04/09 Stopping when I did turned out to be an awesome decision. My little camping spot at the bottom of a landslide, not 2 feet from the edge of a cliff, had one of the best views on my trip (it was an old landslide–perfectly safe). The sunset was breathtaking. I was camped over the cloud tops at 10,000 feet and when the sun went down it dropped right into them lighting up the sky and casting a red glow over everything.
It ended up being another 21 miles to town. No way I would have made it before dark. The flatter section started in 2 miles but the road was covered in a layer of mud the entire way and camping spots were non-existent unless I asked someone to stay on their property.
Arriving in Huancabamba, it was disappointing to see how quickly it went from a great little town with a hell of a lot of character to a place I’m sick of already and I’ve only been here 3 hours.
The place is called “the town that walks”– how cool is that. Not only is the slippage of the town noteworthy (it slips because the banks of the river are unstable), this area, especially nearby lake Laguna Shimbe, is famous for its shamans.
The waters of the lake supposedly have potent curative powers and the shamans tap into it to cure just about anything: headaches, cancer, chronic bad luck, and matters of love. I guess the shamans have agents working for them in the towns but I haven’t been approached by any looking to sign me up. I think I’ll save the $200 is costs for ceremonies can last all night and entail hallucinogenic plants, singing, chanting, dancing and a dip in the lakes’ painfully freezing waters. My ailments can be cured with Tylenol and bag balm for my rear (and beer if I’m grumpy).
Things started off perfect (except it started raining). When I asked for directions to the center everyone was extremely helpful. A little ways later I stopped to ask a policeman where the plaza was and we were quickly surrounded by a dozen locals eager to hear what the gringo was up to. The people that run the hotel I’m staying at brought me out a bucket and broom so I could wash the mud off my bike (it took a lot of buckets). I can’t tell you how glad I am to have front/rear fenders. I would have been caked in it.
Everything went downhill after lunch. After eating I decided to walk down the street and check out the market. I made it about half a block before this little yappy dog came charging out of a store at me. It looked kind of pissed off so I punted it right back inside. I had to put my flip flop back on I kicked it so hard. The owner of the store just sat there and then said in Spanish that it wouldn’t have bitten me. Right– I’m going to wait and see if a charging dog is going to bite me. Good idea. I’m sure rabies is a pleasant thing to have. Try controlling your stupid dog. It was fine BTW, I’m not looking to kill them (yet).
Not even half a block later the town drunk staggers up to me in the middle of the road with a beer in hand. He tried to grab onto me but I pushed him away. He got the message and walked over to the next victim. I was about done walking around at that point.
The charm of the place is lost more because of the noise. I’m in the Hostel Danubio which sits on the corner overlooking the plaza. The only room with a private bathroom was $10 US which isn’t bad considering the room is huge, there are 3 beds, a TV and a hot shower. They do charge extra for a towel and toilet paper which was a first. Two big windows look out over the Plaza de Armas and the views of the well-maintained park and the surrounding mountains is incredible.
It’s just so incredibly loud though. The moto-taxis/buses/transports circle the plaza honking to let everyone know they are there even though they lack mufflers and you can hear them from 2 blocks away. Everyone honks a few times when approaching an intersection because no one obeys street signs (assuming there are any). The church right across the street is my favorite though. If the bells weren’t ringing every half an hour to let me know what time it is I wouldn’t know what to do (except maybe look up at the huge clock on the tower). The dogs are a bit much here too. Aside from attacking me for no reason, strays are not uncommon and they’ll wander right into the restaurants looking for food.
I’m planning on staying here tomorrow to get some laundry done and try to enjoy the town. It’s the big drinking day (Sunday) so we’ll see how much enjoyment I get.
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