to Cusco 2

A two-day track

We wandered around Chalhuanca this morning looking for breakfast and pretty much confirmed what riders say about it – just ride on through, then set off for Cusco.

It’s a very pretty valley with the lower hills covered in hundreds of low terraces

I look for the Hotel again just for fun, and about 10 miles along, there it is, on the right side after another bridge. It was here all along. Just further down the road

A nice little church on the hotel grounds

So I go and check it out. The front door windows are covered in bike stickers from moto clubs and long distance riders. Many riders in the past have had stickers made up with their web address and a statement or something. I’ve seen some pretty aggressive ride marketing campaigns

This is so cheery after last night that I think I’ll stay here for a day and get my blog caught up. I ask if they have wi-fi and they say of course. I settle in and find out it’s so slow I can’t get images up in under five minutes each. So chill, look at maps and go for walks. Yes, I know, must be nice. Whatever. You pay for it in others ways.

A nice river, with my third fish-net-in-action shot. The first was Salvador, the second Costa Rica. Always nice to sit and watch

His little brother puts the fish in a sack. By the time they left the sack was half-full

The hotel had llamas walking around. Definitely cute but you have to wonder how the Spaniards got (get?) beyond the English teeth

Next morning we were off, into the canyon

A single widening

Before narrowing for maybe 50 miles, really. everything in Peru is colossal, even coming from a BC’er. Well Peru’s bigger than BC, and all rideable.

There were miles of great rock formations

Interesting mountain ahead

Then a village marks the gorge’s end

Then into the town of Abancay (I think) where life get’s a bit tricky. The road to Cusco is closed for another 4 hours. The big town has its annual marathon up the mountain and back. All the cross streets ahead are guarded by police and there are roadblocks. Cars and trucks are parked everywhere. I go to the first one and say I’m from Canada, I love Peru, Peru’s the best country ever, and the unbelievable happens. They have a little chat and decide that I can proceed if I ride slowly and if I stop if I see a runner. Hooray. But I have to explain that I have this agreement half a dozen times getting out of the town. The final roadblock

Then starts another classic Peruvian switchback. Looking back at Abancay

The riding has, again, got me swearing this is the best set of twisties ever. The Cordillera in the background

Check the road out in this

Beautiful

I’ve been stopping regularly for runners. At one spot the stream ahead is so long I get off and watch. And take a shot of my cool new suit, and we haven’t had a Lucinda shot recently

So here’s what fit Peruvian chicks look like

And to be fair to the ladies, what fit Peruvian guys look like. Short.

The last runner, with the closing vehicles behind. I looked at my watch, no problem, haven’t lost too much time

Everytime I think I’ve ridden the best series of turns, you get a better day. Here’s what the road out of Abancay is like. The best yet and begging for a repeat on a medium-weight sportbike.