I travel to diferent places from my country, bacause I like to travel.
https://www.mundodelosmisterios.com/2019/01/z-la-ciudad-perdida-percy-fawcett-y-su-desaparicion.html
I have enjoyed Yuan's postings to date, including this one. We visited Peru in 2017 for 30+ days. We visited Machu Picchu (and loved it despite having to share it with so many others) and many "not so well-known" sites. We considered going to Kuelap but didn't have time to add it. We very much enjoyed touring Sipan (near Chcilayo) and we HIGHLY recommend it.
I was looking forward to something in this article that would tell me why I should have gone to Kuelap as well. Instead all I see is I should have endured quite a slog to stay at a fantastic Hacienda and see an impressive waterfall. Maybe I missed it? I have reread a couple times and still all I see is a phots that must be of the ruins.
Having visited Macchu Pichu in 1969 and having the site virtually to ourselves, it was a shock this past September to witness the onslaught of visitors that necessitated visiting the ruins in a group with a guide and not being able to linger. Of course, there wasn't as much spiritual atmosphere for which to linger since the whole place was overrun with tourists. So glad I got to visit both times, but Kuelap sounds like what we encountered at MP back in the 60s.
3
Having been to Machu Picchu over 20 times, I visited Kuélap, Chachapoyas and the 771 meter Gocta Falls about a year ago. It is wonderful as Jada describes and it is a "slog" to get to Chachapoyas, but the pace is pleasantly broken by a variety of outstanding coffee stops along the way. But wait, there is more. You'll feel a bit like Indiana Jones to uncover the yet-to-be-seen-by-archaeologists funerary remains right behind the Hacienda Achamaqui. The nearby Sonche Canyon, at nearly 1000 meters deep, is a sight not to be missed. The Peruvian people are welcoming and the food is good and cheap.
Steve Solosky
www.travelingprofessor.com
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Better writing in my opinion than the prior efforts. Still too much whining though, along with a dearth of pictures and details that a traveler venturing to a relatively unknown destination "off the beaten path" would deeply appreciate.
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I believe she probably HAS an editor. With credentials.
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Give the millenials what they want! Lots of pictures!!!
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Jada Yuan has my job! I love the concept.
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I went to Kuélap in 1992 or '93. At the time, the bus journey from the coast to the river valley overlooked by the ruins took far longer than 10 hours, and as far as I know (I took a path) there was no road from the valley floor to the ruins, let alone a cable car.
The ruins themselves aren't as well preserved as those at Machu Picchu, but the site is impressive, and on my visit I was entirely alone. I couldn't even find anyone to sell me a snack.
I'm nonetheless slightly skeptical of the author's suggestion that Kuélap's inhabitants were forcibly displaced as a result of a Spanish evangelization program. I suspect the city will have been abandoned mostly voluntarily. Even now, centuries later, the children of the Chachapoyas and other indigenous peoples continue to leave their highland redoubts for coastal and other metropolises en masse, and in many cases they do so of their own accord.
5
Please read about the massacre by the Spanish in 1570 at Kuélap if you are skeptical about how the indigenous population everywhere in Peru not just Kuélap were brutalized Vy the Inquistadors. No culture “chooses” to end itself willingly.
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The Spanish were never even aware of Kuélap. There's no record of its existence until after Peruvian independence.
I enjoyed the article and have long been interested in ruins around the world. I last visited Peru in 1975, when I spent five months riding buses on often poorly maintained roads through eight countries in South America. I was, therefore, disappointed at the severe lack of travel details in a travel article.
While a number of car rides were mentioned, did that mean rental cars/off-road vehicles? Shared taxis? Scheduled shuttle service? Standing in the back of a truck (as I have done previously in Peru and elsewhere)? Local package tours with transportation and guide from nearby towns? The hotel outside Chachapoyas looked very nice, but how do you get there and back?
When the author warns that getting somewhere is difficult and then gives only sketchy details about transportation, it is quite unsatisfying, especially for less visited locations.
13
All you need to do is get to Chachapoyas. There are many guided tours operating there that provide safe transportation and English guides. Several hostels/hotels on major booking sites will help you get transportation from the airport in Jain. There is also a new direct flight from Lima to Chachapoyas.
7
Wonderful place. Was there in 1998. The main entrance is the nearest thing to the great wall in King Kong that I've actually encountered. Glad there are now alternative places to stay. Flew in from Lima on Chachapoyas Airlines. The "airport" was on top of a flat butte; no room for error. The airline's single aircraft, an Antonov-24 if I remember correctly, crashed with no survivors not longer thereafter. The drive back down to Chiclayo, through river canyons (and a sometimes washed-out road) was beautiful. Kuelap is not Macchu Picchu, but it's stunning in its own right.
3
I agree with Louise. As a tourist for one year in all of Latin Americain (1976, my post college trip), transportation was a huge problem. And safety; thieves were abundant, both by “bud guys” and law enforcement.
This has probably changed some, as national governments now protect most tourist areas because of big tourist dollars.
After seeing the Aztec and Mayan ruins in Mexico and Guatemala , and the Inca ruins such as Machu Picchu , I felt Macho Picchu to be highly overrated. I have heard reports of Machu Picchu being turned into a gaudy tourist trap.
I would not take such a trip again.
A lot HAS changed. This part of Peru is extremely safe, especially in the highlands.
Beauty must truly be in the eye of the beholder. I found Machu Pichu to be a truly spiritual place, one that I felt a stirring and completely unexpected connection to. The slightly difficult hike up Wayina picchu takes you up to a spot of otherworldly beauty and serenity hopefully not disturbed by other tourists.
1
Sigh.
I had the WORST altitude sickness. When we landed in Cuzco, I had a bizarre experience. Almost felt high. Things looked more vibrant and colorful and I felt almost weepy, euphoric and I said I was "connected" to a higher plane. Which is funny because coming off a plane and landing at 11,000 feet above sea level was a self fulfilling pun of sorts.
By the time we descended the 1000 or so feet to our hotel one hour later, I had a splitting headache. We got mata tea. An oxygen tank. Nothing doing. I declined day over day. It was a full blown stomach flu and the worst head pressure I have ever felt. The day we went to Machu Piccu (much lower) I felt some relief but I was fairly cooked by then. We had to cut our trip short the following day because I was heading towards hospitalization.
My entire family was fine: I was not. Meaning, this is not a complete certainty for everyone. However, I wish I would have brought medicine. I wish I would have consulted with my doctor prior to the trip and I wish we would have not have stayed at such a high altitude (think our hotel was at 9000+).
One of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, but the mere mention of the words Machu or Piccu make me nauseated and dizzy.
But have fun......
Signed,
Debbie Downer
3
I too suffered sudden, severe altitude sickness when I deplaned in Cuzco about 10 years ago. My cab driver went into my hotel with me (it was situated on the main plaza) and spoke to the staff. After I checked in, they brought 2 white pills in a foil package to me. The pills made me happy. I fell asleep within minutes and when I woke up, I was fine so long as I took it easy.
My graduate research is based in the forests surrounding Kuelap and Chachapoyas. This article does a nice job outlining the incredible beauty and culture of the region, but I'd like to set straight a few exaggerations to help encourage people to visit this spectacular place.
1. The overnight buses from Chiclayo are perfectly safe if you take one from a reputable company like Movil Tours. I have done it many times.
2. The road to Keulap is not mostly gravel. It is paved and follows the beautiful Utcabamba River.
3. The author implies that Chachapoyas is not worth your time. Quite the contrary. It is a beautiful small Andean city with lovely architecture, many nice restaurants and hotels, and a thriving central market. The hotel where the author stayed is THE most fancy and likely expensive place in the region and is not particularly representative of how people travel there.
4. It sounds like the author went during the winter rainy season. I'd recommend June - September when the weather is more predictably dry.
Folks - this in an incredible place to visit and is not that hard to get to with a little planning. Think of it as a much more authentic and chill version of Cusco with few foreign tourists. The locals are desperate to attract more tourism to supplement their incomes, and it is very easy to travel here if you enjoy independent, lightly organized travel. This is much more the real Peru than Cusco.
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Just so everyone understands, elevation sickness is not nearly the issue around Kuelap as it is in Cusco. The elevation is much lower and I've never heard of tourists getting ill.
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Seconding Móvil Tours as a safe & economical way to get around northern Peru. Thank you for these helpful tips.
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Thanks for the great dispatch from Peru- especially since my family is going to Kuelap on our next vacation (in 3 weeks!!!)
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It took the Incas 2-3 generations to subdue the Chachapoya. There is world-class birding in the area. The hills are steep, so, if you want to hike to the falls, get in shape before you come. Note that there are dry and wet seasons.
4
Great to know about the birding - can you recommend a local guide?
I brought a guide with me from Ecuador, but there are many bird tour companies who have tours to the area, all with good guides. Manu Expeditions is Peru-based, and you might try VENT, Rockjumper, and others. I'm not sure whether they normally include Kuélap, but they might easily work up a private tour for you.
For those wanting more photos you can google the site!
With the difficulties of reaching this location, there seems to be little danger that it would soon be overrun by tourism. Please note, also, there are thousands of places around the world that are not noted in any guidebooks, or little noticed by the traveling, madding crowd, where one can go and find the peacefulness in being in a place of wild nature with breath taking views. I am currently reading a novel where the central family moves to Alaska and I've always heard it is an amazing place to visit, as long as you go at the right time. The isolated beaches on Vieques off the eastern end of the main island of Puerto Rico rival some of the beaches in Hawaii and, when last there, we had an entirely beach to ourselves. The Big Bend area of far southwest Texas has a night sky filled with ten times more stars that most people have ever seen (away from city lights).
My advice is to stop taking stupid selfies everywhere you go and allow the world to come and speak to your inner being. Slow down. Get quiet. Be within and without yourself and let petty concerns fly away, as they will completely for all of us someday.
As for selfies, no one back home wants to look at all of those photos anyway. Do you have to take a picture of yourself to prove you were there and having a good time? Really? Or is it just a matter of you can, therefore you must?
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I very much agree---trendy and "hot" are probably to be avoided. I located a remote place off the coast of Baja that Google Earth had no knowledge of--a place where we almost lost our boat and our lives one stormy night 50 years ago. I was happy to see it has not been discovered.
4
Peru is full of ancient civilization wonders that predate the Inca. Among the more fabulous were the Norte Chico, the Chavin, the Wari, the Chimu, the Tiahuanaco and the Mochica.
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I first heard about Chachapoyas in the 1980s from a Peruvian friend who had lived in the area. Since I was fascinated with all Peru’s archaeological ruins, Juan told me it was not to be missed, but that it was not well known and was difficult to get to. Unfortunately, although I returned to Peru many times, I never made it to Chachapoyas. Reading this account was wonderful, but I would have loved to have seen more pictures. From what I saw, the surrounding forest seems to have been cut, a sad result of increasing overpopulation.
1
Who wants to go anywhere anymore? Too many tourists who've ruined lovely places w/their cultural imperialism... Sneaker, shorts clad tourists taking one selfie after another... Discarding their garbage along the way...
Just look at Barcelona, Bali, Venice and even Machu Picchu...
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And Mount Everest!! The piles of garbage and trash there are unbelievable. (I've seen pictures only!) I always thought folks who attempted those mountains were environmentalists. I guess I was wrong.
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I always thought they were trophy hunters!
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My inlaws are from Chachapoyas and we went to all these places three years ago, in August. It is not always muddy and rainy. We planned to go during the dry season, which is wise because you can face mudslides if you don't plan well.
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So interesting! But I wish there were more pictures!
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I totally agree. In fact I was going to say much the same. Never heard of Kuelap, may never have an opportunity to visit, but I would like to see something of what it looks like. The headline certainly wets an appetite that the photographs totally fail to satisfy. Quite frustrating. Well there's always Google and Wikipedia
1
When I read these articles, I immediately go to google maps to see exactly where the place being described is located and usually there are lots of photos there if not actual street view 360 scenes. Hey! NY Times, this is the second decade of the 21st century, in case you hadn't noticed. All or most articles online should include links to other information, but that would take people away from the Times site. Note: those who want to learn and see more will go anyway. Here is a link to google maps:
https://tinyurl.com/ybrbx9va
I note that the Times linked to the hotel mentioned, which looks like a lovely place to go.
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It would be so nice to have a slideshow with 10-20 photos to accompany this story as well as the other places the writer visits.
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After doing some research I wrote a short story in 2008 that involved a remote area that could only be reached by traveling through Kuélap. It told a tale of the ancient Chachapoyas, and a lost ruin where a crimson flower thrived, biding its time until rediscovered, when its secret would be revealed.
When I saw the red hibiscus in the accompanying picture of this article, a chill ran down my spine. What I wouldn't give to travel back in time to glimpse that forgotten race.
Only time and respectful study can unravel the mysteries of ancient times, and hopefully add some much needed humility to temper our pervasive arrogance.
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I am loving your dispatches. Your descriptions are the best, I just wish you could add more pictures. Like the vista you describe at the beginning of your trek or maybe the dog that accompanied you or even the mud, mud and more mud. What an adventure you are having. I'm enjoying and hope you are too.
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You should follow her on Instagram. Her stories are quite something!
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From the perspective of another reporter, while there is indeed a great adventure in the undertaking (note the reference), the Times also seems to have set up a test not only of endurance but sanity. How long can she last? How far can she go? When will utter madness set in trying to grab locations and report on them in only one week each? Is she falling behind schedule (yes). Clearly, 52 places around the world in one year was an inspiration or an act of journalistic sadism. Anyone who could travel that much and still report well and with appreciation of the places she is seeing deserves a Medal of Honor or perhaps a few months of paid recuperation.
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I would volunteer to do this job on this budget in a heartbeat.