Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
in the whole of Peru's main coffee-producing region, but that's not all: this wonderful
German-owned teahouse has great homebaked cakes, ice creams and tasty lasagnas. A gi-
ant culinary step forward for Oxapampa.
Getting There & Away
Pozuzo buses run at 6am, 10am and 1pm from Oxapampa's Plaza de Armas along a rough
road. Oxapampa's pleasant bus station is eight blocks from the center on the mostly paved
La Merced road. La Merced transportation (buses S10,
colectivo
taxis S18) leaves from
here, and there are also direct Lima buses in the evenings.
Puerto Bermúdez
063 / POP 1000 / ELEV 500M
Looking at the huddle of dugout canoes tied up to the mud bank of the Río Pachitea flow-
ing past sleepy Puerto Bermúdez, it is difficult to imagine that one could embark on a
river journey here that would eventually lead down the Amazon to the Atlantic.
Times were not always so peaceful. The area southeast of Puerto Bermúdez is home to
the Asháninka tribespeople, Peru's largest indigenous Amazon group. During the heyday
of the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path;
Click here
)
guerrillas attempted to indoctrinate
the Asháninka to become fighters. When this didn't succeed, they tried intimidation by
massacring dozens. Today it's possible to visit the Asháninka from Puerto Bermúdez: this
is one of the best places in the Amazon to interact with indigenous tribes. Contact Al-
bergue Humboldt to arrange Asháninka visits.
Located near the river,
Albergue Humboldt
( 83-0020, 963-722-363;
www.alberguehumboldt.com
;
r without bathroom S19; )
is the best place to stay. There
are small rustic rooms with shared cold showers, hammocks or camping in the secure, se-
cluded garden. There is no electricity in the mornings. Breakfast and dinner, plus tea and
coffee, are an extra S20 per day. Chilled beer is available, as is a well-stocked book/DVD
library and internet access. Hospitable Basque-born owner Jesús López de Dicastillo ar-
ranges trekking and cultural expeditions deep into Asháninka territory with local guides
from about S100 per person per day, depending on group size and distance traveled and
including food, boats and accommodations in simple shelters. Sometimes, you can help
tribes with day-to-day activities such as boat-building. Highly recommended for budget
adventurers!
