Traveling to Peru

Peru Projects: April 2008
by Lon Haldeman

I just returned from scouting our various projects in Peru. It was a quick trip with just me and one gear bag. I made the rounds to check on the progress in several areas where we have been helping during the past few years.

I arrived in Lima Monday morning after an all night flight. I found a hotel which had an empty room from the night before. I was able to get a few hours sleep before noon. Then I went to the book store to buy 110 notebooks and classroom supplies to take to Iquitos. The whole load fit into five boxes of 40 pounds each. The prices were much cheaper than buying them in the jungle but transporting the items on the airplane and to the school would be a problem.

That night I went to the town of Chosica located 40 miles from Lima. Chosica is in the foothills of the Andes Mountains and the last major town before heading into the remote 16,000 foot climbs of the mountains. Chosica is also the location of the “Girl’s Foster Home” we have helped support for the past two years. There are typically 16 or 20 girls living at the home between the ages of 7 and 15 years old.

I arrived at the home and was greeted by the Director Ricardo and his wife. They live on the premises in a separate apartment. We went on a tour of the facilities and Ricardo showed me the new layout of bedrooms, kitchen and classroom. I was impressed with how much cleaner the home looked from past years. The bedrooms and closets were more tidy and the library bookshelves were neatly arranged.

Ricardo said the building is now being used for class rooms for a sewing and weaving school. Five of the rooms are now filled with electric sewing machines and looms where the girls and local women come to learn industrial sewing techniques. A church from Germany had donated $5,000 for the sewing machines and a bunch of other equipment. The Girl’s Home had some other needs and I gave them $200 for food and paid some past due electric bills of $375. It looks like the sewing school could be a good business for the Girl’s Home in future years and they will become self sufficient to pay for their daily needs. We will keep in touch with the Girl’s Home about future needs but it was nice to see their conditions have improved.

Traveling to the KM 46 School

Traveling into the Jungle
The next day I flew to the jungle town of Iquitos located on the Amazon River. Stepping off the airplane onto the open air runway was like walking into a steaming shower room. The temperature was close to 95 degrees and the humidity left a shimmer of sweat on my forehead while walking to the airport terminal. A friend met me to pick up the boxes of books I had bought from Lima. He was going directly to the school in the morning and would take care of getting the books to the village.
My main reason for visiting Iquitos was to see the progress of the new school we are building in the jungle. The school doesn't have a name yet so we call it the rather generic name of Kilometer 46 school since it is located at highway marker 46 KM (30 miles) from the outskirts of Iquitos. The name of the village is called “New Triumph” which is located another 4 KM off the main highway.

The next day I began the long commute from downtown Iquitos to the KM 46 school. To get the full local effect I took the bus (local Combi bus) instead of renting a direct taxi. A Combi bus is similar to an old Volkswagen Bus that were available in the United States 30 years ago. Most of the Combi Buses looked 30 years old with the doors hanging from their hinges and dented fenders which were the result of jousting with other vehicles in city traffic.

I found a place to sit on the bus bench seat. There were nine seats in the bus, but we had 13 people already jammed hip to hip like a bunch of clowns in a circus car. As we drove the rural highway out of Iquitos the bus would stop for someone else waiting on the roadside. Their bundle of bananas went on the roof and the side door of the bus would slide open to squeeze in one more passenger. Just when I thought the person near the door would tumble out, we would find room for another passenger inside. This routine would be repeated over and over until every inch of space was packed with elbows into their neighbor’s armpits. The hot sun warmed the inside of the bus to a roasty 100 degrees. The only fresh air came from when we opened the side door to cram in one more rider. That old deodorant soap commercial played in my head...”Aren’t you glad you use DIAL?...Don’t you wish everybody did?”.

After an hour and a half the bus arrived at KM 46. I stumbled out of the bus and felt the contrasting cool air of the 90 degree jungle. I then started the four kilometer hike along the red clay path. The local people walking this trail had widened it to fit a small all terrain vehicle when the path was dry. Last year many of the bridges were a single telephone pole type log laid over the streams. Now many of these bridges had been replaced with cut wooden beams similar to railroad ties. These bridges were suitable for supporting a small vehicle. I counted fifteen new bridges that were built this year. Some of the areas are still very swampy and there is a need for five or ten more bridges through the marshland.

After 45 minutes of walking I finally arrived at the village of New Triumph. The area is not really a village with a cluster of houses. This region is home to 30 families who live spread out into the dense jungle. Each family settlement is self supporting and might be separated by half a mile. The new school will be a reason for 110 local kids to come together everyday.

Only three grass roof huts are visible from the clearing near the soccer field. One of the buildings is a community center with slat wood walls suitable for social gatherings. This building is where the temporary school is being held today.

I can hear the voices of the children as I walk toward the community center building. Today 56 students would be attending classes. The two teachers had divided the students into four age groups. The teachers alternated their time between the various kids. Their desks were improvised from plank boards set on bricks from the school construction site. Most of the kids and their parents have never been to school. The concept of sitting and listening to a teacher was new to them. The teachers were doing a good job of keeping everyone’s attention. The school day begins at 7:00 AM and is over by 1:00 PM. I stayed until school was dismissed. As the children left school they disappeared back to their houses in the jungle. Within ten minutes the community center was empty and the area was quiet except for the workers at the new school construction site.

Next to the community center the new school was being built into the hillside. I was hoping the new school would have been more finished when I arrived. I had heard reports about how the rains and flooding has made moving materials from the main road impossible. After walking the jungle path and seeing the remote conditions I could understand the obstacles of working in the jungle. All the work was being done by hand. The school foundation had been cut into the hillside which meant moving hundreds of wheelbarrows of dirt from the area. Then the bricks had to be carried from the main road along with many bags of cement and buckets of white sand.

The brick walls of the school were being built layer by layer. The school would have eight rooms of about 20 foot by 20 foot. There would be a perimeter sidewalk and an overhanging roof. I could imagine how the school will look when it is finished after June 1st.

The village is home to many woodcutters who work for a Canadian company selecting exotic hardwood trees from the jungle. They know how to cut wood. For the school they are cutting cedar rafters and making roof trusses. The buzz of chain saws could be heard in the distance. I would follow the men into the jungle to a remote sawmill where a guy was cutting boards freehand with a chain saw. I was really impressed with how flat and straight the boards were being sliced. The path to the sawmill was an obstacle course of stream crossings and ankle grabbing vines. The path had been cleared of saplings with a machete that left many six inch stumpy spikes on the walkway. Stepping on one of the spikes could easily go through the sole of a sturdy hiking boot.

At the sawmill we each picked up a fresh cut board and began walking back to the school. The planks were wet and heavy. I estimate a 12 foot board weighed 75 pounds. I had a hard enough time before walking through the jungle without carrying a board. Now I was trying to balance a board on my shoulder, jump a stream, keep from tripping on vines and not fall on stomach piercing spikes. I was the last one in the convoy of board carriers. I hoped no one saw how I was struggling. Everyone else was walking at a steady trot. I was trying to stay within eyesight and not get left in the jungle. When we returned to the school we needed to stack our board on the vertical drying rack. I could barely lift my board into the rack. My arms and shoulders were aching. Before I had time to recover our convoy of workers was returning to the sawmill. We would make five more trips back and forth moving boards. At home I had moved lots of lumber from Home Depot but carrying boards in the jungle was at least three times as hard. I have to give those workers a lot of credit for moving all those boards everyday by hand.

Peru Finance Report

Business Report
There are seven full time workers who are professional masons and carpenters. They come from a different village and are living in the New Triumph community house now. The village is providing them with meals and a place to sleep. They also receive $10 per day for their labor. Their agreement is to build the school in 80 days for $70 per day or $5,600 total in labor. At first I didn’t think we could afford the labor costs. After seeing how hard they are working in the jungle conditions I think paying their labor is a bargain.

The school budget is on schedule to complete the school for $55,000. The main variable is the slipping value of the dollar which has dropped 10% since January. After the main classrooms are built, the school budget allows for separate bathrooms and a living hut for the teachers. The bathrooms and teachers hut might have to wait until we get more money in the future. After the school is completed it will have 200 students arriving from rural jungle homes.

New Teachers in Peru

New Teachers Arriving
Sybil Copp and Joe Murphy are English teachers from Boston. They are finishing college and wanted to teach at the new school in Peru. On May 25th they will be traveling to the KM 46 school to live in the village. This is a great opportunity for the children at the school to learn English from real teachers who speak the language. I have to give Sybil and Joe a lot of credit for wanting to live in the village. There are no bathrooms, showers or drinking water. We have offered them an allotment of $100 per week to buy drinking water, some packaged food and a cheap motel room in Iquitos to take a hot shower one night per week. They will also be writing a weekly Blog they can post on the Internet from Iquitos each week. These reports will be listed on the PAC Tour website starting June 1st. I am sure they will have many unique stories to share.

First Peru School Project

Jack Wolff School Update
The Jack Wolff School was built in the Village of the Dolphins in 2004. This was our first major building project in Peru. I stopped to see the repairs we made during the past year. We installed electric lights, new doors, new desks and a fresh coat of paint for an overall cost of about $10,000. The school has continued to grow each year. Last November there were 15 teachers and 500 students. In April there are now 22 teachers and 700 students. The government has now recognized the Jack Wolff School as an important part of their community. They are helping fund and organize more improvements for the school. We should be proud this school is being well managed and maintained by the local people and teachers.

Cycling Clothing Donations

Cycling Clothing Donations Useful
For the past three years PAC Tour riders have donated over 500 jerseys, shorts and pieces of equipment which have been sent to cycling clubs in Africa and Peru. Recently I was able to attend a bike race in Iquitos. There were four races for different age groups. I recognized an assortment of donated jerseys and shorts that we had sent. The riders are very grateful to receive the cycling clothing and parts.

On November 16th, 2008 the local clubs are organizing a 60 mile road race on the only paved road in the area. Over 100 racers are expected to attend. There will be police motorcycle escorts and a big finish line stage in the center of Iquitos. Each racer who finishes the event will have their choice of a donated cycling jersey we will bring to Peru. The national television station in Peru has already aired a story about the Americans coming to race in this event. This will be a fun event for them and the riders on our tour.

All these Peru Project are going well. The people of Peru want to send you a big thank for your donations of money and equipment to make these projects possible.

Lon in Peru April 2008

I just wanted to give you some quick updates before I go to Peru tomorrow. I will be traveling all night and arriving Monday morning at sunrise in Lima. I have a bunch of things to check out in Lima concerning our tours in November. I will be meeting with our local guides who will help with our stay over in Lima before traveling into the jungle towns.

I will also be going to see the little girl Arasely at the Chosica Foster Home. It is Arasely's 9th birthday this week I we are going to arrange a party for her and 20 other girls at a restaurant with birthday cake and balloons. Arasely has been taking some extra English classes at a private school so I hope she can speak better English when I see her.

On Wednesday I will be flying into the jungle to Iquitos. I will be going to visit the School of the Dolphins we helped build four years ago. Vioricka said the new teachers and directors are working together better. The country of Spain has helped donate more money for school repairs. Since there are 500 kids there now they have expanded to morning, afternoon and night classes for different age groups.

I will also be scouting the progress of the new school at KM 46 which is 30 miles further into the jungle. The rainy season has slowed the work making cement but the construction continues everyday. Classes started April 15th. I will take lots of photos and find out how much working is needed to finish the school.

There are two college age teachers from Boston (Sybil and Joe) who will be going to teach English at the KM 46 school starting May 27. They will stay and live at the village for three months. I want to see the house and living conditions in the village. The village is very friendly and helpful to provide housing and food from the jungle for Sybil and Joe. However the village reminds me of being on the television show SURVIVOR. I am sure Sybil and Joe will have a some good stories from their stay in the jungle.

Concerning the tours for next November, I will have a lot more details ready when I return home in two weeks. I will start sending you updates about the tours and what to start planning for. If you need to reach me in Peru before May 1st you can contact me at... haldemanlon@yahoo.com

More updates later.

Lon

Happy Birthday Dad

I received the following letter from my daughter Rebecca on my 50th birthday March 27, 2008. It was the best gift she could have sent.


My Dear Father,

I am writing to you to wish you a very happy birthday. On one hand, it
is like so many others that you have celebrated since your birth, but
on the other it has a certain greater significance that is forever
monumented on greeting cards, tee-shirts, bumper stickers. Over the
hill? Or not quite, maybe that is closer to 65. Whatever the case, you
have now reached the age that people seem to view as the halfway
point, a very important landmark on our timelines.

This causes me to pose the question of when this phenomonea came to be; when we began to view this particular number as so imposing and meaningful. It is especially puzzling to view it as the halfway mark between our birth
and death when considering that our average age tends to fall around
the 80-85 mark. Your genes might be the exception that you might have
only lived half of your life by now. Regardless, whether we celebrate
our halfway mark at 30 or 70, you have now another lifetime ahead of
you. Or perhaps just the same amount of lifetime that has laid ahead
of you during the rest of your life that you have previously lived.

Perhaps it is now the time when people begin to assess what is truly
important and what they would like to accomplish before their final
chapter, but I believe that every moment should be considered with
this assessment and we shouldn't have to wait until we are 50 to begin
tackling our goals. Maybe we just have to wait until we are 50 to have
the time for them.

The ratio of our ages, as father and daughter, are approaching every
year; at one point in time I was only one thirtith of your age, now I
am nearly half. We are exponentially approaching zero and will someday
reach that axis, but for now I sincerely wish you a happy birthday and
hope you give yourself a moment to reflect on your most joyful moments
of the past half-century, of the past half-lifetime, and that you
continue to live this joy for the remainder.

With exponential love,
Rebecca

New Peru Jungle School Almost Ready

Translated letter from Vioricka Rodrigues who is the manager of the Peru school building project at KM 46 located 30 miles from Iquitos Peru.


April 6, 2008

Good morning LON,
Responding to your question of the school of the km. 46. I expect that the school will be ready for classes on the date April 15, that I told you. The climate here rains every day. I think that you are you going to come here to find the work at the school has advanced a lot with the construction of the school. It is possible that the school is not finished because of the rain. We will be prepared for all and adapt to the circumstances. The children go for the classes therefore it is expected that the school have the roof and we begin with the classes even that the school is not finished. The children will continue studying in a space that was arranged for the classes. We be able to continue with the construction and working at the school without interrupting the studies of the children.

For the moment we have 110 children that are going to continue in the school. They are very poor and they do not have school equipment. The children come from very humble families that do not have notebook neither pencils. They write with the leaves of the banana for their pencil. I think that your friends admired themselves a lot for how they help the education in very poor zones. The children do not have anything but the school will begin a new history. Lon it is good if you bring more equipment for the children of the km. 46 school. I think that that will be a good surprise for the children of the school in the forest. They are going to be very happy when they return to its houses. They are going to show their parents all the pretty thing that the school gives them for their classes.

Sincerely,
Vioricka

I (Lon) will be going to Peru next week to check the progress at the KM 46 school. I will be transporting as many school supplies as possible in my luggage. There is a school supply store located in the city of Iquitos located 30 miles from the new school. I hope to buy more supplies there and try to get the school up and running before I return home April 29th. I will post more updates when I return home.

END

Do You Want to Teach School in Peru?

Do You Want to be a Teacher in Peru?

Note from Lon:
The following letter was written by Vioricka Rodriguez from Peru to two young school teachers from the United States. They want to help teach English at the new school that PAC Tour is buildings in the jungle. These teachers are volunteering three months of their time to travel into the jungle and work at the new school.

February 6th, 2008

Good morning,
I understand your are restlessness to want to know of the conditions that will be in the KM 46 Village. The village is 30 miles from the big city of Iquitos at KM 46 and that is the name of the school. The main highway passes two miles from the village. You must walk one hour in the jungle from the bus to the village. There is no electricity in the village. There is no drinkable water for the people there. The village takes the water from the rain when the water runs in the gorges and collects in the puddles. I think there are three options for you to drink the water. #1 if you bring your tablets that are put in the water to treat water. #2 to boil the water on the fire before you drink it. #3 to buy bottled water to take to the village for your drinking and cooking.

Now I tell you the status of the foods in the village. You do not have to buy all your own foods. You can eat the food which grow at the village in KM 46. There is banana, yucca, and some fruits of the region. For meat there is guinea pig, frogs and lizards. Do you like to eat the GUINEA PIG? The people keep the guinea pigs under their houses as pets and the meat is similar to a small rabbit.

For your house to live there is a big round house. It is the house for the community and is made of wood and rustic materials with a thatched roof. You can live in the hut and have privacy there. It is possible to be comfortable there and make a simple wood bed with materials of the forest. You do not have to worry about the cost for the house because it is part of the aid we give to you.

I tell you about the pay from the government. They do not have a budget to give you a contract to teach in the school. The reason is the diminishing contracts of teachers in Peru without a budget from the government. Maybe something will change in the 2009 season. This year the four teachers for the government receive $200 each month. The village do not have money to pay more teachers. Maybe it is possible to ask Lon for a small amount of money for you to buy bottled water for drinking and some basic groceries from the city for eating.

You must take caution against the mosquitoes and spiders. There are many mosquitoes that carry the Malaria and Yellow Fever disease. The long legged spiders are poisonous and the bites can cause red bumps on your skin. It is important you use the repellant. In the night you can use the kerosene lamps and the smoke will keep the mosquitoes away. The snakes are most active in the afternoon and you should be careful about walking in the jungle during those hours.

I tell you how the people of the village live every day. They depart the village very early in their morning and go to their small farms in the jungle to cultivate the seeds for their bananas and yuccas. Sometimes they hunt animals to sell them for food. Sometimes also they are going to catch the fish. They are dedicated to cut the trees to remove wood and to sell wood. There are about 30 families that live in the village. I estimate there are a total of 50 more families and 400 people who live outside the village in the jungle. Total there will be about 200 children who will attend the school.

The language they speak is not their original Indian language from the jungle. Their historic language is forgotten and now they speak Spanish. The majority do not know how to read or write. The parents of families and children never have gone to school. To have teachers and a school in their village is an amazing opportunity for them. They can learn to read and write their names. The adults and children will have a better future and make something better for their lives.

Sincerely,
Miss Vioricka

Note from Lon: The village worked to clear the land and dig the foundation in December and January. The school building is in progress during February. The plan is to have the building completed in time for the new school season in April.

If you would like to learn more about the new school project please see the PAC Tour website listed as “New 2008 Projects in Peru”.

Tax deductible donations can be made to:

Christ Lutheran Church Peru Fund
P.O. Box 303
Sharon, WI 53585

END

Peru Tours 2008 Description

See photos from these areas on the PAC Tour
website listed under Peru Tours 2008...after March 1st

Daily Schedule Across Peru

Introduction to Peru Tours 2008

We are excited to offer three unique tours in Peru for 2008. These tours will give the serious PAC Tour cyclist a good challenge while providing enough time to participate in the local culture. Lon began traveling these routes by mountain bike in 2002 and was impressed with the cycling potential of these roads. Since then the roads have been under construction and are now ready for road bikes. Lon and Susan rode the route over the Andes Mountains in 2006 on their Bike Friday Folding Bikes and enjoyed the climbs and towns along the way. It is important to mention that PAC Tour is the only touring company offering tours to these remote regions. You will be traveling to areas not usually visited by tourists. We will be traveling with local guides meeting many new people along the route.

This is our 10th year traveling in Peru. Although traveling in Peru is unique, it is helpful to understand how to be safe and comfortable. To help you prepare, we have 20 pages of hints and suggestions to get you ready that will be sent to you by e-mail during the months before your tour.

There are three tours this year. They are scheduled to be separate tours or joined together to add additional adventures in Peru.

Tour #1
Cycling Over the Andes
November 1-10
$1,350 single room $225 additional

Tour # 2
Amazon River Boat Adventure
November 8-15
$1,150 single room $150 additional...not possible on boat

Tour #3
Road Race Across the Jungle
November 12-18
$950 single room $150 additional

Save $250 for each additional tour your join.

Tour #1 and #2 together cost $2,250...a savings of $250

Tours #2 and #3 together cost $1,850...a savings of $250

All three tours together cost $2,950...a savings of $500

What is included;
Tours include airlines and taxes in Peru, airport shuttles, hotels (some nights are single or double occupancy), breakfast, evening dinners, snacks during three rest stops per day, transportation in Peru by bus, van, boat, and moto taxi, guide fees and commemorative travel shirt or T-shirt.

What Is Not Included
Airlines to and from Peru (Lima). Extra airline baggage fees for bikes on Peru flights ($2.00 per pound over 50 lbs.) Long term luggage storage at the Lima Airport of $5.00 per day per bag. $10 per day for bicycle cases. There is an extra fee for transportation of hard shell bike cases of $100 during the tours. Extra roadside snacks, lunches and souvenirs are on your own.

What Kind of Bicycle to Bring
All three tours are for road style bikes. Tour #1 has some steep mountain climbs similar to the Rocky Mountains with 7% grades. Tires should be 23-25 mm wide and suitable for pavement but short patches of gravel road construction are to be expected. Riders should bring at least one foldable tire that fits in their gear bag and three spare inner tubes, frame fit tire pump, and basic bike tools to assemble their bicycle from the airlines.

Bike Cases and Storage
During Tour #1 and Tour #2 full size bike cases will need to shipped by truck to our final hotel. This cost is an extra $100 per bike case. Riders can avoid this cost with the following solutions: Bring a Co-Motion style take apart bike with S N S Couplers and use the smaller bike case as your gear bag, or bring a Bike Friday folding bike and use the suitcase as your gear bag, or bring a bike in a cardboard box and throw the box away during the tour and then rebox your bike at the final hotel., or bring an old racing bike in a cardboard box and give your bike away at the end of the tour to a local racer. During Tour #3 it is fine to arrive in Iquitos with a hard shell bike case and keep the case in your hotel room until the tour is over.

Non Cycling Option
Tours # 2 and #3 are suitable for noncyclists who want to travel in Peru. Noncyclists can travel in our support van and will have time to stop and visit sites along the way. These tours will also include some visits to villages to deliver supplies that will be available to all tour members. Tour #1 is not well suited to noncyclists because each day will include six to eight hours of cycling and limited space in our support vehicle for sightseeing.


Tour #1

Cycling Across the Andes
Saturday, November 1 to Monday, November 10

Day 1
Travel to Peru and Arrival in Lima
We will spend one night in Lima as the group arrives on various flights during the night. Local guides will meet our group and help transport us to our hotel in Lima. All flights must arrive before midnight Saturday night, November 1. If Saturday flights are not available then participants can arrive on Friday, October 31 and stay in Lima for an additional hotel and transport fee of $75.

Day 2
Sunday morning we will have time for a Lima city tour to the historic area of the city. Our flight to Piura will depart in the afternoon. It is a 90 minute flight north to Piura. When we arrive in Piura we will stay at a resort hotel on the outskirts of town. After we assemble our bicycles we have the choice of several restaurants in downtown Piura for an evening dinner together.

Day 3
Piura to Chulucanas...38.0 miles
Today is when we begin the cycling section of our tour. Piura is located in the coastal desert region of Peru which rarely sees rain from March to December. The local translation of Piura means “The city of eternal heat”. Breakfast will be at the hotel this morning. We will be able to start riding in the cooler morning hours. The route today is a good warm up ride into the rural area east of Piura. The road is well paved with a rideable shoulder. Most of the terrain is dry and sandy and the temperatures will be in the 90’s by noon. The town of Chulucanas is located six miles off the main highway on a dead-end type mining road. There will be time this afternoon to walk through the rustic market area and see the traditional lifestyle of the working people.

Day 4
Chulucanas to Olmas...77.5 miles
The dry terrain continues again today. Scrubby trees line the road and the temperatures will be in the 90’s again. The landscape resembles a dry African movie scene and you expect to see giraffes or zebras on the horizon. However the only animals you will see are horse drawn carts carrying 50 gallon barrels of water. This is the only way the rural farms get their water from a common well. There are a couple rolling climbs but nothing too serious. The town of Olmas has an interesting downtown area where many local people meet after dark.

Day 5
Olmos to Pucara...77.5 miles
The first half of today is uphill gaining almost 5,000 feet during 30 miles. The climb continues through many hillside villages that sell refreshments of bottled water and soda. There are many impressive overlooks above the valleys. The road twists and turns while climbing 7% grades up the side of the mountain. Occasionally you can see a glimpse of the road high above you and you wonder how you are ever going to get up there. This is toughest climb of the tour similar to a long mountain pass in Colorado. The summit is at mile 33.0 and the rest of the day is a steady 3% downhill. There are 20 miles of flooded rice fields built into the terraced valley. The town of Pucara is an small working class village with an okay hotel and restaurants.

Day 6
Pucara to Bagua Grande...70.0 miles
The gradual downhill continues for the first 50 miles by dropping from 2,700’ elevation to 1,300’. The climate becomes drier and hotter the lower we drop into the river valley between the mountains. The irrigated areas still grow rice but the rest of the area is arid and rocky. The road is still in good condition for road bike tires. Bagua Grande is a bigger town with many repair shops and stores without frills.

Day 7
Bagua Grande to Pedro Ruiz...41.5 miles
Today begins a gradual climb along the river. There is more vegetation along the steep cliffs and mountains. Landslides and patches of road damage are common today. This section of road is in constant repair but should still be rideable with a road bike. There are several bridges and small towns to visit and get snacks every 6-10 kilometers. This is a short mileage day but it will still be a five hour bike ride including lunch at a roadside cafe.

Day 8
Pedro Ruiz to Nuevo Cajamarca...97.0 miles
This could be the toughest overall day with several 3,000 foot climbs and descents. There are two passes on this road above 7,400 feet. On the other side the rain forest begins and the dry landscape changes to misty wet clouds. The vegetation is more dense as the jungle is closer to the road. Bring a raincoat and leg warmers because it could be chilly at 7,000’ feet elevation in the rain. Small towns are common again today so it is easy to find snacks, soda or a cup of hot tea.

Day 9
Nuevo Cajamarca to Tarapoto...101. miles
We drop down to 2,700’ elevation most of today through a large valley growing sugarcane and other jungle crops. The road pavement continues to be smooth and excellent with many other local cyclists riding one speed bikes between villages. Roadside venders have displays of bananas, pineapples and coconuts. You have arrived in the dense green jungle which is different from any of the mountain terrain so far. Leaving the town of Moyobamba at mile 30 we are following the Rio Mayo (river) but our road climbs up the bluffs and then returns to the river several times. There are a few steep climbs but today is mostly stair step downhill dropping almost 2,000 feet to Tarapoto. The road surface continues to be excellent without much road damage. The city of Tarapoto has a population of 50,000 people and a modern airport. Today is when the new group of riders will join the tour for Part #2.

Day 10
Riders from Tour #1 fly back to Lima in the afternoon and return to the United States on flights in the night.



Begin Tour #2

Amazon Riverboat Tour to the Iquitos School
November 8-15

Day 1
Saturday, November 8
Fly to Lima, Peru from the United States...most flights arrive in the night.

Day 2
Sunday, November 9
A local guide will meet you and and take you on a tour across Lima.You will see landmarks of the historic city by going on a shopping mission to buy school books for the jungle schools. You will box and bundle the books and prepare them for delivery from the riverboat. In the late afternoon we will fly one hour into the jungle to the town of Tarapoto. At the Tarapoto Hotel we will meet the cycling group coming from Piura on Tour #1. We will assemble bicycles for the next day and have a nice group dinner that evening.

Day 3
Monday, November 10
Today we ride 85 miles to Yurimaguas. The first 35 miles are over the mountains to the jungle town of Poco Caynarachi. Along the way we will visit the waterfalls and villages selling fossils. The final 50 miles are through the low jungle on a good paved road to Yurimaguas. In Yurimaguas we will visit the boat we are riding tomorrow and buy the necessary supplies for the boat tour.

Day 4
Tuesday, November 11
Tour the fish markets of Yurimaguas in the morning. Buy supplies for the riverboat trip. The boats usually depart at sundown. The sunsets are beautiful on the river and we will spend much of the first hours fascinated by watching the silhouetted trees along the riverbanks. We will probably have late dinner after the rest of the boat passengers have eaten. Most of the passengers are getting ready for bed at 10:00 PM and we need to decide if we are sleeping in the cabins or outside on the hammocks and mats. The boat is traveling at about 15 mph so there is a strong breeze blowing through the boat. The night air is cool compared to the jungle afternoon. A jacket or sweatshirt is needed when sitting outside on the deck at night. That is why blankets are needed when sleeping in the hammocks.

Day 5
Wednesday, November 12
The boat usually travels nonstop the first twelve hours before stopping to deliver supplies at riverbank villages and pick-up more bananas. During our full day on the boat we will take a small motorboat to visit schools along the riverbank. We will have 20-20 minutes to walk into the villages to deliver school books before catching up to the big boat again. Tonight we sleep on the riverboat again.

Day 6
Thursday, November 13
At sunrise the cyclists get off the boat in Nauta and ride 60 mile on pavement to Iquitos. Non cycling people stay on the riverboat and get off at noon in Iquitos. People joining for Tour #3 will arrive in Iquitos this afternoon. Everyone meets in Iquitos for dinner. We will sleep in a nice Iquitos Hotel downtown and enjoy the comforts of air conditioning, hot showers and television.

Day 7
Friday, November 14
Tour Iquitos and visit the Jack Wolff School . This is the school PAC Tour helped build in 2004. It has grown from 200 to 500 kids in the past five years. We will ride our bikes 15 miles to the school. The school kids want to make a ceremony for our group with dancing and singing. There is an option to add 20-80 more miles on the route we will be racing from Nauta on Sunday. At night we will organize a birthday party for 40 kids who live on the street. We will pass out invitations to a secret restaurant for a dinner of chicken, rice and birthday cake. This has become a tradition during our tours to Iquitos and one of the most memorable nights of the trip.

Day 8
Saturday, November 15
People from Tour #2 and not staying for Tour #3 will fly back to Lima this morning and then to the United States at night.

Tour 3
Race Across the Jungle
November 12-18

Day 1,
Wednesday, November 12
Travel to Peru and Arrival in Lima
We will spend one night in Lima as the group arrives on various flights during the night. Local guides will meet our group and help transport us to our hotel in Lima. All flights must arrive before midnight Wednesday night, November 12. If Wednesday flights are not available then participants can arrive on Tuesday, November 11 and stay in Lima for an additional hotel and transport fee of $75.

Day 2
Thursday, November 13
Thursday morning we will have time for a Lima city tour to the historic area of the city. Our flight to Iquitos will depart in the afternoon. It is a two hour flight northeast to Iquitos. You will meet the riders arriving from Tour #2. After you assemble your bicycles we have the choice of several restaurants downtown for an evening dinner together.

Day 3
Friday, November 14
You will have a chance to road test your bicycle today and visit the Jack Wolff School . This is the school PAC Tour helped build in 2004. It has grown from 200 to 500 kids in the past five years. We will ride our bikes 15 miles to the rural school. The school kids want to make a ceremony for our group with dancing and singing. There is an option to add 20-80 more miles on the route we will be racing from Nauta on Sunday. At night we will organize a birthday party for 40 kids who live on the street. We will pass out invitations to a secret restaurant for a dinner of chicken, rice and birthday cake. This has become a tradition during our tours to Iquitos and one of the most memorable nights of the trip.

Day 4
Saturday, November 15
Everyone will have time to relax before the bike race tomorrow. If you want to go on a bike ride we suggest a 20 mile tour of Iquitos on the city streets along the Nany River north of town. In the afternoon we will go on a jungle boat ride the Bora Indian Village and exotic animal tour. Saturday night in Iquitos is very lively with lots of street performer and worth a walk downtown 2 blocks from our hotel to see the activities.

Day 5
Sunday, November 16
Today is the Bike Race from Nauta to Iquitos. At 7:00 AM we will travel by bus 65 miles to the town on Nauta. The bike race will begin at 10:00 AM. If you would like to ride your bike to Nauta and make a 200 kilometer round trip ride you should depart Iquitos at sunrise about 5:30 AM. The race from Nauta will be on one straight road with a few rolling climbs. Most of the hills are 3% grades and can be ridden on the big chain ring. Several hundred riders are expected to join the race. They will be competing for a $1,000 first place cash prize which is equivalent to three months wages. The finish line will be in downtown Iquitos. A celebration and awards ceremony are planned with local music and dancing.

Day 6
Monday, November 17
We have an optional cycling day to the new school located 55 kilometers from our hotel. You can either ride your bicycle or take the bus. There is a two mile hike into the jungle to reach the village of New Triumph where the school is located. We will take part in the ceremonies and dedication of the new school building that PAC Tour helped build during 2008. These ceremonies are always a lot of fun and a good example of local festivities.

Day 7
Tuesday, November 18
Fly back to Lima in the morning or mid afternoon. Nights Flights back to the United States.

End

Peru Tour Schedule 2008

Here are the dates for the three different Peru
tours we will have in Novmber 2008.

Daily Tour Schedule Across Peru

Tour #1
Cycling Over the Andes

Entry fee $1,350
Single hotel room $225 additional

Day 1 Sat. Nov. 1 New members fly USA to Lima
...sleep in Lima

Day 2 Sun. Nov. 2 Fly Lima to Piura in the afternoon

Day 3 Mon. Nov. 3 Piura - Chulucanas 38.0 Miles

Day 4 Tue. Nov. 4 Culucanas - Olmas 77.5miles

Day 5 Wed. Nov. 5 Olmos - Pucara 77.5 miles

Day 6 Thur. Nov. 6 Pucara - Bagua Grande 70.0 miles

Day 7 Fri. Nov. 7 Bagura - Pedro Ruiz 41.5 miles

Day 8 Sat. Nov. 8 Pedro - Nuevo Cajamarca 97 miles

Day 9 Sun. Nov. 9 Cajamarca - Tarapoto 101 miles

Day 10 Mon. Nov. 10 Fly on airplane to Lima in morning
...return to USA at night


Tour #2
Amazon Riverboat Adventure

Entry fee $1,150.00
Single hotel room $150 additional
...not possible on the boat

Save $250 discount if combined wth week #1

Day 1 Sat. Nov. 8 New members fly USA to Lima
...sleep in Lima

Day 2 Sun. Nov. 9 New members fly Lima to Tarapoto
and join Tour #1 group

Day 3 Mon. Nov. 10 Bicycle Tarapoto to Yurimaguas...85.0 miles

Day 4 Tues. Nov. 11 Begin Boat tour in afternoon
...sleep on Amazon boat

Day 5 Wed. Nov. 12 Ride Boat...sleep on Amazon boat
...deliver school books to six remote schools along the river

Day 6 Thur. Nov. 13 Get off the boat
...Bicycle 65 miles from Nauta to Iquitos

Day 7 Fri. Nov. 14 Day trips near Iquitos
...Visit Jack Wolff school
....optional 60 mile bike ride...sleep in Iquitos hotel
...organize birthday party of 40 kids who live on the streets

Day 8 Sat. Nov. 15 Fly on airplane to Lima in morning
...return to USA at night


Tour #3
Race Across the Jungle

Entry fee $950
Single hotel room $150 additional
Save $250 if combined with Week #2

Day 1 Wed. Nov. 12 New members fly USA to Lima
...sleep in Lima

Day 2 Thur. Nov. 13 New members fly Lima
to Iquitos in the afternoon...join tour group #2

Day 3 Fri. Nov. 14 Visit Jack Wolff school
....optional 60 mile bike ride

Day 4 Sat. Nov. 15 Visit Iquitos
...Bora Indian Village Tour

Day 5 Sun. Nov. 16 Bike Race Nauta to Iquitos 62 miles

Day 6 Mon. Nov. 17 Visit new KM 46 school ceremonies

Day 7 Tues. Nov 18 Fly on airplane to Lima in morning
...return to USA at night

END

School Building Updates from Peru

The following are some updates from Vioricka Rodriguez who lives in Iquitos, Peru. Vioricka is managing the the construction of the new school in the jungle 30 miles outside Iquitos. More updates will be posted in the next several months as the school buiding nears completion.



December 20, 2007
Good morning Lon,
I understand that is possible to make the school of the children at KM 46. It is a great blessing to give them hope of a better future. We here to make this a reality and make possible for all those children who never went to the school. They do not know to read nor to write. Now they have the opportunity to learn and to go to the school to give them hope them of a future.

Vioricka Rodriques, Iquitos Peru



January 2, 2008,
Hello Lon,
Good I understand Lon, that we want the same thing in helping the children of the village of “New Triumph” located at KM 46. Thanks to your friends that we can do a pretty school. I am working a lot with the documents for the new school. My dad is also helping me now.

The $10,000 dollars you send in December is for buying the materials. I am seeking and selecting the better prices for the purchases of the materials. The parents of family of the village “New Triumph” are enthusiastic so much. They are thinking they are blessed so their children can go to the school this year.

In the future I will send the photos so that you can show your friends. I am measuring the costs with the money. I will take the photos and I send them to you so that see. I understand that want to come to see the school in April. This is good for that then we will celebrate the inauguration of the school with his visit.

Vioricka Rodriques, Iquitos Peru



January 15, 2008
Hello Lon,
I return from the km. 46 village. I was organizing with my papa the works. I caught a bad cold by the constant rains that are in the jungle now. There is much mud to walk 2 miles to the village. This week my papa work at the school location without me until I recover . We are working busy to finish to level the land. You recall that the land has many tree stumps. Therefore we are trying to prepare the land to be able to begin with the construction. We do not finish fixing the land yet but the work goes very well. If you have some question, I am here to answer you all your questions.

ATT: VIORICKA

END

New School in the Jungle

History of Past Projects
In 2004 PAC Tour in association with the Christ Lutheran Church of Sharon, Wisconsin began building a school near Iquitos Peru. This school in the Village of the Dolphins was named in honor of PAC Tour rider Jack Wolff. Jack had contributed much to the building of the school and died in a cycling accident a month before the school was completed.

The village of the Dolphins is nine kilometers outside the city limits of Iquitos in a very poor area. The village is thankful to have a school in their region. Jack Wolff School has continued to grow from 200 students to 500 students during the past four years.

The cost for the Jack Wolf School was about $30,000 for a seven room building. We bought desks, tables, chairs and other equipment for the school. The installation of electric was an extra $5,000 to allow the school expand to night classes. In 2006 a building addition with bathrooms, sewer and septic was donated by the country of Spain for a cost of an additional $50,000. The bathrooms cost more than the school but the country of Spain had a bigger budget than we did.

Planning a New School
In November 2007 our PAC Tour group returned to Iquitos. We visited the Jack Wolff School and participated in the dedication of the new lights and electric. The next day we drove by taxi 30 miles out into the jungle region. We went to an obscure roadside path at kilometer #46 from Iquitos. From there we hiked into the jungle another three kilometers to the Village of New Triumph. We were scouting the location for a new school to be build in this remote region.

We met with the village directors about what needed to be organized to build a new school. The directors had already gained approval from the government to have five teachers supplied to the village. The 70 parents at the village would donate the land and build the school. We hired an engineer for the cost of $500 to visit the site and make a plan for the type of building possible. The school would need to accommodate 200 students and have seven classrooms.

The engineer made plans to build a seven room school with bathrooms included. We wanted a total budget to include desks, chair, bookcases and everything the school needed to be operational. The total cost came to $55,000. The cost is higher than our original Jack Wolff School but the price is realistic considering it includes bathrooms plus the increased 20% cost of building materials since 2004 and the 20% decrease in the value of the dollar. We have some friends in Iquitos who would oversee the construction and keep the costs within the budget.

We evaluated the costs to build the new school and if this was a project we could commit to for the 2008 season. We had received some very generous donations toward the Peru Projects in the past three months. PAC Tour rider Brenda Pulley volunteered to contribute matching funding for the school. We had now collected $40,000 toward the New Triumph School at KM #46. We still had $5,000 in the account to continue our support of the Ann Marie Book Delivery Project and helping the orphanage projects we have supported in the past.

Construction Begins
In January 2008 we sent $10,000 to our friends in Iquitos to begin construction. The school is planning to be built in time for the next school season to begin in April. Our plan is to send the $40,000 we have collected for building materials as needed during the next three months. The school will be 75% finished but operational enough to be open for classes.

More Funding Needed
The final $15,000 we need to complete the school at New Triumph Village will be our fund raising goal for the 2008 season. Based on the generosity of PAC Tour riders in the past we hope the school will be totally completed before November 2008. We are planning another cycling group tour to Iquitos in November as part of the “Race Through the Jungle” 60 mile road race. We will stay in Iquitos several days and participate in the grand opening ceremonies of the New Triumph School. Details of this tour to Peru are covered on the PAC Tour web site.

If you would like to contribute to the completion of the New Triumph School you can make a Tax Deductible donation to:

Christ Lutheran Church Peru Fund
P.O. Box 303
Sharon, WI 53585

More updates will be added to this web site each month about the progress at the school. We thank everyone who has contributed to all the Peru Projects during the past five years.

If you would like to see an entertaining 35 minute DVD of these assorted projects across Peru please contact Lon Haldeman at....haldeman@pactour.com.