From Deadhorse Down

Day 167 – Miraflores, PE – Huacachina, PE

Day 167 – Miraflores, PE – Huacachina, PE      02/04/11      Mileage: 221

After a quick breakfast I packed the bike and rolled south down the Pan American towards Pisco. It was a pleasant if somewhat boring rip down the pavement, that is until excitement came knocking on my door. I was riding down the right lane and had just passed a truck a few moments before. From behind me I heard screeching tires and as I looked over my left shoulder I saw a car sideways in the left lane skidding out of control. I wailed the brakes with a squeal coming from my own rear wheel, only to see the car careen into and across my lane and over the embankment! I pulled over onto the shoulder a fair ways up the road just in case it caught fire. (Don’t ask me why I know what a safe distance from a burning car is….trust me I know, right Tracy!)  The truck that was behind had pulled over as well and the truck driver was half way down the embankment when I started running back to the car. We helped the driver and passenger up to the road and miraculously aside from the woman being in hysterics (and rightfully so) and the driver having a cut on his forearm, they appeared to be OK.

I took this picture as I was running back to the car. The guy in the red shirt is the truck driver and you can just see the driver in the white shirt crawling out of the car.

The woman in black was the passenger.

The driver went back to retrieve some of his things. The left wheel is totally jacked which could of happened in the crash, but could have been the cause of it if he broke a tie rod or ball joint.

To say that they were lucky is very much understating the fact. Hell, I was shaking a bit myself because had I not gotten on the brakes hard myself they would have side swiped me for sure and taken me out too. Did I say the Pan American was boring? Scratch that. Back on the bike I continued south and pulled off in Pisco for some lunch, and of course, a Pisco Sour. I can’t say that I drink them at home, but when in Rome, right?

Road food?

Continuing south towards Ica I had read that there is a little oasis in the desert just to the west called Huacachina. It was about the right time to stop for the night so I decided to check it out. I rolled into what was once an oasis for sure, and may have still been after some development, but honestly the place as a whole was kind of run down. That being said there were some nice hotels and I found a comfortable room at the Huacachinero.

After settling in I hiked up to the top of the sand dune behind the hotel and was treated to some great views of the Huacachina, the dunes and a nice sunset.

The two big activities were dune boarding (snowboarding on the sand dunes) and dune buggy rides. I didn’t have time for either unfortunately as it was already dark and I was pulling out early tomorrow. Got to leave something for next time!

So after a dip in the pool, some wifi, dinner and a few beers with some of the other guests…I packed it in.

Day 164-166 – Miraflores, PE

Day 164-166 – Miraflores, PE      02/01-03/11       Mileage: 0

I spent the last three days running errands, getting a haircut, laundry, working on the blog and giving the KLR some much needed TLC. I’ve been riding mostly dirt for the last 10 days through southern Ecuador and northern Peru and in the last few days especially the bike has really taken a pounding. I changed the oil and filter, changed both front and rear brake pads, adjusted the chain, cleaned the air filter and a few other odd and ends.

NOW I feel like I’m back in civilization…a Starbucks!

Next time I’m taking this rig. You don’t have to pack light and local parts are always available!!  🙂

Wednesday night I met some fellow bikers and (ADV’ers) who have been stranded here in Lima with two dead bikes.

Alberto (aka – betitolara)and Naomi (aka – svensmanager) started from their home near Vancouver, Canada on their new BMW F800’s who’s engines both essentially self destructed north of Lima. Bad gas is suspected, but nobody can say for sure yet. They’ve been working with the local BMW dealer, their Canadian dealer and BMW in Germany to get their bikes fixed, and BMW Canada finally came through for them and is going to pick up the tab for repairing the bikes. That is great news for them! I hope they are back on the road soon so perhaps we can share some miles down the road.

Day 163 – Lima, PE to Miraflores, PE

Day 163 – Lima, PE to Miraflores, PE      01/31/11     Mileage: 26

This morning I worked on the blog and got caught up on my email. At noon I went to go watch the changing of the guard at the Government Palace which was pretty cool.

After that I packed up and relocated to Miraflores which is a nice section of Lima south of the downtown.

Along the way I stopped in at Barbacci Motors…a great shop if you need any gear or parts in Lima.

 I dropped anchor at the Hitchhikers hostal and then went to run some errands. I brought dinner back to the hostal and worked on the blog before calling it a night.

Day 162 – Recuay, PE to Lima, PE

Day 162 – Recuay, PE to Lima, PE      01/30/11      Mileage 234

This morning I had the bike packed and was on the road by 8:15. Just south of Catac I pulled off for gas and went to pay with the 50 sole bill I got from Andrzej the day before, and sure enough, the attendant said it was fake and refused it. Damn! Oh well, I’ll get rid of it somehow. Back on the bike the road continued up and over the pass and it was a nice canyon carver all the way down to the coast.

I hung a right on the Pan Americana and continued rolling south for Lima. I passed two cops on the opposite side of the road and they were frantically waving me over. Shit! They had a car, but I decided to just pretend they were waving at someone else and kept going. Well, soon I could see the flashing lights coming up behind me…damn. So I pulled over and Abbott and Costello started in on their good cop bad cop routine.

Bad cop said it was a 500 sole ticket that I would have to pay in Lima. Good cop said, because I was a tourist and they didn’t want to inconvenience me, I could pay them 250 soles right now! So there it was, a bribe is what they were after. I of course have cash squirreled away, but I said that I didn’t have that much and that all I has was 50 soles…which was of course the counterfeit 50 sole bill in my dummy wallet! So, I took out the fake 50, folded it over and handed it to good cop. Bad cop practically through my (expired) license back at me and after a quick half-assed lecture on the dangers of speeding, they said I could go. Well, I didn’t wait around for them to realize it was a counterfeit bill, so I thumbed the starter and rolled out of there. I was laughing in my helmet for the next 10 miles thinking of those two bozos going to pay for a nice steak dinner with their spoils only to be told it was a fake 50 sole bill. That was worth every (fake) cent. AMF! The rest of the road to Lima was over rolling sandy desert scenery and it was an interesting change from the mountains.

I made my way to center Lima and found a room 3 blocks from the Plaza de Armes. They let me park the bike in the lobby, and after a shower I went out to explore the city center.

The Plaza de Armas is spectacular and the Moorish influenced Spanish architecture is really cool.

At night I had a dinner (trout ceviche) at nice restaurant just off the Plaza.

Day 161 – Huaraz, PE to Recuay, PE

Day 161 – Huaraz, PE to Recuay, PE     01/29/11     Mileage: 115

It had rained all night and was still raining this morning as I packed the bike. I rolled out of town south towards Catac to catch the road to the ruins in Chavin. Along the way out of the corner of my eye I saw 2 adventure bikes getting gas. I wheeled around and went back to say hello. Andrzej and Jacek are from Poland and had shipped their bikes to Buenos Aires 2 months ago and are riding north to Cartagena. They were heading for Chavin as well so the 3 of us rode together.

Me and Andrzej…

Andrzej and Jacek’s bikes…a Yamaha Tenere and a Honda Africa Twin…two bikes the US never got.

The road from Catac to Chavin was paved some time ago, but it looks like all maintenance has been abandoned. The road has completely deteriorated to dirt in spots and where it hasn’t were bike eating holes. These kinds of roads are worse than all dirt, as the pavement potholes create deep sharp edge holes that are hell on the bike, suspension and will certainly give you a pinch flat if you hit one at speed. Arriving at the Chavin ruins is kind of underwhelming honestly, but we hired a guide and the tour was interesting nonetheless.

Arriving at Chavin…

Inside the main temple…

I’m not sure Chavin was worth the 4 hour round trip down that shit road, but it was nice to ride and swap war stories with Andrzej and Jacek over lunch. Luckily they spoke pretty good english, because the only Polish word I know is kielbasa.The restaurant didn’t have much change, so I paid the bill and Andrzej gave me a 50 sole bill….the problem was he had 2 50 sole bills and he knew one of them was counterfeit…but we couldn’t tell which one. I just picked one thinking if it was such a good fake I could still use it. So after lunch we said adios and they headed north for the Cordillera, and we south for the coast. Unfortunately, not only was it pouring now, but I had to backtrack down that shit road and by the time I got back to Catac, I was soaked, cold and miserable. It was also too late to make a run to the coast so I got a room in the tiny town of Recuay.

There was only one place to stay in town, so that decision was easy. My room cost 15 soles, or about 5 dollars…and certainly I got what I paid for! 😉

My hosts for the night….very graciouse and accommodating people.

The building was so old it seems it was built for the local indigenous people who are short in stature. The ceiling in my room was maybe 5’10” as I had only an inch or two of clearance being 5’8″ myself. The door was only 5′, so I had to duck to get in or out of my room…which didn’t lock.

The view from my room…

The bathroom was down the hall and was, umm, rough.

It’s all good though, and it sure beats pitching a tent in the rain…

Day 160 – San Luis, PE to Huaraz, PE

Day 160 – San Luis, PE to Huaraz, PE      01/28/11      Mileage: 94

It rained all night and was still raining in the morning which was not what had hoped for. It meant the road would be even worse than yesterday and the odds on getting to see the high peaks slim. There was no use in delaying the inevitable, so I packed the bike and wallowed down the road in the rain. The road was a mess and one guy I stopped to ask for directions didn’t even think the road over the pass was even open…..oh grand. Well I sure as shit wasn’t going back, so I continued on and hoped for the best. After a while the rain stopped, but the damage to the road had been done.

The nice little mountain town of Santa Catalina…

The reprieve from the rain soon ended and the air was getting colder and thinner with every passing mile. Crossing 15,000 feet high, the rain turned to sleet and then to….snow!

Damn…where the hell are my skis! The road topped out at 16,080 feet and there was a foot of fresh snow on the ground.

 Luckily a few other vehicles had cleared two tire tracks so I at least could see where I was going.

The road continued to snake its way down from the pass to the high alpine valley below where I stopped to rest and to take it all in.

The rest of the ride was nice roll down to the lower valley and the town of Huaraz where I got a room and some dinner. Tomorrow it’s off to tour the ruins of Chavin.

Parting shot: It didn’t occur to me until I downloaded my pictures that the only picture I took of the town of Huaraz was this one…not sure what that means?

Day 159 – Caraz, PE to San Luis, PE

Day 159 – Caraz, PE to San Luis, PE      01/27/11      Mileage: 91

I wanted to get an early start today, but my laundry that was supposed to be ready by 8 wasn’t ready until 10. Bollix. The weather was also not cooperating, as it was it was overcast in the valley and the clouds were low on the mountains obscuring the high peaks…and it looked like rain up there too.

The easy thing to do would have been to just ride the pavement right down the valley to Huaraz…maybe stop off at the hot springs for a soak. But, that wouldn’t be the adventurous thing to do now would it….sometimes you have to play the hand your dealt. So, with that it was up into the mountains in the hopes that the weather would improve and I would get at least a glimpse of the highest peaks in the Cordillera Blanca…and Peru.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordillera_Blanca

The weather continued to look bleak, but I pressed on higher up the pass.

Looking back across the valley at the Cordillera Negra

Looking up at the Cordillera Blanca

I came into a nice high alpine valley and the cloud cover was only 1 or 2 hundred feet above the valley floor.

As I climbed higher the clouds broke a bit and I got a few fleeting looks at the glaciers, but the highest peaks were still obscured.

Looking down at the countless switchbacks…

The road up the pass topped out at 15,462 feet…higher than any mountains in Colorado!!

 The rain started on the other side of the pass and the mud was slippery but manageable.

I was still hoping for a break in the weather…as my planned route would take me back across the Cordillera on the way to Huaraz…so I had one more shot. The rain and muddy road made for a slow go, and combined with my late start, I soon realized I would have just barely enough daylight to make it to Huaraz…so long as I kept rolling. Soon after making that calculation, I happened on a stranded local biker on the side of the road. He had broken his chain and was SOL…as the nearest town is 20 miles back…and almost all up hill. With my time/distance calculation fresh in my head, the writing was on the wall. If I stop and help…I won’t make it to Huaraz…if I pass by…I will anger the karma gods!

Shit…well, I always have my tent as a last resort I guess…so I pulled over. I dug out my chain breaker and one of my spare master links and set about fixing his chain. My spare 520 O-ring master link wasn’t going to work on the small non-O-ring chain, so I reused the pin that I had pressed out to pin the chain together.

We used a piece of rebar and a rock to peen over the head of the pin as best we could. Not pretty, and I doubt it will last, but it will at least get him rolling again. Good deed for the day done and karma gods appeased, I continued up the pass. Soon the roads turned to thick sloppy mud slicker than anything I’ve ridden before. I almost laid the bike down at least a dozen times, and on the 13th I did. Both tires slid out from under me and I was left straddling the bike on it’s side. Of course it was in front of a group of houses and I became the evening entertainment. I didn’t have the presence of mind for a picture…too bad…it would have been a good shot. The mud was so slick I could barely stand up let alone hoist the bike…but somehow I wrestled the bike back upright. I continued on for several more miles until the tiny town of San Luis came into view. Holeluhyah….I just hope this 2 horse town has a hotel…and lucky for me it did.

It even had secure parking…if not a toilet seat.

I grabbed “dinner” from the local bodega…bag of chips, warm yogurt(might have to use that toilet after all), crackers and juice. It ain’t Tavern on the Green, but after a day like today it’s 5 star dining.

Day 158 – Caraz, PE

Day 158 – Caraz, PE      01/26/11      Mileage: 55 local miles

The plan for today was to dash up to Laguna Paron high in the Cordillera Blanca, snap some pictures and then head south for Huaraz.

That way, gringo…

The high peaks were mostly shrouded in clouds, which was too bad but it was still a nice setting.

I was hoping the run to Laguna Paron would take only 2 hours…but it ended up taking 4, so I didn’t have enough time to get down to Huaraz the long way through the Cordillera. My plan for the day nixed, I decided to stay in Caraz another night, then make the run to Huaraz first thing tomorrow. That also gave me time to get caught up on the blog that is several days behind. For dinner I went back to Cafe Terraza which is nice little joint just off the main square.

Tomorrow the road I’m taking crosses the mountains, so I hope the weather is clear so I can get a good look at the snow capped peaks that eluded me today.

Day 157 – Trujillo, PE to Caraz, PE

Day 157 – Trujillo, PE to Caraz, PE      01/26/11      Mileage: 157

Before hitting the road south, I rode over to see the archaeological ruins of Chan Chan just north of town. I didn’t have a lot of time, so I decided to also hire a guide to make the most of my time there.

Gustave spent an hour with me showing and explaining the ruins and his services were well worth the extra $$.

Chan Chan was and still is the largest adobe city in the world…

Restoration work in progress….

Gustave demonstrating the acoustic quality of the ceremonial chamber….

  For more info….  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chan_Chan

With that ticked off the to do list, I pointed the KLR south and bombed down the Peruvian coast on the Pan American Highway.

Along the Pan Am south….

My planned route took me through the Canyon del Pato which I had read about and seen pictures of many times when researching this trip…and it was one of the roads that I wanted to ride for sure. It also would lead me to the Cordillera Blanca range of the Andes Mountains…the highest in Peru and second only in height to the range that divides Chile and Argentina further south….another must see. So after about 50 miles of high speed asphalt, I turned off onto the dirt and headed up into the mountains. I could have continued on the pavement, then took the paved road part way up the canyon, but where’s the fun in that, right?

So from near sea level the road steadily climbed higher into the mountains. The dirt road started out as smooth as pavement, but you know that wasn’t gonna’ last. Soon I was getting a steady diet of washboard mixed with parallel ruts from the last time it rained here 600 years ago. Did I mention it was dry and dusty? 😉 As bad as it gets sometimes, it still beats a vacation to Cancun with the masses…and it’s certainly better than work. So with a grin on my face and dust coating my teeth, I pressed ahead up the canyon. About a third of the way up, the dirt road crossed the river to join the paved road…and I’d be lying if said it wasn’t a nice little break from the constant pounding being dished out on the dirt washboard.

But alas, all good things…and pavement…must come to an end, so it was back on the dirt. This is where the Canyon del Pato really starts and what makes it famous with adventure riders.

Soon the road entered a canyon so narrow you’d think you could touch both sides of it with outstretched arms. The road crosses one lane bridges and tunnels one after another….some 40 in all.

The scenery is stunning and the air starts to get noticeably cooler…and thinner…as the road climbs farther up the canyon.

At the top of the canyon, the road mellows and I catch my first glimpse of the snow capped Cordillera Blanca. I’m in awe of the spectacle of mountains so high (over 22,000 ft!), they have a permanent snow cap despite their tropical latitude. Being a die hard skier, the sight of that luscious white snow makes me want to march right up there with my skis and ‘git some! The road turned back to pavement for a few miles and it’s always fun to let the bike run after hours of 2nd gear dirt and washboard. Like the aforementioned pavement, this ride too must end, and for me it ended in the town of Caraz where I found a nice room on the main square.

I quickly showered and did the obligatory walk around to see the town.

I had dinner and some beers at Cafe La Terraza (which was great!) before packing it in…another epic day on the bike.

Day 156 – Huamachuco, PE to Trujillo, PE

Day 156 – Huamachuco, PE to Trujillo, PE     01/24/11      Mileage: 144

After a quick bite at Doña Emilia Cafe, I was out the door at 8. My first stop was the archaeological site of Markawamachuco (or Marca Huamuchuco) only a few miles from town and according to my guide book…one of the most important pre-Inca sites in Peru. For being so close, I had a hell of a time finding it though.

The last mile up to the site was a narrow and rutted track as it is perched on a mountain top. The view alone from up there made it all worth it…and I was the only one there to boot! Luckily the information signs were in english too as my “archaeological spanish” is, umm, thin to say the least.

So after my one hour self guided private tour, I split for the coast and the town of Trujillo. The road out of Huamachuco climbed steadily and topped out at 13, 750 feet…the highest road yet on this trip.

The air was thin and cold…and well suited for…well, a llama! NOW I feel like I’m in South America! I sat there and watched him (or her?) for a good 10 minutes…and he didn’t seem bothered by me at all even though I was 15 feet away.

Well, it was all down hill from there…litteraly and figuratively. But, although the road was mostly down hill it was a horrid! There were more holes in the dirt then there was dirt road. It was a bone shaking, spine powdering 3 hour decent and I can’t believe the bike is still in one piece…though I did develop a squeak coming from the front fairing. The road did eventually turn to pavement and it was a nice roll down to the coast from there….

The temperature back down at sea level was balmy and warm and what you would expect in a tropical climate. Once in Trujillo I found a room, showered and hopped a taxi to the town center for a little look around. Like every Spanish colonial town, and almost every other town in Latin America, Trujillo has a central square…and a really nice one at that.

 There is also a nice pedestrian walk stretching several blocks from the southeast corner of the square. After dinner and some internet, I called it a night. Tomorrow it’s back up into the mountains via the Cañon del Pato…I highlight of this trip that I´ve been looking forward to.

Day 155 – Celendin, PE to Huamachuco, PE

Day 155 – Celendin, PE to Huamachuco, PE      01/23/11      Mileage: 169

I rolled out of town into the chilly mountain air at 7:45 this morning. The road immediately started climbing and the scenery was great, but not on the same scale as two days ago.

The road was dirt all the way up and over the pass but turned to fresh pavement shortly before the town of Banos del Inca where I stopped for a quick bite.

My first Inca Cola…tastes kind of like Red Bull I think…but I’m not a soda drinker.

Continuing south through the rolling hills on the fresh pavement was a nice reprieve from the dirt roads…but it wasn’t to last.

It wasn’t long before the new pavement gave way to a tar/gravel mixture that demands your full attention, but soon that was gone too and I was back on the dirt.

The last several miles into Huamachuco were the worst roads of the day and I was glad they were behind me when I pulled into town. I found a home for the night right on the central square which had secure parking in their center courtyard only feet from my room. I always sleep better when I know my girl is close by. 😉

I still had some daylight so I cleaned the air filter, topped up the oil and tightened the right side pannier. I also checked the brake pads and both the front and rear will need to be replaced soon…no problem though as I’m carrying 2 spare sets.

After a shower I went to an internet joint to work on the blog followed by dinner at the Cafe Dona Emilia on the main square, which the guide book says is biggest central square in Peru.

The main square is very big…and meticulously well kept.

Day 154 – Celendin, PE

Day 154 – Celendin, PE      01/22/11      Mileage: 0

I decided to stay put today to get some work done on the blog, catch up on my email and get some chores done. The internet was painfully slow here so it took forever. I also reorganized my gear and packed up so I’d be ready for an early start tomorrow.

Celendin town square…

So, what do dolphins, the Nike swoosh, Che Guevara and Looney Toons characters all have in common?

Answer: They are all popular motifs for 3 wheel motorcycle taxis in Celendin! Go figure….

Parting shot: A pic of the local footwear and machete shop….

Day 153 – Bagua Grande to Celendin, PE

Day 153 – Bagua Grande to Celendin, PE      01/21/11      Mileage: 219

I skipped breakfast this morning and just packed the bike and rolled out. The road flowed over rolling hills down the wide but scenic Rio Uteubamba valley.

Progress was slow as the road was under repair in many spots and the traffic piled up at each construction zone.

…and another…

…and another…

….you get the idea.

In the U.S., when the flag (wo)man gives the OK to go, the traffic proceeds in a nice orderly line through the construction zone. Not so here…it’s udder chaos like the flag dropping at the Le Mans Gran Prix. Cars and motorcycles all fighting to get ahead cramming into the work zone..and passing IN the work zone. My method was to scoot right to the front of all the stopped vehicles, then just get the hole shot as soon as the flag drops and just be well ahead of all the carnage. Anyway, the road then turned up into the mountains following alongside the river into a narrow picturesque canyon.

In spots they carved out room for the road right into the canyon rock wall…making what amounts to half a tunnel.

Oh, did I mention tolls are free for motorcycles in Peru as well…sweet!

 I took a small detour up to the town of Chachapoyas which is a pleasant town overlooking the river valley.

I stopped into the Ciomara Cafe & Art…which doesn’t look like much on the outside but is a really nice place.

After a quick look I continued south towards Celendin, my target stopping point for the day. The road turned to well graded dirt and continued to follow the upper reaches of the Rio Utcubamba…which was now gin clear and perfect for canoeing.

 After Leimebamba, the road turned sharply up hill through countless switchbacks, topping out at just under 12,000 feet.

 The view on the other side of the pass was breathtaking…along with the road…which was literally cut into the side of the mountains. The panorama and scale of the scenery before you is as impossible to put into words as it is to capture with a camera.

You had better ignore it when driving though, as there are absolutely no guard rails to help the complacent driver. Run one corner wide here, and you better have a parachute.

 It took hours to get up and over the pass, and once down in the town of Balsas I had a decision to make. Celendin, although only 7 linear miles away, was 34 road miles up and over another steep mountain pass that would take an 1:45 according to the policia. It was already 5:15, so that means I would be coming down off the pass in the dark. To boot, I was also low on gas, but including my reserve I should have just enough. Worst case is if I just made it to the top of the pass, I could always coast down into Celendin. With that I decided to go for it, and maybe I can trim that time to only 1:30 or even 1:15 on the bike.

The policia going to open the control gate for me…

I crossed the bridge and started up the pass, higher up on the pass I could see rain, but I pressed ahead.

Soon I was in the rain and the road turned slick as greased linoleum. My hopes of making it to Celendin in even 1:45 evaporated and I knew I would be riding in the dark if I continued. I also lost the backend and almost went down on a hairpin turn but managed to somehow keep the bike upright through sheer luck. I stopped to let more air out of the tires and to reevaluate continuing or to backtrack to Balsas. Very low on gas now, high on a narrow mountain pass with no guard rails, in the rain, at dusk, all points to backtracking down to Balsas. Did I mention I loath backtracking? So against my better judgment, I fired up the KLR and pointed the front wheel back up the pass. The lower tire pressure improved the grip and the bike felt more stable. Soon the rain gave way and the clouds began to let what was left of the light through. High up on the pass my perseverance (or stupidity) was rewarded with a brilliant twilight.

The passing rain made for nice twilight glow…

 After stopping for several pictures, it was back to the business of getting over the pass which I arrived at the top of just after sunset. Far below me I could see the lights of Celendin and the promised land, I was almost there.

Coming down off the pass in the dark was sketchy, but thankfully not as treacherous as the way up it. Pulling into Celendin, I breathed a big sigh of relief…life is good.