Sept. 23, 2023
During my travels in Ecuador I visited 36 towns/cities. In Perú, I visited 38; in Chile, only five; and in Argentina, I visited 16. In Uruguay, I visited five, and in Brazil, three. And in Paraguay I have visited 26. In Colombia I've visited 82. That's 211 towns/cities in South America.
I'm in Cartago, Colombia.
San Ignacio, Perú, has a population of about 35,000 and is in the northcentral Andes Mountains, fairly high at more than 4300 feet elevation.
San Ignacio was founded in 1557, but there is nothing truly historical old left in the town. Many houses and buildings date back to the 1800s, but they're nothing special. It wasn't until the mid-1800s that it was recognized with legal status as a district. It was in 1944 that the town was finally recognized as an official city. Unlike the previous few towns I visited, San Ignacio has very few tour agencies if I remember correctly, I saw one while out exploring the town. But, there are many, many buyers of coffee, cacao, and corn. The coffee-growing industry is very big here in these mountains. I also saw several coffee exporters. The town has no supermarket of any kind.
Jaén, population of about 86,000, is in the northcentral Andes Mountains of Perú. The River Amojú passes through the center of the city. To the east of the mountains is the Amazon Basin.
Bagua Grande, population of about 43,000, is in the northcentral Andes Mountains of Perú. It is alongside the Utcubamba River in the Utcubamba Valley. To the east of the mountains is the Amazon Basin.
Moyobamba, Perú, is a city in the northcentral part of Perú. It is between the larger Eastern Range and the smaller Sub-Andean Belt where it sits at the base of the mountains. East of that is the Amazon Basin.
This was my second visit to Moyobamba. My first visit was a week at the end of January and the first couple of days in February. About my previous visit, I wrote that I liked this town and would put it at the top of my top 10 list, and it is still there.
Tarapoto, Perú, is a city in the northeast part of Perú. It is between the larger Eastern Range and the smaller Sub-Andean Belt where it sits at the base of the mountains. East of that is the Amazon Basin.