Our Site Selection Trip to Puerto Maldonado (Day 1)

30 March 2017

Our site selection team sets off again on another car journey – this time to Puerto Maldonado which is about 590km from Curahuasi and takes us some 11 hours.  This road takes us over a 4,725 meter highest mountain pass (Abra Pirhuayani) on the Panamericana highway in Peru, having seemingly countless hairpin bends before descending to 180 meters above sea level and completely flat terrain at the edge of the Amazon rainforest where temperatures are typically 30°C and 75% humidity.

Below is a picture montage with descriptions of our journey;

 

There is commonly snow, ice and/or heavy mist at these high altitudes making Abra Pirhuayani one of the most dangerous passes in Peru.

Amazing mountain vistas at over 4,500m in the South American Cordillera range on the road to Puerto Maldonado.

Some of the many roadside Catholic monuments to fatalities on this highway.

We drive nearby 5,500 meter permanently snow-capped mountain peaks and two glaciers.

Here we are descending from the mountains and into the "selva" (jungle) region of Perú as we approach the Amazon – about 840m above sea level and some 250 km from Puerto Maldonado.

Toll gates 241 km before Puerto Maldonado.

A not uncommon sight in Perú as a semi-trailer load is lost on a corner (due to a lack of standards and/or lack of enforcement).

We finally cross into the state of Madre de Dios – we are about 400 m above sea level and about 180 km from Puerto Maldonado at this point.

Gender equality at work in Perú 😏

We refuel before Puerto Maldonado – I put this photo in for my father in law Eric! 😁

The geography has changed substantially from the mountains as we approach the jungle region – here is a typical roadside house with still water frontage.

A typical orange painted Peru suspension bridge – this is just outside of Puerto Maldonado.

You see so much rubbish dumped on either side of these roads in these parts. 😢

We finally arrive in Puerto Maldonado at 5pm to observe the most common mode of transport here (sadly including the lack of rider safety!).

We then locate the proposed site owner (formerly a patient of Diospi Suyana hospital and so sympathetic to our cause) who we have been dealing with in advance.  We then head off to the transmitter site which is located on his property at the edge of town and so happens to be in the zone designated for radio towers in Puerto Maldonado.  It is also close to three phase power transformer and due to the flat terrain, has uncompromised coverage of the region for our 50 meter tower.  Bingo!

 

 A main street of Puerto Maldonado heading toward the proposed FM transmitter property.

Here we are marking out the property behind the landowners farm pig shed.

Some adjacent broadcast towers observed as the sun sets.

The owner provides us with some star fruit produce from his farm orchard as the sun is going down and the mosquitoes are coming in to bite us.  After such a long day the fruit is delicious and we pocket another for tomorrow.

In the evening after dinner, Klaus presents the Diospi Suyana story to a prospective building contractor for our transmission site (i.e. on top of our already 11 hour drive and site visit). 

The building contractor (second from the right) listens to the story of Diospi Suyana.  In the previous few days Doris Manco (left), head of our media centre, had dialled so many numbers on her phone that her fingers were sore.  Building engineer Udo Klemenz explains the foundation work.  Dr Klaus John (right) relaxes after having driven all day.

Despite the hot humid night in Puerto Maldonado with no air conditioning in the hotel – we all sleep well! J

Regards,

Chris