Day 38 - 41. The force is sometimes with me

Day 38 Raqchi Ruins

We depart Cusco and begin our final days in Peru.

Cusco left me with mixed feelings. Being one of the final stepping stones to Machu Picchu, it was very tourist oriented and with prices to match. I once called a bad tourist because I refused to buy this girl's beanies even after she tried to offer me a discount, which I might point out I was simply walking through the plaza and she approached me. I didn't feel Cusco reflected the Peru I'd seen before that point. Still, it wasn't a bad place.

The ride was moderate. 122km long and 1086m of climbing.

I got through the whole day well enough. Not without discomfort. My previous climb at Machu Picchu left my legs very sore.

We camped beside what was called the Raqchi Ruins. I would have been keen to have a look, but I was wrecked. Put up the tent and snoozed until dinner.

Day 39 Pucara

Loooong day. 159km and 1228m of climbing.

To start the day, once again I had another flat tyre. When I've been using these very nice rolling, narrow, grippy Maxxis slick tyres, I've been getting punctures once or twice per day. The tubes look like works of art with all the patches on them. All their advantages are also their disadvantages. They get their grip from being soft. Which means EVERYTHING goes through them. There's holes and slashes all over them. In the holes, pieces of glass are often found. They're too soft, I'm too heavy, and I've been using them at maximum pressure so that it's a perfect combination for punctures. The morning was the final straw. Anna kindly offered me her road tyres to get me by until La Paz in Bolivia, those tyres are much tougher. I happily accepted.

Most of the climbing was done first thing in the morning, but it was gradual over 60km. I'd never thought I'd say this, give me a nasty steep climb straight up and get it done with rather than a long drawn out climb.

I hadn't woken fresh. My legs were still sore from the Machu Picchu climb, and the previous day's long ride hadn't helped. So by the time I reached 48km I stopped for a rest totally spent. I'd hit the wall. Fortunately the police were following me (which I normally really hate, I like to be left in peace) and they pulled up beside me and asked how I was. My reply was "mucho cansado" which is terrible Spanish for I'm very tired. They told me to get in the back, and who wants to argue with the police?

So I get dropped off at the lunch spot, which once again was beautiful. The final peak before dropping down onto the Altiplano at 3800m above sea level, which is where we'll not drop below for more than 2 weeks. I'll have mining companies chasing me for the iron in my blood, I'll have so many red blood cells by the time I leave this place.

Lunch before dropping to the Altiplano

So it was a truck ride to the campsite which was 100km from lunch. I had made the right decision. Even though the first 20km or so from lunch was a gentle downhill, it then became a 80km grind on the flat. This would have been fine except for the strong headwind that built up in the afternoon whipping up dust storms. As much as I hate not completing a day, I have to be in good enough condition to take on the next day. I'm getting stronger, and I'm completing more days. I've also lost an unbelievable amount of weight.

When I was putting up my tent, this boy who was perhaps 6 years old was first watching us from the top of a hill. Each time I looked up he was still standing still, but that little bit closer to me until eventually he was right beside me. From there on he was full of questions. Most of which I couldn't understand. I got some of them though. I was like him at that age, so full of curiosity. I still am for that matter. I never had a whole bunch of foreigners turn up in my front yard and set up camp though when I was 6.

Day 40 Puno. Promising.

A rather flat day. 111km and 474m of climbing.

This day surprised me in the best way.

We set off from camp and the pace kept creeping up from 25km/h, even though the day wasn't being timed. Normally I just fall off the back of the peloton (group), and ride at my own pace. Although there are advantages of riding in a peloton. The main one being that the rider in front cuts through the air for you, making the ride that much easier. The bad part is you concentrate on the rider in front, and less on the scenery.

As the pace went over 30km/h, more riders began falling off the back. Yet somehow I clung on by leaving my bike in top gear and slugging it out with strong pushes, even on the short climbs. This surprised some of the other riders, no more than myself! I arrived at lunch still with the lead group.

Setting off again from lunch I was able to keep up with them until there was a final bump, a 200m climb. Rigo surprised me with his strength. Before the climb properly started, there was a steep hill leading to it. I of course began falling off the back. So I'm quick on the downhills, getting there on the flats, but uphills are still my Achilles' Heel compared to everyone else. Rigo rides up beside me and with one arm starts pushing against my back. I stepped up 2 gears and kept up with everyone. Wow. Rigo up until now has been content to socialise with people, take photos, have breaks here and there. If he wanted, my guess is he could be a real contender when the rides are timed. A strong rider who has chosen to live the experience with the environment rather than focus on the race, not a bad choice.

On arrival at our hotel in Puno, a lot of us set off to the Uros islands in Lake Titicaca. The Uros islands are traditional artificial floating islands built of reeds built by the pre-Incan Uros people.

I enjoyed the Uros islands for their beauty, especially as we saw them at sunset. The explanation of how they were built was interesting as well. The part I didn't appreciate was the undercurrent of buy buy BUY! The eagerness to show something, get me to agree that it is beautiful, I say no I'm not buying anything before trying to show me the next thing. Perhaps I should stop being so polite and just say no and move on, yet my curiosity of what it is they have to show got to me. I have what I need, and I only had enough Peruvian currency to buy dinner before reaching Bolivia. Yes, these people earn their living from tourism, but that sort of approach doesn't work for me. I like helpfulness rather than being pushy.

Day 41 Copacabana Bolivia

Our final day in Peru as we work our way around Lake Titicaca to the Bolivian border.

A long day, 145km with 723m of climbing. No big climbs, just a few smaller ones scattered through the day.

The peloton broke up with the first climb, and I found myself riding with Tamsin for the majority of the time until lunch. The scenery was really opening up, and the surrounding mountains were getting lower and lower relative to the plains. It was nice to have Lake Titicaca within sight for a good portion of the ride.

The wind picked up half way into the morning which made things marginally more difficult. It wasn't strong, but definitely noticeable. Rather than easily cruising along all day at say 28km/h, we were varying between 20 and 25.

By the time we reached the next lunch spot after 70km, I was sore, tired and quite uncomfortable with sore neck and shoulders. On the long flats you hold the same posture for a long time. I was due for a rest break, as our rest days in Cusco were busy and active and covered quite a lot of distance since then.

I took the truck to the Peru/Bolivia border. Getting through the border was quick and easy. Approximately 10km later we were at our hotel in Copacabana. A lakeside town. The view from the hotel room window over the lake was very much appreciated.

We have 2 more short and relatively easy days to get to La Paz, then 2 rest days. Some of that time will be spent getting more tyres and tubes!

A few words on Machu Picchu

Up until now I haven't said much about the places we've stayed, or what our rest days have been like. Although of course Machu Picchu deserves a special mention.

Machu Picchu to start with isn't the only site worth mentioning. It's like Cradle Mountain of Tasmania Australia, everyone hears of it, yet there's so many other places nearby with their own merit.

We started seeing signs of the Inca Empire back in Ecuador, when we visited Ingapirca. To my untrained eyes, Ingapirca was simply a smaller and less complex version of Machu Picchu. The important buildings such as that for the King had excellent work done fitting the stone blocks together so perfectly, whereas the more functional and everyday buildings and walls have a mix of larger and smaller stones packed together.

In the Sacred Valley on the way to Machu Picchu, we also visited an Inca Fortress of Ollantaytambo. If it wasn't for Machu Picchu, people would often mention this place. For example, there's a storage house half way up a steep mountain. Those poor workers. I can imagine the Inca would say "Hmm, we need storage houses. Let's put them....hmm....up there! Get on with it". There were real reasons such as being above the flood plain, and the building of terraces on mountain sides made them more water efficient as the run off went to the next terrace, and also maximise how much sunlight they get.

Another fascinating feature shown to us at Ollantaytambo was there was a narrow water channel cut into granite which then had a small fall to a pool beneath. The theory goes that because the granite contains quartz, it builds a small static charge as the water runs over it. Our guide rubbed his hand against a dry area of the granite first, then rubbed his hand over the granite that had the water running over it. The result was the water twisted as it fell until it eventually flattened out again.

Ollantaytambo's store houses half way up the mountain

Some clarification. The word Inca refers to the King, not the people. At Machu Picchu and surrounding areas, the people are known as the Quechua people.

There are various theories about the functionality of the buildings at Machu Picchu. Our guide for the day was Quechuan, and here's what we were told.

• Machu Picchu was a university, where students stayed for a year before returning where they came from (other theories exist). To be honest, a lot of detail of what is discussed is theory, there's simply no ancient Inca to ask, and no written language.
• The city was a central point for communication, where runners ran a relay to other cities. Their messages were carried on a stick with different coloured ropes with different knots on them. The messengers were also educated in how to read them. The Inca trail splits off into many trails. Some of these messages from what I gathered have been found, but apparently the interpretation is anyone's guess.
• The modern Quechuan people have a belief that the Inca will return from the jungle.
• The city was built around 1450, and was abandoned over 100 years later thanks to the invading Spanish. The remaining people living nearby kept the existence of the city a secret. Smallpox also took its heavy toll, again thanks to the Spanish.
• Throughout the city there's buildings aligned, or setup to observe the sun and the moon.
• Sacrifices of animals (and if I remember rightly people also) were made to the mountains.

There's many more details that we were told, some of which was hard to catch given there was so much to see, and while our guide's english wasn't bad, it was sometimes hard to follow. If you want to know more, the internet is out there, you have the technology. Or you can ask a question and I'll try my best to let you know what I remember.

To visit a place like this, to truly understand what's known and what is theory, I'd say the city would need to be visited multiple times. The first visit is merely an introduction. Only after the first overwhelming amount of detail and information would I suggest a person could then begin to study it.

The terraces at Ollantaytambo 

Excellent quality mason work. The nodules apparently there to assist transport, and then normally cut away.

The obligatory smug here I am at Machu Picchu photo

Fellow riders collectively having the smug here we are at Machu Picchu photo 

This is the gateway into the city. 

When first found in modern times, it was blocked off. Note the stone sticking out over the top and holes either side of the doorway (Adrian is in front of the one on the right).

Looking up to the guard house. These terraces were to stop landslide and provide gardens as opposed to crops. 

Temple of the Sun

Famous coca plant! Hard to see in this photo. It's small as it normally grows at lower altitude.

Description of the Inca cross. The detail baffles me as it was hard to follow, but a good point to research from.

Looking down to Machu Picchu after climbing Huayna Picchu.

The steps alternated between ridiculously large and hard to step over, to small and hard to find a grip on.

My legs were very sore after clambering back down.

Day 31-37 hey....these legs actually do something!

Day 31 Abra Huamina

First, you'll notice the descriptions of these days are only mentioning the impressions that I'm left with rather than any detail. I'm writing this after 3 days and visiting Machu Picchu, so there you have it.

A half day for me as there was a large climb at the beginning. My legs were beginning to work, but they weren't that keen.

The ride was on unsealed road at over 4000m in altitude. Quite nice actually. The road was actually in very good condition for the most part, as there's a lot of roadwork preparing it to be sealed.

A rather uneventful day except for the campsite. A wide open area on a slope. Very cold at night, well below freezing. The sky put on a very nice show at sunset.

Day 32 Chincheros

Ah, the day of delays at roadwork sites, starting with a chilly morning with ice covering everything.

When road works is done here, it's a little different to back home where they'll work overnight, close 1 lane and try to keep traffic disruption to a minimum. Here, different story. Close the road and only allow traffic through between 6am and 7am, 12pm and 1pm, and 6pm-7pm. Any other time queue up and wait.

The locals can be quite smart and take advantage of this. You'll often find them setting up a small fire cooking up a storm with usually rice, eggs, potatoes and tea.

The ride was otherwise enjoyable and uneventful on unsealed roads. On the downhills and flats I quite happily was able to pass quite a few people thanks to the dual suspension bike while others are enjoying their bikes shuddering over the rough surface. A good sign I'm becoming stronger too.

Day 33 Andahuaylas

The route chosen for this day was such a great choice.

After a first large uphill of I remember rightly 1200m of climbing, there was this magnificent downhill. Just a beautiful part of the world on an unpaved road.

I opted to start from the beginning of the downhill. It still bugged me doing this while most of the riders earn the downhill by climbing to the beginning of it, but I'm still racing the sun at my climbing pace. There's not enough hours in the day.

After the downhill, the lunch spot was exceptional. A very good place to feel mellow and appreciate the mountains.

Found THE spot to relax and appreciate the scenery

After lunch however, it became a VERY tough uphill. Sometimes with a 10% slope on rough ground. I have no shame in saying I walked parts of it.

Part of the climb.

Photos often do not give away well how steep something is. 

Let the fact that there's switchbacks tell part of the story.

Day 34 Eucalyptus Forest

MORE roadworks after lunch. Although this time it was because of a rather large landslide.

Later in the day though it was such a gift. The scenery was beautiful, the climbs short and gentle, and the downhills were had a nice flow to the corners. This was on unsealed road.

Yolande was taking it easy on the downhills. She's on a cyclocross bike. So no suspension, and skinny tyres, and the corners were sometimes sandy. So she was being very cautious.

Once arriving on the campsite, I found it's a eucalyptus forest! Just like being back at home. Just missing the possums in the trees and the thump of kangaroos or wallabies.

Day 35 Abancay

A relatively short day. 60km and 714m of climbing.

Rode the whole day, and given it was a short day, experimented a little with my technique. Much to my surprise my legs could take a little more strain than even a few days ago. Up a gear or 2 more, still going well. What's this? These legs can climb now?

Day 36 Limatambo

The last of the big hitter days with respect to climbing of over 2000m, In this case 2459m and 118km long. There are longer days to come, but they're flatter.

Despite being rather pleased with myself from the day before, the first climb right at the start was huge. Well, it was long, even though the slope apparently was at a manageable average of 4%. Still, that would take me a long, long time. So up to the lunch spot I go in the truck. I don't miss out entirely, there was more climbing later.

At the top of the climb, there's a little chapel and great views of nearby snow capped mountains.

At the lunch spot with Adrian, Graeme, Kevin and Christine along with Didier of course

After lunch, there was a rather long downhill. Another moment where I was catching bugs because my smile was so wide.

At the bottom of the downhill there was a river, bridge and a small village. I stopped to get an Inka Kola for some energy before the climb. There's a shelf at the front of the shop full of drinks and snacks. I saw the fridge behind the counter, so I ask for a cold bottle instead. So of course the girl open the fridge and gives me the bottle. This was great, the fridge wasn't turned on. Warm Inka Kola. One of those little quirks that we often get each day during our rides.

The climb to our camp site went well. I was riding a little distance behind Kevin and Graeme. This time I didn't watch them fade off into the distance. Nice. I declared to Kirsten while she was cooking dinner with a huge cheesy grin, no more half days for me. I'll be doing all the climbs from that point on.

We camped outside a hostel. Some people took a bed, but there wasn't enough beds for all of us. So we had tents in their yard.

A lot of us including myself tried cuy (guinea pig) for dinner. Many compared it to rabbit. It was marinated, so plenty of flavour. They're little buggers though, you wouldn't order just 1 if you're hungry. Not much meat on them!

Day 37 Cusco

This day has been highly anticipated by many of us. It's a larger city, and the stepping stone to Machu Picchu.

Not too long a day with 78km, although 1479m of climbing. 1000m of this climbing was as usual first thing in the morning in one big chunk.

With my new and growing confidence in my ability, I elected to take it on.

Don't get me wrong, I took 3 hours to climb that first mountain. I arrived at lunch on the other side of the mountain just after midday. I stopped after every 150m of climbing to drink and have something small to eat like a biscuit to prevent running out of energy like I had in the past. It worked, and my legs while sore, kept going.

Turned out the tough bit was also my preferred bit for this day.

For perhaps 30km there was a flat area which gradually began turning uphill again. This is when the first unpleasant bit happened.

Happily rolling to 1 side of the road, where a bus decides it can squeeze past. The silly thing actually BRUSHED me as it went past. It would have scared the crap out of me, only I haven't had diarrhoea for some time now. I was hit by a car and injured last year, so I did feel a little rattled after that.

Towards the top of the 2nd and last climb before dropping into Cusco, I got hailed on. Still, I'll take that over being brushed by a bus any day.

Finally enjoying the drop into the centre of Cusco I had a puncture. I had perhaps 4km to go. During this trip when I've been using my slick road tyres I've had many punctures. The tubes inside the tyres could be works of art with the amount of patches on them. I didn't have any spare tubes left, so walked the final distance to the hotel alongside the chaotic traffic.

Next I shall describe the visit to Sacred Valley, Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu and how Cusco is so different to the rest of Peru we've seen. That's later! A very memorable 3 rest days for so many reasons.

Day 25 - 30 Settling in

Day 25 Cerro de Pasco

A big day. One of the toughest with 120km and 2611m of climbing up to the mining centre of Cerro de Pasco. One of the highest cities in the world at 4330m altitude, and also claimed to be the ugliest.

I was enjoying my turn to have a very upset stomach. I optimistically took the truck to lunch, with the expectation to ride to the hotel. 3km into the ride however, I was getting VERY uncomfortable. Ride back to lunch.

I have to admit, the city didn't appeal all that much. It did however have an open pharmacy. It seems you can get anything here without a prescription. Antibiotics, prednisone, you name it.

The hotel was interesting. The bathroom was so small I had to step over the toilet to get in the shower. In the shower there's the tap to turn on the shower, but no handle. The handle was separate, which is fine if you want to screw it on to turn the shower off. Useless to turn it on. I managed to jam one of my tools from the bike into the hollow thread and twist. It's a cold place, the water came out hot, by the time it reached me it was getting rather chilly. The hot water was supplied by an electric shower head. In general most of us are glad to see them, as they provide reliable warm water. Unlike most places.

The night was cold enough for 1 of the 2 trucks to appear to have the diesel thicken in the fuel lines, enough for it not to start. The altitude wouldn't have helped. Diesel engines at this height belch out huge amounts of soot. Petrol engines aren't much better.

Day 26 Tarma

A long day at 141km and 863m of climbing. So once climbing out of Cerro de Pasco, it was reasonably flat.

For whatever reason I was feeling extremely lethargic. Perhaps it was due to the previous 3 days of dealing with being unwell. I was otherwise getting better, just wanted to sleep. Perhaps I hadn't drunk enough water, perhaps the altitude contributed, could also have been the fact that my body was getting tired from the sudden change of activity level over the last month.

So I helped with lunch, and remained with the truck for the day. On the way through the plateau with small villages, we saw this plaza with so much work done to it, it was quite surprising. It felt like it was in the middle of nowhere, but there it was.

Going from Cerro de Pasco, to Tarma which is known as the pearl of the Andes was a totally different experience. Flowers and gardens to be seen on the way in. Nice place.

On arrival at the old style yet comfortable hotel, got a good amount of snoozing in before heading out for dinner.

So we enjoy a rest day in Tarma. Did a little exploring purely hunting for lunch, but otherwise read and slept. Exactly what I needed.

Day 27 Huancayo

I was feeling MUCH better. No sickness, no chest problems, no sore knees or wrists. Wow, how good was this!

A 99km day with 1085m of climbing. Not wanting to push my luck, and to see where I was at, I was in the truck until the first climb to a plateau was done. From there I road across the plataeau at over 4000m altitude, then dropped down to Huancayo, with a small climb in between.

The ride went well, and I enjoyed it.

Huancayo, riding through that city was chaotic. Turned out I was riding with Paul and Babette for the last few km. The taxis and tuk tuks were all over the place going in any direction that didn't make sense. At one stage we went to ride through an intersection only to find all of a sudden traffic started coming at us from the right hand side. I looked to the left to see they had a green light, but then when I looked forward, I couldn't see any red light to stop the traffic going in our direction. They stopped anyhow and let us through.

I was pleasantly surprised at one point where there was this especially steep but short part which I was able to climb without changing gears, but use strength instead. An obvious improvement.

On arrival at the hotel, it was very impressive. It was called colonial style. Think of it like being a huge hunting lodge mixed with a mansion. A fire place on the second floor complete with deer heads on the wall and on old wind up telephone.

All very comfortable, complete with 4 pillows on the beds. Nice.

Day 28 La Esmeralda

Left Huancayo feeling good. 99km and 1085m of climbing.

Morning traffic wasn't as chaotic as the previous afternoon, and the ride was enjoyable.

I'm still relatively slow on the climbs however, so on arrival to lunch, Didier pointed out that it was unlikely I would make it to camp before dark. I may have, or may not have, but it was borderline. Didier knows what he's talking about, so I joined him and a very sick Kevin in the truck. His turn to be unwell. Yolande was with us as well, as she must take care of her back, and there was some unsealed road coming up.

Just before leaving the pleasant lunch spot, which was setup on a bridge over the river, there was this old lady slowly lumbering her way up the hill towards us. She stops beside the bridge and stands there for a moment. Then with a sudden burst of youthful energy ejects a bag of rubbish into the river, then returns to her slow elderly self as she watches her bag float down the river. That burst of energy seemed so out of character I burst out laughing, tears almost coming out of my eyes. Apparently waste management isn't common in the smaller areas. So this town dumps their rubbish in the river, and near other villages we've seen plenty of rubbish on the road side.

The surprises for the day wasn't finished yet.

Our intended campsite apparently was not a good idea according to the police. The area had become a thoroughfare for drug dealers. So we were directed to a compound that used to house an anti-terrorist group of the army, but not now houses workers of the local hydroelectric plant. We were first told to wait outside, as a helicopter was due to pickup some VIP's. Just before sunset we were told it wasn't coming, and to come on in.

Now THIS was a campsite. Our tents went on the grassed soccer field. Soft grass! I placed my tent between the goal posts, I figured I'd score there. Didn't work, but you've got to appreciate the thought? Wait there's more. There was SHOWERS. Toilet too! Our other bushcamps haven't had that. Showers were normally provided by a water bottle or river, and the toilet is wherever you can find out of view. Remember to bury anything that can be stepped in. Nothing worse than being the second person there stumbling in the dark...squish! Or splat, depending on the health of the previous stumbler.

Speaking of health. Aside from the dusty road causing a lot of people to cough, almost everyone was feeling good. A good sign we're getting used to the place. Adrian (Aus) and Kevin were doing it tough still.

Day 29 Mayocc

A very inviting day. 88km, 967m of climbing with almost entirely unsealed road. Some climbs, but trending downhill. Oh hellooooo. My kind of riding. Downhill and offroad.

What a great day. Starting with plenty of downhill. I kept up with the front of the group for the morning, with the group slowly being split up as some get through roadworks, while others have to wait.

The road took plenty of concentration. It was barely 1 vehicle wide. Blind corners, huge drops off the side and sometimes a very soft surface that will cause a person to slide the front tyre if a rider tries to change direction. Throw in the occasional herd of goats, cattle or donkeys on the road and there's a fun day to be had. I'm serious! It was great to truly interact with the place we're riding through.

I'm waiting for the cattle to pass. Looks peaceful right?

Try watching them come towards you when the jostle each other with those horns.

This is an opportunity to get the real taste of Peru. The dust of Peru courtesy of trucks and cars. Don't forget to chew, great for cleaning teeth.

At lunch there was a truck hosing the local streets and the main road to reduce dust. They were also so kind to hose down my bike on the side of the street which had my helmet hanging off the handle bar. Thanks guys. Wet helmet. No big deal.

So after lunch for the next few km I was able to play in mud rather than dust. Now my bike looked how it's supposed to look, mud everywhere. Mud is also great sunscreen.

A great ride, and pleased to have gotten through the day to camp without burning out.

Camp was beside a river. The water was great to swim in and wash the dust and mud off. It also had a full compliment of sandflies (midges) in the air. The air was thick with them. These aren't the boring ones from home that swarm together but don't seem to do much else. These little pests bite. Bring on the insect repellant and cover up as much as possible and hopefully forget about them. Turns out the next morning not everyone was able to forget.

The night was incredibly clear. A million star bushcamp. Stunning. We also had a camp fire for the first time. So it was great to sit with a few others and just stare at the sky, feed the camp fire and talk about whatever. The night was warm, and there was flashes over the horizon. Later that night rain came in. RAIN! This is the dry season, and we're up in the mountains.

Day 30 Ayacucho

First, the aftermath of the midges. Ghily had a bite near her eye, and looked like she'd been in a fight. Some of the girls had bites on their bums, as they don't have the same convenience as us guys where the world is our urinal. Paul and Babette apparently left the mesh open of the tent. I saw their legs, spots all over them. Looked like Paul had even begun to bruise. When there was some exclamations from some of us at breakfast, his only response was he didn't want to talk about it.

So this day had a 78km ride with 1371m of climbing. Over half of it still unpaved.

Still not being all that keen for all that climbing as it takes a long time, I opted to ride from lunch. There was still 450m of climbing to go, but at least I get to the hotel at a reasonable time, and wouldn't make Didier wait at lunch.

I left with Yolande and later caught up by Colin, and Christine (NL) from lunch. Yolande being an especially experienced rider was pointing out I need to lower my cadence (speed that I pedal) on the climbs. With a high cadence and a relatively easy gear (called spinning) I protect my knees and prevent the muscles burning out from using a lot of force, but then risk exhaustion which has happened a few times. So finding the right balance is the key to me becoming a mountain goat I think. That and continuing to lose the cargo (weight). I've lost a significant amount of weight already, even in the past 5 weeks. I'm struggling to keep my bike shorts on when I stand, and I've had to punch a new hole in my belt when I wear jeans, as there's no adjustment small enough. During the climb up to town, Christine pointed out that I had a cloud of midges chasing me which made her chuckle. Until the climb got steeper and she slowed down as well, which she had a cloud of her own. I figure a midge can fly at no more than 12km/h.

The night in Ayacucho was very good. There was a festival on with a live music in the plaza. Quite a few of us found the same restaurant upstairs overlooking the plaza. Ilkka tried alpaca which he recommended. I was more excited by the fact they had milkshakes!

View over the plaza from the restaurant

Day 21 - 24 Bounce back

Day 21 Parque Nacional Huascarán

A non riding day whilst still recovering from the chest infection and asthma. We were climbing up to 4200m above sea level, although the dry air seemed to be doing me good despite being thinner.

Our lunch stop before entering the road to the national park had great scenery of snow capped mountains in various directions. We stopped in front of a family's house. They had a lamb dressed up with a hat, and the young girl holding the lamb was a hit with us riders. At first she was unsure and shy, but after a few photos, something small to nibble on and a little change, she warmed up and became equally curious about us.

On arrival to our camp for the night, I was quick to take a spot on top of a nearby hill for my tent.

What a beautiful spot. The sunset put on quite a show. It felt like a real privilege to be able to stay there. Overnight, it was mentioned it reached as low as -5C. Everyone seemed well prepared for it however.

I woke part way through the night. The moon was bright, the sky was clear. It was nice to open the tent and just stare across the mountains and listen to music until drowsy again.

Day 22 Huallanca. Ambitious return

On paper it seems a relatively short and easy day. 71km with 982m of climbing. In reality, everyone found it tough as crossed the highest point for the trip of roughly 4800m or 15 748 feet.

At this altitude even walking became difficult. One of the stronger riders, Kees from the Netherlands found himself in the truck from lunch onwards with altitude sickness.

So of course this is my first day back on the bike after being unwell. From lunch onwards to the peak. I won't lie, I rode perhaps 40% of the climb, and walked the rest. There were many others who walked the climb struggling for air. Add the cold wind, and the place whilst beautiful, felt hostile.

After finally reaching the peak, we had a long downhill. First still on unpaved road, then on sealed. This is where I happily passed everyone I encountered. With dual suspension on the dirt, I don't have to pick my way for smoother lines like most of the other riders. I also roll quickly on the downhills, and perhaps less cautious and leaning more into the corners so I made it to camp in good time.

Day 23 Tingo Chico. My kind of day

A short and sweet day. 49km, 428 metres of climbing and started with perhaps 20km of downhill.

During the downhill I rode with Ilkka for a good portion. The scenery was beautiful, and rode between steep narrow cuttings which was surreal.

Because of all the downhill, we were faster than the lunch truck and we passed the intended spot to stop. The spot had thermal springs with baths, which everyone was so kind to tell us how good it was to soak in hot water. Because Ilkka, Adrian (UK) and myself had missed lunch, we stopped at a small restaurant at the top of the climb. Then followed Richard and Kirsten in the 2nd truck carrying luggage and kitchen to the camp spot.

Day 24 Huanuco. Feeling better, fitness still has some way to go

110km and 1223 metres of climbing at the start. HUUUGE downhill for 55km to Huanuco dropping from a chilly 4000m above sea level to 2070m.

Left camp after a cold night full of anticipation and optimism.

Met up with a few of the other riders such as Kees, Harry and Fred a couple of times during the climb until my energy began to drop off. I'd climbed perhaps 400m and began to hit the wall. It got to the point where I was finding these nice soft sunny patches of grass to have a lemon sweet and water and enjoy the scenery, but no drive to keep moving. After 41km, and perhaps 10km from the top, the tank was empty.

I REALLY wanted to reach the downhill, so had to get to the top. I saw a passing tuk tuk (locally called cockroaches) with a flat tray on the back. I flagged him down and got him to agree to take me to the top. Was a nice experience to still be amongst open air and admiring the scenery, but not exerting to climb.

Towards the top, the road was blocked by a very enthusiastic party. Apparently a lot of the riders got caught up in the moment and found themselves dancing with the locals. Me being in the back of a flat tray, I got away with a few calls of "gringo!" and some taps on the arm, then we were through.

Near the top I saw the lunch truck driving back to check where I was, so I was madly waving my arms to get Didier and Yolande's attention.

After a brief lunch, I still had another 3km of climbing to go. Wow did I feel flat. Then at the top I had a great view of the mountain that they call "crown of the Incas", and onward to a wind catching grin as I began a 55km long descent.

Our directions sheet did say it was a dangerous descent. For most parts it was a single lane road, with a big drop off 1 side, and no guard rail. Blind corners, uneven and broken surface...all the good stuff. Had to keep the mind switched on all the time.

During the descent, the temperature noticeably got warmer, the wind settled and then trees began to appear.

A great afternoon. Need I remind you that this went on for 55km?! HUGE! A loss of almost 2000m of altitude!

My immediate challenge for now is energy management. Have received some suggestions, shall see how it works out. One way or another in the next month I want to be able to at least keep up and ride with the main pack.