A Journey: Ecuador - Peru border crossing

For our route, the Zumba-La Balsa crossing is most direct of the three overland crossings between Ecaudor and Peru. It's the most scenic but supposedly the most difficult journey (the border formalities here are considered "easy" on both sides). We gave ourselves three days instead of the normal two for everyone else that seems to be on this amazing race. We had read and heard first hand harrowing reports of unpaved roads, landslides, greedy transports, and dangerous towns. I made myself a chart (below is an updated version). I had this picture in my head of someone pushing me over with my backpack on and running away with my money belt – my definition of a dangerous town.

Segment	Transport mode	Time	Cost	Notes
Vilcabamba - Zumba	Bus	6 hours	$6.5pp	Overnighted in Zumba
Zumba - La Balsa	Ranchera	1.5 hours	$1.75pp
La Balsa - San Ignacio	Squished shared taxi	1.5 hours	S/12pp
San Ignacio - Jaen	Minibus	3+ hours	S/12pp	Overnighted in Jaen
Jaen between terminals	Moto rickshaw	10 minutes	S/1.5	Road work
Jaen - Bagua Grande	Shared taxi	1.25 hours	S/9pp	Road work
Bagua Grande - Chachapoyas	Shared taxi	3 hours	S/22pp	Road work

As usual, things turned out to be as easy as pie, except

1. The road on Ecuador side is worse Peru. In fact, at the rate that we suffered from road construction work delays in Peru, in the very near future it will be full fledged highway.

2. The ranchera ride was an experience. It was physically demanding. We had to work hard to stay on the bench, not fall to the floor or out of the truck, which was really regretful as there was no chance of photographing morning mist over the mountains. On the graveled switchbacks the ranchera was what I remember a roller-coaster to be minus the upside down part. There was so much jostling that our netbook did not turn on that evening.

3. Coming from Ecuador, the transportation cost in Peru seemed very high. We kept suspecting that we were quoted Gringo prices, but each time we watched fellow passengers pay exactly the same amount.

4. We were told Jaen was a dangerous town and spent endless time researching and contemplating whether to overnight there. It turned out to be a perfectly safe and friendly place. Our only regret was not to have taken a cooler and air-conditioned room. There were more moto rickshaws than pedestrians in town which may freak some people out.

It is a tremendously scenic journey through varied landscape. We are so glad that we came that way!

The church in Zumba.

The Zumba to La Balsa ranchera as it was loading.

The main Plaza in Jaen, Peru as seen from our hotel room.

Unedited video of part of the moto-taxi ride from our hotel to the Bagua Grande colectivo stand.



Stopped due to road work on the road from Jaen to Bagua Grande.

Stopped due to road work on the road from Bagua Grande to Chachapoyas.



And finally installed in a big hotel room in Hostal Amazonas in Chachapoyas.