Oxapampa - 2006-01-14
Click "here" to view an external website for more information about Oxapampa (and the neighboring area). Otherwise, this was a two day road trip from Lima, driving about 10 hours each day, the last 3 to 4 hours being on unimproved dirt roads. The trip one way is about 260 miles (420 kilometers). Going from the heat of Lima and climbing through Ticlio pass (which has the highest railroad tracks in the world, 15807 feet or 4818 meters above sea level) the temperature was below freezing. From there you wind your way down, going through the "big" town of Tarma and eventually fording a stream before you get to San Ramon and La Merced. From La Merced it's about another 4 or 5 hours, depending on the condition of the road. The last 3 or 4 hour leg, you generally average about 15 miles per hour. It's preferable to have 4WD or AWD, and reasonable ground clearance. From there you enter an isolated valley and the town of Oxapampa. On the return leg, we drove through some rain and then going back through Ticlio Pass, it was snowing.