Journey to the Center of the Earth | Outside Online
Stan Hall, 1975 (Photo: Tayos Archives) The Coangas River (Photo: Eoin Carey/Tayos Art) The 1976 expedition (Photo: Tayos Archives) “Morder la cabeza”—bite off the head—the street vendor says as he hands me a chontacuro, a plump white grubworm fresh from a sizzling grill. As I struggle to distinguish the head from the body, Eileen says, in her Scottish brogue, “It’s that little black thing right there.” It’s a few days before our descent into Tayos, and we’ve stopped for a break in Mera, a small gateway town to the Andes. A band plays drums and trumpets just off the town sq...