Merry Orthodox Christmas Card

Tingo Maria

I have finally managed to visit to Tingo Maria. After the cocaleros my plan had been made several times in vain, it was on Friday, 08.10.2010, together with the other 4 DED Weltwärts learning on the 8-hour bus trip. The trip was initially not very spectacular, since up Aguaytia, 180 miles from Pucallpa, largely dominated secondary forests and pastures of the landscape. After Aguaytia but the horizon appeared the silhouette of the Cordillera Azul, the blue mountain chain. For me it was a very nice feeling after a year of anticipated return to the foothills of the Andes, the impressive mountains. Through a spectacular gorge, the Boqueron del Padre Abad de led us to Road continues upwards. The almost vertical and approximately 500 meter high mountain walls beside the road was overgrown by tropical vegetation and over waterfalls crashed just off the road into the depths and found their way into the raging river. The Boqueron del Padre de Abad is a really impressive landscape, which I will pay it will soon provide a more detailed one weekend visit.

The road continues up to a 1600-meter pass from there on it was all downhill - luckily the bus and its brakes were in an acceptable state - up to Tingo Maria. Tingo Maria is among several forested Mountains in a small valley. One of the attractions of this city is a mountain, "La Bella Durmiente," reminiscent of a "sleeping beauty". The far-going primary rain forest has many experiences of nature and the Kilma is due to the higher position even more comfortable than in Pucallpa.

the sleeping beauty

Tingo's main street

Arrived in Tingo Maria, we went up onto Hostel Search. On the main road in the center then we met by chance two "Gringas. They walked past us first, but then turned around and said to us in German. There were Judith and Frank, two Weltwärtslerinnen the organization "Ecoselva. We have already the second time - happened to meet German Weltwärtsler - the first time was at the Oktoberfest in Pucallpa. Weltwärtsler the world is really small :-) After a 7 then Sol 50 (1.80 €) Hostel for you, we went a bit through the streets Tingos.

On Saturday we visited the Parque Nacional de Tingo Maria. " Here we walked a couple of hours through the tropical mountain rain forest and stopped at two waterfalls, a swim. The National Park was quite small, however, it slightly frequented. We met on the hike only one other person on the road. The landscape served almost all rain forest clichés. Of colorful birds on leaf-cutter ants to giant forest giants were here to see everything. In the evening there was food on the market of Tingo and a cold beer in a bar

On Sunday we went by 6 clock in the morning on the "Cueva de las Lechuzas. This cave appears in all guides related to Tingo Maria. I was a bit disappointed as we already after 3 minutes, the end of the tour had reached through the cave. Although we have seen the cry every morning and Krächzkonzertes the bird in the cave, but to our eyes, we got them only vaguely, as my torch was not strong enough. Afternoon we went to Andi, a Peruvian friend of Judith and Frank, the "Laguna de los Milagros" - Lagoon of Miracles. As the rainy season has not used properly, these miracles lagoon was more of a miracle mud hole. Swimming but still was fun.

cocoa

For me it was Sunday we again say goodbye to Tingo Maria. Monday I'm expecting my second trip in one of the Shipibo Comunidades. But I still had to pack my stuff and food shopping. After a 4 hour ride with a fairly rapid minivan I came back in Pucallpa. Tingo Maria is a city that are worth visiting. I take a lot of impressions and images of the mountain rain forest with this trip. But now I had for at least half a day, the bustling jungle town - back - Pucallpa. Slowly, I feel a little better than here at home!