The Grand Tour - Part 4 - Chachapoyas

When I arrived in Chachapoyas the previous evening it was already getting dark, and light rain was falling. I struggled to get off the bike as my legs/buttocks were so sore, and the hostel was up a flight of stairs! I had stayed there before, and Jose and Donna are wonderful hosts, and luckily Jose helped me get my bags up to my room - the welcome, as always, was like being greeted by old friends. Parking was not on site, but in a secure parking facility about a block away, so I decided to get the bike tucked up before showering and changing - I carry a protective cover (bought in the UK), which fortunately fits over the carriers too, so soon the bike was safely stored and I could get out of my wet clothing!
None of the rooms at Chachapoyas Backpackers are en-suite, which is usually a pre-requisite for me being an "older" traveller, but the rooms are great, and the bathroom only a door or two away, so I have never found that to be an issue there, nor the lack of included breakfast - there is a wonderful bakery a block or so away that serves a wonderful, cheap breakfast!

Bedlinen in the hostel

My room

I was still very sore from the ride so didn't go far for my dinner that night, and slept like a log. I hadn't really made any plans for sightseeing this time, and had only booked 3 nights, as on my previous visit I had gone on some organised trips, but I was hoping to go back to the Sonche Canyon, which is a 700 metre deep river valley, and was so tranquil. As it turned out I never ventured out of the town - I was still sore and it rained quite a lot, which doesn't really make for happy bike riding!
I also found that one of the hinges on the carrier had come un-welded, so went looking for a welder to sort this out. It wasn't long before I found a place, but the owner was out, and his assistant told me it would cost around 100 soles! This was for about an inch of solder! I queried this and he huffed and puffed, but said it would be up to the boss when he got back from the bank. I waited for about 20 minutes, and then the boss called to tell the assistant he was delayed, and when he heard there was someone waiting said it was better for me to go back that afternoon.
I duly went back later and showed the owner the problem, and he re-welded all 4 hinges for good measure, and charged me just 10 soles!

Strange that parking in parts of Chachapoyas is in the middle of the road!

I decided to take things easy the rest of my time there since my next long ride was going to be over and down the other side of the Andes into the Amazon basin. So I just wandered round a bit, visited the market, and generally chilled out - oh, and got my hair cut by Donna! I had asked where the barbershop was and she offered to do it for me - for free!

Plaza de Armas

Another small square near the hospital

Produce market

More rain rolling in

Police out in force doing document checks of bikers

One of the delightful restaurants in a courtyard where I stopped for lunch

After Donna's haircut

Something I had forgotten, but was reminded of with the photo of my haircut - sunburn! The morning of the first day to Cajamarca when I stopped for lunch I noticed how badly burnt my face was - through the eye part of the crash helmet! For the rest of that day I used a handkerchief as a protector over my cheeks, but while in Cajamarca I fashioned a more permanent solution from a t-shirt, so from then on only my eyes were exposed - and this worked fine until later in the year when I visited Huaraz and bought a proper sun-mask headband.
Only one other thing of note during my stay in Chachapoyas - on the counter at the hostel were business cards from local restaurants and the like, and I picked one up for a restaurant I had been past not far away so decided to go there for dinner that night. I checked on TripAdvisor and it had excellent reviews, but prices were somewhat higher than the norm for the town. I sat down and was brought a menu, and the waitress told me there were several specials, but I chose a duck dish off the menu - but she said their duck special, in a Green Sauce, was a better option, so I agreed to have that. I generally drink fresh juice with meals, but they only appeared to have fancy ones, so I ended up ordering melon, but asked them to hold the garnish. The drink arrived and it had something running down the insides of the glass, which I was told was Algarrobina, which is a sweet syrup from the Carob tree, used a lot in Peruvian cuisine and as an alternative sweetener. I took a taste and was not impressed - the taste of melon was overpowered by the sweetener, and was not that pleasant. My dish arrived and I tucked in, or tried to - the duck was as tough as leather, and the small piece I managed to cut off was tasteless. The green sauce was equally disgusting, and after tasting that I realised I could not eat the meal. I called the waitress over and explained that I was not happy with the food, and couldn't eat it or drink the juice - the first time ever that I have sent food back. She asked if I wanted anything else, which I refused, so she brought me the bill - and I was charged in full! It was one of the most expensive meals I have ever eaten in Peru is over 3 years total time here, was inedible, and I still got charged for it. I was particularly unhappy as I only selected the dish on her recommendation, and had asked for the juice without the garnish, but still got it - so as soon as I was back in the hostel I posted reviews on Facebook and TripAdvisor, still amazed at all the rave reviews they had been getting from everyone! I did get one response, simply stating that "maybe the chef had an off day"!
Next morning after breakfast I set out for Moyobamba.