We could go back -or we could go onto the end of the road, at Itahuania. We camped by a beautiful jungle stream, alongside the road, figuring we could always flag down any passing traffic that might be returning to Cusco. The next day would be Sunday and there was general agreement that transport would be few and far between on this day of rest.
The truck had passed us before we woke up, and gone before we had wiped the sleep from our eyes. So much for a quick ride for Cusco - we were now all out of transport options.
We rose with the birds to hear their magical early morning opera - a cacophony of parrots and other birds as they flew over the jungle canopy. The howler monkeys rumbled in the distance and we were truly out in nature - a magical feeling.
The final run into Itahuania was blissfully pretty and we arrive to find a town in construction, with a frontier air. But we also discover that we have not reached the end of the road - in recent months they've extended the road. In fact, this whole region is being opened up at a rapid rate. Whereas once only accessible by boat, the road reached Itahuania two years ago - and one day the road will extend all the way along this river into the heart of Manu. (See map.)
I wonder what impact this will have on Manu's famed biodiversity, as every extension of the road means migration by those looking for new opportunities and riches. It will also mean greater accessibility for the tourists that already flow in for between $500 and $1500 a pop.
Our transport options look grim until we find out there is a community meeting bringing officials from Salvacion - once again our salvation. It seems that half the people that should be in the meeting are drinking in the shop where we are waiting for the return transport. These are community run towns - the bills need to be approved, and people need to have achieved certain goals (eg. Building a house) by a certain date. They bemoan the lack of "doers" and ideas people in their town and I muse the world is the same the world over.
In these long hours of waiting one also develops the art of conversation with complete strangers. In our time-oriented society, it's not something that we do. Everyone is far too busy or has lots of friends. It seems that with the heat of the jungle people aren't in a hurry and are happy to discuss things with strangers. I get into a conversation with a woman who has lived all her life in the region - she exclaims, "do you know how much tourists pay to go to Manu?" She adds, without bitterness, "and not a cent reaches our town. They come with all the food they need - even bread and water! And all they leave is rubbish!" I frown and defend my fellow foreigners - surely tourists wouldn't litter? She laughs, "no they leave their rubbish tied up neatly in bags! What will we do with it?" She says that the cooks or helpers on tours often throw these neatly tied up bags into the rivers.
It strikes me just how important it is to buy local, and be environmentally conscious in all your actions. It makes me pleased that when we travel we buy at small shops and eat in local restaurants. You can't please everyone, but you can make a difference.
We'd reached the end of the road - only to find that the road continued, and I guess that's the whole thing, the road never ends, and there are new discoveries each day and fresh places to go. There will always be new experiences that make this world so rich and wonderful - even if they do cause us a bit of pain along the way!
If you would like to have a similar bicycling adventure, why don't you check out the ride from the Mountains to Manu?
*** Many thanks to Ariana Svenson for sharing this adventure with us!
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