Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
more intimately than he does his own wife. Travelers should carry water and food (and maybe a valium?), as the
few restaurants en route are poor.
The road conditions have improved dramatically over the years, but it remains an accident-prone route and is
not without a certain element of risk (thrill?). The good news, though, is that in 2012 the government signed off
on the papers to pave this road, which should be done 'in a few (Peruvian) years,' as one local put it.
Heading north, the left side of the bus affords the most scenic viewing time, but the right side is less nauseating
for those who fear heights.
Via Chiclayo
Considerably longer and immeasurably less thrilling is the usual route for travelers to Chachapoyas. From the old
Panamericana 100km north of Chiclayo, a paved road heads east over the Andes via the 2145m Porculla Pass, the
lowest Peruvian pass going over the Andean continental divide. The route then tumbles to the Río Marañón val-
ley. About 190km from the Panamericana turnoff, you reach the town of Jaén, the beginning of a newly opened
route to Ecuador (
Click here
). Continuing east, a short side road reaches the town of Bagua Chica in a low, en-
closed valley (elevation about 500m), which Peruvians claim is the hottest town in the country. The bus usually
goes through Bagua Grande (population 28,830) on the main road, and follows the Río Utcubamba valley to the
crossroads town of Pedro Ruíz, about 1½ hours from Bagua Grande. From here, a paved southbound road
branches to Chachapoyas, 54km and about 1¼ hours away.
Eating
Moving east across the Andes, Chachapoyas is the first place where you begin finding
Amazonian-style dishes, though with local variations.
Juanes
(steamed rice with fish or
chicken, wrapped in a banana leaf) are made with yucca instead of rice.
Cecina,
a dish
made from dehydrated pork in the lowlands, is often made with beef.
PERUVIAN
El Tejado $$
(Santo Domingo 426; mains S15-25)
This charming little spot doesn't look like much
from the outside, but a lovely interior courtyard and dining room awaits. It's a great lunch
spot, with
menús
going for S7 Monday to Friday; and the specialty is
tacu-tacu
(an Afro-
Peruvian fusion dish of rice, beans and a protein), seen here in nine varieties. The
lomo
saltado
version is conversation-stopping good, especially when doused in the seriously
tasty house hot pepper sauce.
CAFE, BREAKFAST
Café Fusiones $
