Puno to Tacna

October 31st  Puno to Tacna

The city of Puno by Lake Titicaca - and the start of today's journey

Today was the best 255 miles I have ever done. If you want the thrill of mountain passes, high plateaus and desert all in one day then this is the road to head for. The traffic is negligible and the road surface generally good but the scenery is outstanding, it is almost other worldly.
I started the day with a few things I wanted to achieve and they were as follows:
Stay warm
Take a photo of the bike in a glorious setting 
Take a photo of a native Peruvian

I managed to stay warm as I put on two coats and wore my waterproof overtrousers and gloves. This I think added to my positive enjoyment of the journey. Immediately upon leaving Puno we climbed and reached a height of 4500 metres (9354 ft) and the temperature dropped to around 12 degrees. I stayed at this height for 180 miles and without the additional clothing I would have really suffered.

On one of the sweeping bends I managed to find a great spot to park the bike and take a photo of it. What the photo doesn't really show is just how filthy Bonito is, with dried mud covered completely with a fine layer of sand. 

 I forgot to mention - fantastic skies too

I thought I'd found a perfect 'victim' for my Peruvian shot, when I eyed an elderly lady some 200 metres away struggling with her heavy load. I slowly came to a stop and began changing my iphone from navigator to camera, all the while watching the lady approach. I didn't think she was aware of my prescence, as there was a lot of activity on the outskirts of Puno. Just as I pointed the phone in her direction, she suddenly squated and I assume, began to have a pee. I really couldn't bring myself to capture this, as it would really have been crass in the extreme. It did however, make me realise why the peasant women wear these very wide flared skirts. They are a perfect design for 'bush wees'. A case of function dictating design, I think

 Sorry I cheated - this is one from Google images - older women wear them slightly longer, now I know why!

Though the day was bliss it was not without mishap - nothing major thankfully and probably just in my head.. Shortly after taking the photo of my beloved bike, I went around a sharp bend and was nearly blown off my bike and over a very steep drop off by an extremely strong gust of wind. The photo was taken as I was leaving the vast plateau and entering around the next bend the desert landscape. In the desert the winds are strong and persistent and in that instance I felt the full force of its power. Almost within a few yards of this incident I felt my front wheel begin to lose grip and wobble around corners. I thought 'Oh no, another puncture.' I rode on hoping for the best, but convinced something was amiss. I didn't want to be fixing a puncture out here, for when vehicles come around these bends, there is no saying which side of the road they will be on. The wind was also an issue. It didn't seem to be getting any worse and was only unstable around bends. By means of deduction and without having to stop, I realised that the cause was the road itself. Where the road surface had cracked it had been filled with tar - and they do it fantastically, creating a spiders web effect across the surface of the road. I figured that the extremes in temperature in the desert, created more cracking and this was why there was more of these temporary repairs than on the previous stretch.
The other dangers on this near perfect road, is all vehicles assume there is nothing around the next bend, (I only passed about 50 vehicles in the 180 mile stretch) so they take upon themselves to use the whole road and cut the corners on the sharp bends. So one can be suddenly confronted by a huge juggernaut coming straight at you.
When I eventually started to drop in height and with it the subsequent rise in temperature, my bike no longer skitted across these tar fixes. It behaved as normal, perhaps when the tar is cold it a more plastic and has slippery characteristic, especially in these desert conditions. Whatever science explains this phenomen, I was just glad to feel relaxed and safe again.

The city of Tacna is situated in a fertile valley surrounded by desert and spreads over a huge area. I rode straight to my hotel and have not seen much of the city. It doesn't look exciting and it appear to be a utilitarian type town - practical but no thrills. I chose to stay here simply because it is an hours drive from the border and there is very little choice if that is your criteria. I have enjoyed my stay in Peru and as each day has gone by I have grown fonder. It is a poor country with a fantastically diverse landscape and culture. The squalor in the towns and cities spoil this beautiful country - I would like to come again as I think I have merely scratched the surface of visitor opportunities.

Cusco to Puno

October 30th Cusco to Puno

Amazingly I awoke at 6am and was packed and ready for breakfast at 7am. I did feel tired though and my body ached from yesterday's exercise and sun. By 7.45 I was making my way out of the City. The southern route was more pleasant and the roads superior to those I'd entered Cusco in two days earlier. The road was straight, fast and with only a slight gradient. It was with some surprise that after an hour or so, I discovered I was at over 4000 metres.
I stayed at this height all the way to Puno as I sat on the top of this high plateau. The scenery was nice and mainly farm land, not like the other wilderness areas I'd previously come across. What it did have in common with those lands was the temperature at this height. Out in this beautiful landscape one can forget the other Peru which is characterised by the squalor of the urban environment. 

By 2pm I was entering Puno, an attractive city on the shores of Lake Titicaca. On the other side of the lake is Bolivia - which for one brief moment I considered entering, but rejected instantly. The hotel is situated in a quiet quarter of town, which is just what I need afer the hustle and bustle of Cusco.
I will eat in the hotel tonight and try to prepare for tomorrow, which will be my last full day in Peru.

Cusco to Puno

October 30th Cusco to Puno

Amazingly I awoke at 6am and was packed and ready for breakfast at 7am. I did feel tired though and my body ached from yesterday's exercise and sun. By 7.45 I was making my way out of the City. The southern route was more pleasant and the roads superior to those I'd entered Cusco in two days earlier. The road was straight, fast and with only a slight gradient. It was with some surprise that after an hour or so, I discovered I was at over 4000 metres.
I stayed at this height all the way to Puno as I sat on the top of this high plateau. The scenery was nice and mainly farm land, not like the other wilderness areas I'd previously come across. What it did have in common with those lands was the temperature at this height. Out in this beautiful landscape one can forget the other Peru which is characterised by the squalor of the urban environment. 

By 2pm I was entering Puno, an attractive city on the shores of Lake Titicaca. On the other side of the lake is Bolivia - which for one brief moment I considered entering, but rejected instantly. The hotel is situated in a quiet quarter of town, which is just what I need afer the hustle and bustle of Cusco.
I will eat in the hotel tonight and try to prepare for tomorrow, which will be my last full day in Peru.

Machu Picchu

October 29th Machu Picchu

To use a well used football metaphor today was a day of two halfs. One sublime and the other damn right awful. The day began at 4am with my iphone waking me up (first time I used the alarm function) for my 4.40 rendezvous with the tour operator. I had only found out the arrangements the night before, delivered in a brown envelope to my hotel. I was duly picked up by taxi and taken to meet the bus in Cusco. Here I joined a bus load of other sightseers from around the globe. The bus took us to Ollantaytambo about 1hr 40 away. The day was stunning with hardly a cloud in the sky. From Ollantaytambo we boarded a train which took us to Agua Calientes, the track followed a river through the valley floor and took an hour and a half. We were served Inca Tea, which was lovely, it is a herbal tea with coca and other ingredients. Apparently it is good for settling upset stomachs and all manner of ailments. Athletes are warned to be careful of how much they drink, as it might register in any dope test. I should have drunk more, as the altitude and lack of fitness sees me wheezing at the mildest of exertions.

At the train station we were meant to be met by our guide Victor Hugo Wilson, but after 10 minutes of no show, myself and a couple of young Australian guys decided to go looking for him - one of the other guides phoned him and we were told to wait until 10am,by which time he would have finished his earlier tour. We then had to jump on another bus that took us 6km up the mountain to MP. This was a minor irritation as the sun was shining and warm and we had views of MP from below. Eventually he showed and we began our tour. It was crowded but not unpleasantly so and the one way system worked well. Victor Hugo made the two hours with him worthwhile as he was very informative. Here are some of the facts for your digestion:

The city was built in the early 1400's and took 80 years to complete 

It had about 700 inhabitants and was not a major city

It was rediscovered in 1911 by American Hiram Bingham (it was covered by jungle vegetation)

No one knows its original name and it was given the same name as the mountain overlooking it Machu Picchu (Old Mountain)

The Inca (name given to the king) would have had up to 300 wives spread across the empire - this enabled him to control a vast empire - a bit like McDonalds with franchises everywhere

Favoured meat was the Guinea Pig. 

The Quechua is the name of the tribe and Inca only refers to the king.

The Quechua were a small people, as can be evidenced by the size of the doors.

We had finished to tour by 12pm and my new antipodean friends decided to walk up to the Sun Gate (this is where most photos of MP are taken as it is high and overlooks the monument. This took us 40 minutes and on our way up we saw two people being stretchered off the mountain. It was hot and I could feel the sun sun burning the back of my neck. The views from the Sun Gate are stunning and it is truly an amazing setting, but also an amazing piece of architecture. The stone blocks on the temple which fit perfectly were all crafted using stone implements (they had no metal tools). Harder stones were used to fashion the granite pieces. 

After doing this walk we decided to jump on one of the buses going down the mountain to Aguas Calientes, but when we got to the entance the queue was about 400m long. We decided to walk down, as we reckoned it would take an hour  to walk and the queue was at least a 2 hour wait. We began walking the road which twisted and turned down the mountainside, evenually we found a path that cut off the bends and was more direct. It involved lots of steps though, which is never much fun for my old knees. After 50 mintes we were at the foot of the mountain and sitting having a beer, which was much appreciated. Unfortunately we had a long wait for our train which did not depart until 7pm, so we explored the many tourist stalls and found somewhere to have a bite to eat.

Sitting at the rail station for an hour or so was tedious, but the large numbers of people were quite interesting to watch and before long, we were on the train. I forgot to mention that sometime during the day I lost my tickets for the train and the bus. Fortunately Mike, had spare tickets which he had bought for a friend, who hadnt turned up. So for my train journey back to Ollantaytambo I was William Thompson an Aussie from Sydney. The Peruvians  are sticklers for checking every single ticket in detail, so I was grateful to my Aussie chums for helping me out.

By the time we got off the train, found our bus driver and waited for everyone to turn up, it was 9pm when the bus eventually left. It was dark and the roads were twisty and dangerous and we all began to notice that the bus driver was driving erratically. He was slowing to snails pace when oncoming vehicles approached and was not holding a straightline. I had been speaking to a French guy adjacent to me, who spoke good Spanish and I persuaded him to go and chat to the driver and see what was wrong. The driver was in denial, but it soon became obvious that he was nodding off. By this time, the whole coach were aware of the situation and were on tenterhooks, there was a highly charged state of anxiety with every turn in the road and drop off to the valley below. Our 1hr 40 coach trip back to Cusco, actually took 2hr 45minutes of nail biting agony. I have never been so relieved to reach my final destination. The bus all started clapping wnen the bus came to a stop - this was not in appreciation of the driver, but to give  thanks for the gift of life. Upon arrival in Cusco the heavens opened and the 15 minute walk back to my hotel was a very wet affair. I had to knock up the night porter to let me in.

Apart from the mini and major disasters, the day was great - stunning place, met great people and had all of my senses heightened. It is a must see place and well worth the hassle of trying to get there.

 Perfectly fitting  stones

 The terraced gardens and farm area

More terracing for agriculture

Abancay to Cusco

October 28th Abancay to Cusco

As i drew back the curtains I could see it had been raining and that the dark clouds were touching the rooftops of the taller buildings in the city. Knowing that I had to climb out of the city I put on my wet weather gear, which was only the second or third time I'd worn it. Geting out of Abancay was difficult with the busy traffic, made worse by the extensive roadworks taking place. I followed my nose and the partial direction of my navigational aides - but as many roads were closed and diversions were in place the dreaded GPS were not much use.
I just wanted out of the city so didn't even attempt to get fuel. I soon started to climb and after about 5 miles I stopped and topped up my tank with the jerry. I had plenty to get me ther as today was around 115 miles and now my tank was nearly full. The road up was tricky as I had entered the clouds and visibility was poor. The road continued upwards for 20 miles in a thick mist. As I reached the summit at 4000 metres and started to descend the mist cleared as if by magic and the temperature increased from a cold 8 degrees to 17 degrees almost instantly. I'd had no views on the way up but was rewarded by magnificent views at the summit and down into the valley below. It is much greener in this part of Peru and obviously more fertile, with fields heavily cultivated. Pigs wander with dogs, sheep and cows and they are numerous.
It was another spectacular days riding and by 1.30 was entering the outskirts of Cusco.
Cusco is a tourist town with all the shops, restaurants and amenities you associate with such a town. It is attractive and allso very busy with weekend visitors and of course western visitors like myself on their way to Machu Picchu. There are lots of other trips such as rafting and hiking and even mountain biking. I think I would struggle on a bike, as I am breathless just climbing stairs. I can feel the effects of altitude, so I hope I'm able to climb the mountain tomorrow. I begin at 4.40am and catch a train up the valley to the next town, then a bus and a walk. I'm hoping the weather is better than today's as the only wet weather gear I have is my motorcycle stuff - and that is rather heavy. That will take up most of Saturday and Sunday I will spend looking around the sites of the town.

Back streets of Cusco

It is cold here in the mountains, but when the sun shines it can be very warm - knowing what to wear is a piece of guesswork. So I spend most of my time being either too cold or too hot. Being a tourist town, also makes it more expensive than most parts of Peru. I think two days will do for me. It is strange, but doing activities isnt quite the same by one's self, so I have not been tempted by what is on offer. The other thing I've noticed about travelling solo is there are fewer opportunities for laughing. For me that usually involves laughing at other people or teasing them - so on my return I think I will have to get my fix big time - so be careful folks!!!

Nazca to Abancay

October 27th Nazca to Abancay

It was going to be a hot day in Nazca, it was in the low 20’s at 7.45 and I was glad I was heading into the hills. Leaving Nazca I soon began to climb and climb, switchback after switchback, it felt pleasant in the morning sun. I was still climbing 2 hours later, having only covered 60 of the 285 miles to do. Nearing the end of the climb I came across a fox by the side of the road, he eyed me suspiciously and as only foxes can, wandered off with a great aloofness. He looked a little different to our foxes back in Britain, more brown than red and more patterned around his shoulders. It was great coming up so close and I’m sure if I had have stopped he would have stood there for his photo. After missing this photo opportunity, I decided to pull out my camera from its bag and strap it around my neck. My iPhone is currently back up satnav, so I’m reluctant to use as a camera in case I lose the directions typed in at my last hotel.

The altitude took me by surprise as I hadn't anticipated climbing quite so high, I began to have a slight headache and had very dry lips and mouth. Once the climbing in ernest stopped, I noticed the altimeter was at 4500 metres and I hovered around this altitude for most of the day. I am used to a climb then followed by a steep descent but today I stayed high on a plateau that stretched for over 120 miles. The hot temperatures of the valley floor were gone and I was under the high cloud and temperatures hovering between 13 and 15 degrees. It felt quite cold, but the consolation was the ride, long sweeping bends where 50/60mph could be maintained.

View from the top

My next treat up on this plateau were the herds of Llamas (or are they alpacas- can someone look at the pictures and let me know)) roaming freely. They are abundant and obviously farmed as there were many shepherds huts scattered in isolated places and circular compounds where they must be rounded up there. It was an interesting landscape as it was not too dissimilar from Dartmoor and even had many drystone walls.

 Wildlife grazing (I think these are vicuna)

Fluffy creatures by the side of the road (difinitely alpaca)

I managed to get fuel at a small settlement but that was the only fuel stop in over 200 miles. I had my jerry full, but that is only to be used if absolutely necessary. I have got into the habit of stopping whenever I see fuel and topping up. At this petrol station they had 98 octane fuel (the first I've seen), I guess the higher octanes are need to compensate for the effects of altitude on the engines. Bonito seemed not to notice and powered on as normal and with the chain correctly tensioned he was sweet to ride. When the temperature dropped to 13 degrees I began to get quite cold (I'd foolishly taken out the inner liner of my jacket in the heat of Nazca and had not put it back) so on went the gloves and the heated grips. Tomorrow I will reinsert the liner and wear a thermal tshirt as there is more climbing up to Cusco.

The landscape is stunning and so different from the coastal desert. I'm looking forward to getting into the greener mountains near Cusco. Abancay is at 2,300 meters and Cuzco is another 1000 metre higher. Abancay is famous for a battle fought between two conquistadors Pizarro and Almago. Copper is mined here and production of silk and liquor. Though in a beautiful amphithetre surrounded by mountains, the town is not pretty. The roads are poor and in a state of disrepair. According to legend the town used to be further up the valley, but the statue of the Virgin Mary kept in the church kept disappearing and turning up at a large rock further down the valley. The religious leaders, thought it was a sign and built a shrine to the Virgin Mary by the rock and eventually it became the centre of activity and the town moved there! By the rock is the Cathedral of Abancay.

Tomorrow is only 130 miles, but they'll be slow ones. I'll have  a late morning start and make sure I am properly attired - there may even be rain. Cusco is a world heritage site so it will be busy and full of tourist - will be strange seeing Europeans again.

Funeral procession from Hotel window - second one I have witnessed today!


* There are four types of Camelid in South America - Llamas and Alpacas are domesticated breeds that have no wild counterparts. Guanacos and Vicunas are the respective wild cousins of the above. I managed yesterdat to see all four creatures but caught only Alpacas and Vicunas on film 

Ica to Nazca

October 26th October Ica to Nazca

Tut Tuts at dawn

Road through the hills

A nice leisurely awakening and then breakfast, with time to take the views from the 5th floor restaurant. The traffic hadn't really got going at 7.30 am but thought I'd get a photo of the Tut tuts and consrtuction workers across the street who were preparing some shuttering work. They are using propped up pieces of timber! I left the hotel and was on the road by 9.30am, still not happy with the chain but better than it was (marginally).In all of Latin America there is always some deal at traffic lights - the norm is drinks and snacks and the usual windscreen clean, but in Peru they top all of  these with Circus skills - uni cycles, jugglers and gymnast strut their stuff before the traffic. I don't see much money changing hands, but maybe the purpose is to be spotted by Mr. Chipperfield. My friend Lisa Hartley needs to get on over here, there's plenty of talent waiting to be snapped up.

With only 90 miles to travel I could afford to take my time and take in the views, which again were staggering - desert interspersed with oases (is that the plural of oasis?).  I have taken some pictures but the wifi is so weak where I am staying that it won't allow me to upload (will do so tomorrow). On my journey today I went passed the famous world heritage site of the Nazca Lines (Google them as they are truly astonishing). Their age and origin are unknown and one can only see them from the air. They are huge drawings etched into the vast desert plain. I was tempted to go up in a plane to see them but $100 is a lot of money and just seeing the place and the lines on the ground was enough for me. Photos on Google are far better and more extensive than I could ever take. It is a mystical place as you get these swirling dust tubes like mini tornadoes moving across the plain.

The famous Nazca lines

Man on his way to work

The Nazca Plain

The weather has changed and is incredibly hot and no wind. As I have moved more inland I'm suspecting that this is the reason for the increase in temperature. The hotel Casa Hacienda Oasis, really is what it says - the town is dusty, dry and breathless, whilst my lodging is very much the opposite. I am frustrated by my chain so upon dumping my stuff in my room I did what i should have done in the first place - read the manual. I have been adjusting the chain on the centre stand (this takes the back wheel off the ground) but I should have been adjusting the chain with the side stand, as this means the wheel stays firmly on the ground. This way the tension is correct when it is adjusted. Having done this the chain is now perfectly adjusted. AT LAST!!!!
You may be wondering why I made such a small trip today when I have a 300+ mile trip tomorrow - the reason is there are few settlements and thus accommodation between my last stop Ica and tomorrow's destination Abancay. Not only is at far in distance the road will be slower as it twist and gains height as it makes it way into the pre Andes. So tomorrow will be an early start and I guess a long day. The day after will be much shorter, so plenty of time to recover for my trek up Machu Picchu on Friday.
I had an email today from Adventurebike rider magazine inviting me to write a piece for their magazine and to post one of my blogs onto their webite. Ofcourse I asked 'How much' - I've yet to have a reply! Be quite intersting to have something published, but hardly a book is it.

*Footnote
Throughout Peru I have seen very large Marqui like structures in the desert and wondered what they were - apparently they are factory chicken houses. Not great conditions for the chickens. Will restrain from Polo from now on.

Lima to Ica

October 25th Lima to Ica

I checked out by 7.30  but decided to do some maintenance on my bike - the chain needed attention and lubricating. I hurriedly adjusted the chain and lubed it, then got going. In order to do this I had to take off the panniers and luggage in order to get the bike on the centre stand. All of this takes time, but by 9am I was stopping in Lima for petrol. I re-entered the mad morning Lima traffic and risked life and limb yet again. I wasn't happy with the feel of the bike so pulled into another garage on the outskirts and took another look at the chain. It was way too tight. I began the labourious process of adjusting the chain. 
By the time I was back on the road it was 11pm. Fortunately I only had 170 miles left to do, so there was no need to rush. The scenery was not as striking as yesterday, but desert none the less. The day was a typical British day, overcast and a little misty but a little warmer at 23 degrees. It felt colder than that, because of the on shore wind which characterises the weather here. It was not trying to rip my head off however, so that was a blessing. I didn't warm up until the sun started to poke through at around 2pm. I kept the speed down as I still wasn't happy with the chain - it still felt too tight. Keeping it to 50 mph I managed to arrive by 3.30pm.
I like the small towns as everything is a little more human, I really find the large cities unpleasant, noisy, aggressive and overcrowded. I am torn over staying in Santiago, as I really want to see and feel the city, but I really dont enjoy the crowds and driving my bike at snails pace through aggressive traffic. The other observation I made while in Lima was that the shanty towns that hug and climb every possible hill (possibly because this is the unusable land nobody else wants), often have some 'Hollywood Style' inscription; though theirs usually has some religous sentiment such as 'Jesus Lives'. If he does then he certainly isn't helping them out on their hill. I'm a supporter of Marx's comment that religion is the opiate of the masses. It certainly seems strikingly poignant when one sees the gulf in wealth between the few and the many.
Getting off my soapbox and on more mundane matters the main roads are all Toll roads, though motorcycles are exempt, as they were in Ecuador or was it Colombia. Will have to check. The difficulty I have is sometimes the lane allocated for motorcycles is quite narrow and I have to drive a dead straight line or I'm in danger of smashing my panniers against post and concrete. On entering Ica  I determined to attack the chain as soon as I got there.
I found the hotel relatively (see much easier in a small town) easily and parked my bike in the underground garage.  The doorman watched curiously as I began the process of taking off all the lugage and panniers and then the rooting out of my tools (in the bottom of my pannier - keep the weight low- but always a pain to get at when needed). I also enlisted him to hold a spanner whilst I tightened the nut on the other side of the wheel, Somehow with someone watching I felt more confident in getting it right this time. I also managed to do it within 10 minutes - perhaps  I am a frustrated performer after all. 

After a Pizza for late lunch and early tea I had a facetime call from Jen, Dan and Sal. They are staying in Cardiff with Dan and seeing the show  Mama Mia. It is amazing to have them in my hotel bedroom whilst I'm in Peru - what did we do before technology. There are pluses and minuses though, you never feel too far from home (which is nice) but you do not get the clarity of thought that once used to come from being outside of your particular culture. In the 70's when I went walk about for 4 months, I think I sent 2 postcards and had no contact at all from home. I came back with a completely different worldview of my own and other cultures.
Tomorrow just a hundred mile day and the hotel has a pool, so might be able to take a dip

Trujilla to Lima

October 24th Trujilla to Lima
A long today, 348 miles. I set off before 8am but after stopping for fuel and a few miles down the road to check my front tyre, I did not really leave Trujilla until 8.30am. The front tyre felt a little wobbly, so I stopped to check the air - it was fine. the new tyre has a very high profile, more like an off road tyre, so on a less than smooth surface, at slow speeds it seems less stable. This is especially noticeable with the weight of a full tank of petrol.
The drivers in the towns are absolutely awful and one has to be on one's guard the whole time or they'll knock you off - I suspect motorcycles are at the bottom of the internal combustion engine food chain. There is also incessant noise, as the drivers peep their horns continually. I always feel a sense of relief once on the open road,  where the traffic is very thin - mainly lorries and buses.
Today's road was magnificent going through the most amazing desert landscape. My preconceptions have been shattered - I never thought a desert could be beautiful - but today proved otherwise. The scale and the colours of the desert are awe inspiring, I found myself inadvertantly shouting words of wonder around every bend or on every summit. I took a few pictures but they do not really capture the size and the magnificance of this inspiring landscape.

 These photos give no sense of the scale of these dunes, they are truly enourmous

 There is hardly any traffic on this magnificent road, making it easier to day dream and admire the views

On the crest of a dune seeing the sea

Where the desert meets the ocean

From Trujilla to Lima is virtually all desert,with the exceptions of a few large towns which presumably are centred upon an oasis. The desert road is never far from the sea and I often got wonderful vistas, which would instantly disappear as I sped by. My helmet and visor were my TV screen looking outwards into the every changing world. 
The downside to all of this was the wind, it was an extremely strong onshore wind, which was also a cold wind. Along this part of the coast there is a strong cold current that has the opposite effect of our Gulf Stream. This equatorial country is quite cool because of it. Today was between 23 and 25 degrees, but with the wind it felt much much cooler. I never broke into a sweat and this was with my motorcycle jacket with thermal liner and a thermal tshirt. More problematic than the cold was the effect of the wind on the bike and myself. I had to lean the bike into the wind whilst simultaneously leaning my head in the opposite direction. The wind was actually physically making my head lean to the left (the sea was on my right ) at one point I tried supporting my neck with my left hand - but that was too dangerous, as sudden gust of wind would shake my bars and with only one hand steering, it did not feel safe. The only relief was when i found the shelter of an outcrop momentarily, or when overtaking a bus or lorry.
The road itself was superb and well surfaced, though I had to watch out for the swirling sand across the road. At one point I had evidence of the cold current, when I suddenly hit some dense sea mist, caused by the cold air meeting the warm air on land. It was an awesome day and it affirmed my belief that there is more joy and beauty to be found in nature than in any museum or art gallery.  Because the desert stretches for hundreds of miles, with very little civilization, it is not in the main littered by the rubbish of the modern world - which is what you find within 20 miles of any settlement.
Upon entering the outskirts of Lima, my peace and tranquility were shattered by the mayhem that is city traffic. Lima is a huge city that sprawls out for tens of miles and the tut tuts, buses, taxis and lorries beep their horns continually, switch lanes and make sudden stops in a frenzied, disrespectful game of chicken; which puts one's nerves on edge. It is truly frightening and I can't count the number of times I was missed by millimetres or cut up and sandwiched between vehicles. I was so angry that I began screaming at the drivers as I avoided them - they looked at me as if to say 'DON'T YOU KNOW THE RULES OF THE GAME?'. Strangely, because of my demented rants, I never enccountered the same driver twice!! It was a great relief to find the hotel and get off the bike. Lima I suspect is probably the worse I'll experience in Peru, it is the sheer number of vehicles here that makes it so excessively hostile.
Having saved time with some big rides last week it means I can now have some shorter days before arriving in Cusco on Friday. This will be great, as I wont have to rise too early and I can get to the towns well before dark. I might also find some time to explore as well as do basics like washing and maintenance on the bike. Poor old Bonito looks a state, with desert sand everywhere - although I think it makes her look more gnarly. But God knows what all that sand is doing to the chain. 
I haven't researched it yet, but I suspect I will leave the desert as I head further south and inland, but this might bring rain!

Piera to Trujillo

October 23rd Piera to Trujillo

Breakfast overlooking the pool

I left the hotel under cloudy skies and good weather for travelling. Once out of the confines of my cosseted environment, I was immediately hit by the other Peru. The squalor and poverty. As one leaves the city you are greeted by an array of garbage that is scattered along the side of the road for mile after mile. Obviously it is the plastic that mainly remains. Immediately upon leaving the city the landscape was desert, with a few scrublike bushes here and there. 
The road was well surfaced and for 90 miles I had no turns or twists in the road, it was fast but a little dull. I was able to look  at the stark landscape and and watch the string of settlements along the road. God know how they live, as nothing can grow here and there is no industry or even tourist trade. Below is a shot of a dwelling with a few ponies and small animal

Along the 90 mile stretch of road I spotted a small wild cat, a stork and numerous vultures  living off the waste scattered along the road. After the 90 miles I hit civilization in a large town called Chiclayo, which really is an oasis in the desert.

I have not figured out the reason for this large town in the wilderness, but the buidings indicate it has been here for some time. After fighting my way through the noisy and aggressive traffic of Chiclayo I was out on the open road again and even more desert, it could easily pass for North Africa or Saudi Arabia. Flat as a pancake except for the sand dunes (sorry no picture of these). The main hindrance today was the strong wind, with no shelter it was pushing my bike sideways and blowing sand across me and the road. 

I felt pleased that I had plenty of fuel with me as I went 120 miles between filling stations. I was also praying that I didn't puncture as the environment would have been inhospitable to change a tyre in.

By 3.30pm I reached the City of Trujillo, whic is large and busy. The drivers are truly aggressive as the stubbornly refuse to yield and will seek to push you out of their way. They seem to think that hitting their horn is sufficient warning that they intend to cut you up. I'm like a man possesed screaming at them in a language they do not undrstand. I found the hotel after 20 minutes or so, and very nice it is too. 

Tomorrow a very long day, to the outskirts of Lima (320 miles) and not a clue what the road or the terrain is like. If anything like today it will be at least 7 hours of riding.

Loja to Piura (Peru)

October 22nd Loja to Piera (Peru)

How can you travel 200yds and enter a different world? I think the answer is in the politicians you elect. Left Loya in beautiful sunshine and began more of the same as the last few days. Great roads, beautiful scenery and magnificent riding - if a little slow. Incidents of note - 

1. Stopped at  army checkpoint at the head of a pass (I think they were bored- very little traffic). Having done 3 hours riding, they told me I had three more to go till the border. I could not believe that, and it transpired it was 30 minutes not 3 hours, probably lost in translation.
2. For the first time on my travels, dogs ran out to attack the bike. My reasoning is they must not be scared of humans and are defending their master/mistresses property. I suspect they are well cared for.

I reached the border in blazing sunshine and only had a ten minute wait to get my passport stamped and my motorcycle cleared through the Ecuadorian  customs. A result! But on returning to my bike I discovered that my phone, which was giving me directions using Google, had overheated and switched itself off. When this happens the data enterd into Google Maps is lost, so I was navigating from here on in with my unreliable Tinks. I made my way over to Peruvian customs post and after a few false doors I managed to get things done in the right order - passport  stamped (two forms), bike in,surance (two forms) and bike temporarily imported (one form). The bike insurance was done by an elderly shop keeper, who I suspect was barely literate. She was taking an age, so  I politely took the form from her and completed it myself. For a months cover $33. The officer doing the import documents was great, but he was haing trouble with the archaic computer system (may have been using the same one as Pay Pal, Amazon and Twitter- Tee hee). Eventually, all was done in an hour and 15 minutes - a record.

Upon entering Peru I was shocked at the difference between the two countires. The houses were very basic shelters with mud bricks in the main. The small villages I passed through were shockingly poor and the infrastruture even worse than Guatemala. The landscape had changed dramatically too - from lush green mountains to dusty, sandy scrub. I entered one town on the main road and it was like riding through a Clint Eastwood movie set. Dusty main street with no tarmac, rubbish everywhere and massive holes and gulleys.

Yes this is the main highway through this medium sized town!

One can spot the poverty by the lack of traffic and whilst in Columbia and Ecuador the motorbike was the transport of the masses in Peru, the Tut Tut (Chinese trikes with room for three passengers) seems to be the way people get around. They are everywhere and have no lane discipline or sense of others.The few cars on the road seem to be really old beat up american or japanese cars or very posh 4X4s. In this town, relying on Tinks for direction, she got me through it, but 5 miles out of town decided that it was the wrong direction and asked me to turn around where possible. I ignored her and continued driving. I knew I was heading south and had a sense that she had got it wrong. Since crossing into Peru she had been more accurate and had more information on the maps, but she was still giving contrary information to what was on the ground. When I get home I'm going to right a letter of complaint to Garmin - the mapping software which cost £60 was meant to cover all of South America and it was next to useless in Ecuador and only partially better in Peru. It kept trying to send me up one way streets. A large corporate company like Garmin should not be selling a product that is potentially dangerous.

I arrived in Piura by 3.30pm and after a few false turns eventually found the hotel. I was a bit ashamed when I entered and was shown to my room, it was in stark contrat to the accommodation I'd passed along the 90 miles of Peruvian roads. It is modern with state of the art foyer, swimming pool and sumptious grounds. My room you can see below. It costs £30 including breakfastt.

large modern room with air conditioning and cable tv

large walk in shower

I do feel a little elated though, having made it to Peru. In my mind it is a landmark place. Its fully In the Southern Hemisphere and in my imagination it seems a little exotic. It's a strange thing the imagination - northern Peru is how I imagined Mexico would be and though there is still much more to see I am constantly having my perceptions altered.

I have done 8500 miles and completed the bulk of my journey with only two more borders to cross - horray - I have approximately 5,000 miles to Buenos Aires, my final destination. Tomorrow I head further south and the following day somewhere around Lima (not sorted this out yet).

I'm off for something to eat now in my posh hotel. Have a good weekend all.

Cuenca to Loja

October 21st  Cuenca to Loja

Began the day with a hearty breakfast and then went into the city to try and post a letter to Germany. When in Guatemala the ATM did not give me the money I  requested, but it was taken out of my account. I have taken it up with Travelex (That's the card I've been using). They would not accept an emailed form as it did not have my signature, and they insisted on an actual copy (so it's not only Latin America that is paper obsessed). In Ecuador the post service is not well used (most people don't even have a postal address - if you want post you have  to pay $25 per annum for a PO box number and have to go and collect it). I found the post office and in no time at all had paid for a stamp and handed it in for delivery. Ordinary mail cost me $10.50, if I wanted it to go recorded delivery it was $30!!! I'll never complain about the costs of a British stamp again. Having done that I was on a roll, I decided to risks having an haircut. They did a very thorough job and all for the princely sum of $4 (£3.20), you can form your own judgements as to the valuefor money, look at the picture below. Don't blame the girl for the face, she was only responsible for the haircut.

Should be alright by the time I reach home- the haircut not the face

I was back at the hotel by 9.30am and packed and on my bike by 10am. The Hotel Casa De Las Rosas was great, full of character and charm, helpful people and really good value. Being right in the city was great this morning and made me realise that there are some advantages to city living. I did notice there were many more European/American looking types around and my sister informs me that Cuenca is becoming a refuge for ex-pats. I can see why, it's cheap and the climate is not too extreme and amazing landscapes beyond the city.

Did my usual circumnavigation of the city before eventually getting out, once out of the city  the traffic soon thinned and it was pleasant riding. The temperature dropped to 13 degrees as I climbed and there was moisture in the air - it felt very much like an English autumnal day. I even passed through mist on one of the mountain passes. One has to adjust to the travel times/mileage equation; today's 130 miles took the best part of 4 hours. One just has to accept that journeys will take that much longer, the roads do not allow you to go any faster. The strange thing is going 50 or 60 MPH seems really fast when you do reach those dizzy heights. It is a different style of riding, making other pressures and demands- namely on your bottom!

By late afternoon I was in Loja and Google took my direct to the door of my Airbnb. It is an apartment and far too big for just one person. Joy of joys there is a washing machine and i emptied my bag of all its contents and washed the lot, while drinking tea. What could be nicer -we take for granted the trappings of modern living until they are taken away. Washing clothes in a hotel bathroom and trying to dry them is no fun, especially when they only appear half clean at the end of the laborious process. On my comfortable settee as I write this blog I have all my favourite music playing in the background. It makes the experience more joyous than uncomfortably sitting up on a soft bed. It also stops me falling asleep!

For my biker friends I realise I have been remiss on the tecky front - so here's a few nerdy biker tit bits. Firstly the Honda Africa Twin is great, rock solid, though the large front wheel makes it a bit twitchy during slow manouveres, especially fully laden like I am. The DCT version is a God send, especially on difficult terrain and the whole bike handles so well over this stuff. My main and perhaps only real criticism of the bike is the seat. It's not the padding as such, but the ergonomics of the seat. It tends to throw your groin forward, causing your clothing to pull tight around that region! The coping mechanism I've perfected, is to periodically stand on the pegs, which feels easy on this machine, and helps relieve the pressure immensely. Initially I blamed my clothing, but having tried every combination of attire, it is definitely the seat. I have a Airhawk gel cushion, but I'm not sure it helps. Tomorrow I'm going to take the Airhawk off and see what difference that makes. It's ridiculous that a big manufacturer like Honda can't get the ergonomics right, my previous bike (also a Honda) was also uncomfortable. Before they send a bike to production they should make the designers ride the bike for seven hour solid and perhaps then, we would have seats that were comfortable rather than just looking pretty. To those of you out there who think I might be being a little woosy, can i tell you I am used to riding a bicycle for seven hours and belief you me, there is very little padding on those things. But strangely enough they are more comfortable. 

Economy wise I think the bike is doing around 55 miles to the gallon, but there is a rider, in this part of the world the highest octane you can get is 92 but more typically 85. The bike is also working hard up the long ascents. I'm quite pleased with it, as a full tank will give me 220 miles and with the jerry can a further 80 or so. Three hundred miles is a pretty good range. I have learned to top up my tank whenever I can - I believe this is really necessary in Peru where I shall be tomorrow afternoon, all being well. 

*FOOTNOTE

the Scottoiler running on gear oil seems to be working well

Quito to Cuenca

 October 20th Quito to Cuenca

Leaving Quinto with the snow capped mountain looking over us

Just had the most glorious day in the most part riding deserted mountain roads in a stunning landscape - this is what i travelled all these miles for. The weather was perfect, if a little cold high up on the tops, but with my gloves on and heated grips I was toasty. These roads are perfect for biking and if they were in Europe there would be hundreds of motorbikes climbing these passes. The stretch after Paso Lateral was the best section - this is where Tinks and Google had a difference of opinion as to which way to go, I sided with Google as she has been the more reliable. However, I backed another loser, the directions did not match the road on the ground and I finished up doing twenty miles extra. It was through the most sublime landscape and riding, so it didn't really matter.

The orderliness of these farms is astounding - very few tractors here!

As I drive south the people are definitely more indigenous natives, and you've guessed it poorer! It is criminal to think that us Europeans have subjugated and oppressed the indigenous peoples all around the world. The costumes of the women are great and I'll try to capture one before I leave Ecuador. In appearance and dress they look very much like the native Peruvians you see in pictures. The Incas would have dominated all of this region, so it is no surprise that their peoples share an ethnic and cultural identity.

 These little villages set high in the Andean Highlands are a triumph of man over nature

The little detour that Google took me on sent me through this delightful small town of Alausi

The 300 or so miles covered today took me around 8 and a quarter hours. So do the maths and you'll see my average speed is slow. It is frustrating as it means long days and slow progress. I wasn't slacking either, I had two petrol stops and one quick drinks stop, which in total was about 1/2 hour. Google took me right to the door of my hotel, which is right in the heart of the City. I went for a wander after checking in, in search of a cashpoint and something to eat. Cuenca is delightful and vibrant despite the extensive road works (they are putting in a tram network). The Hotel Manager had directed me to a super restaurant which served a lovely meal and drinks all for around £10. Outside in the square was loud live music being performed from the Bandstand. It all added up to an enjoyable evening to cap off a wonderful day.

        The night life of Cuenca                                     Music in the street can't be beaten

Tomorrow I had planned to drive all the way to the border with one last night in Ecuador, but all the hotels appear to be full - so I have found an Airbnb some 100 miles from the border, in a town called Loja. This is ok, as it will mean getting to the border around noon and entering Peru by mid afternoon on Saturday. In order to get to Cuscan (near Machu Piccho) by next Friday, I will have to do 250 miles a day. This is realistic considering the nature of the roads, I just hope I don't hit any off road sections! Once I get to dear old Machu I'm going to slow down and spend a few days here and there, where ever the fancy takes me. Continuous riding day after day is very tiring and leaves you with no time to explore or even do mundane things like clothes washing. At the moment my mantra is a line from a Johnny Cash song ' This morning got out of bed and put on my cleanest dirty shirt!'

*footnote

Cuenca is at an elevation of 2500 metres (8200 ft)  in the Andes and was founded in 1557
Because of its age, it has much more of a European feel to it , with its churches and public buildings, copy book Spanish.
It is named after a Spanish town of the same name 

Finally a blast from the past in the Hotel Lobby 'Granddad's old bike - and it's British'

An ancient BSA single speed (probably from the 1950's)