Cusco to Chivay ,
Peru
Abancay lies approx
200 km West of Cusco. The map
shows nice straight roads, however reality is once away from Cusco
you climb over one ridge after another covered with switch-backs. You would see
a small village in the valley below but take over half an hour to reach it.
After stopping in Abancay for the night it was off onto the
back-roads heading for Ayacucho. We were soon onto gravel roads climbing to
high altitudes and running well until it started raining. Looks like it has
been quite wet around here in recent past as the road surface had already been turned
to mud by passing vehicles.
We ploughed on through for another 100 km only to be stopped
by Police at Andahuaylas with the words “No Passe”. After some discussion it was clear only
road-work vehicles and local traffic were allowed through due to extensive road
works following damage from heavy rain and road reconstruction. We would have
to go back. Not a prospect I looked forward to.
However! When they finally realized we were New Zealanders,
and not from Brazil ???
they were straight onto their phones and we were cleared through the road works
as far as Chincheros, about another 100 km away. There was almost non-stop road
rebuilding all the way. Surfaces varied from mud to rough rock, to deep shingle
and hard packed clay but the message must have gone down the line as we were whistled with only brief stops here and
there.
As it turned out we got further than expected ending up at
another “No Passe” barrier at Ocros. We joined a long line of trucks also waiting
to get through.
We had an hour to wait. The nearby Restaurant did a roaring
trade. We were given quite a bit of ribbing from the truckies, Who pointed out
the huge black thunderstorm developing ahead of us and offered to put our bikes
in the back of the truck and drive us through to Ayacucho.
We should have taken the offer! It was getting dark and the
truckies fired us up the opened road first but we only made it as far as the
next village when the storm let loose. I had spotted a “Hospitaje” sign up a
side street, so in the torrential down pour we made a dash back. The elderly
shop keeper had two rooms up stairs and we were offered the one the rain was
not actually pouring through the tiles! Rough as… but dryish. We did get to
admire the water flowing under the partition and across the floor.
We spotted the local restaurant acting as the road workers
canteen and wandered on in. For 5 Sole we had a huge bowl of soup and plate of
rice with steak and potatoes. More then we could eat. Everyone who passed us
came and introduced themselves, had a chat, then wandered on.
Next morning, fine and clear we went back for breakfast.
Another huge meal for 5 Sole, then off down the road 800 m to road barrier with
words “No Passe” yet again. The storm brought down more slips and might be
clear by midday. Only 4 ½ hours to wait. Good for there word we were away at
midday and arrived in Ayacucho a couple of hours later.
Travelling north on more back-country roads was shelved. The
decision reinforced by another adventure rider coming from that direction
covered head to toe in mud. We headed for the coast down more amazing, endless
switch-backs and climbing to just over 15800 feet on one pass. Snow and cold. We stopped at a small settlement, mainly to warm
up and have something to eat at a local restaurant surrounded by trucks.. I
work on the theory if there are truckies crowding a restaurant the food is generally
good value. Worked so far! Turned out to be a hotel as well ..great!
Thus 13 DEC
It was quite a contrast heading from the highlands to the
coast. Initially everything is at around 14500 feet and just barren rock.
Peru at 14500 feet
Yet
there are still people living there trying scratch a living. As you decent to
the West more and more land is put to use growing maize, fruit, potatoes etc then further west the ridges and hills dry
out living only narrow valley bottoms with irrigation able to grow anything.
Then proceeding West it’s massive sand dunes changing to rocky wasteland as you
near the coast.
Of down the Coast stopping for lunch on the beach at
something called the Asia Club then on to Camana for the night in an empty
hostal.
Fri 14 DEC
Nothing really to report. It was just a mad drive to Via Nazca
, (a brief stop to see some lines in the Desert)- Arequipa
and onto Chivay for a couple of nights and possible visit Colca Canyon
Apart from being ripped off with the 70 sole tourist tax for
driving on a main road that runs through a National Park, Chivay a tidy tourist
center with a large number of hostals and small basic hotels. Given the number
of tourist buses headed this way I expected Chivay to overrun and accommodation
hard to find, but there are hardly any tourists here at all. Most appear to do
day trips from Arequipa .
The usual tourist artesan shops and with no tourists about
there are some bargains to be had.
The walk only area sports a number of life-size statues of various
characters. I have yet to find out whom they represent.
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