Cordillera Blancas
Trip Start
Oct 20, 2008
1
28
41
Trip End
Feb 28, 2009
Huaraz,
Peru
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
We both awaken early this morning and are packed up and on the road before 8:00. We continue through the desert getting an occasional glimpse of the Pacific Ocean. The far off mountains are growing in size. We have decided to head for the mountainous town of Huarez today. We exit the Pan AM highway and get on a different highway. It is brand new asphalt and I was grinning from ear to ear with anticipation. We are going from sea level to over 3400 meters above sea level in less than 100 kmīs this should be a great ride. Less than 15 minutes onto the highway there is construction. There is very loose gravel covering the old asphalt. The bikeīs rear tire twitching and sliding as we follow the serpentine road. The highway is reduced to one lane, the surface has changed again to a thick loose gravel freshly grated. Followed only by fresh tar being sprayed onto the road. Oncoming buses and cars force us onto the tar. The bike and myself are covered. We continue climbing the construction finally ends and the road returns to a more typical potholed highway. We reach an elevation of 4100 meters. The scenery is stunning we see our first Meringue capped Mountain. We stop to take in the beauty. A bus driver goes flying past us swerving to miss the potholes. The entire bus swaying as he swerves around a curve. I swear these guys are ex F1 racers and are experiencing mid life crisis. We are very careful as we travel around blind curves knowing full well that a bus could very well be oncoming in our lane. The road then stops itīs steep incline and plateaus. A very beautiful vista, as we look down from where we came from. A lush river valley lined with mud brick homes straw and grasses poking out of the brick work. The Chimneyīs wafting a thin wisp of smoke from the previous evenings fire. We continue on to Huarez some locals waving. We stop at a hostel and book ourselves in. A group of teenagers walk past and Tsk.. us calling us gringos.We found a great restaurant cooking chicken on an open spit fire. On the walk back to the hostel the sun is setting and I can see the mountains behind the town have turned entirely pink. I race back to the hotel to grab the camera but I am too late. The show is over.
Monday December 15th
Over a hearty breakfast Mike and I decided to separate for the day and do our own exploring. He heads south and I decide to head north. As I am leaving the town of Huarez I get pulled over by the police inspectors they demand to see my "papers" for the bike. I left them at the room and after struggling to explain where they are he lets me through. Less than 5 minutes later I am pulled over again by an officer on a Harley - Davidson. He is just curious as to what I am riding and where I am from. I carry on my way just taking my time enjoying the scenery and cool but sunny air. I witness a local tuning a harp, several local woman working in construction on the side of the road, it was a peculiar site they all have their traditional clothes on and yellow hard hats. I enter the town of Yangay, this town was completely destroyed by an earthquake, mud slide and avalanche in 1970 killing over 18000 people, the town was rebuilt further from the mountainside. I find the appropriate road to Huascaran National Park. As I climb up the mountainside road, the beauty is majestic. Deep quabrados cut through the mountains. Clear streams running through them support wild flowers, sunflowers and roses, quenoa trees line the road side as I weave our way up this dusty and sand covered road. There are so many smells here I cannot distinguish or place where they come from. I as enter several small villages the local dogs insist I donīt belong there and chase me as quickly out of town as possible. I am always surprised how fast some dogs can run. I enter the park and continue the ascent to Lake Llanganuco. I stop here for almost an hour. The lake is emerald green, the mountains directly behind it and huge sheer cliffs tower behind me. Just as I am gearing up to leave a German couple pulled up on a KTM, their English is weak and we basically shook hands and carried on. The ride back down the mountain was great, I pushed the boundaries of myself and the bike coming down the curvaceous mountainside. I return to the highway and get a little speed happy. Itīs great not having all the gear on the bike slowing us down. Just before entering Huarez I decide itīs best to ease off the throttle. I make my way to the opposite side of town and am forced to stop at a red light. On the opposite side of the street are 3 traffic police. I think they donīt see me and I sit there willing the light to turn green. Yes.... green means go and crap.... the whistle and a point to the side of the road. They must have saw me approach the intersection. All three traffic police walk over to me. They are all smiles asking me all sorts of questions in very broken English. " What kind of bike?, how many cylinders? how many ccīs?" A fourth Motorcycle police officer pulls up and joins the conversation. We shake hands, laughing and they canīt believe I drove all the way from Canada. I head back to the hostel. The Motorcycle cop along side. I come to my stop and he gives a big thumbs up. What an incredible ride and day. Mike gets back from his ride15 minutes later, we are both giddy sharing our days stories. Hunger sets in and we head out on the town, we find the most amazing pizzeria I have ever eaten in. When we walk through the doors and the smell of wood, bread, garlic and basil tantalizes our senses while we wait for our order. A spectacular day indeed.
Tuesday December 16th
This is always a difficult day for me, this is our sonīs birthday. I always find myself never knowing what to do on this date. I usually need the day to myself just to reflect and be grateful for the people in my life I do have. I visited the museum of Archeology today. They have the largest collection of ancient stone sculptures in South America. Each one is unique, some display warriors, others display animals and even still others have imaginary animals carved into the face of the stone. Each one hand carved apx 2500 b.c. and each one unique in detail and quality.
I spent the rest of the day walking around the town exploring the market and a couple of their parks. I stumbled across a motorcycle repair shop but like most things in this town it was closed from 1:00 to 3:00. I received an e-mail from our friend Jeff he is also in Huarez and am hoping to meet him for dinner this evening.
Comments
Are you missing the snow?
Hi Moe,
We are so enjoying travelling along with you, although I am jealous that you are getting all of the warmth and sunshine. I think that you should
become a writer of some sort. I believe that you
are in the middle of your Hemmingway period in your life. I guess that you will soon have some company on the bike with you. That will be a welcome change
and I doubt that Elske does not snore like Mike.
Keep up the great adventure and reporting.
Chris & Bonnie