We had heard through the grapevine that the road north from Chachapoyas was closed due to bridge problems. Not wanting to backtrack 2-3 days we investigated a bit further and found out that although the bridge was closed and no trucks or buses could get through, foot traffic was permitted between noon and one daily and supposedly there would be transportation available at the other end. So, assuming that some kind of scheduled bridge repair was occurring, off we went. What we found was that the bridge was not “under repair”, but
rather it and much of a small town had been totally washed away by a slide. It wasn’t a simple matter of crossing the bridge, it now meant a one hour “hike” in the jungle heat, many people with young children, suitcases, huge bags of produce etc, along the gravel road and then up and over a muddy footpath overlooking the slide area with heavy machinery working feverishly above us to try and establish an alternative route for cars and trucks. We had heard in Chachapoyas that there had been a tragic slide nearby where 30 people had apparently died. We’re not sure if this was the same slide, but the village here had obviously completely disappeared. It was a very profound experience to be walking along with our packs, our biggest worry being how far we would get that day, while we watched the army help these poor families try and salvage anything that they could from what remained of their homes. We just take so much for granted…
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