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Destination Peru - To Puerto Bermúdez on Wheels

Tarma, photo by Leda Duif

Hacienda La Florida, photo by Leda Duif

This last trip reminded me of what a spectacular country we live in - and that it is all right on our doorstep. As much as I love Lima, it is a real treat to be able to get away to the blue skies and a bit of heat, especially at this time of year. I took a bus to Tarma, I slept for the first three hours and when I woke up I was amazed at the sight of the beautiful snow capped mountains.

I was dropped off in Tarma at the Hacienda La Florida (www.haciendalaflorida.com). This is a wonderful and comfortable place, especially for kids. In the morning I got to milk a cow and the kids were shown how to drive a tractor. The fresh air just beckons you to take long walks in the lush fields that surround the property. Another place to stay is the Hacienda Santa Maria (www.haciendasantamaria.com). This is not a working farm and it does not boast much land but the garden and the fireplace are real treats. Both of these are great weekend options.

After two wonderful nights and some really fantastic day treks in Tarma, I hopped on a colectivo to La Merced. It is really incredible to leave the chilly sierra and arrive in the jungle in an hour and a half! La Merced isn't too pretty a town, but there are a number of tour operators offering a variety of day trips which include visiting nearby waterfalls. It is also possible to take a day trip to Oxapampa - but if you want to see Pozuzo you need a couple of days - or you may choose to go on to Satipo, which is less than two hours away. Instead of going to any of these towns, I decided to head to Puerto Bermúdez. The 4x4 pick ups leave at 3.30 a.m. every day from the bus terminal. It is a meandering muddy road…and there were a couple of instances when I thought we were not going to make it…

Puerto Bermúdez is right in the center of Peru, it is quite an isolated town with one main street; there are five phones and one school that has just been given internet access via satellite. I went straight to Albergue Humboldt (www.geocities.com/puerto_bermudez) --and what a wonderful place it is. Jesús, the owner, is a Basque Spaniard writer who has set up his home as a welcoming refuge for travelers. The hammocks and the fruit trees are just part of the delight. There are many treks and local boat trips here and Jesús will hook you up with a local Ashaninka guide. Not many tourists pass by Puerto Bermúdez, but each one that does makes a big difference to the locals. The local Ashaninka communities are very poor and are often forced to cut down their trees for money, the going rate is one sol per foot - the value of a tree once it is cut down and brought to the main road. Often the road is two or three days walk from where the tree is cut and usually it takes two or three men to do this….

Instead of backtracking I decided to head to Pucallpa, a twelve hour trip, and yes the roads were very muddy! From there I flew back to Lima, but those who can keep up the pace can catch a boat up river to Iquitos… – Leda Duif, South American Explorers

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