3 days of Andean Magic. Just incredible riding.

Stage 32, Ayacucho to Bushcamp, 82 kms, 100% paved, 1825 metres climbing, summit 4325 metres. No rest on these climbs.

I woke today at 6 am which is far too early considering I don't have to be down for breakfast at 7.30 am. Sometimes people make too much noise in the morning. I went downstairs and had some corn flakes, some cheese rolls and a coffee to get myself primed for the hard day ahead.

After breakfast and helping load the truck, same people help, same people do very little to assist. We rolled out of the hotel and down into the square to meet up with General Del Pueblo who is running for President Regional. We got to have our photos taken and I got to stand right next to him. He put his arm around me and tapped me on the chest telling me I was a strong warrior to be riding through his country. I didn't tell him I felt like a tired old man ready to lay down and go back to bed. He was a charming politician who handed out some t-shirts with his name on and a nice Peruvian head wear to keep my big ears warm.

Once the fanfare was over, he rode with us for about 2 kms and waved us on our way. It was pretty cool to be sent off like this on a day that was going to sort the men from the boys.

A beautiful sunny morning leaving Ayacucho at 9am to start a 43 km climb from 2750 metres to 4325 metres, ending at our lunch truck.

I sat on the front of the bunch for the first 25 kms taking it at a nice easy pace. We were leaving a city behind and would not see another town for the rest of the day. We were climbing high in nice weather which no doubt will get very cold by the time we reach the summit.

As we climbed we could once again see snow capped peaks around us, and 1 cyclist said they rode past some snow on the side of the road. With about 10 kms to go till the lunch stop I was getting tired, I didn't sleep that well and was awoken far too early today. At this point Barry just rode off and left me behind so I rode with Michelle for the rest of the climb. By the time we reached the summit I was glad to get my ass off that seat and take a well earned break. The lunch truck was just around the corner, so it was time to eat and relax.

What I did notice was the dramatic change in temperature, it was windy at the summit and cold. I had to get my good jacket out of the truck to keep warm during lunch. I ended up wearing it for the rest of the day.

Michelle, Francis and I got back on the road and took our time riding to the bush camp. It was with beautiful scenery that we made the final 40 kms to the end of the day. The mountains in this region have very little vegetation, and only twice did I see a Peruvian tending to their flock on the sides of the mountains. I could not see anything that resembled a home anywhere at this altitude. I had no idea where these ladies would be sleeping tonight.

We were told that the last 15 kms would be unpaved but thankfully this was wrong. Pavement all the way today.

As we made our way to our destination the only traffic that past us were the police escorts. Many years ago this part of Peru had a lot of trouble with dangerous groups. This has now passed, but the Police were going to take any chances with the gringos.

The rest of the day was gentle undulations which were still exhausting due to riding at over 4000 metres. If you rode any of these roads at sea level you wouldn't have a problem in the world. We kept pushing until we found our campsite in a gravel pit. I quickly put up my tent, had a pommie shower and headed for the tea and soup to freshen up.

Our campsite is situation at around 4300 metres above sea level looking out over the amazing Andean mountains. I took some photos of the scenery from the campsite and was blown away at the beauty and silence at being in this part of the world.

Dinner was at 5.30 pm and once again Ellen did a fantastic job. By the time we finished dinner the sun had set and the temperature had dropped to zero. It was freezing, so I headed off to Tent Hilton, put on the thermals, typed a story and did some reading.

Tomorrow is another cracker of a day, so I need to get my sleep to be ready to thrash myself once again.

Until tomorrow, safe riding.

Stage 33, Bushcamp Abra Tocctoccsa to Chincheros. 78 kms, 100% paved, summit 4200 metres, climbing 1010 metres. The best way to start a day is downhill.

I must say that sleeping last night was difficult at 4200 metres, although we had the view which made us feel we were on top of the world. Once I was inside Tent Hilton and in my goose down sleeping bag I was warm as toast. A lot of people complain about sleeping at this altitude and a lot of the cyclists have terrible coughs. I forget to mention my good friend Buck Benson decided to stay back in Ayacucho and try and get over his chest cold. It was a wise decision not to ride to 4200 metres with a terrible cold. Buck is going to rejoin the group on the next rest day which is the day after tomorrow.

Now for today. I rose around 6.30 am to a spectacular sun rise over the Andean mountains. The cloud line in the distance was well beneath us indicating just how high we really were. Once again I find it hard to eat food at this altitude and my bowl of corn flakes was difficult to digest. Some of the tents and bike seats had ice an inch thick whilst others were just damp. Our good friend Max explained the whole situation about ice and no ice on tents at this altitude, so I must be full of hot air is what he was telling me.

The group rolled out of camp at 8 am for the 45 km downhill run. It's not often you can find a place on the planet that has a genuine 45 km run down into a valley below. We made our way around sharp corner, long straights, stopping to take hundreds of photos as our friends could be seen further down the twisting and winding road below. The scenery was beautiful today as we kept dropping and dropping into the valley.

The photo above was taken when we were getting to have a ride with the General Del Pueblo who is running for the Presidente Regional. He's the guy wearing the Peru outfit.

 The photo above was taken at our bush camp at 4320 metres. We felt like we were on top of the world.

 I took the above photo just as the sun was setting on our campsite. As soon as the sun set, the temperature dropped to zero. Time for Tent Hilton.

 When we left the campsite we had a 45 km paved road to roar down.

This is the type of scenery we get to ride on everyday. You can make out the road on the right of the photo that we have to navigate. Everywhere you look is the Andes.

I took the above photo today as we left the lunch stop in rain and freezing temperature. The next 50 kms was dirt, mud, dogs, cows, goats, pigs and some trucks, cars and motorcycles.

As we made it to the bottom of the gorge and across the river I could see the fire engine parked off the side of the road. I couldn't believe we had reached the lunch truck and it was only 9.30 am. I was not hungry at all but I knew we had a climb of 25 kms to come so I had to eat something and refill the bottles. The temperature was now 31 degrees C and only early in the day. This means it's going to be a scorcher on the final climb into Chincheros.

After a sandwich and water top up, Barry and I hit the road passing through small villages made of mud bricks, no power supply, people washing their clothes in the river and appearing not to have a worry in the world. And here we were complaining about the next mountain we had to climb and how stinking hot it was.

As we rounded the final corner of the rolling hills we could see the road going upwards. We put the bikes into a small gear and started to tap away at a steady pace. I led the entire way up the mountain with Barry close on my wheel. We knew we couldn't go too hard because of the heat. We had a beautiful road to ride on with very little traffic other than the police who constantly monitor our progress throughout the day. We decided to take a good 15 minute drink break ½ way up the mountain in the shade. It was 11.30 am and the temperature was now 38 degrees C. Last night it dropped below zero and now we are roasting. It's amazing how you feel after a break.

Back on the bikes for the final 45 minute push to end the day. The road was now gradually becoming easier to climb with a gradient of 5-7 % all the way. This mountain was a 800 metre climb. I said to Barry today as we were climbing the mountain, 'everyday we have to climb a 25 km mountain, this is bullshit'. I can't wait to get home and smash Mark Morgan and Anthony Leslie up Bald Hill. I'm going to make them feel pain. Well I hope I do.

With a couple more bends to negotiate we came under the monument marking the town of Chincheros. What a relief. About a km later we came across the fire engines outside the hotel. We were suppose to be camping but Bike Dreams changed their minds and put us up in a hotel for the night. What a great decision.

Barry and I were on the 4^th floor and dragging our bags up 4 flights is just agonising. We huffed and puffed like 80 year old men carrying oxygen bottles with us. I can tell you it was so nice to have a shower and wash my hair. I leave the shaving for tomorrow.

We went for a walk of the town which took about 10 minutes, stopped at a new mini shopping centre and had bowl of soup and a fruit drink. I think it cost us total about $2 AUS. We went back to the other hotel up the road where the staff were staying an had a coffee and peanuts to help the recovery process. I was pretty tired and went back to our hotel and had a sleep for an hour. I was tired due to the bad sleep I had last night.

The rest of the day will be spent eating, resting and finally getting to watch the latest planet of the Apes movie.

Tomorrow we ride to Andahuaylas the capital of the Andahuaylas Province which is known as 'pradera do los celajes', the prairie of coloured clouds. It's approximate population is 34,000 inhabitants makes it the second largest city in their region after the region's capital Abancay.

Now for interesting facts. My good friend Peter Felvus told me that Inka Cola was not that nice to drink so I've stayed well away from it so far. The current situation with market share in Peru of soft drinks is as follows;

Inca Kola 31%

Coca Cola 26%

Kola Real 17 %

Pepsi 8%

Sprite 4%

Others 14%

In 2005 Jose R Lindley negotiated a deal to produce both Coca Cola and Inca Cola thus having a combined market share of 60%.

To give you an idea of the mammoth task we are undertaking riding the Andes, here are some more stats. The Andes are the worlds longest continental mountain range. They lie as a continuous chain of highland along the western coast of the South America. The range is over 7000 km long, 200 km to 700 km wide, and of an average height of about 4000 metres. No wonder I feel exhausted all the time.

So tomorrow will bring us another hard ride to take us to our rest day. I'll be able to catch up with Buck Benson and see how he's going.

Until tomorrow, safe riding.

Stage 34, Chincheros to Andahuaylas, 75 kms, summit 3900 metres, climbing 1600 metres. Today was fantastic and a visit to the local school.

Now to get up to date. Thursday 11th Sept 2014. Stage 34.

Firstly I should mention the fantastic movie I watched last night, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Great movie and it kept me up til 10 pm. I woke at 6 am due to everyone opening and shutting the communal toilet right outside our bedroom. There was no way I was going to get back to sleep now, so it was time to pack the bag and head on up to the other hotel for breakfast.

After breakfast we started the 20 km ride to lunch. The reason the lunch truck was so soon was that this was the junction where cyclists had to decide whether they ride the dirt or continue onto Andahuaylas. So off we headed once again up another mountain. The climb from the hotel, which was on the side of the mountain, started immediately.  

We started the morning at 2800 metres and finished at the lunch stop at 3700 metres and 20 kms of riding. There wasn't much to see on the paved road other than small homes, more pigs, dogs and cows. The whole of idea of this morning was to keep a steady pace and just get to the lunch truck.

We made it to the lunch truck by 10 am in drizzling rain and wind. I was freezing and immediately got my weather jacket and gloves out of the truck and put them on. What did annoy me was that I forgot to bring my leg warmers with me. I wasn't keen on sitting around and eating lunch now in this weather and wanted to head off on the dirt road for some excitement. Within 10 minutes we were on the dirt section which would follow us the rest of the day. Wilbert the boss had said earlier that this section was one of his favourites on the tour and that we should have some spectacular scenery to enjoy.

It was pretty hard to get any enjoyment riding down a muddy, wet, slippery road with little visibility. The clouds were setting in and at stages we couldn't see 20 metres in front of us. I did know what was off the side of the road if we got it wrong, a huge drop into the valley below.

After 10 kms of downhill we stopped to take some photos of the beautiful scenery. It was at this time that a group of school kids and a teacher came out and invited us in to see their school. Barry and I took the opportunity to get out of the rain and get warm. They took us to this small room which had a fire place to sit around. They gave us a cup of coffee and biscuits and the children tried to cram into the room to see these stupid gringos in their cycling gear full of mud. We communicated slightly with the school teacher and invited to play a game of football with the children. Now if you ever read my last story about playing soccer against 2 10 years old boys in Eastern Europe last year, you will remember the amazing goal I scored. I know Peter Felvus will remember that goal forever. It was a beauty.

 The above photo was taken with the lady who was making our coffee at the school today.

 I took the above photo inside the classroom.

The photo above are some of the children who took part in the football match at school.

The photo above was taken during our ride after our school break. The mist came in really heavy at stages and made the ride very dangerous.

During the afternoon ride we ride through this small village that looked like no one lived their. This is the typical village we pass out on these mountain roads.

Now for the football match.

I played up in front and Barry played at the rear his favourite position. We played on the girls team because we wanted them to win. The boys got off to a flying start and scored immediately. Barry was slipping and sliding all over the place in his riding shoes and I was up front waiting for that million dollar pass. Well it came, and I dribbled the ball past a couple of boys and slammed the ball into the back of the net. The wonderful thing about the goal was that both the boys and girls cheered me. This wasn't a match about winning or losing, it was a match about people getting together and having some fun.

After the match we went back into the classroom for while, wrote our names on the board and exchanged email addresses. We had a fantastic hour at the school and all of us have been enriched by the experience. 

It was time to get back on the bike and hit the muddy road. The next 30 kms was in drizzling rain making it hard to see across the mountains. It didn't matter that much because we were still on a high after spending time at school. By the time we reached the road 10 kms from Andahuaylas both our bikes and ourselves were covered in mud. I got a slow leak in the rear tyre and had to pump it up about 3 times to get me to our destination. 

We found our hotel and got our bags and dropped everything in our room and headed for level 6 for a bowl of soup and a cup of coffee. I was hungry and thirsty after a long day and the fact I had run out of food and one of my water bottles had broken. It didn't matter I had all afternoon to full up the stomach and drink heaps of fluids.

We got our dirty clothes together and dropped them off at the laundromat, ready to be picked up tomorrow afternoon. All we have to do tomorrow is clean the bikes, changed the tube, and eat, drink and sleep.

Now it's 8.30 pm and I'm stuffed and ready to hit the sack.

Until tomorrow, safe riding.

Stage 31b. Bushcamp to Ayacucho. 80 kms, Paved 65 %, climbing 1375 metres, summit 2957 metres. A good stage to enter the rest day.

After being eaten alive by insects last night around the campsite I was glad to get the hell out of there. The place was a perfect setting right next to the river and good places to pitch a tent, but those insects would drive anyone nuts. Except me of course.

With a good breakfast and the site cleaned up we hit the road around 8am. I just rolled out with the fast guys not intending to push it hard at all but I found it easy sitting with them. The road was a full of bumps, water causing muddy sections, bridges under repair, dogs wanting to come out an play, rocks the size of baseballs to navigate, and a beautiful scenery. I can see in 2 years this whole section being paved, no doubt about that.

The first part of the ride was Joost, Rien, James and myself. They pushed it along at times but were restricted to the terrible conditions of the unpaved road. At times we were stopped due to machinery cleaning rocks that had fallen down into the road, and others because of new roads being built. We had to zig zag our way around boulder, rivers, cows and goats, but that's what makes the Andes Trail an experience never to be forgotten. I should say that the energy level to compete on this tour is so much harder than the Cairo to Capetown tour in 2011. Both companies provide totally different experiences. This tour is not for the novice, it's for people who are addicted to riding at an extreme level.

We kept ploughing along with mud all over our clothing and bikes screaming at the dogs to go away and then trying to breath for the next 30 seconds. When you're at this altitude it's bearable to turn the pedals, but when you had screaming at the dogs, you've just lost ½ your lungs oxygen capacity and it's take a while to get it back again.

On a side note I did have a discussion with one of my good friends from the snowy region of Australia, Mr Terry Gilchrist, wanting to know the difference between the Alpaca and the Llama. I didn't write down in the last story because of laziness. So for your Mr Gilchrist, here it is;

Alpaca is a domesticated species of South American camelid. It resembles a small llama in a superficial appearance. Alpacas are kept in herds that graze on the level heights of the Andes of southern Peru, northern Bolivia, Ecuador, and northern Chile at an altitude of 3500 m to 5000 m above sea level, throughout the year. Alpacas are considerably smaller than llamas, and unlike llamas, alpacas were not bred to be beasts of burden but were bred specifically for their fibre. Alpaca fibre is used for making knitted and woven items, much as wool is. Alpacas are bred exclusively for their meat and fibre. Alpacas are social herd animals that live in family groups consisting of a territorial alpha male, females and their young. Not all Alpacas spit, but all are capable of doing so. Spit is somewhat euphemistic, occasionally the projectile contains only air and a little saliva, althoujgh alpacas commonly bring up acidic stomach contents and project it onto their chosen target. Spitting is most reserved for other alpacas, but an alpaca will occasionally spit at an human.

After the 20 km mark I was mentally tired pushing hard and being belted all over the place by the horrendous road conditions. I wasn't physically tired, I think I was just over pushing hard for no reason. I dropped off the back of the 3 guys and rode my own pace. I could see the green valley below as I climbed higher to the town of Huanta. I thought the road would flatten out and then we would hit the downhill for about 10 kms. I looked at the Garmin and realised I still had a long way to go before I hit the downhill section.

As I rode through town I thought I would hold onto the side of a tuk tuck and get a life up the road. He dragged me about 1 km up the hill nearly pulling my shoulder out in the process, so I had to let go and do it on my own steam.

Once through the busy market town I was back on pavement, nice smooth, fast pavement. I could see on of the guys up the road but I wasn't interested in chasing him. As I reached the summit at 2957 metres the express fire engine truck went past. At this stage I had about 5 kms to go for lunch and it was early. As I cruised along the flat plateau of the mountain range I kept looking for the lunch truck and remembering it got caught on the bridge back in town due to road works. I had 2 options, stop and get my own food, or continue down the mountain and start climbing the 20 km mountain to Ayacucho. 

I roared down the mountain like an idiot and stopped at the bottom to refill the bottoms and pick up some biscuits. I was starving. As the road started to climb I could see Joost in the distance so up the tempo and caught up to him. For the next 15 kms we took our time, stopped for drinks and washed some of the mud off the bikes at the local service station and took off the final push into town. We met up with Alfred and did the final 5 together.

We arrived at the hotel Universo around 1 pm after a fantastic ride which threw everything at us. Thankfully no rain today but a nice 32 degrees C. I got the room key and quickly went upstairs with all our bags, got the washing gear ready, quick shower and shave, and lay on the bed. Barry wasn't long behind and did exactly the same. I suppose it's routine we all get into when we have a rest day coming.

The afternoon was spent with a leisurely walk around the town followed by dinner. 

I've attached some my favorite photos over the past couple of days and also from today, our rest day.

 During our walk of the plaza today we got the attention of the local school children who were had a project of sticking stickers on people. Not sure what it was all about. I got them to sing the National Anthem with hands on their hearts which was pretty neat. No chance of posting the video through this wifi system.

 In the Cathedral was the photo of one of the greatest Popes of modern history.

 I think the above Pope John Paul II is perhaps the greatest of the modern history of the church.

 The above photo was taken of an old Tuk Tuk crossing the railway lines in the sleeping little town of Junin.

 During our time in Huanuco we got to see the celebrations of the National Police Day. It didn't matter how old you were, if you belonged to an organisation your group could parade with the Police.

The above photo was taken in the town of Huaraz. In this town you can find a group of men typing letters on old typing machines using carbon paper for those extra copies. Now that's doing it tough.

Onward with today.

With a cup of coffee and cake it was time to do the weigh in. I got on the scales first and recorded a whopping 68 kgs. Barry weighed in at 71. I certainly don't need to lose anymore. The rest of my afternoon will be spent eating an resting and more markets.

Tomorrow we hit the dirt again and more bush camping. Can't wait.

Until tomorrow, safe riding.

3 days in the Mantaro Valley Peru. Keeps getting better.

Stage 29, Huancayo to Bush camp. 103 kms, 1085 metres of climbing, summit 3900 metres. Still climbing with the big boys.

It was really hard to get out of the comfortable bed today. Lying in a double bed with the blankets pulled over my head it was heaven. We had to be down stairs for breakfast around 8am which meant we could sleep in and enjoy the comfort of the Hotel Turismo, Huancayo. Breakfast was pancakes, french toast, juice, coffee and tea, cereal, eggs and just about anything you wanted. It is a great place to stay.

We rolled out of town around 9.30 am and the traffic was mad again. We had to be careful of the taxis and mini vans who constantly want to cut you off. We made our way out of town and commenced the major climb of the day. The climb was a steady gradient which started at 3200 metres and kept going for about 20 kms. I was in a group with Barry, Jost, Patrick, Rien, Michelle, Buck and Jan William. We took it at a steady pace all the way up the mountain. As we got higher the weather was starting to change for the worse, it was raining. I had a short sleeve vest which wasn't enough and I forgot to put my winter gloves in my back pocket. I put it down to laziness and nothing else. By the time we reached the summit my hands and legs were freezing.

The scenery today were tall mountains following us all the way to the summit, and the dark clouds. As we reached the summit a couple of riders stopped to put more clothing on but all I could do was freeze. We took down the mountain for the long ride to the lunch truck at around 65 kms. The view from the top of the mountain down into the deep valley below was breathtaking. Mountain walls that went skyward, and fell down into the roaring river below which went all the way to the dam which we would see shortly. The colours of the rock walls, the landslides, the bloody dogs, all added to a beautiful mornings ride.

One of the things we had to be aware of was the road that slipped away into the river below. Sometimes ½ the road had been washed away and I don't think it will be fixed for a long time.

As we approached the dam wall, we couldn't find the lunch truck anywhere. It turned out the lunch truck took the wrong turn which can happen, but meant we had to keep riding and find a town down the mountain to stop and stock up on some food for the final 30 kms to the Bush camp. The bush camp is on the sporting field of the military barracks.

We stopped at this nice little village with all the kids coming around wanted to know what we were all about, I took some nice photos of the town and you can make out the train station in the distance. I had a look at the track and it doesn't look like much freight crossing this part of the country. By the time we had our drinks, fruit and chocolate bars we now had 2 more riders in our group, Kristin and Hilde.

We all rode together up a couple of small climbs and going further down into the gorge. The scenery was beautiful today and wasn't a hard day at all. I rode with some great people and we didn't bust ourselves trying to be first into camp. Those days are well and truly over.

As we reached the small village we could see some tents already set up in the sporting field. We took a sharp right and there was an officer standing to attention waiting to open the gate and let more crazy cyclists enter. It was still drizzling, so I quickly put my tent up and through all my gear inside. Took off my wet cycling gear and put on some dry clothes.

Bary, Buck and I went for a walk into the village to buy a drink and just get away from the campsite. I came across these 2 gorgeous children playing this game of stacking cups on top of each other. The first to get all cups and plates standing, then has to run and ring the bell. Being a big kid I challenged one the children, about 8 year of age, to a duel. There was no way I would ever allow a child to beat me at a game. So it began. We had 7 cups and saucers to stack high and straight. I set a cracking pace and was in the lead up until cup and saucer 1. I was overtaking by the little cheat and I lost. She rang like there was no tomorrow. She was proud as punch and I hated defeat. I walked away sulking, not before I got some more photos to remind me of the 8 year old girl who kicked my ass in a small village in the Andean mountains.

Back to the campsite, help with the food as I was on kitchen duty tonight and then I had to help wash and dry up everything. I hate getting my hands dirty. Dinner was really nice and so was desert. The day is now drawing to and end, we had a great ride, got a little wet, but that's temporary. I have a set of dry reading gear to put on tomorrow for the 80 kms of unpaved riding. Should be another fantastic day on the bike.

 The photo above is the llama I had to carry for 2 days. I decided to put it in my bag so I wouldn't lose it.

 That's diederik in the blue jacket. We were all taking a rest and taking in the spectacular scenery.

During one of our many stops a couple of school kids came over and of course we had to get a photo.

 One of the many small towns we passed through yesterday. When the sun goes down, so does the temperature.

During yesterday's ride we rode around cliffs that dropped down into the gorge below. We were in no rush and took every opportunity to take a break and enjoy the day.

As we rode on the old road because they were building a new bridge I noticed one guy lying down and having a nap. They have bludgers in this part of the world too.

I took the photo above of Barry showing young Nicolas his own photo. He was over the moon trying to find out how the hell was his photo in that phone.

I had to do my little speech about the llamas and why I didn't take her on the bike with me over the past 2 days, that went down real well with the women. Then I made up a story about Buck having climbs 4 of the 7 summits around the world. No one will know the truth.

OK, time for bed. It's now 7.30 pm and everyone is in their tent.

Until tomorrow, safe riding.

Stage 30, bush camp to bush camp Mayocc. 99% paved, 85 kms, 967 metres climbing, summit 2750 metres. Another beautiful day on the bike.

We packed up camp and headed out of the military barracks around 8.30am. We didn't know what to expect with the pavement or unpaved roads. 2 years ago a lot of this area was unpaved and in terrible condition, soon we would find out exactly the condition of the road.

To try and cut this day short is pretty easy, rolling down hills, clinging to the side of the mountains, watching for cars, vans, trucks coming around blind corners, rocks, dogs, sheep, cows, goats, and if you can manage to avoid all this and not going over the side, you make it lunch stop.

As we hit the 20 km mark we came across both our trucks on the side of the road with a 2 staff members holding a blue tarpaulin sheet up protecting someone laying down on the road. As we got closer we could see there had been a nasty crash and their was an injured person lying on the road. Because our Dr was attending to the injured, the lunch truck would be out of action today. I think it's better that the injured be treated as we could find food in a small village without any problems.

We rolled along and around spectacular cliffs with every changing colour patterns in the rock walls above. My good friend Ashley Lester would love to check out these rocks as he's just completed his Geology degree at the best university in the world, Wollongong.

We intended to stop at the 50 km mark at this little village and find something to eat. We found Rob, Barry and Max were already eating bananas rolls. Since the lunch truck was busy tending to the sick he organised lunch as best he could under the circumstances. I didn't find a problem at all.

With lunch firmly tucked away it was back on the bike for the final 30 kms to end the day. It was a beautiful afternoon with a slight tailwind, a couple of drops of rain, but mostly downhill. We say the end of day truck looking for a good place to camp, so Barry, Max and I rode on by and went to a small village 2 kms away. We didn't want to sit around the campsite from 1 pm on a beautiful afternoon.

When we entered the town we found a nice little shop and went inside and ordered some drinks. The lady even said I could take my shoes and socks off because they were wet and put my feet up on the chair. We attracted some young girls who wanted to practise some English on us and were just inquisitive our why we had visited their part of the world.

We got back to the campsite around 3 pm and by this time everyone had arrived. We were nestled on the side of the river so we could make do with a wash and try and clean some of this grime off us. The problem with camping so close to the river is the flies. There are millions of them. I caked on the repellent and put on the long pants and long shirt which did help but didn't stop them from landing on my face. Oh well, shit happens.

Dinner was nice dish like usual and what better way to enjoy it than to be under a million stars. The moon was out lighting the rocky ground we were camped, the flies had gone home and we just sat up talking. A fantastic night with fantastic people.

Tomorrow we head to our rest day in the town of, can't remember the name right now, but it will be a hard day for sure. On a side note, it's still hard climbing the hills and everyone is getting out of breath so I don't feel too bad.

Until tomorrow, safe riding.

Stage 28. Tarma to Huancayo. 108 kms, summit 4235 metres, 1300 metres, 100% paved.

I don't know how it always work out that I'm at the back of the bunch when the riders leave town. I made my way through the traffic of Tarma and headed for the first climb of the day, a 25 km climb to an altitude of 4235 metres. The gradient was OK, but at times the corners were pretty harsh which made me work a little harder. Barry was already up the road and it took me about 30 minutes to eventually tag onto the back of him.

We kept together for the majority of the climb and then caught up with Jurg who was on something today, because he was flying. Today was the first day in a long time that I had wanted and attempted to ride with Barry and the boys. Because I had been unwell I wasn't up to flogging myself yet.

When we started climbing out of Tarma it wasn't long before we couldn't see the town behind us. Due to the constant bends and continually climbing the town disappeared quickly beneath us. As we got higher and higher we could see the tell tale signs of rain. About 2 kms from the summit the drizzle started. It was at this time that Barry surge around a sharp bend and I couldn't go with him. By the time we reached the summit Barry and Jurg were about 1 minute ahead of me. They waited for me arrive and off we set for the 30 km drop down to the lunch stop.

It wasn't long and we had left Jurg in our wake. Barry led down the hill and we were flying down the long straight and around some pretty hairy bends. It was just let the brakes off and see how fast we could go. Due to the poor Wifi I can't tell you how fast my Garmin registered, but it was close to my record of over 80 kph.

As we roared down into the valley below we could see beautiful green mountains, with half it's trees missing due to over deforestation of the entire area. It might be good to have a fire in the home now but in the future this area is going to be in huge trouble. With a couple of more corners the bike dreams flag appeared on the side of the ride indicating lunch was ready. Since my eating is back to where it should be I had 2 super big sandwiches, olives, drink and jatz biscuits. Now that's living.

It was now 11.20 am and it was time to remount and head to Huancayo to end the day. We had a great tailwind and slight downhill for the next 60 kms. Barry and I took turns to at the front and it was obvious that's he's going well on the bike.

The kms were flying past and it soon that we were at the outskirts of the city. I just noticed David one of the guys who were ahead of us sitting down having a nice drink. He took off about 10 minutes before us at lunch, so he must have been going pretty hard because Barry and I were not taking it easy at all.

We pulled over and had a nice break, soon James joined us and the stories unfolded about the day and how fast we went down the mountain. The next 10 kms into the city were crazy. Hundreds of taxi's, buses, trucks, dogs, pigs, all vying for their piece of road, plus 5 cyclists. We managed to find the hotel Turismo which is fantastic. It has 2 double beds, a sitting room, cable TV, and more luxury for 2 weary old cyclists.

It was so nice to jump on the bed and feel comfort of the highest standard. I was in no rush to leave the hotel and even thought of jumping in bed now at 2 pm and getting my monies worth. After all, I'll be sleeping in Tent Hilton for the next 2 nights.

After the shower and shave I went for a walk of the town. I headed straight for the markets which were enormous. There were blocks and blocs of everything. I managed to buy the local football jersey for 20 sols which amounts to $8 AUS, and I didn't even try and bargain. 

Back to the hotel and relax until dinner. We found a super restaurant about 1 block from the hotel and had a nice chicken dish with chips and salad and an ice cream tower. I was living the high life eating this food, but I will burn it off real quick tomorrow.

Now for tomorrow. We're bush camping for the next 2 nights. Have no idea where or how far we're going to ride each day, and I don't really care. I've got all day to make it to the finish. I'm not able to post any photos today due to the hit and miss WiFi in the hotel. 

On another issue which affects me is about the llama. The llama is a small toy animal which is given each day to a new rider for one of many reasons. I got it today because of my flash leg warmers. After some lengthy research I realised the llama for in fact a female. There was no way I was going to carry a female around with all day over that huge mountain, so I left her in my day bag and put her on the truck for safe keeping. Tomorrow morning I give her to someone else. I have a good idea who deserves it, but I'll keep it quiet until tomorrow.

Until tomorrow, safe riding.

What do cyclists do on a rest day?

The first part of the day was sleeping in. I managed to drag my lazy ass out of bed around 8.30 am and I could have slept much longer but there were a couple of things I wanted to do today, eat, eat some more, visit 1 historical site, and go to the markets.

Buck and I headed off to find the tourism office, get a map and a brochure of the city. The only historical site was the church. We did take a look inside but really it wasn't that grand. If you do a search for Tarma on Lonely Planet or any of the other travel websites, you'll find no reason to go to Tarma. I still found the city a nice place to take a leisurely walk, have a coffee and eat some of their nice cakes. 

Whilst taking in the sites of the city we came across a film crew doing some work. They had a lot of security around the set and all I can manage was a discreet photo of the actor reading a newspaper whilst having his shoes cleaned. I thought I might have got a small part in the film if they knew I was close by.

I took the above photo to show not only the church but the way the people builds their homes nestled on the sides of the mountain. When I read stories of villages being engulfed in mud/land slides, I can see how it happens. If an earthquake was to occur and some heavy rains the whole side of the mountain would come down on the city of Tarma. 

With some more walking I joined Carmen and Alec for a coffee in a specialty shop, another 2 nice people on tour. Now it was time to leave them and head to the markets, a place I love to wander through for hours. Whether it be in Cairo, Bangkok or any other place on the planet, it's where you get to see local life at it's best. There is no high pressure selling, just local people happy that you are looking at their wares. I can assure you it's better than sitting around the hotel playing on the computer like so many cyclist do when the chance arises.

The market area of Tarma is a place where you can buy, meat, chicken, cuy, wheat, corn, potato's, clothing, suits, socks, undies, hardware, you name it and they can get it for you. I did take a couple of photos but they are just like so many other photos I've taken of markets, so not to bore you, no photos of the market today.

By the time 4.30 pm had come around, the weather was turning from a sunny day to a chilly afternoon. It was time to return to Hotel El Dorado and get my gear ready for tomorrow. 

Tomorrow we start 4 days of riding to our next rest day. I'm not one for studying the route, how far, how much climbing, paved or unpaved, it is what it is. Tonight we're going out for pasta and then I'm coming home and watching a movie on the laptop, the rise of the planet of the apes. Tomorrow we're staying in a hotel and that's about all I care about right now, and the fact I probably have to get out of bed early, which I still despise.

Until tomorrow, safe riding. 

Junin to Tarma. Paved 65 kms or unpaved 102 kms.

Sleeping at 4200 metres is tough stuff. After being awoken by the 3 am train I couldn't get back to sleep. Although I was warm, I would have liked to have had more sleep. My wake up call (via Barry) came at 6.15 am and I didn't want to get out of bed. It was freezing cold and I was not in the mood to go out in this weather and go back up to the other hotel for breakfast. Breakfast was at 7am today and we were leaving at 8am.

The big decision that had to be made today was whether I wanted to ride 102 on the dirt or 65 kms on the nice paved road with one big climb followed by a 25 km decent into Tarma. Man I've made some big decisions in life but this was one of the easiest, paved it was for me. I took the soft option so I was told, but I rode with 12 other terrific people I don't usually ride with on the tour.

We left Junin at close to zero temperature and onto the paved road, some headed onto the dirt but I was glad knowing I was going to be in Tarma nice and early and I achieved what I had set out to do 3 days ago, ride 3 days and see how well my body was holding up consider I had been sick for so long.

The first part of the ride was gentle downhill with a landscape of very little grass or any sign of agriculture. Got to see plenty of llamas or Alpacas, can't tell the difference yet, I'll have to get closer.

Like usual we had our police escort on the main road and that was very reassuring considering the large number of trucks and buses that passed us by. We stopped at the 30 km mark for coffee and invited the officers to join us, they decided to go in the back section of the shop and have a coffee with the owners. It was so nice that all of us took time out of the ride to have a chat, have a coffee and not worry about what time we get into town. After coffee we were ready to hit the road for the final 30 km push to Tarma. Before we could leave we had to get a photo with our escorts. You would not get this treatment from Police back home, unless you paid a hefty price.

My cycling friends and police escort for the day.

Time to push the pedals again and start the 5 km climb to the summit of 4200 metres. It's surprising that this climb was rather easy when on other days I would have died riding up mountains at this altitude. We regrouped at the top of the summit and started a 25 km mad dash into the town of Tarma below. It was a fantastic ride with sweeping bends, long straights, and the whole road to ourselves. Some of the riders like Knut, Arty, Diederick and Hilda certainly know how to descend on the bikes and made the trip down the mountain in quick time.

Once again we regrouped on the outskirts of town and rode into together the way we started the day. It was a fantastic ride today and perhaps the easiest ride on tour thus far. With a nice hot shower and shave it was time to walk the streets of Tarma. Myself, Max and Kristin headed off to the markets, and eventually found a place for coffee and a bite to eat. We arrived at 12 noon into the Hotel El Dorado and I was not going to spend a minute too long hanging in the place, I wanted to see the town and hopefully do some shopping tomorrow. I did manage to find one beautiful face to photograph today. The little girl below was not sure of what the 'gringo' was all about but her mother came out and all was fine with the photograph.

So the afternoon leading into the rest day tomorrow was spent 'not tired', which is a first for the tour. Tomorrow I might sleep in, do some more walking and enjoy the freedom a rest day brings. To end today's story, a little bit of history of the town of Tarma.

The city of Tarma is located in the centre of the Province of Tarma, 232 kms east of the city of Lima, in the mountain ranges of the Andes. Its location consolidates as the point of nexus between the central coast, the Andean provinces of the department of Junin and the Central Forest. The city is situated within a fertile valley where many important civilizations lived in the past, from pre-Inca cultures to the Inca Culture. Evidence can be found through archaeological remains.

Now it's time to eat and watch the rest of the riders come in. They're the ones who rode the dirt section.

Until tomorrow, safe riding.

Cerro de Pasco to Junin. 83 kms, Paved 20%, climbing 636 metres, summit 4430 metres.

A lot of people complained about how cold their rooms were last night, I thought well we are staying at over 4300 metres above sea level, isn't' that a good reason?  There's no doubt it was freezing last night and after we had our dinner we went back to our rooms, I got under my 4 blankets and felt so warm I didn't have a problem at all.

Today was the first day I had to put on all my cold weather gear because it was freezing when we left Cerro de Pasco. We had to wait outside the hotel while the media guy used his camera and did the interview for National TV. I made sure I was at the front of the line to get my head on the TV.

So off we went to climb out of this town. I can't find words to describe how hard it is to start riding at 4321 metres and climb up to 4430 metres just to get out of town. I was puffing like I just consumed a packet of cigarettes. I stopped 1/2 way up the climb to take some photos looking back into the town below. This town's major source of income is through the open cut coal mine. It a town I don't think I'll ever see again.

After we reached the summit on paved road, it was downhill and easy riding for about 20 kms then we hit the dirt again. Bumping and banging along the dusty rocky road requires total concentration or you will end up on your face or in the ditch.

Our lunch truck stop was at 40 kms in a spot looking over the lake which is one of the highest in the world at over 4200 metres. It was so nice to be eating my salad rolls in a nice camping chair, sun on my face and not a breath of wind. A couple of mingy mongrel dogs hanging around, but the dog zapper dispensed with that problem.

After lunch Buck and I cruised along at a steady pace meeting up with Kristin, Hilde and Diderik. We would stop take some photo of the beautiful surrounding landscape at every opportunity. With the lake and the Flamingo's made it more enjoyable to what was becoming a fantastic day in the Andes.

The ride was still taxing with the small climbs which caused our lungs to try and jump out of our chests, and a road that was forever relentless with bumps, holes, lose rocks and gravel. This road was going to make us work all the way to our hotel in Junin. We were going to be bush camping tonight but because it's been so cold and at this altitude the company decided to treat us to hotel accommodation. What a bonus.

The last 10 kms were real tough, but with the town in sight, this always seems to lift one's spirits. We cruised in around 3 pm, got our bags and headed for our hotel down the road. Because there's so many cyclists we needed 2 hotels for the night. Barry and I got a great room with hot shower, wifi and 2 big beds.

When you have these luxuries they seem so good, but when you're camping, and dirty after a days riding, you don't care at all. You just get along with what you've got, just like everyone else in this part of the world.

After our clean up we made our way back up to the other hotel for dinner. Ellen the chef cooked dinner tonight and I can tell you, it was great. Back to our hotel at 6.30 pm to do nothing. We have to get up early tomorrow for another hard ride to Tarma and our rest day.

The photo above shows the dirt road we travelled on today.

The photo above is looking down into the city of Cerro de Pasco. You can see the football in the picture which is one of the highest football fields in the world.

The photo above is of my trusty machine taking a break in a beautiful part of the world.

The photo above is part of the lake we rode along for about 60 kms. What amazes me with a lot of the photos are the clouds appear to so close to us as we ride along.

I tried to post the above video whilst on our rest day in Huanuco but the wifi was terrible. I hope you enjoy a brief video of the National Police Day of Peru.

So another day is coming to an end in Peru. The riding is never easy and will probably be that way till the 14 December 2014 when we arrive at the end of the world. One of my good friends from Australia is coming over to Chile in late October. I hope to catch with him and his wife during their visit.

I have to get up early for a real tough stage tomorrow. We're start riding at 8 am and it's going to be freezing cold so I'll have to be rugged up again.

Until tomorrow, safe riding.