Altiplano here we come!!!!

We left Arequipa last Saturday heading further into the mountains. Our first day we took it easy and rode about 55 kilometers until we found a weigh station and an old restaurant where the owner let us sleep on the floor. We were still in the desert but we could see the rain clouds higher up in the mountains and we even got a little sprinkle. The next day the real fun began. We climbed to over 4000 meters and directly into the freezing cold. Rain and hail pelted us for about 20 kilometers. Finally the sun broke free as we were riding into a Vicuna Reserve. We got to see many vicunas hanging out by the side of the road. We came up to a small town and asked the highway police where we could find a place to stay. They told us they were going to go have lunch at a small restaurant and there possibly the owner would let us stay. We got there and had a nice lunch and the people there let us crash. It was a good thing too because the rain came down in droves. The next day we continued through the high Andean grassland. That is what most of the high elevation is here in Peru, grasslands, impressive rock faces, and the occasional creek running through the grass. The land is mostly empty save for sheep and alpaca shepherds. It is very beautiful country, but the weather is pretty harsh. We stayed the night in a town called Imata and it snowed all afternoon. The next day it snowed again. Thankfully, the snow did not accumulate on the road. As usual I had some bike trouble! The eyelet that holds my front rack on finally broke and we had to ziptie the rack to the forks. It seems to be holding. We met a Belgian cyclist coming from Buenos Aires. He told us that he had had almost no bad weather; hard to believe considering we have had rain in the mountains since southern Colombia. He was on his way to Lima finishing up about three months of cycling. We stopped in Santa Lucia where we ate a delicious menu and asked one of the women working at the restaurant if she knew of somewhere where we could stay. She and her husband are building a house and agreed to let us stay there. Again, it was very nice to be inside because it snowed some more.

We are now in Puno. It is a nice little town on Lake Titicaca. We are staying in a Casa de Ciclista run by a nice kid named Max. Max has traveled the world a bit, done his own bike tours, and is a self professed bike maniac. We are staying here while we wait for a package from the states. One of Merilee's friends kindly sent us new spokes for my bike so that once and for all we can get my wheel fixed right! Puno is preparing for it's biggest festival of the year. It is the Candelaria and will feature lots and lots of music and dance. It gets going this Sunday so Merilee and I will get the opportunity to check some of it out. It should be just wonderful!

And now for a new term to enter y'alls vocabulary. "Urban hunter gatherer". There, of course, are freegans and dumpster divers, but Merilee and I are urban hunter gatherers. When we see food on the road we pick it up! Throughout our trip there is always food laying on the side of the road from produce trucks that have not properly secured their goods. Our most common finds are onions, potatoes, chiles, and tomatoes. Perhaps our best find was a load of cacao that had been spilled into the sand! We are still eating it in our oatmeal for breakfast, and as a "wake-me-up" in the afternoon. I suppose we just gather, but maybe we will start hunting those freeway dogs we see most days trotting along the road. Well, maybe not. We are too much like those freeway dogs, cowering away from the traffic and scrounging food from the side of the road...yum!!! Anyhow, that is a little tidbit about how we feed ourselves.

Right now we are trying to upload photos (hope it works we have good ones!) and sipping maracuya sours. When you make it to Peru I highly suggest this drink, it is fantastic. Pisco sour is too.

Sadly, no pics...next time folks flamingos and altiplano shots

Through the South Coast

We stayed for about 5 days in Pisco really enjoying getting to see our friend Maria again and meeting some nice firefighters. It was too bad that she had to work a lot while we were there, but we hung out with her for lunches and she invited us to dinner a couple of times. So thank you thank you thankyou Maria for everything!!! After our lovely stay in Pisco with Maria, Merilee and I went on a mission with only one goal in mind; kick ass on the Peruvian coast! We were both feeling sick and tired of wind, and endless desert so we pedaled our hardest to get to Arequipa as fast as we could and we had several wonderful experiences on the way.

First, was the day we left Pisco. We landed into the town of Ica and there we could not find anywhere good to stay. Finally, we stopped and asked at a small store if they knew of anywhere or anyone that may be willing to help us out. The storekeeper immediately sent us to the next street over because "they are good people". And sure enough there we met Lourdes who, after about 1 minute, said of course we could spend the night. That evening as we ate some bread and cheese she invited us to stay and see the sights of Ica. We agreed, and the next day we saw the oasis of Ica. Think palm trees and lagoon in the middle of sand dunes. Pretty cool. We then wandered about the plazas of town both in the afternoon and during the evening when the fountains become illuminated with colored lights. It was a very beautiful day, so many many thanks to Lourdes, Zuly and Luchita....we will see you guys when you make it to Washington!!

From there we set off for Palpa. And for once we found ourselves in a seemingly tranquil Peruvian town. There was no incessant honking of horns or life flashing before your eyes while crossing the streets. We ate menu at a restaurant and asked if we could sleep in their courtyard and they said yes. There was even a shower! It was just peachy. We continued our assault on the Peruvian desert, but it continued to wear us down. At the end of every day we were covered by a layer of sand. People told us that in some areas the road becomes completely covered by sand and cars cannot pass until the tractors come to move it away!

Anyhow, we stayed at several more memorable towns. One being Agua Salada. Here we met a man named Juan who agreed to let us sleep on his floor. He showed us his olive orchard! And the GIGANTIC vat of olives brewing away. By gigantic I mean the size of a hot tub filled with olives!!! We got to sample some and the olive oil he makes at home. Very very cool. When we left the next day, he filled our tupperwear for leftovers with olives. thanks Juan!! We also passed through Nazca where the famous Nazca lines are scratched into the desert. Apparently, nobody knows who made them or what purpose they serve, but I am pretty convinced it is a hoax. Kinda like crop circles really. But, they were pretty cool to see. It was kinda sad to see bulldozer trails over the edges of two of the figures we saw though. One night we ended up at a gas station in Puerto Lomas where Miguel and Jim let us crash in a small empty room they had. They were excited to talk with us about our trip and they fed us some fried fish for dinner. We also met a Brazilian family traveling about in a renovated garbage truck. It looked quite comfy.

So, since there is not much going on in terms of agriculture on the land in southern coastal Peru many people who live along the south coast make their living farming the ocean. Gathering seaweed that is. We went through several towns built around this, and sporadically placed along the whole coast are temporary houses where people stay while harvesting. One afternoon, as we were looking/needing for somewhere to stay, we stopped and asked at one of the houses where a family was playing volleyball. Kindly, they said they had a spot and allowed us to sleep on an empty floor in a living room. They told us all about pulling out seaweed and how it depends mostly on the luck of the ocean. How strong the waves are and where the tide is. They have to pull in 1 ton of seaweed to make 800 soles, which is a little less that 300 dollars. Foreign owned companies buy the seaweed to process it into things like shampoo. They, as well, graciously fed us fried fish for dinner. Another thanks to Alvaro and his fmaily!!

Now, we are finally climbing into the mountains again where we will probably stay for the rest of the trip. We are in Arequipa enjoying a day off from riding and soaking up the last bit of heat the coast has to offer. We will be heading into Puno in the next few days which will entail 4000+ meter riding, and that means COLD! Cold we are not used to at all. Merilee and I are pretty wimpy when it comes to cold because we have spent so much of this trip in the warm tropics. Tootles!



Photos: Not much here but sand and blue skies, need i explain, nightfall over Agua Salada, Us with Lourdes, Zuly and Luchita in Ica, Maria and Merilee and I

a random tidbit...

We were riding along the coast of Peru yesterday, like we`ve been doing for too long now. HEADWINDS!!!! When, suddenly, we saw an odd sight. A woman and a boy got out of a taxi in the middle of nowhere. I mean, there was only sand, road and ocean. That was it. They headed out toward the water, and we saw that the boy was carrying something. Then we could tell that it was an animal. Then he set it down, and we realized that it was, unmistakably, a penguin. A penguin in the middle of the desert. It waddled about for a few steps until the boy scooped it up like a puppy, squishing it in the middle, and continued on, it´s little flippers flopping about. Seriously. This kid had a pet penguin.

And not starting with a rant, here's the quick rundown of the last couple of weeks. I had a fantastic time in Huaraz meeting old and new friends and volunteering a wee bit at the local school. Our time there definitely has a special place in the heart of this trip!

We said goodbye to Joe and Nina and Mia on the 27th, and Eric, Antonio and I set out for the 4100 meter mark. We got fairly lucky with weather windows in the mornings, but both afternoons that we spent together were rainy and miserable. Luckily we found nice little places to stay both days, so we were dry if a little cold. Antonio taught me a little bit about chess...it turns out I'm a terrible player...and we had several cups of coffee and tea to stay warm. On the morning of the third day it was time to go our separate ways. It was a total treat to get to travel with another cyclist for a bit and especially one who is interested in human rights - Antonio is riding with the cause of stopping child labor. We have yet to hear how his trip up and over 4700 meters went, but it his Facebook photos are any indication it was gorgeous. Buena suerte Antonio!

Eric and I dropped down to the coast at a frightening rate, incurring several flat tires and a broken spoke. Our first night at sea level was spent in an abandoned school in a tiny town called Hoya Chica. A seventysomething woman named Rosa helped us get settled in and feel welcome, which we did.

The next day we were off early and pleasantly surprised to find that the wind has died down significantly on the coast. Over the next several days we were able to go well over 100 kilometers per day, which meant that we crossed Lima on Sunday, January 2nd. We couldn't have timed it better - there was so little traffic that it was almost an enjoyable ride, especially the section right along the coast.

We spent the night with a family about 90 kilometers south of the city and got our asses handed to us in volleyball. They said they play every night, setting up their net in the sandy street, and it shows! Even the mom, Maritza, was an awesome player without even trying. That evening we all shared Pepsi together once the net had been taken down, and Eric and I slept like rocks in their 1/4 finished house next door.

One broken and fixed frame fiasco later, we are in Pisco visiting a friend, Maria, whom we met in Nicaragua. She insisted on buying us dinner last night, and today we are going to her place for lunch and Colombian coffee. Should be wonderful!

Photos: Eric playing volleyball; the coast north of Lima; the dangers of sleeping outside - bug bites on your eyelid; Eric all dressed up with Adriana; Eric the urban hunter gatherer...free cacao on the side of the road!

Are we to Bolivia yet?

Sorry Peru, but I'm ready to say goodbye. We've had some good times with some extraordinary people, but I've had enough. Enough of the constant harrassment by men. Enough of people yelling 'gringo' and 'hey you' at us. Enough of wild gesturing because people assume we can't 'aspeaka Spanich.' Enough of being assaulted. Enough of being run off the road by bullies. Never in any country have I ever been treated with as little respect as here in Peru.

Peru had long been one of our two most difficult countries to ride through in terms of people next to Nicaragua. Peru took the cake two days ago when three teenagers on a motorcycle armed with large rocks and bottles tried to rob us. They cornered us on the shoulder and tried to grab my bags/push me down as they went by. I pretty much had a Nothing to Lose Tim Robbins moment, threw my bike down and went after them, screaming non-stop at the top of my lungs in Spanich. The saddest part of the story is that some random guy on a bike passed by the scene and just laughed when I asked for help. Unbelievable. The second saddest part is that, when I wound up with one of the boys' shoes, he actually put down his rocks and broken glass in the hopes of getting back his threadbare sandal. He ended up getting ditched as the other two panicked and took off leaving him alone and with only one shoe.

On top of that this week we have had the good fortune of losing our tent poles, not receiving our shipment of tires, our camera chip losing dozens of photos, and Eric's bike throwing yet another temper tantrum, this time in the form of the frame breaking completely in half.

OK, now is when I tell y'all DON'T WORRY! It's all just part of this crazy adventure that we signed up for way back when. Sometimes we feel fed up when everything seems to go wrong at once, but we also wouldn't be anywhere else doing anything differently with our lives. We are safe and sound, Eric's bike had a nice spa day at the weld shop, and we'll be heading into the mountains soon where things tend to be more low-key. Plus, all of our hard times don't diminish the value of the truly wonderful people we've met here and the experiences we've had with them.

First and foremost, a huge shoutout to the firefighters of Peru!! They have been absolutely amazing and have helped us out at almost every turn. For example, after plumeting 4100 meters out of the mountains in one day we found ourselves in Huacho. We knocked on the station door, were immediately welcomed in and invited not only to stay as long as we liked but also to join them for New Year's Eve! We stayed with them for two nights enjoying their company and taking it easy. We all starved to death on the 31st as per tradition here - you don't eat until midnight! And it was so tough to wait while a delicious turkey was filling the station with the most wonderful aroma! At midnight I got to be the godmother of the new year, which meant sounding the siren for 60 seconds. We all ate 12 grapes each, one for each month and each wish for the new year. And then it was on to dinner!! Turkey cooked in a pot (sounds odd but it's delish!), rice, yucca, panetton, hot chocolate and wine. By this time it was after 1 AM and Eric and I waddled to bed with full, full bellies. In the morning they stuffed our panniers full of leftover panetton and turkey, and one firefighter gave us a bunch of cookies for the road. On January 1st we ate like kings, as did some freeway dogs.

The next firefighters to help us out were in a town about 200 kilometers south of Lima. Roberto, our main contact, was super friendly with us and made us feel right at home. Shortly after leaving in the morning was The Event. Eric's bike got wobblier and wobblier until...crack. Shit. So we walked back to the station where all of the firefighters immediately took matters into their hands. They took the bike to a nearby shop without us (because two Americans tagging along would make the price too expensive!) and got it fixed. Then they helped Eric fix his front brakes that were damaged in a crash (which is what damaged the integrity of the frame). Basically I went to have a cup of coffee, and when I got back we were more or less ready to roll. So here we are in Pisco, still rolling.

Photos: Eating panetton along the coast; all the firefighters and their Dalmation Candela; Eric's welded frame; firefighters and Eric plus constant canine companion Toby fixing Eric's front brakes; battle scars from the motorcycle showdown

How to cross Lima on a bike

For anyone out there who is cycle touring and needs a route to cross Lima we have our suggestions. Our route southbound started just after Ancon. A few kilometers past Ancon is an unassuming sign indicating a right-hand turn-off for Ventanillas (this is after going up a hill and passing a large concrete block letter sign that says 'Ventanillas'). From there it is a few Kilometers to the towns of Mi Peru and Ventanillas. Of the whole route this section between Ancon and Ventanillas is probably the "sketchiest", but during the day it really wasn't too bad considering other neighborhoods we've encountered on our trip. We spend the night in a cheapie little hostal and set out early Sunday morning (January 2nd) to avoid as much traffic as possible. The city was already up and running by 7 AM, but there was plenty of room for us to ride and not feel like we were going to get attacked from every which way by loco moto taxi drivers! From Ventanillas we headed South along the main drag. We continued along the highway for 15 kilometers or so passing an oil refinery and el Pesquero (a large fishing terminal on the right-hand side). Soon after el Pesquero is a roundabout with signs indicating Lima and the airport to the left. Following those signs will drop you onto the main road running by the airport, eventually called Elmer Faucett. We followed this road for several kilometers, past the airport, until dead-ending into La Marina. There, we took a left and, after about 4 blocks took a right onto Rafael Escardo toward the ocean. From there it was roughly 10 blocks until hitting the Circuito de Playas, the road running along the Pacific. We followed that all the way along past Lima and Miraflores and turned left up the hill at Chorillos (can't miss it - there is a giant 'Chorillos' sign on the hillside at the turnoff). After riding up the short hill we took a left on Huaylas (the old name for the street...in parenthesis underneath the new one on the sign). From there it was home free to the PanAmerican which we hopped on at about kilometer 21. I'm not exactly sure how this route would go for Northbound riders, but I imagine that it would be just fine once you find your way to Chorillos. Another thing to note is traffic patterns. We only have one experience doing this ride, but doing it Sunday morning worked well for us. We had the extra bonus of the holiday weekend, meaning that many people were out of town. We were told that during the summer (January to March), when Limenos hit the beaches, that southbound traffic is especially heavy Fridays and Saturdays. Northbound traffic, therefore, is especially bad Sunday afternoons when everyone is heading back home. They actually closed the Panamerican southbound while we were riding it, directing all southbound traffic to the secondary highway and turning both sides of the divided Panamerican into a northbound thoroughfare. We had a tough time finding information about cycling through Lima, so we hope that this comes in handy for others who are looking to do the
same. Cheers!