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Huancavelica to Huaraz – still more mountains

CaptureAfter recovering for three days in Huancavelica we were crawling up the walls of our (very nice) hotel room, and ready to get back on the road.  In the nine days since we started riding again, we spent five of them on the main route through the Peruvian Andes.  The scenery was great, but we shared the road with many mining trucks and a few tractor trailers.  We also passed through some pretty bleak high altitude mining towns, but more on that later.  There was a rest day in a hectic city, and three more days on quiet semi-paved and dirt roads.  We have now reached the highest tropical mountain range in the world!  There are glaciers here, and huge, beautiful peaks all around us.  It is definitely not what one expects to see when they think of the tropics.  Now, a few tidbits about what it took to get here.

Jason is happy to be back on the bike.

Jason is happy to be back on the bike.

Our first few days out of Huancavelica were lovely.  There was climbing, of course, but even more descent.  The landscape was different, and the hills a became a bit more gradual.  We enjoyed staying in small towns.  There was also some nearly flat riding along a river for most of two days.

On the first climb leaving Huancavelica.

On the first climb leaving Huancavelica.

Some ladies take Jason to their tiny store for soda.

Some ladies take Jason to their tiny store for soda.

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Mountaintop farms and cemetery.

Mountaintop farms and cemetery.

It's tough to keep our eyes on the road with all these mountains around!

It’s tough to keep our eyes on the road with all these mountains around!

This doggy was my favorite.

This doggy was my favorite.

One day we stopped for lunch in a tiny town that wasn’t even on the map.  There was no obvious restaurant, so we asked some ladies chatting on the street if there was any place to eat.  One of them stood up and told us to follow her to her house, where she had some soup and other food.  It turns out she runs a small, unmarked eatery where we had a lovely meal.  There were even three friendly dogs who were thrilled to eat the meat scraps that we couldn’t stomach.  It was another meal of ‘mondonguito’, sauteed cow stomach with potatoes.

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Very dirty doggy.

Very dirty doggy.

 

 

 

That same day we ended in a tiny town called Sincos, where it was difficult to find lodging.  In the nearly deserted main plaza we asked some older ladies, who told us about a guy who rents rooms in his house.  A pair of young brothers (about 6 and 8) took us across the village to the house.  One was on a bike and the other was running along behind him. It turned out to be our best value lodging for the whole trip!  We had a comfortable little room, a warm shower and clean bathroom, and egg sandwiches for breakfast.  All for a grand total of $4.75.

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Note amused dude in background.

Note amused dude in background.

We also found a cafe serving pancakes!  Ok, so they were ‘panqueques’, and tasted just like elephant ears from the country fair.  In any case, it was a great change from the typical breakfast fare.  I mean really, I can only eat fried rice for breakfast so many times.

The road gently sloped upward and entered an amazing valley surrounded by sheer rock walls.  In the US this area would be a protected national park, and full of gawking tourists.  Here, it is an industrial corridor full of mining trucks.  Sure enough, we turned a corner to find a massive smelting facility and the dreary city of La Oroya. It has been declared one of the world’s ten most polluted cities, so we didn’t dawdle.

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Soda and coffee explosion.

Soda and coffee explosion.

There was also an entire day of scattered showers at high altitude.  We really had a hard time keeping going in the cold and dreary surroundings.  The remedy?  Soda and coffee.  I know, not exactly a healthy choice, but on long grey days…

That night we slept in a bleak town immediately next to a giant, open pit mine at 14,000′.  It was cold and dreary.  The only lodging we could find was an incredibly basic hospedaje with cold, cell-like rooms.  We laid down on the narrow bed, and it immediately broke under us.  We had to put the mattress on the ground and sleep in our sleeping bags that night!

Bleak day.

Bleak day.

Our sad room before we broke the bed and slept on the floor.

Our sad room before we broke the bed and slept on the floor.

Rest day for the win!

Rest day for the win!

The next day we descended nearly 8,000′ over the course of 75 miles.  It was lovely to watch the ecosystem change from the barren high altitude plains to eucalyptus forests and farmlands.  At the bottom we entered the major city of Huanuco.  This city claims to have ‘the best climate in the world’; it was pouring rain as we arrived.  Despite this minor discomfort, we took a lovely rest day wandering the hectic city and eating pizza.

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From Huanuco we had to climb back out of the valley and into the (very) high mountains.  Luckily, we were on a much quieter road that alternated between potholed pavement and dirt.  We passed through many small villages, saw naughty little boys setting up roadblocks to charge tolls on the road, and got chased by lots of dogs.  We even met another cycletouring couple from Pennsylvania!

Narrow, potholed roads, but no traffic!

Narrow, potholed roads, but no traffic!

Naughty children creating road blocks

Naughty children creating road blocks

Up and up!

Up and up!

At the top, the 'Crown of the Inca'

At the top, the ‘Crown of the Inca’

Traffic.

Traffic.

Nasty stream crossing

Nasty stream crossing

The first begging cats I've ever met.

The first begging cats I’ve ever met.

Seth and Amanda, from Lancaster Pennsylvania.

Seth and Amanda, from Lancaster Pennsylvania.

Our last notable day was very notable indeed.  We woke up at dawn to cross the Cordillera Blanca, Peru’s most impressive mountain range, on a dirt road.  Most of the climbing was on pavement, but near the top we turned off onto a rough track that led us to some truly incredible views.  We spent most of the day up high, moving slowly on the dirt and gawking at the views.  On the descent we passed through a large stand of the Puya Raimondii, the largest bromeliad in the world.  When it flowers, the plant produces a stalk of flowers up to 30′ tall, and it does this only once before dying.  Jason calls them ‘Pineapple trees’ and was super excited to see them.

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More llamas, and there were even cows up at 15000 feet!

More llamas, and there were even cows up at 15000 feet!

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The road was rough for a little while.

The road was rough for a little while.

temp_23b_001Now we are in the city of Huaraz, in the shadow of these incredible mountains.  For the next eleven days we will be hiking a circuit in the Huayhuash mountains to the south.  We are excited and nervous to be out hiking for so long, but the route promises to be beautiful and we have signed on with a group of 5 other hikers.  There will be a guide, a cook, and donkeys to carry all the gear.  We promise a full report once the hike is done!

 

Up and down and up – a week in Peru’s mountains

cusco_ayacuchoWe’ve climbed a lot of mountains on this trip, but never before have we climbed this many mountains in this short of time.  I kid you not – in the last 6 days of riding we have climbed (and descended) over 30,000′ of elevation.  To put that into perspective, Mt. Everest is 29,035′.  In order to accomplish all this climbing the roads are more twisted and switchbacked than we thought possible.  For example, this section of road:

ziggers

It has been absolutely incredible to climb into the clouds, far above the valleys, and then descend down to the steaming river valleys.  At the top of the climbs we see alpacas, llamas, and wild vicuna.  At the bottom we see sugar cane, mango trees, bananas, and avocados.  We have ridden through many tiny villages, and eaten out nearly every meal at small eateries that offer soup and one or two choices for a main.  Once, we even had cow stomach for breakfast!

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At the bottom of a deep river valley.

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Agricultural fields define the hillsides at moderate altitudes

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Up top (at 14,000′) not much grows.

May31_001We left Cuzco on a Sunday morning to beat traffic, and it turned out to be an easy ride out of the city. During the day we met up with Jorge, another ultra-long distance touring cyclist that we knew from La Paz. We ended up riding with him for the next couple of days. That night we decided to ride a bit extra to stay at some hot springs we had heard about. Well, ‘a bit extra’ turned out to be nearly 20 miles, the last couple of which were steeply downhill on a rough dirt road. The ‘hot’ springs were barely lukewarm, and packed with Peruvian families bathing themselves with Head and Shoulders shampoo. It was certainly an experience!

Small town just outside of Cuzco.

Small town just outside of Cuzco.

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We found another Inca ruin with 'human-sized' niches.

We found another Inca ruin with ‘human-sized’ niches.

Our bikes have a new look!  We've downsized our gear to make the climbing easier.

Our bikes have a new look! We’ve downsized our gear to make the climbing easier.

June2_001The next day we made a new record for the most climbing in a single day: over 7,000′ of elevation. We were on the bikes at dawn, and rode up and up and up for almost the entire day before plunging back down. That night we stayed in the city of Abancay. It was yet another bustling Peruvian town. Most notably, it had an amazing restaurant with vegetarian meals and massive, delicious fruit salads. We had both a dinner and a breakfast there!

Jason is all smiles as we ride away from the 'hot' springs.

Jason is all smiles as we ride away from the ‘hot’ springs.

Almost at the top!

Almost at the top!

A hungry puppy we shared our lunch with.

A hungry puppy we shared our lunch with.

We spent a rest day in the town of Andahuaylas, four days ride from Cuzco. We were pretty pooped, and spent all our time there eating out and reading articles on the internet. Sometimes we just get tired and overwhelmed from taking it all in. It’s times like this that we just hole up for a day or two and relax. Especially in this land of giant climbs, hectic city streets, crazy markets, and restaurant foods.

Sauteed stomach for breakfast anyone?

Sauteed stomach for breakfast anyone?

We felt much better after our day of rest, and the following day was truly a pleasure. We climbed 5,000′ and it seemed easy! It is remarkable to watch the ecosystems slowly change from the hot river valleys to the fertile agricultural hillsides to the barren high lands. It also helps that we’ve been listening to a new young adult audiobook that keeps us entertained. We also met a couple of local schoolkids biking back to their village after school. At first they were shy, but we got them talking! Their names were Fidel and Ernesto.

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Did I mention we hit 14,000 miles?!

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A couple more days of climbing followed before we arrived in the big city of Ayacucho. The city was the site of an armed uprising by the Maoist party called ‘The Shining Path’ in the 1980’s and 90’s. There was widespread violence against government officials, union organizers, and peasants. It was a dark and bloody time for Peru. We have found plaques in the city memorializing the fallen. Currently, however, Ayacucho is another lively Peruvian city with a June4_001historical city center and lots of pedestrian streets. Most importantly for us, it’s also known for its food. We are spending a rest day here to get ready for a few days of hilly dirt roads. Mainly, we are eating!

There are so many lovely pictures that we’ve taken these past few days, and it’s hard to fit them all into the narrative.  Here are a few more for you!

River bottom.

River bottom.

These three-wheeled taxis are everywhere, and lots of them have the Batman symbol.

These three-wheeled taxis are everywhere, and lots of them have the Batman symbol.

Switchback!

Switchback!

You can see how the road makes a huge U at the end of the valley

You can see how the road makes a huge U at the end of the valley

Tons of small-scale agriculture.

Tons of small-scale agriculture.

Pretty cool rock formations are exposed on this cut-out

Pretty cool rock formations are exposed on this cut-out

Boiling eggs for the next day's lunch.

Boiling eggs for the next day’s lunch.

A full moon over a Peruvian village.

A full moon over a Peruvian village.

Inca Kola: the soda that Peru loves most.  It tastes like bubble gum, and one sip was enough for me!

Inca Kola: the soda that Peru loves most. It tastes like bubble gum, and one sip was enough for me!

Leaving the altiplano and entering Peru

This past week we’ve been moving quickly towards Cusco. We had an exiting exit from La Paz, a beautiful ride along Lake Titicaca, and have entered our 7th country: Peru!

Country number 7: Peru!

Country number 7: Peru!

After taking a day to let our legs recover from our hike, we got up very early to leave La Paz before traffic picked up. Unfortunately, Daisy got a flat tire 3 blocks down the street! We changed the tube on the sidewalk while avoiding a couple puddles that were probably urine, based on the smell. It seems that people just pee all over the place in this city.

Flat tire in downtown La Paz

Flat tire in downtown La Paz

Crazy traffic in El Alto. We dodged cars, trucks, buses, and minibuses, and all the people trying to get rides or walk across the street!

Crazy traffic in El Alto. We dodged cars, trucks, buses, and minibuses, and all the people trying to get rides or walk across the street!

After escaping the traffic, we found ourselves back in the flat altiplano. Soon enough, we were riding along the famous Lake Titicaca. We took a short ferry (actually a small wooden raft) with a couple cars and then climbed our way up and over the hill to get to Copacabana. The road wound along the ridge and we could see the lake on both sides. It was beautiful!

Back on flat roads in the altiplano

Back on flat roads in the altiplano

These guys pushed our ferry (aka raft) off the dock before turning on a small motor. We shared the boat with 2 cars, although it looked like 3 or 4 could fit.

These guys pushed our ferry (aka raft) off the dock before turning on a small motor. We shared the boat with 2 cars, although it looked like 3 or 4 could fit.

The road wound up the hills and we got great views of Lake Titicaca.

The road wound up the hills and we got great views of Lake Titicaca.

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Our bikes get a break

Our bikes get a break

The next day we entered Peru, and we felt the difference immediately. The people are very friendly! A lot of people smile and wave to us as we ride by. Also, there are a lot more bicycles, cargo tricycles, and motorcycle taxis. In general, people seem to be a bit happier and a lot less reserved. When we stopped for our picnic lunch the first day, a woman with 4 cows sat down nearby and chatted with us.

The wheat was cut and set to dry

The wheat was cut and set to dry

One of many motorcycle-trucks

One of many motorcycle-trucks

A fishing village along Lake Titicaca.

A fishing village along Lake Titicaca.

Cut reeds drying in the sun. Along the road there were ladies tying them together to make mats.

Cut reeds drying in the sun. Along the road there were ladies tying them together to make mats.

Our first city in Peru: Puno.

Our first city in Peru: Puno.

Many of the small towns have municipal sports stadiums. Most of them have livestock inside!

Many of the small towns have municipal sports stadiums. Most of them have livestock inside!

Cargo tricycle traffic in Juliaca

Cargo tricycle traffic in Juliaca

Meeting Erik and Garbi, a friendly Spanish couple that have been heading south since Mexico.

Meeting Erik and Garbi, a friendly Spanish couple that have been heading south since Mexico.

Alpacas along the road

Alpacas along the road

Snowy mountains as we head up our first Peruvian pass, very gradually. Peru is known for having low grades and many switchbacks.

Snowy mountains as we head up our first Peruvian pass, very gradually. Peru is known for having low grades and many switchbacks.

"Summit Lake" -- or at least that is what we called it.

“Summit Lake” — or at least that is what we called it.

Our first summit sign in ages.

Our first summit sign in ages.

We got a little rain near the top

We got a little rain near the top

We are excited to arrive in Cusco in just a couple days. We will meet up with my parents and visit for a week – we haven’t seen them since San Francisco! We will also do the 4-day Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu. I think after that we’ll be happy to retire our hiking boots until after the bicycle trip is over.

They are serious about their guinea pigs!

They are serious about their guinea pigs!

Cycling the world’s largest salt flat

Since our last update we spent two magical days on the Salar de Uyuni, which has the distinction of being the world’s largest salt flat. The salt flat is the remains of an ancient (and massive) lake, and it provided perfectly flat riding on a lovely surface. It also warps your sense of perspective and scale, allowing for some fun and hilarious photo opportunities. For the most part, this post is just a good excuse to share with you some of the pictures we took during our ride on the salt. Of course, we also spent a magical night on the salt, explored a desert island in the salty expanse, made our own path back to land, rode through a llama field and a mud flat, and had a couple of adventures in small Bolivian towns. First, the salt!

The Philtrons as tourist attraction.

The Philtrons as tourist attraction.

The first part of the salt flat was packed with tourists in jeep tours. They all run out of the jeep to take perspective photos, and then when they see us they freak out and swarm. We had to answer the same questions umpteen times, but a few were new. One woman from New Jersey asked us if it was flat all the way to Ecuador! The answer is a resounding NO, for the record!

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We rode away from the salt hotel and other tourist spots near the edge of the salar and headed towards the middle. About 40 miles from ‘land’ we stopped for our own photo shoot, since we had reached 13,000 miles! We are still riding with Emma and Debbie, the New Zealanders, so we were lucky to have someone else take our photo for once! Here are some of the photos:

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Did I mention we finally made it to 13,000 miles??!

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Apr27_024That night was camped on the salar in the vast expanse of nothing but hexagons formed by salt. We watched the sunset, which seemed to happen in slow motion, and then after dark we watched distant lightning storms in the mountains. It was a wonderful night.

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Apr27_021Apr28_005The next morning we reached the Island Incahuasi, which is another huge tourist draw. Lucky us, we had the whole place to ourselves since we are on a different schedule from the jeep tours. We hiked to the top of the island, saw many many cacti, and enjoyed the peace. From there we rode on the salt again, straight towards a towering volcano. It was a completely different experience to be off the jeep “road”, and to simply choose our own path. We decided to ride around the volcano on the salt, and then head for land on the far side. Sometimes the salt surface got soggy, and we had to race across it to keep from sinking! Even when we did reach land we had to cut through mud flats and across fields before finally finding a track to ride.  The track led us through fields of llama and quinoa before it led us to town.

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Apr28_014 Apr28_011 Apr28_017Apr28_019 Apr28_020Apr28_023That night we stayed in the town of Salinas, which was a charming place with a beautiful plaza, friendly little kids, and very nice women selling fresh bread on every corner. We stayed in a hotel which was clearly not up to earthquake code, but luckily we made it through the night anyhow.

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After Salinas we made fast time across the flats on good roads. We wanted to stay in more small towns, but the lodging options were abysmal or nonexistent so we had to camp. One night we had a wonderful campsite next to a river, and the next night we had a desperation sort of campsite along the road.

Quinoa statue!

Quinoa statue!

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You see, we had planned to stay in the mining town of Poopo (funny name, right?). Poopo claimed to have a resort-style hotel next to a semi-olympic swimming pool, so we headed in to town after a long day of 70 miles riding into a headwind. We arrived at 4:30, but no one was at the hotel. A nice guy on the street called the number on the door for us, and learned that the attendants were watching a soccer game and would arrive in an hour. That sounded ok to us, so we just waited around for a bit chatting with the Kiwis. An hour and a half later… no movement. We got another nice guy to call for us, and the attendants said they’d be there in an hour. Uh oh. At this point it was starting to get dark, and we really didn’t like the sound of things. We asked the ladies at the pool if we could camp there – NO. We asked the city government people what to do, they said we should just wait. We asked the police if there was another safe place to camp, they told us to put the tent up in the street in front of the hotel!

A hotel we don't recommend.

A hotel we don’t recommend.

We were shocked and a bit sad that no one would help us, so we just got on our bicycles and rode out of town. It is never fun to set up camp in the dark, but we managed. It helped that there were four of us. We found an out of the way spot and settled in. Remarkably, it was a quiet night, and no one bothered us a bit. New rule: if we’re not in the hotel by 5:00 we move on and find a good place to camp! It gets dark around 6:15 here.

Now we are in the big city of Oruro. Our guidebook warned us that it was a gritty place without any good food, but we have found the opposite to be true. The streets are full of life here, and we spent all morning wandering around huge street markets. They are very different from the markets in Mexico: much quieter, with less yelling and a lot less food. We are learning to bargain a bit, but mostly just gawk at everything and everyone. In three more days we’ll be in La Paz, which is legendary for its markets. We are very excited!

Now, a few more photos that didn’t make the narrative:

Small town in Bolivian Altiplano

Small town in Bolivian Altiplano

Quinoa, up close and personal.

Quinoa, up close and personal.

Us and the Kiwis!

Us and the Kiwis!