Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [376]
The breathtaking, impossibly green and silt-filled Valle de Belén lies at the entrance of Gran Vilaya. The flat valley floor here is dissected by the mouth of the widely meandering Río Huaylla, coiled like a languid serpent. Filled with grazing cattle, horses and surrounded on all sides by mist-covered hills, the vistas here are mesmerizing.
Roads barely make a dint into this terrain, so the only way to really explore it is on foot or by horse. If your Spanish is up to it and you have the gear, it is possible to hike independently – but trails are not always marked and the overgrown ruins are difficult to find. Most travel agencies in Chachapoyas offer trekking tours of this region.
Karajía
This extraordinary funerary site hosts six sarcophagi perched high up a sheer cliff face. Each long-faced tomb is constructed from wood, clay and straw and is uniquely shaped like a stylized forlorn individual. The characters stare intently over the valley below, where a Chachapoyas village once stood; you can see stone ruins scattered among the fields of today. Originally there were eight coupled sarcophagi, but the third and eighth (from the left) collapsed, opening up the adjoining coffins – which were found to contain mummies, plus various crafts and artifacts related to the deceased. Look out for scattered bones below the coffins. Only important individuals were buried with such reverence: shamans, warriors and chieftains. The skulls above the tombs are thought to have been trophies of enemies or possibly human sacrifices. Locals charge a S3 admission fee.
Karajía is a 45-minute walk from the tiny outpost of Cruz Pata. Minibuses from Chachapoyas travel to Luya (S5.50, 50 minutes), from where minibuses go to Cruz Pata (S4.50, 50 minutes).
Levanto
A great day trip from Chachas is Levanto, a small village three to four hours’ walk south along an Inca road, or 1½ hours by minibus (S5), which leave from near the market in Chachapoyas in the early morning.
Levanto Lodge (s/d S45/75) is a much-recommended hostal built in the style of a traditional round Chachapoyas house. The attractive rooms have hot water and handsome wood furnishing and there are views of the Kuélap site and good opportunities to see the Marvelous Spatuletail Hummingbird (Click here). Twenty minutes’ walk outside of Levanto, at Colla Cruz, sits another reconstructed Inca building with round Chachapoyas walls, meticulous Inca stone foundations and a three-story thatch roof. Ask around for directions.
Revash
Near the town of Santo Tomás, Revash is the site of several brightly colored funerary buildings tucked into limestone cliff ledges. Looking a bit like attractive-yet-inaccessible summer cottages, these chullpas are made of small, mud-set stones that were plastered over and embellished with red and cream paints. This bright taste in decor is still clearly visible today. While much of the site was looted long ago, the skeletons of 11 adults and one child, along with a wealth of artifacts such as musical instruments and tools made from bones, were found inside by archaeologists. A number of pictographs decorate the walls of the cliff behind the tombs, and a funerary cave, originally containing over 200 funerary bundles, lies 1km from the main set of tombs.
The ruins are a steep 3½-hour walk from the turnoff for Santo Tomás, which can be reached by Leimebamba-bound combis from Chachapoyas, which leave at noon and 4pm.
La Jalca (Jalca Grande)
This lovely little mountain town, also known as Jalca Grande, is a small, cobblestoned municipality that has managed to retain much of its historical roots, though modernization is slowly creeping its way in. Quechua is still spoken throughout much of the town and traditional, Chachapoyas-influenced round-walled houses with thatch roofs hide around the corners. Look for Choza Redonda, a tall-roofed traditional Chachapoyas house that was supposedly continually inhabited until 1964. It is still in excellent condition and