I woke up and thought maybe I should stay since it was Saturday but I decided to push on anyway.
The Panamerican AutoPista, 2 lanes each, it was like riding in the States again. Except I got quite bored of it after all I preferred the controlled chaos which would soon begin a little later in the day.
Rolling into the outskirts of Lima. I had already decided in the morning I wasn’t going to stop in Lima even though I’ve seen pictures and it is quite beautiful. I just didn’t feel like getting sucked into the city and all that so this is what I saw of Lima ….
Just before dark I rolled into Chincha. All along the road vendors were selling vino, wow! Sometimes it’s hard to find vino but not here. So I headed for El Centro, found a hostal that to my surprise was brand new, everything in the place was new including the sheets. A little more pricey at $16 a night but the bike is right in front of my room and the place is practically empty. Actually there might be one other person I’m not sure. So out in the streets to find some food.
I found some and headed for the main square to eat.
And this is where I met these three young ladies. They asked me the usual questions and then offered to walk me around for a tour. Let’s go. While walking around I wanted to know how much the moto-taxi’s cost to buy but they didn’t know so instead we walked around looking for a store that sold them. For $4100.00 dollars I could buy myself one of these and rip around the streets picking people up and dropping them off. They all have a variety of horn sounds and most of them are decorated with lights, decals and artwork.
Then we again walked around and since my hostal was close by we went to visit the moto.
We walked back to the plaza and then I bid the ladies goodnight. I saw a few Gringos around, one of which who had a hand gun in his hand from a street vendor, “Put down the gun, put the gun down I said from behind. He turned and smiled, I wanted to see if it was real. Is it? No.” I attempted to go for a drink but I didn’t find a vibe I wanted to hang in so I took a couple to my room and that was that. The next morning I was packing up to go while watching the Man United / Liverpool match and during that process I decided to stay here another night as it’s Sunday today and well a lot of things aren’t open so I figured it would be better to head up into the mountains toward Cusco during the weekdays. Also I did some laundry in the bathroom garbage pail and I’ll take a look around and enjoy Domingo just like every one else around here. Actually I see they are setting up a small stage near the plaza so maybe I’ll enjoy some local fair tonight.
I ended up back in the room watching ‘Spartacus’ ….
I worked with Alan Bates on one of Norman Jewison’s films. Nice, professional man.
On the road it was cold and windy …
But then it warmed up, and got windier.
I turned into Ica to see if I could find some chain lube. The can I’ve been using since Costa Rica has run dry. So I couldn’t really find anything so I asked this guy on a moto who was beside me at a light. He said follow me and he lead me to a mechanic who said I’m a mechanic, I don’t sell lube. Well I kinda figured it all out but when I went to leave I kinda forgot exactly which way I chad come from. So I just rode around until I asked another guy on a moto and made it clear that I didn’t want a mechanic, just lube. He led me to a plethora of moto shops but none carried lube. One guy gave me directions to a different place but I couldn’t find it so I asked this Police guy and he pointed it out to me and watched my bike while I went inside a sort of ‘Home Depot’, but still no lube. Frustrated, hungry and hot I went back outside while the Police guy wondered when I said, ‘Nada’. He said wait five minutes and he took off on his bike. He came back and said ‘Let’s go’. So I followed the Police guy, Nelson, through the streets to three different shops but no one had any lube for a chain. No one uses lube like we do in North America. They use normal oil or grease. So anyway, Nelson led me inside a shop and the owner said the mechanic will grease the chain for a pop but I said no, I just want the grease. Ohhh, so we took pictures instead, plus I bought a container of grease for $1.
Here’s Nelson on my bike. He asked if he should lead me back to the Panamericana or if I wanted to eat first. Yes I need to eat. He was leading me somewhere when at a light he asked if I would like to eat in his casa. Yes! So he lead me to his home and invited me inside. He didn’t like my bike parked where it was so he moved his car and we parked it inside the gates. He was finished work for the day.
This is Nelson and his family; wife Karim, oldest boy Kleider and youngest Rodrigo.
Later and just before we ate, Karim’s sister Martha from upstairs came down to eat with us, accompanied with her daughter, Jazmin. We talked about various things and Kleider and Jazmin impressed me with their English language skills. The dog, ‘doggie’, took my riding glasses and we had to bribe him with food to get them back. It was really nice to be eating lunch with Nelson’s family, but it was really crazy when Karim said it was their anniversary today. ‘Today? Si. No! Si. Today? Si’. I wrote down on a piece of paper, ‘October 26th’ ‘Si, hoy. That’s crazy cause it’s my birthday today!’ They smiled but didn’t seem overly impressed by the coincidence, until I used the dictionary to find the word for Birthday, Compleanos. Then we all looked at each other with smiles on our faces. How crazy is that? During dinner Nelson played a DVD of these famous Peruvian musicians who combine the past with the present and it very much reminded me of ‘Drum’ back in Halifax. So after dinner I remembered a DVD that I had been given from Len and ‘Drum’, so I dug it out of the bottom of my panniers, still in it’s plastic cover, and gave it to Nelson and Karim for an anniversary present. I wasn’t going to be able to watch it and I’d actually like to see Len and the gang again so it is now theirs. And besides Nelson is going to love the ‘Drum’ show as it combines four types of music from Canada. Then we had a good-bye drink of Pisco, the local Ica drink which was very good. Oh by the way, dinner was excellent. I told Nelson he was a lucky man. And then they gave me a gift, a small bottle of Pisco in a beautiful black bottle with a man on one side and a woman on the other; Nelson and Karim. What a lucky day! Good-bye’s and best wishes and then off I rode onto Nasca.
At first my shadow was cool but it kept getting in the way of the photos.
Again riding in the night, but it’s so wicked out here in this landscape to be riding at a 110km/hr in the dark. One thing is, it’s easier to spot hotel/hostal signs at night, but more difficult to ride with the traffic. So I rode into Nasca and found a hostal for $10/night and with a bit of a struggle with me and senor and amigo senor, we slid the bike into a small spot. Hostal Senor took me for a walk around the plaza and to buy some beer and then I went back to the room to have a couple cold ones, to write and clean myself up before going out. Hostal Senor was really interesting, and he really wanted to explain a lot about Nasca and he did. He also gave me some incense …. Here I am wishing the other guy a Happy Birthday ….
Then a knock at the door and it’s Hostal Senor wanting to give me a key chain with a mountain picture, not Machu Picchu, and the word Peru for my bike. He didn’t even know it was my birthday. Then after catching up with the photos and such, I promptly fell asleep.
This is the hostal and the bike is parked behind the oval doors. It was so hot and sunny, I decided to stay.
Hostal Senor suggested I go to see the Inca aquaducts, he told me what I should expect to hire a taxi, wasn’t dragging the bike out for this, and so off I went. I met Juan the taxi driver and yes we agreed on a fair price.
There are twenty of these wells made by the Inca. The water comes from the mountains.
Some dogs raised a fuss about us being there but they wouldn’t leave the safety of the tree from the sun’s rays.
Juan showed me that the white stuff on the cactus is used for colour, clothing, paints etc., once you squeeze it the red blood comes out.
Hostal Senor, Remo, is a very kind, generous, patient and interesting man. For me, not speaking Spanish can be difficult, but every once in a while I meet people who are patient, who speak slowly and use alternative words mixed with some English and they also act out the words like I do, which makes for a very pleasant experience. Remo was one of these people, mainly because he is curious and interested. He was in a terrible accident two years ago, combustible explosion. He has been wrapped in various bandages and suits for two years. He showed me pictures of himself from the time of the accident through the recovery process. He is a lucky man to be alive and to look so good, I never would have guessed he was the same man. Fuerte mi amigo, fuerte.
I’m sorry I didn’t get a picture of Remo, I guess we were always busy talking. Anyway he set me up with some digestive tea and some pills for a mild case of bacteria poisoning in my stomach from I’m guessing some mayonnaise I ate the day before. He also sent me off with another key chain and gave me some dressing for my riding sunglasses as a part from the nose thingy had fallen off somewhere. And off I went …. no eating today.
That dune, yes it’s a dune, in the far background, is the largest in the world and is in the Guiness Book Of World Records.
I sure got a fright the first time I saw one of these Llama’s standing on the side of the road, completely blended in with the grass and such, staring at me with those thoughtful eyes ….
A couple of lengthy delays cost me one and a half hours.
Right after I took this picture I had to dodge and weave through these cows.
I rode into this small town and was diverted off the Panamerican because of construction and got lost for a time. I stopped and asked this young man with red eyes firing rocks into a pile of bottles the way to the highway. He explained and asked for a tip. I gave him one, his skin was rotting or something and he was really messed up. I didn’t like what I had seen of this place and got the heck outta there.
Whenever I think I’ve seen the most beautiful vista, yet another one arrives, starting from Canada. What a world.
Just shy of 15,000 feet, it was cold, desolate and beautiful.
I came close to losing it here. I was so cold and tired from not eating, and I think I got used to this beautifully paved road that I didn’t even realise that I was riding on this trail of sand and small pebbles at 110km/hr while rounding a corner, the rear tire slipped, I put my toe down instinctually and my foot was immediately thrust up into the pannier, my heel knocking it and thankfully my foot didn’t get trapped under there when I gained control, got out of the shit. Stupid, stupid, gotta keep thinking, don’t get stupid.
And back down to around 6000 feet.
I stayed the night in Chalhuanca, a road side hotel, ate a little tuna out of a can and some soda crackers, TV and bed.
Up the mountain, and down the mountain, up the mountain, and down the mountain. Whenever I got to the bottom my bike was weazing, and not accelerating properly like it was coughing. Twice this happened throughout the day and I thought uh oh, but after I just reduced the speed and power and let the bike ride itself for about 15 minutes it would get back to normal. I suppose it’s just the extreme of riding up to some 13,000 feet and down.
Excerpt from journal …
Day 133 Nasca … Without the moto, when walking about I lose a great deal of my identity. I’m so happy not to be travelling these great lands with groups of people whose strength comes from sheer mass, or as a couple who may undermine one’s strengths. It really is a unique experience to ride a motorcycle alone. Seeing mass tourists here in Nasca, I’d forgotten about sunglasses, sunscreen, and the water bottle so garishly worn on the front or the back of the waist, even here in a city they feel the need to wear water. And then there is me, another Gringo; ‘Senor, let me clean your boots. No gracias. But senor your boots!’ he exclaims. I look down and my ten year old boots are covered in Inca dust from the walk among the ancient Inca aquaducts. ‘No gracias. No necessario.’ He turns to his friends thinking what is he crazy? He can afford to pay me for shining his boots. And it’s true, except I don’t want them shiny. What a luxury it is to not want your boots shiny, or to not know the day of the week he must’ve been thinking, or at least I was. No I wish I knew his exact thought at the precise moment, but that’s what everyone wishes thought he …
Excerpt from journal …
Day 135 Chalhuanca to Cusco … Another excellent ride. However, arriving in Cusco I stopped before riding down to take a picture of the city and to have a smoke before riding down into the city to search for a temporary home. When finished my smoke and changing into 2nd gear came down from the steep cliffs above, a bouncy ball of air, I heard the sound first and then the sight of it just behinnd me. Also yesterday when riding through an indiginousvillage a young girl motioned to throw a soccer ball at me, with the full draw and almost release but she didn’t. While riding by I reached back for the ball that didn’t fly and a moment later I saw a young child see me from her door step and she kicked forward. And today I stopped for a picture and received a genuine and sincere ‘Buenos tardes’ from an olde native woman and her son or grandson and dog who were walking by. No lo say?
Today is Friday October 30th, 2009 and again I’ve caught up with the pictures. Now as per usual, I must get outside and eat…. and take more pictures. Cusco is really quite stunning. I’m staying Saturday and Sunday for sure; Saturday for Halloween, and Sunday for Machu Picchu, and today for eating and just hanging out. Watched a good movie last night, ‘The Women’.
My bike is parked just around the corner in front of the reception desk.
I thought it was 30 Soles a night, but when I checked out it was $30US night. Yikes!
A fast stilt walker …
I did some research and decided not to go to Machu Picchu from Cusco, and rather ride to Ollantaytambo, leave the bike there and take the train to Aguas Caliente, and then the bus up to Machu Picchu. You can’t ride past Ollantaytambo, no road. So I left Cusco on Halloween day.
I saw two motorcycles coming at me from the opposite direction, with lights on which is rare during the day and I figured they must be Adventure Riders and sure enough a quick wave and they were gone. I checked my mirror and saw brakes lights but I had just gone over a speed bump myself so I carried on. Five minutes later in my mirror I saw they were coming up behind me so I pulled over.
Crawford and his daughter Anastasia from Chicago and I can’t remember the other guy’s name but he if from Brasil. They met on the road and had been travelling together for some time. I think Crawford’s daughter flew from Chicago and met her Dad somewhere to ride together for a while. Crawford said it was possible to ride past Ollantaytambo and park the bike in Santa Maria, and take a taxi to Hydro Electico, to then catch a local train to Aguas Caliente, to bus to Machu Picchu. Crawford and his daughter were going to La Paz, Bolivia where she would fly back home while Crawford continued on to Ushuaia. Crawford’s riding buddy from Brasil was also going to part ways to return home so he asked if I would like to ride together, when I catch up being two days behind at least. We shall see. For now though I had to decide what to do so we said our good-bye’s and parted ways.
I stopped here just outside of Ollantaytambo to have a smoke and decide whether to keep riding on. I remember Crawford saying the ascent up the mountain is incredible. Let’s go!
These clouds and I were travelling at the exact same speed for quite some time. Hand grip warmers on low at this point.
Hand grip warmers on high at this point, some 14,000 feet.
I came around the corner and this horse was walking right at me. White nose, brown body, ‘No way’, are me exact words, ‘What are you doing up here?’.
And then a rough road with dirt, rocks, mud, holtes and some moments. I didn’t really take pictures of the rough stuff cause I needed both hands ….
I rolled into Santa Maria, a small and somewhat poor village, when a taxi driver was pointing to a road, ‘Hydro Electrico!. No I want to stay here tonight, can you suggest a good place for the moto?’. So he lead me to a Hospaje, family home, and there I parked the bike inside a garage. Many people lived there and they had a tienda as well. So I moved my stuff inside and bought a beer.
I went down to the square for a meal and met some European French dudes and dudette. I walked into the restaurant on the senora just said, ‘Comere? Si’. And twenty minutes later I had liver, with rich, cucumbers and tomatoes with cocao tea. And of course it was Halloween night so when all these kids arrived at the Hospaje to get treats from Senora, well I asked to take their picture and one of the boys said, ‘Photo, money! No I said, dulce’. Look at the little one on the right, dressed as a mummy with toilet paper. Earlier I saw two Michael Jackson’s, and the mother of one of the boys said, ‘Michael Jackson, here in Santa Maria!’
And as prearranged the night before, a taxi was to pick me up and take me to Santa Teresa to buy a train ticket to Agua Caliente, via a very rough, dusty, dangerous road at 5:30am.
But at the train station, no gringos were allowed to take the train until 4pm in the afternoon. The train was for locals only. So my only choice was to walk 2 hours on the train tracks. The driver of the taxi seemed to think I could get a ticket but some other guy talked him down and I could kinda sense that the driver wasn’t pleased. So we drove down to Hydro Electrico, the end of the road. Crawford had told me that they had walked and said that it took them 3 hours so we shall see. The driver of the taxi said he would come back for me at 5pm to take me back to Santa Maria, about an hour and a half away. He also said I could take the train back so off I went ….
Dead end after about 10 minutes of walking. Then I saw a sign that said ‘Escape here’ so I went up.
I felt vulnerable and alone out here in the jungle with no one around.
Then the train came so I threw up my thumb just in case but no they kept going by. In fact the guy in the rear of the train to watch for things just stuck up his thumb too. Darn. Then I realised that this was the first time that the roles had switched; I was now the one being looked at while racing by; I was the second class citizen, the poorer one. And with that thought in mind I was happy to be walking after having seen so many people walking with heavy stuff on their backs.
I also thought of Les Stroud, the Canadian guy who survives on his own for a week in various places around the world with nothing except his camera equipment when I took this photo, realising how difficult it must be for him to redo everything twice or three times.
And then I came across this toilet paper, and not wet. I wondered if someone threw it from the train, ‘Poor Gringo’. So I took half and left the rest for someone else possibly. It was a good find too cause I hadn’t had my morning sit down and was considering using some grass or whatever.
Not my poop, but nice butterfly’s eh.
Way off in the distance you can see Machu Picchu. This walking business really gave me the feeling of living here, those many years ago except without the train tracks.
Aguas Caliente, then the bus up the mountain, and then where do you pay? Where is it? This way yeah and then …..
These pictures don’t do any justice. This place is really incredible, mind blowing if you really think about day to day life back then.
For the record in the photo’s below, I climbed up the smaller mountain top to the left, but 400 people marched up the one on the right.
I had a nice lunch in Aguas and then headed to the train station to find out there was no train back to Hydro until tomorrow. Damn, stay over night or walk back. Well the driver of the taxi was going to be there and if I didn’t show up he would be out all that gas so I said to myself let’s go. And a group of young people were also going so I thought well this will be nice, but they quickly marched off the tracks to head somewhere else. Damn it’s gotta be around 3pm and if it gets dark while I’m out here alone without a flashlight or anything, and I miss my ride back …. so I went as quickly as I could.
I walked past a guy walking toward me in the middle of nowhere and started to think bad thoughts, I had just took out 700 Soles in Aguas. Then later I saw a couple of young guys jogging toward me on the tracks, but they went past me and then I caught up with a couple my age going the same way so I stuck behind them for the rest of the way. And finally, with aching feet, legs and all I arrived back at Hydro. I was happy I didn’t walk up Waynapichu mountain or this would have been impossible. Most of the tienda’s were closed and there was only one mini bus there. So I bought a Poweraid and sat down. Still no taxi dude. So I ordered a beer and sat down. Still no taxi dude. It was only about 5:15pm so I thought well I’ll just hang. The mini bus was leaving and the guy asked if I wanted a lift to Santa Teresa but I said no I should wait the the taxi. Yet another beer and it was just about dark and still no taxi. Shit. So I asked someone if there would be anymore buses or taxis or anything but they said they didn’t know. Shit. Just wait Senora said, after I asked her if it was possible to call a taxi from Santa Teresa. So I waited and waited and then I heard the sound of a vehicle. Then one of the older men said to me run and ask that truck. So I did, barely cause I was in such pain from walking on those rocks there and back on top of Machu Picchu. The young guy said sure hop in and he and his mother and her son and I rode to Santa Maria in the dark.
After they dropped me off they wouldn’t except any money but I gave him 10 Soles anyway. Enough for a little gas or some beers. I finally got a collectivo and got back to Santa Maria. I slowly walked up to the Hospaje in massive pain, past the soccer match below and arrived at the casa to find many people there, all family and all drunk and dancing and loud music and a guy passed out on the table. ‘Amigo amigo cerveza cerveza. In a minute, have to go to my room. Mucho cominado, mucho’.
That’s when I noticed they had moved my bike, with the steering lock on about ten feet from where it was originally for a table full of food. One of the guys was explaining to me that they had lifted it. Oh great, so I checked to see if they lifted from a bad place and that’s when I noticed they broke the string that ties the cover together, and that the cover was upside down and that the dagger I glued on in Equador was off and lying on the front fender. ‘Amigo amigo cerveza, sit down please. Momento momento’. So I went up to my room that doesn’t have a door knob to make sure everything I had left was still there (all the important stuff was locked in the bike), took off my socks to see the blisters and I lied there for about a half an hour, drinking a beer. Then I mustered up the courage to have a cold shower right beside the table where everyone was drinking and dancing, went back up to my room, grabbed a bottle of Pisco I had, went back down and put it on the table. ‘Muchos gracias amigo, muchos gracias’. I poured a stiff one for myself and then talked as much as was possible for any of us, Espanole/Inglese, and a while later learned that the fiesta was for the 1st anniversary of one of the Senora’s husband who had died a year ago today. The one who was dancing with the children, who was dancing with her friends. ‘What? Oh my word’. So we partied until I don’t know when until I finally couldn’t stay awake any longer so I bid eveyone sweet dreams and hugged Senora, and passed out.
In the morning we ate yesterdays pork, which actually I saw the whole pig the night I arrived, with some bread and I bought a big bottle of orange pop from their tienda for everyone, we had some coffee, talked a little, and I left the way I had come from, and back to Cusco. They were off to Fransico’s tomb a few miles away, to lay some fresh flowers. He was only 36 years old, fell asleep at the wheel of his bus and drove off one of the cliffs. I didn’t ask if anyone else was killed, I thought it was in bad taste to do so, for what does it matter anyway.
Back in Cusco for the night I had something to eat and then just watched some action movies, wrote a little, drank some wine, watched some baseball and some weird music videos and then all of a sudden it was 2:30am so I went to sleep.
The next morning I felt lethargic, and more sore than before. I had some bread and cocao tea and then went looking for a moto tour company, Peru Moto Tours.
Hi Markus tried to leave a comment on your blog, but couldn’t log in. Here is what I wanted to say.
I was in Cusco in 06 and really enjoyed it. Stayed for about 6 days all together, including a few days in machu pichu. took the train up the river valley which was spectacular. I rented a bike, 450 honda, from Peru Moto Tours on Calle Saphi, not far from the main square. You may be able to get info, lube etc. from them. They were pretty accommodating to me. Get info to travel up to the Salineras, and the Valley of the Gods.
Glad to see you are still safe.
cheers
Rod
Excellent Rod thanks. Just got back from Machu Picchu, rode deep into the interior and stayed in a small poor village. Rather than explain I’ll save it for FTG. I’m back in Cusco and leaving for the south tomorrow but I wanted to look for lube so your timing is perfecto! What a crazy place MP is!
Glad to be of assistance.
Keep the shiney side up
Rod
Rod is a camera operator friend of mine in Toronto. I found the moto shop and he gave me the directions to a place to get proper lube. I bought three small cans of Belray and then went back to the hostal. I’m so tired … so I stayed the day. Took my bike back to the street of many moto shops, and swapped my old oil for some new stuff. I hadn’t changed since Ibarra, Equador and man was that oil black. Of course I attracted a small crowd and they all laughed and waved their fingers, ‘No no no, mucho negro’. Then I rode back to Peru Moto Tours to talk with Alejandro and to thank him for the location of the lube. He gave me a sticker so I stuck her on.
Had some lunch and slept for two hours. Oh I forgot to mention this before, on the small mountain overlooking Machu Picchu I sat up there for an hour by myself just contemplating the enormity of MP and as I was climbing down I said to myself, these rocks are so different and then I noticed this one small rock in the perfect shape of South America so I took it with me and stuck on the bike last night. Harold, the night reception person, a nice young man studying in University, well he said that the rock is unusual for that area of Peru. Harold has studied some geology. Me I don’t know a thing about rocks except that I like them, just like you Garrell. I’ll take a picture at some point so you can see.
I also received news from Jan. He is in Lima with brake problems again so he is busy working on that. He also ran into Wallace, the Canadian riding the Russian Ural SideCar with the Alberta license plate one number before mine. Apparantly he’s had some problems and was waiting for some parts from the U.S.. Though apparantly he also met a nice woman too so I’m sure the waiting game has been quite pleasant for Wallace. And today I received more news from Jan, bad news in fact. Someone broke into his room and stole his laptop, camera, helmet camera, 2nd wallet with $100U.S., buck knife, diary, cables, all his clean clothes, mag light, cell phone and various small things. And to top that off today an ATM swallowed his card. He moved out of that hotel and has to now consider what to do next. Damn.
This is Harold holding up a flag from a moto-taxi/put-put. I couldn’t understand why these were here in a tourist hotel cause no put-put driver is going to be staying here. And then Harold explained that they were some British guys and an American girl riding from Lima to Puno for charity.
I met them all in the morning as we were all getting ready to leave. They have a web site but I don’t have the paper with me right now. I signed one of the guy’s guitar ‘Ride On’, chatted a bit and they were off. They wanted to go to Bolivia and Paraguay but some paper work or something didn’t work out, but they are happy anyway.
They left about 20 minutes before me and I was really hoping I would see them on the road but what if they took a different road to the Panamericana or they stopped for gas or something but after a while I saw they’re Pirate flag waving. Their top speed is 55km/hr downhill with 150cc’s so I wasn’t worried to much about catching them, it’s just seeing them is all.
There were a lot of dogs on this stretch of the road. All jobless, hungry and timid. At first I thought they were moto chasers cause they always put their heads down like my friend JJ describes how a bear looks just before they attack you. And all through Latin America I can attest to JJ’s theory that they do put their heads down before chasing but these one’s were different somehow.
Then I stopped for lunch with these two …. the second one kept a very good distance away.
We had soda crackers, almonds, prunes with pits, cranberries and an orange but they didn’t go for the orange and they swallowed the prunes whole.
I’ve got to get some goggles ….
This happens all the time but I don’t mind cause I’m ready for anything, touch wood …. and by the way, this is closer than it seems in the picture ….
Riding into Puno, Peru ….
I found a hotel I think might work and I took my stuff inside the lobby and when I went back outside I found 5 bikes from Brasil parked behind me to check in as well. The funny thing is I knew they were from Brasil already cause when I was walking around in Cusco I noticed a bike parked inside the lobby of a hotel so I went inside to see and I saw all these bikes. The weird part is that they arrived here at this hotel in Puno too. The sight of these bikes all parked together like this was incredible. I’m having breakfast with the gang tomorrow.
Later on I went for a stroll to find some dinner but discovered the circa. That dude in the middle was dancing and parading around on one foot while that ride went round and round. You can see all the riders all stuck on the outside, simple physics really.
This guy asked if I wanted to eat at their restaurant, which is not unusual, but I said thanks and I’ll think about it and then returned. I didn’t know a musical performance was complimentary ….
The flute, pan whistle guy was incredible, really incredible. He played all of his wind instruments at once, crazy, they were all good as a team I must say.
These are the Brasilian moto guys at breakfast, minus one. Good guys, didn’t hang out really but nice to meet them and share the time we did.
And then some time for errands ….
Men and Women, who doesn’t like a woman with a long skirt, black boots and a gun?
Just before the anniversary of the Inca liberating Peru so to speak, the crowds started to come from the hills ….
Excerpt from journal ….
The Inca celebration today, since the Inca came to Peru from Bolivia; 1250 A.D. Massive amounts of people on the streets, crazy and peaceful, without a lot of organization in terms of other things beside the parade; some police and reserves just to watch over things and to help with the traffic between cars and humans. And the energy is incredible. ‘The Inca taught the locals to grow their own food and to be civilized, instead of living in caves and eating dogs and snakes …. ‘ said my waiter friend.
On to Bolivia …
One of the Brasilian guys mentioned to me that Lake Titicaca is the highest elevated lake in the world.
The road to the border of Peru/Bolivia.
All done with the papers which cost about $6 bucks, including the Police that get you about 3km’s after the border crossing, I went on my way to the next chapter ….
