Sucre is an oasis of culture, Mediterranean weather, and easy breathing, and it pains me to leave. I have a passport that is expiring in the coming weeks and the weather down south will deteriorate soon so I need to be moving on. The consolation is the next leg of my journey will take me […]
The ride to Puno is short and paved, which is good since I’m not in the mood for one of my marathon riding days. Two weeks in Chicago (at sea level) over the holidays have left me gasping for breath at Puno’s 12k ft. After months of riding the Andes I appear to have lost […]
I started getting false warnings on the GPS around the time I entered Peru, usually a sign wires are shorting in the cradle. The cold rain and high passes before Huancayo officially did it in, no power. I run on battery power now and leave the unit powered off until it’s needed. I have my […]
After a few days in Huanuco and feeling I’ve reached the apex of my cold I push on to Huancayo. Sitting at 11K ft the city is the largest so far in my Peru route. The bike’s oozing fork seals get a reprieve as the route is mostly good pavement and a cold driving rain […]
I hit a construction road closure south of Huaraz less than a half hour out of town. As I sit waiting for the attendant to flip the Pare sign and wave me through I reminisce of Colombia where moto riders are waved through road closures and construction typically translated in to me riding long stretches […]
I don’t normally prefer coastal resorts but Huanchaco appeals to me. Perhaps it’s the stark contrast of mountains against the cool coastal desert or maybe it’s just the tranquillo setting and laid back attitude of its inhabitants that does it for me. Whatever it is, after two months of riding in the mountains I welcome […]
In spite of getting in to Celendin late I opt to keep rolling the following morning and point the bike toward Cajamarca (Caja). I´m in awe of the beauty of the countryside and mountain peaks I missed in the darkness of the previous evening´s ride. The road south is similar to the road I took […]
I depart Chachapoyas in the morning around 9ish, a time slot I’ve settled into since leaving the states. I’m heading to Kuelap to check out some ancient ruinas and then on to Celendin. I have a bad habit of underestimating the time and effort required to accomplish a given day’s riding schedule and this will […]
The La Balsa border crossing is infamous for its relaxed imigracion office, meaning, the one official assigned to the post likes to take extended lunches and can be difficult to locate. The day I arrive is no different. I ascertain from the locals the imigracion officer left and no one really knows when he’ll return. […]
