Source: www.panamerica.ch

 

 

After this diversity of experiences, can it become better? It can. There aren’t many roads towards Cusco if you are already in Huaraz. One starts close to Trujillo. From there, at sealeavel, it is a persistent climb up to 4884m. As my time in the mountains of Peru began, it continued: I cycled without tarmac and this time should become even worse. More gravel, more stones and steeper. All these became a mega-challenge. I recognized that my body can’t perform well over 4650m. Every meter higher challenged my lungs. No air, climbing with the bike in this high altitude is madness. But I mastered it. The road takes you up, alongside golden fields (dry grass). Puya Raimondi, over 10m high plants which grow 100 years to blossom once before they die. Gas bubbles in the water. The minerals color the water from red, over orange to purple. I saw wallpaintings dated to 200-600 AC. I stopped to watch Lamas and wild hores. On my left a glacier. Superior and close enough to touch. Suddenly I was riding in hail before I could stopp on 4884m, surrounded by uncountable peaks, most of them snow capped. The colors and form of the mountains varied curriously. It felt magestic.

 

Ouote from my diary:

“My body hurts in peaceful silence. My mind is still on this dirtroad while the five blankets of my hotelbed are warming my body. I can’t find a word which describes this day and the beauty I became a witness of. The way up to the peak would be enough to be happy for seeing it. The golden fields, the peaceful silence, the little houses of farmers, the snow capped mountains, the lakes, the wild animals… Short before 4800m I passed a glacier on my left, horses passed me while a cow cracked the iced surface of a turquoise lake. It began to hail. An hour later I arrived at the highest point, the scenery is unbelievable beautiful. Dozen of mountain peaks, valleys and lakes. My heart melted. To arrive at 4884m, by your own mental and physical power, is fantastic. The way down wasn’t less spectacular. Surrounded by golden field I could see the 30km serpentines which brought me into this bed. To many experiences. I don’t know how to handle all this beauty. I am so happy.”

 

The next day started in a comparable harmony. The long slightly descent through a wonderful canyon was a great morning experience, even if a head large rock came down the wall and crashed on the asphalt just behind me. A reminder to wear a helmet? The up and down continued. I could walk out at night in my shirt. After we reached another time the 4000m we had a challenging time to get on 1900m again. 55km descent sounds nice. Doesn’t it? Most of the road challenged my bike, my hands, my mind. Since a long time I am hoping for repairs in Cusco. My b makes are bad, worse than ever. The road was either full of holes or flicked with sand or tar-patches. But the small road was fun. Left, right, left, u-turn; all without view what’s behind the next corner. Another 100km climbing later I tried to optimise the brakes to get the rest of its stability out of them. The inner screw denied working and now I have to use my bad rear brakes. Let’s see how this turns out.

 

Every village, town, region claims to be “the highest”-something. I passed the highest town in the world (Cerro de Pasco), the highest mine and Gulf Course (La Oroya), and many other exceptional places. The funniest thing was a sign pointing out that Huanuco is the city with the best weather in the world. Without exception.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quote from my diary:

“Sometimes I forget were I am, I should think more about the altitude. I woke up in a police station bed and prepared to cycle on a plateau. Every part of my body was frozen. In shorts I cycled on 4240 m, iced water all over. Since I lost my credit card I am cycling almost without money. My brakes were not ready to safe me in case of danger, my headache became horrible. Still, the views were spectacular and an hour later the sun was strong enough to warm my body. Not only the Lamas looked confused to see me cycling in this temperature.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: www.panamerica.ch

 

As a result of four issues I decided to take the bus from Ayacucho to Abancay:

• my bike needs repairs and parts

• no credit card, new one was send to Cusco

• road condition on a challenging elevation profil

• Main goal: Ushuaia before March (I am thinking about going to Bolivia-Chile-Argentinia-Paraguay-Argentinia-Brazil-Uruguay-Argentinia-Chile-Argentinia(Patagonia) instead of the normal route south. This will take me additional weeks and I assume skipping this part will get me some more time to accomplish this plan)

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Huancayo was the necessary rest location. I started to cycle to Ayacucho under bad conditions. I hoped my bicycle will survive until I get the bus and find a shop in Cusco. Peru is a huge nation and I have time to inform myself about a lot of historical facts. In particular the history of the indigenous is interesting, cause I talk to them every day. The region of Ayacucho has old roots and a strong recent influence on Peru. The pre-Inca inhabitants of the region included the Pocras, the Chancas and the Wari left behind lots of ruins and traditions. The last, whose civilization flowered between 1000 and 1500 AD, created a sophisticated city of 40,000 people, called Wari but the empire-building Incas conquered the tribes in a final bloody battle which was to give Ayacucho its ill-fated Quechua name – "corner of the dead".

The Spanish invaders threat the people badly. Grantee could demand anything without payment: sheep, poultry, firewood – even women for sex. The well known attempt of rebellion by the last Inca Túpac Amaru and Jose Gabriel Condoranqui (Túpac Amaru II) could not stop the reduction of a population which had stood at 8 million before the Conquest and had fallen to just 1.3 million, due mainly to the violence, poverty and exploitation wrought by their new masters. The independence of Peru was fought close to Ayacucho and the South American Liberator Simón Bolívar said:

 

"The Victory of Ayacucho has affirmed for ever the total independence of the republic."

 

But during the years of the Republic the decline of Ayacucho accelerated. It became one of the poorest regions. 0,6% of the investments of Peru and a wrong IWF strategy lead to even worse conditions. The "Sendero Luminoso" launched its armed struggle in the Ayacucho village of Chuschi. In the years that followed the name ‘Ayacucho’ was to become synonymous with terror. No bus took the direct route from Lima to Cusco. The revolution failed. Still the indigenous want their independence, not just from the Spanish influences. Cycling in this area, talking to the people, is more than interesting for me.

 

"They were rebellious, irreverent. I loved that. In Cuzco the buildings have all the character; in Ayacucho it’s the people!"

- Salvador Dali

 

This article presents a talk to people who followed and believed in the Sendero Luminoso:

 

 

 

 

Ayacucho became the place to test some Peruvian delicatessens. First I tried Alpaca and I have to say, one of the best meat dishes I have ever eaten. The day after dancing until the sunrise we decided to get Cuy for lunch. Cuy is guinea-pig and I was lucky to get the upper part f the head. My old rule still exists, I try everything once even if my stomach made strange noises. A combination of the alcohol I just drunk hours ago and my vegetarian influenced brain. Unfortunately it did not really taste, moreover it had no meat at all. Still a funny lunch and a interesting good-buy to my companions before I took the colectivo to Abancay. I arrived in Ayacucho without having front brakes, furthermore the extant brakes were pretty bad, my rear tire thin as paper and the whole bike should get a makeover. I took a Peruvian colectivo and I am still alive. The driver decided to leave the official road, which consists of dirt and mud but at least it was 7 meters wide and car-proofed. The "road" he had chosen induced even locals to complain. Ascent in mud, on your right is the steep canyon. Left and right of the car is an additional meter for safety. As he hit a tree with the rear we began to promise him some violence. A young lady said her prayers in a repeat loop after the tree rescued us from falling down the canyon. The driver became better. The only thing he hit was a bull who pricked his horn through the first layer of the metal-door. I can not really tell if it is more dangerous to take a mini-bus or cycle the Peruvian rollercoaster without brakes. The up and down from Abancay to Cusco was challenging but gorgeous. After climbing 40km I arrived at the top and looked at the majestic snow capped mountains before I dropped down into the canyon full of wild parrots, palm trees and a slaying heat. After 40km ascent I arrived in freezing hail and hurried up to arrive Cusco.My credit card did not arrive....I cannot repair my bike nor visit Machu Picchu.. At least Cusco is beautiful. Might be the nicest city in Latin America so far. I have plenty of time to prove this until my VISA arrives.