Using the internet as my source, I'm sure to get some of this wrong. Nonetheless, here's my best shot at "research."
- The city was founded in the 1840s.
- It was isolated from the rest of the country (by jungle and mountains) until a highway was built in 1945!
- The bus ride from Lima to Pucallpa is something like 20 hours (thank goodness for airplanes).
- Our move will be the same distance as moving from Charlotte to New York City (~650 miles).
- The city is on the banks of the Ucayali River, a major tributary to the Amazon.
- There are two seasons: dry (April-Oct) and wet (Nov-March).
- The average maximum temperature for every month of the year is 90 F or higher.
- It is not a major tourist destination but is the capital of its province and definitely a local hub.
- The main industry is logging.
- The word "Pucallpa" means "red dirt" in Quechua (Peru's second national language).
- Pucallpa is the end of the road. After Pucallpa, the only way to keep traveling into the jungle is by boat or airplane.
I see you are keeping busy in your sick bed. I know you have been to Pucallpa for the last SAM get together, so you are familiar with it. It brings back memories reading your post. The way it is like an oven door being openned when you get off the plane and sweat was a fact of life. Crazy to miss it, but I really liked it there!