interesting stuff in this excursion, but it might be the first one I’ve read of yours with so many crazy challenges! You are amazing to just keep on keeping on!
August 29, 2023 at 21:54
Hi Jacqui,
Thanks for reading!
This is a longer post than usually, partly because I feel inclined to start sharing a few of our challenges on the road. For some reason, they have been more prominent in Peru.
While we could deal with the smaller portions of inconvenience, hassle, and discomfort in Colombia and Ecuador, here in Peru we seem to face a new challenge or another reason for a sleepless night every day. 🙁
But as long as the positive experiences and the beautiful scenery keep being served up as well, we can’t complain too much. 🙂
August 29, 2023 at 23:10
Not the most auspicious start! In spite of the setbacks and disappointments, it seems like you had some great views and some “fun” drives. You guys seem to thrive on those one-lane roads that are always undergoing some kind of construction! Chachapoyas looked cute also. I’m guessing the coastal destination was not as pleasant, but hopefully you have since found some more appealing places.
August 31, 2023 at 17:25
Hi Lexie,
We’ve had mixed feelings about Peru from the moment we entered and people kept telling us it would get better. After about three weeks, it did! 🙂
The Cordillera Blanca (near Huaraz) is awe-inspiring and it’s hard not to love it, but we do find traveling overland in a big camper like ours a tad challenging in Peru.
Speaking of one-way roads, we braved another narrow and rocky one today, to drive 1.5 hours from 8,500ft to 14,000ft reaching a spectacular lake (Laguna Parón) that is now inaccessible because of a very recent and what looks like non-fixable landslide (four days ago).
But, an hour of bushwhacking and climbing brought us to this incredible destination. Stay tuned, especially on Facebook! 🙂
August 29, 2023 at 23:58
Hi, Liesbet – You are on such an incredible adventure. I can’t wait for you to put it into another book.
I am glad to read that your natural surroundings are now improving (at least slightly) and that you have managed to find a few gems on the (otherwise desolate) Peruvian coast.
August 31, 2023 at 17:29
Hi Donna,
Believe me, the worthwhile stories for my second book are adding up fast! 🙂
We have now left the coast and the mountains that we have been camped among are awe-inspiring snow-capped giants. The biggest ones are over 6,000m! 🙂
More photos to follow on my Roaming About Facebook page.
August 30, 2023 at 09:06
So many hassles, this sounds like a difficult episode in your journey. Hope things improve!
August 31, 2023 at 17:30
Hi Anabel,
I can happily report that these days, the views and sights are making up for the challenges. But we are still having a hard time finding reliable internet and decent produce to cook. Let alone stocked and varied supermarkets…
August 31, 2023 at 09:59
I don’t remember that much trash when we were in Peru, except maybe around Lima. But you’re further off the beaten path than we were. I saw you mention seeing a mummy in a previous comment and it made me think of Arequipa. I hope you make it there – it’s a really beautiful city and home to a famous mummy! (We have a blog post about Arequipa; check it out.) Anyway, looks like you’ve seen some pretty towns and waterfalls to make up for the hardships 🙂
August 31, 2023 at 17:33
Hello you two!
Most tourists don’t travel along the Peruvian coast. There is no need to. And, when you did reach the coast (Lima), you saw the negative effects.
Arequipa is on our list to visit! We’re already one month into our three months in Peru, though, so we will do our best to not rush and hope for an extension at a border at some point! I look forward to reading your blog post about that gem of a city!
August 31, 2023 at 10:35
Great post and so many amazing photos from a place I have yet to visit. I can’t believe that someone could just toss a full garbage bag over the wall and into the stream! I know that Lima, a city with the highest ecological footprint, exceeding ecologically permissible parameters, is literally drawing in waste.
As I haven’t even heard of Pueblo de los Muertos, I had to use Google to see where it is located – the views over the valley are stunning and so is the burial site. Thanks for sharing and safe travels 🙂 Aiva xx
August 31, 2023 at 17:38
Hi Aiva,
Thank you for swinging by Roaming About and leaving a comment – and for the nice wishes!
It sounds like you two have a lot of traveling under your belts as well.
I’m glad you enjoyed this post and I hope you’ll keep following along as we explore the rest of Peru and South America. We are slowly on our way to Lima right now and by the “looks” of it (and your description) that place won’t be pretty. Let’s hope the food is what people say it is, because so far, that raved about Peruvian food has not done it for us yet. Maybe our budget is too small for the really good stuff! 🙂
August 31, 2023 at 12:48
What an experience you have had in Peru. We have had only once a dog in the campground bark all night. We had electricity, so we just turn on the air conditioner fan and drowned out the noise. I wonder why everything is twice as expensive in Peru? Interesting policy to close the roads except in the middle of the night and an hour in the middle of the day. Gocta Falls is beautiful! Loved the video!!! What an enchanting village, Chachapoyas. Ventanillas de Otuzco looks like a ghost town. Thanks for sharing. Jim
August 31, 2023 at 17:46
Hi Jim,
I’m so glad you are still following along, even though the going gets tough! 🙂
Our camper doesn’t have AC (on purpose), but we do have a great fan in the ceiling above our bed (and in the bathroom as well), which we turn on pretty much every night to block out some of the noise outside. It’s a double-edged sword, though, because (from my years on the boat), I like to hear what’s going on so we can react properly if needed. And since we boondock pretty much 99% of the time, knowing what’s going on around us can be helpful. 🙂
Honestly, it boggles our mind why it is so pricey in Peru, as many (indigenous) people seem to live in poverty and a substance lifestyle. That being said, this is the only place so far where vendors don’t seem to care if you buy their wares or not and requesting prices is important as they can be half at the neighboring produce stand!
Something must be going on regarding the economy or subsidies or who knows what. The fuel is unaffordable for most Peruvians so (like in Mexico) many cars have been converted to use propane gas. And, apparently the wages here are much higher than in Ecuador.
September 1, 2023 at 12:08
Those roads are something else. It felt like they went on forever into nowhere – all those twists and turns and the amazing views over the valleys.
The burial sites are quite unusual to me. So sorry you had the bad experience with the pig.
September 6, 2023 at 18:38
Hi Duwan,
Those roads were crazy and did keep going forever. It took us three (short) days to cover the entire distance over the Andes Mountains from north to south, to the coast. Glad that’s behind us. But we have had to deal with other challenges on the road since, traffic aggression and chaos in congested areas. Insane drivers here!!!
September 2, 2023 at 07:55
Even with human bones on display, those burial sites look fantastic. I’d love to have visited them too.
But what an opening chapter for your time in Peru. What a shame about the dumping of garbage anywhere and the sound of pigs being killed. I can’t imagine how you guys must have felt during some of the trip mentioned in this post.
But I’m glad you found some lovely chocolate bonbons. I hope the roads improve and you don’t have to wait around for them to open. Plus, I hope you get some much better, restful nights of sleep.
I don’t suppose you stand under those waterfalls, can you?
September 6, 2023 at 18:41
Oh Hugh, I’m sure you would have some flash (horror) fiction pieces come to mind if you’d wander around these old burial sites! 🙂
Peru has been a lot of ups and downs, but the downs have been quite challenging. That’s life on the road. We will soon get to enjoy some better times again, for sure.
Nope, couldn’t go behind those Gocta Falls. Only once so far have we been able to get wet behind icy falls so far and that was in Ecuador.
September 5, 2023 at 22:33
Wow, what a difference a border makes. Thanks for the mini tour. Sounds like you should keep moving on. At least you finally found a grocery store! 🙂 x
September 6, 2023 at 18:43
Hi Debby!
We have been moving so much in Peru that it’s getting exhausting. Usually, we find places where we can camp a few days in a row, so we can balance the driving, sightseeing, walking with Maya, work, writing, blogging, social media, house chores, errands, connections with friends and family, and such, but it’s been go-go-go ever since we arrived in this country five weeks ago. Phew!
September 7, 2023 at 10:43
I hope you find a good place to relax and set up for awhile, soon. 🙂 x
September 7, 2023 at 11:18
Thanks, dear Debby. We have high hopes of Cusco. Dangerous to have expectations, I know… but we will find something there to hang for a month or two.