- It took an epic journey to come to Chacha (see previous entry).
- From Chachapoyas, we took a day tour to Kuelap, a major pre-Incan ruin. The site is 1200m above the main road, but our van had to take a 360 degree counterclockwise 60km ramp along the side of the mountain. It took over an hour of driving while we could see the site the whole time!
- One day we took a shared taxi to see the Sonche Canyon at Huancas; then walked back to Chacha. At the canyon mirador Sun-Ling was befriended by the very polite and sweet local children.
- Another day we took a shared taxi to a village, Levanto, which is probably 10km as the crow flies. Again it took us almost an hour going up and down ramps on dirt roads. We walked back on the Inca Road. Because of poor directions, we went up and down the network of Inca Roads in a futile search for Yalape, a minor pre-Incan ruin. We walked for six hours non-stop and barely made it back before dark.
- Leaving Chacha was yet another epic journey. We got up at 4am in order to catch the 5am bus for an 11-hour journey. For the first seven hours we zippered back and forth on long mountain ramps and switch backs, from high Andes mountains to low Amazonian oasis and back up again.
The walls of Kuelap tower above the valley.
The approach to Kuelap.
John and Sun-Ling pose at the narrow main entrance.
Inside the walls there are ruins of 500 circular dwellings. You can see some ruins in front and a reconstructed house in back.
View from Kuelap.
Sun-Ling and friends at Sonche Canyon.
Sonche Canyon.
Sun-Ling on the Inca Road between Levanto and Chachapoyas.
In the Andes between Chachapoyas and Celendin, Peru as seen from the bus window.
Another shot from the bus window. The deep green in the valley is a mango oasis.
6 comments:
Of course, all of your photos are marvelous, but S-L and the kids is by far the most marvelousest yet. The kids must identify with S-L as a cultural coinhabitant of Earth and John is just a geek with a camera.
Reach here through flickr. Nice travel blog. By the way, what make you always travelling?
@Tun Tun, we really appreciate your looking up our blog and commenting. To put simply, we travel because we can. To contemplate more, http://meckleyearth.blogspot.com/2010/09/world-is-my-pond.html#links.
Ed,
You're right. Two of the kids appear to have an uneasy regard towards the camera. My thinking, judging from their reactions when I showed them the photo on the camera view screen, is that they had never had their photo taken before and were very, very shy and apprehensive. See also this photo taken of Sun-Ling with new friends in Burma: http://www.flickr.com/photos/meckleychina/2379827074/
Here is a quote from that link that you offered to Tun Tun:
"...... Traveling around the world is my living on the Pond. It is my way of being free, contemplating the ways of the world, and meditating on the essence of life."
I've been reading 'Looking for Spinoza.' Spinoza didn't travel. It seems his idea for the way to achieve happiness was to surround yourself with things and people that make you happy. And avoid things that don't make you happy. On simple terms it makes sense. BUT is that too hermetic? Look at the grand adventure that you're having. You are seeing the world first hand....not on the TV via national geographic. I envy your patience, you tenacity, your flexibility, your strength.
@Susan, you are most insightful! In our retirement we are having a bipolar life. Our life in Raleigh is very quiet, comfortable, hermetic.... Then we get out to travel, being out there, in the unknown, unfamiliar, unexplored.... When we have had enough, we retreat home until the next state change.
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