I am sure I have done a nice job selling how great it is to travel to all of you listning. Want to hear the DOWNSIDE of taking a journey like mine? Here it is. :) We decided it was best to avoid the gringo trail and travel east of the cordillia through the towns of tarapoto and tingo maria, then huanuco (i am here now). Unfortunately, the only road that runds from Tarapoto to TM is, well, not a road. Its BARELY a path.

Our trip from Tarapoto (Map) to Tingo Maria (Map) was hellish.

Let me give you a rundown of this 28 hour journey.

To avoid traveling the really bad stretch at night, we decided to leave tarapoto at 3am.

Hour 0 (3am Dec11): Look at that! Our taxi is late. Big supprise, we wait till 4 before getting underway to Junajui. On this leg of the trip, we were smart to reserve the ENTIRE cabin of the light truck. Its better this way, becuase otherwise they RAM as many people as they can into the small area. Things go well, but our driver is VERY tired by about 7am and i am getting a little worried it might be... dum da dum dum... unsafe!. I manage to communicate that i think he is to tired to drive, and perhaps we should pull over. He has a better idea. Why dont I drive.

COOL!! I get to DRIVE! The last hour of the trip goes smoothly with me behind the wheel. I am not one to brag.... but i am a MUCH better driver than our real driver, who is now asleep. Hehe Neat.

Hour 6: Roughly 9am in Junajui, which is by the way, not a place anyone should spend any time. After learning that there are only trips a day to the city of Neuvo Tocache, and that we have already missed the first one, AND that the second truck is having engine trouble, we are a little... worried. Fortunately they get things fixed up and we are underway at about 11am.

Hour 9: Picture this. A small toyota truck, with a double cabin and a reduced size flatbed. Then put 9 people in the cabin area, and 13 more in the back and you have a happy journey to Tocache! Of course, with 13 people in the back, including myself and my traveling companions, we are all standing. ETD: 10 hours.

Hour 15: The road is so thin that it is impossible to pass another car in most places. Many times we have had to back up for a long time to let trucks, BIG TRUCKS, pass. And now... we have happened upon a truck that has fallin into the ditch, and is unloading its cargo of 20 tons of rice to make it easier to get out. To pass we have to find logs to lay over the small gorge that a river has created. Then tie them together (with MY rope ;)) and let the car drive over. I was SURE our truck was going to fall in, but amazingly we made it. Whoopie!

Hour 18: we are not there yet, and the car is having more engine trouble. THEY NEED A NEW CARBORUATOR. Argg...

Hour 21: we arrive in Tocache. The last 2 hours, in the dark, have been so painful i cant even explain. The skin on my hands is all raw, they are almost bleeding, and my shoulder muscles are in constant spasm. On top of all that, the driver is in a hurry to get to the town (and going way too fast over the potholes) to see peru vs. Columbia. Hey. At least we made it! Now to get a taxi to Tingo Maria.

Hour 22: finally found someone who was willing to leave during the middle of the game. We are on our way to Tingo Maria. ETA 2.5 Hours.

Hour 24: Oh friends. Have you ever stopped to take a 2 hour nap on a 2.5 hour journey? No?? ME NEITHER, Until now... Our driver decided it was time for a nap, and we had to stop and wait. I was not pleased, and was sure to let him know. We managed to get him moving after about 1 hour.

Hour 26: There is a truck stuck in the road. Not passable. We wait. 2 Hours.

Hour 29: Arrive at tingo maria!! OH MY GOD I AM SO HAPPY. Sleep time.

Quite a trip eh?

I am STILL sore, and my fingerprints have been forever altered.

Much love

Sp