Stage 37, Abancay to Limatambo, 118 kms, 80% paved,
summit 3860 metres, 2459 metres of climbing. I need a rest.
Our hotel was pretty good last night and breakfast is
getting easier to digest, still they don't let me sleep in.
We rolled out of town around 8.15 am and immediately
started the first climb for the day. I was on the front with Robert
for a while and was then joined by James. Today was going to be one
hell of a day. No sooner had we left the town we climbed for 40 kms
to our lunch stop. Which was over 1500 metres of climbing. I put my
music on for the climb and rode my own tempo. This was the usaul
climb of many switchback and sharp hairpin bends all the way to the
top. Climbing 40 kms from the start of the day is very draining both
physically and mentally. You have to eat and drink all the way to the
top and concentrate on getting into your own rhythm and not worry
about anyone else.
As we were climbing the mountain we got to pass a cuy farm. After eating one I don't think I'll ever do it again.
I took a couple of stops to photograph the town of
Abancay disappear beneath me. It was probably the first time on the
tour I got to see the city fade into the distance as we climbed
skyward. The climb wasn't that difficult but was just so long. We had
a lot of trucks and buses to watch out for and at one stage on the
ride today one came far too close to Barry.
I rode into lunch with James and Jurg around 11.10 am. I
made a couple of bread rolls and sat down and waited for Barry to
arrive. We were sitting in an area that overlooked the valley in
which we rode out of 3 hours ago. Barry and I took our time with
lunch enjoying the view and recovering from the last 3 hours of
relentless pain in the legs and on the ass. You can buy the best bike
seat in the world but it's still going to hurt you when you ride
constantly up a hill and get very little opportunity to get off the
seat.
It
was time to put the jackets and arm warmers on and start the descent
from the mountain. As we rolled out of the lunch stop and went around
one bend we were treated to the amazing sight of a snow capped
mountain right in front of us. It was just spectacular, and it was
also freezing with the cool wind that was blowing off the mountain
and down onto us. The sooner we got off the mountain the warmer we
would be.
The beautiful mountains all around us followed us into
the valley below, a distance of about 55 kms. At first my hands and
legs were like ice but I knew it wouldn't be long before I was
roasting. The mountains around us were lush green in places and a
brownish red in others making a landscape of sheer cliffs leading
into the river below. At one stage as we were roaring down the
mountain this idiot in a semi-trailer came around a blind corner on
the my side of the road. I was scared stiff and was worried Barry
mightn’t see him in time. I managed to get straight over to the
side of the road and could see Barry doing the same in my mirror.
It's moments like these you decide to take it a little easier on the
downward run.
As we reached the valley floor the temperature sky
rocketed to 38 degrees C. We had to stop to take our gear off again
and try and cool down. We stopped at a little village at the very
base of the mountain to buy and drink and get out of the sun. We
still had about 20 kms to go and we needed to refuel before we took
on the next part of the day. When we first turned up in the village
Barry went over to some men sitting down drinking beer, all of them
were obviously intoxicated buy happy to meet up, shake our hands and
point us back up the road to buy the world famous COKE. Just sitting
outside the shed was such a relief from the heat which was now
getting close to 40 degrees C.
We got back on the bikes at 2 pm and rolled across the
bridge hoping the next part of the ride and the 800 metre climb would
be ok. Within 2 kms we were hit with road works. The road was being
restored due to landslides that we could hear coming down onto the
road as we passed and laying new road for the next 12 kms. The trucks
and buses were kicking up rocks and dust and not giving a damn about
the cyclists. It was becoming dangerous and frustrating. We had
constant road blocks where we had to wait for 10 minutes whilst the
grader was working on the road. The we could go and try and road on
the roughest road thus far. We were being bounced all over the place
and then we had to contend with the water truck wetting the road to
try and keep the dust down. The dust was just blinding and at times
we couldn't see how far each rider was behind each other. I could
taste the dust and feel it in every part of my body by the day's end.
We pressed on and finally came to a service station
about 5 kms outside of Limatambo and saw Dave, Julia and Alec having
a drink. Being so close to the end of the day we sat down for while,
had a drink and took it easy. This riding in these conditions are so
exhausting and it's an art in knowing your body and how hard or easy
you should push it knowing you'll have to get up again tomorrow and
do it all again.
It was time to get back on the bike and head to town and
find our campsite. We are camping in the yard of a very old hotel and
it's not bad. Good grass area to put up the tent and it's fenced all
around. Tonight Barry and I are having cuy which is Guinea Pig for
dinner. The company told us yesterday that the lady of the hotel can
cook us Guinea Pig the national dish of Peru if we liked. I thought
what the hell, you only live once.
I did like the taste of Guinea Pig but there wasn't that
much flesh on it to fill you up. I had some meatballs and vegetables
to fill up the hole.
Tomorrow is another hard day to reach the major town on
the tour, Cuzco. It's here we have 3 rest days and the first 2 will
be spent visiting the world famous Machu Picchu. But first we have 75
kms to ride.
Until tomorrow, safe riding.
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