Roaming South America

Moyobamba, Perú

February 1, 2023

Moyobamba, Perú: Moyobamba was founded in July of 1540 with the name Santiago de los Ocho Valles de Moyobamba. The town sits at the base of the eastern slopes of the Andes Mtns, in the Alto Mayo Valley. The population is around 55,000. Moyobamba has been used as a base for missionaries, soldiers, and merchants heading into the Amazon region. The Mayo River passes alongside the town and it has eight tributaries, hence the "ocho valles" part of its name - 8 valleys. The nickname of the city is "city of orchids" because, around the city, that is outside the city, one can find as many as 3500 species of orchids. At the end of October each year, the city celebrates an Orchid Festival. The name "Moyobamba" comes from the word "Muyu" of the Quechua language and means "circular", and "Pampa" which means "plain".

The city of Moyobamba was founded in 1540, but the history goes back much further, to 1400. To the time of the wars between the Incas and other tribes. Then came the arrival of the Spanish and things started to change. The original town was terribly damaged by an earthquake in 1746 so they moved the town 4 kilometers east and built a new town.

Moyobamba has been characterized as a city of tolerance, welcoming many different groups of people into their community, including Ashkenazi Jewish families, Sephardic Jews, Austrian, German, and Chinese. There were also influxes of Armenian, Greek, Italians, and English. In the early 20th century, there was a "rubber rush" in the town of Iquitos (no road access even today, only boat or plane). The population of Moyobamba went from 44,000 in 1897 to as little as 8,000 in 1940. At the end of 1940 WWII refugees from Poland and Serbia. Finally, in 1967/1968, Moyobamba was connected by road to the rest of the country. The 1970s saw more former Europeans arrive, as well as many from the Perúvian coast. In May 1990, there was a 6.9 earthquake that killed 17 and left thousands homeless. Numerous historical buildings were severely damaged, as well. Then in April 1991, there were two more earthquakes, which killed 11 people and left some 20,000 homeless. Also, many more historical buildings were severely and irreparably damaged.

Moyobamba has a tropical climate of rainy, semi-warm, and humid savannah. The average daytime high of 28° C (83° F), and the night average low of 17° C (63° F). The elevation of the city is 860 meters (2821 feet). The record low temp is 14° C(57° F) and the record high temp is 30° C (86° F). Moyobamba averages 1344mm (53 inches) of rain per year.

So, my impressions: I like Moyobamba. I have put it at the top of my Top 10 list (there are only three towns on the list). Moyobamba is considered very safe by people I've spoken with here in town, it is generally much cleaner than any other town I have visited in northern Perú and Ecuador. It has a lively commercial area and city center. Outside of town are areas for hiking and cycling. I'll be here another day but will spend my last day here relaxing and resting before getting started on the next leg of my journey.

This is my goal: to find a new place to live. So to reach that goal I am traveling most of South America, visiting the countries of Ecuador, Perú, Bolivia, and Chile, passing through Argentina, visiting Paraguay, passing through a bit of Brazil, and finally visiting Uruguay. I have a list of towns, about 70 towns, that meet these qualifications: Cities with average day temperatures of 22-28° C (72-83° F) and night temps of 14° C (57° F) and higher; and a population between 28,000-300,000. I analyzed climate and population data of around 700 towns in the countries mentioned above and then pulled out the ones that meet the previously mentioned criteria, which leaves about 70. My preference leans towards towns of less than 100,000 people. And, now that I have visited more than 30 towns/cities, I've decided I will probably want an inland town. I love the beach and walking in the warm water, but, getting sunburned is just too easy, even on a cloudy day. At least, here in Ecuador. I've also decided that any town with more than 100,000 population will be too big. I've decided that any small town/city (less than around 80,000 population) that meets the temp specifications and has a supermarket and ATM is one worth considering to live in.

At this point in my journey I have three towns on my Top 10 list - Moyobamba, Perú, and Catamayo and Puyo, Ecuador. In my travels in Ecuador, I visited 31 towns/cities.

Next up: Cajamarca, Perú.