Peru travel blog by Mark Berman -
August 2011
»
View Photoset (14 Photos)
International Bridge
Of the 3 border crossings I have done between Peru and Ecuador, La Balsa is the most remote and isolated, but it's scenic, adventurous and fun. I came
from
Zumba after being in
Vilcabamba in Ecuador and travelled 1hr down to Pucapamba at the border, then did passport formalities and walked over the bridge across the Rio Blanco
to La Balsa. After finding the policeman in La Balsa for a passport stamp, I took a shared taxi to San Ignacio which took 1hr 20mins. It's an unsealed
road but it's not rubble and there is lovely scenery along the way. I really knew I was in Peru again when I saw a motortaxi on the side of the road. We
passed through a couple of small villages along the way called Namballe and Linderos before arriving in San Ignacio, a typical Peruvian crazy-town.
La Balsa
The
intension was to stay a night, have a quick look around and head south to Chachapoyas the next day. San Ignacio is a place buzzing with motortaxis and
street activity. You might see a man with his monkey on a street corner performing tricks. I visited the park, saw a few monuments and bought some supplies
from the local market. The plaza has a monument of an indigenous man holding up a dove sitting beside a polar bear. A traffic round-about has a monument
of an indigenous woman with a basket standing upon a globe. Nearby is the local sports stadium with a monument of 2 soccer players outside. The stadium
is not far from the bus companies that leave San Ignacio to various destinations. Here is the official government website of
San Ignacio, in Spanish.
To Chachapoyas
It was a full days travel from here to
Chachapoyas for me the next day. The story of the
journey from San Ignacio to Chachapoyas.
Tweet
