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Chachapoyas, Perú
July 30, 2025
Chachapoyas, Perú is a town and district in north-central Perú in the Andes Mountains, in the part of the mountains called the Amazonian Andes. The district has a population of around 40,000. The town sits in a valley at 2,335 meters (7,660 feet). It's a bit on the cold side at this elevation, especially at night, too cold for my bones. The town has a very long history, but its official founding was in 1538 by the Spanish conquistador Alonso de Alvarado. Prior to that, the location had shifted several times due to climate, disease, or lack of defensibility.
Read MorePedro Ruiz Gallo, Perú
July 28, 2025
Pedro Ruiz Gallo sits in north-central Perú, tucked in the mountains between Cajamarca and the Ecuadorian border. With a population somewhere between 5,000 and 6,000, it’s a small town, for sure. There is one bank here, and two bank agencies, and one ATM. The town offers several hotels and hostels, plenty of restaurants, and a wide mix of small businesses where you can find just about anything you need. At 1,313 meters (4,307 feet) in elevation, the climate is quite pleasant, and the steep mountains surrounding the valley give rise to some truly spectacular waterfalls. The town has not typical town center. PRG sprang up at the intersection of two highways.
Read MoreMoyobamba and Yantaló, Perú
July 26, 2025
Moyobamba is a city of about 53,000 people, located in the northeast of Perú. It is on the east side of the Andes Mountains at about 860 meters (2821 feet), It sits in the Mayo River Valley. The modern city of Moyobamba was founded in 1540. The Spanish founded the city on the site of an Inca settlement. It was also the first city founded by the Spanish in the Peruvian Amazon region, and is the second oldest Spanish-founded city east of the Andes. The city is also known as The City of Orchids. Not because there are many orchids inside the city, but because the surrounding mountains contain some 3,500 species of orchids.
Read MoreRioja, Perú
July 24, 2025
Rioja, west of Moyobamba, is a town of about 25,000. It has a much larger commercial area than I expected for a town of this size. The town sits at about 850 meters (2782ft) and has a near-perfect climate, same as Moyobamba.
Read MoreCalzada, Perú
July 22, 2025
Calzada is a very small "town" west of Moyobamba, in the northcentral region of Perú, on the east sidd of the mountains. When I say very small, I'm not exagerating, it's tiny. The town and the surrounding district includes about 5300 people. The native population of the area has become practically extinct, and their few descendants have been assimilated in the process of cultural development. No effort has been made to rescue their traditions or innate cultural contributions that would strengthen their local education and culture. All rather sad, but that is how this town has developed.
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I used to teach English as a foreign language in Barranquilla, Colombia. Now I'm retired and traveling throughout South America.
I'm from Kennewick, Washington, USA. In my previous life, as I call it, I was an IT guy, systems administrator, computer tech, as well as a shipping/receiving guy and also worked as a merchandising guy in a RV/Camping store.