Cordillera Blanca

Caraz was home for the night, February 22nd. Shortly after checking in to the hotel I met Guliver Rojas. Guliver, a well traveled Peruvian, had recently returned from time in South Bend, Indiana and was being joined by his brother, Cristian, and sister-in-law, Isobel for some sightseeing. They invited me to join them on Saturday to visit Laguna Langanuco in the Cordilleras, I gratefully accepted.

To get to the lake you pass through Yungay, another town in the Andes that suffered tragic loss of life after being inundated by a snow, rock and earth avalanche triggered by the Ancash earthquake,  May 31, 1970.  Pictured above are the twisted remains of a bus caught in the landslide, the floor points skywards, the cab buried. Over 20,000 people lost theirs lives in Yungay, many of whom remain buried under the slide, the site has been declared a national cemetery. More pictures of the lake appear in the video.

Saturday was also the day I tried cuy (koo-ee), guinea pig, in a picante sauce. It tasted fine but was a lot of effort for very little meat, Guliver informed me that it is very protein rich. It is my belief I disappointed my hosts by not spending more time nibbling, guinea pig like, at the bones.

Departing Caraz on Sunday for Huari required crossing the Cordillera Blanca range. Approaching the range the skies parted to capture a picture of Huascarán, the highest peak in Peru, and the sister peak at left.

When the GPS looks like this you know that fun lies ahead, especially on a well paved road, like the 107.

The other rider in the picture is California Chad on his Honda Africa Twin, I met him the prior day and again on Sunday as I was ascending the Cordillera. We stopped and chatted a while.

The road peaks at 15,538 ft, the tunnel is on the continental divide, the picture taken on the Pacific side. There were a couple of local riders at the tunnel.

The clouds lifted on the Atlantic side, the views were stunning, the road made for two wheels. It was the best couple of hours of the trip so far.

A lunch stop in Chacas and then the second 60 miles of the day to Huari, though on an unmade rocky and muddy road made more interesting with periods of heavy rain, thunder and lightening. That was the price for the day, but the pay off was worth every drop of rain.

More views of the two days in the video below.

A short clip as seen from the cockpit.

                                     

Hanging in Huari for the day, a working rather than a tourist town. Rest up and catch up before making two more crossings of the Cordillera, tomorrow from east to west and the final one west to east as I meander to Huánuco arriving on Friday. The bike will be parked there for the time I return home.

All for now, T2. 

The High Roads

Thursday was a bit of a washout. After leaving Cajabamba a decision was needed about 30 miles out of town; take the high mountain pass to Pallasca or continue down to the Pacific coast? Thunder, lightening and torrential rain made the decision to proceed to the coast an easy one. The high road was not a rational choice.

Peru is known for its mineral wealth and before the rain came the sight of a massive mountain top removal project revealed itself. Gold and copper are extracted from this mining operation.

Trujillo is  home to several pre-Inca archaeological sites, I passed by one but did not visit. The priority for the balance of the day was to get the gear dried out and retire early, hoping that a sullen mood and the cloudy skies would both be lifted by morning.

An early start under bright skies and dry, fast pavement on the Panamerican highway that runs down the coast delivered a boost to my spirits and moved me 70 miles south to the town of Santa by 9am. The coast of Peru is mostly desert, though irrigated and farmed in places. The change of scenery was also welcome; an overnight stay in Trujillo was the right medicine.

Breakfast was taken a a juice bar in Santa where I met the three fellas in the picture below. Miguel, Tupac (an Inca name, not a US rapper musician) and the guy at right, whose name escapes me, who introduced himself in Japanese! He was floored when I responded in nihongo myself, having spent a lot of business time in Japan. Miguel is running for mayor of the town, he gave me one of his campaign badges and I believe I am eligible to vote. Our conversation was held variously in Spanish, English and Japanese. The girls behind the counter were bemused by it all.

Leaving Santa on route 12 the road gently rises through a fertile valley in an otherwise arid landscape.

Route 12 eventually merges with route 3N, the point where I would have emerged the day before over the high pass; this area is known at Caňon del Pato; the Canyon of the Ducks. The road required the construction of 35 tunnels, some modest others more substantial. As the road climbs the canyon narrows and greenery starts to appear. The ducks were not much in evidence, food for the construction workers I fear, never to return.

The light can just be seen at the end of the tunnel.

The next two nights were spent in the town of Caraz exploring and riding through the Cordillera Blanca. The area has been described by others using grandiose terms; it did not disappoint.

Cheers. T2

Ride The Peruvian Andes.

Rain. Cloud. Sun. Twists. Turns. Motorcycle nirvana.

Material poverty; wealth of beauty.

Part 1

Part 2

Cheers T2

Sun and Sols

Monday, for the fifth day in a row, I suited up. The day delivered an assortment of experiences, all good.

Heading down from Chachapoyas a left turn yields to the valley of the Rio Utcubamba, which was running swiftly. A nice relaxing and flat ride through a pastoral setting. A bridge built of blocks of stone with decorative work made a nice change from the usual concrete and steel rail structures. 

Eventually, the road took to the hills and at Leyembamba, home of a Mummy museum, the road was closed. Rain was passing through and I was told that the road would not open until 2 pm, it was 10.30. Or I could take the marked detour to Balsas, though the roads were not visible on my GPS. An hour or two in the museum seemed a better option at the time.

The museum held artifacts and displays from the pre-Inca era, including the mummies of the deceased, some of whom died from blows to the head. Apparently, the local tribe was quite fierce!

The staff asked where I was headed. Fortunately, after saying I was waiting until 2pm for the road to open I understood the response; it often didn't open until 4 or 4.30. That would put me in a bad spot timing wise. They told me to ..'take the detour!'.  They explained that the first 10km were a little rough but it was a good road, advised on the turns to take .....and commented that the views were better anyway. I would get to Balsas around by 4pm and to Celendin, my destination by 6pm.

The decision was made and they were right on every count.

In the high mountains the temperatures dropped to the low 50'sF, in the valley over 102F. Two valleys, two mountain ranges crossed. The pictures speak for themselves. It was a full 10 hour day.

I arrived in Celendin about the expected time but was having trouble locating the hotel. After asking a couple of times the third time was a charm. Three ladies playing cards had their game interrupted, one of whom gave me directions and then said "...that is my moto you are parked next to, I will lead you there" how nice was that!

Celendin has been home for two nights. The hotel is very comfortable, and the town is clean. The cost of the stay 40 sols, about $13 per night. No reason to camp at that price.

I may have found the ex-racing guinea pigs. They don't look that nice when cooked, worse when raw. Nice of them to leave the major organs in, the best part!

Sidewalks in Peru are often raised a foot or more above the road; now I understand why. Perhaps it is drainage or more relevant to have a seat while sharing the gossip. The hats have changed from up north. Is there significance to the change? I can't seem to ask the correct question to get the answer.

Back to business tomorrow.

Cheers. T2