Part 16 Moving Northward on Peru's Inca Road
Firstly, a few photos from the Cusco area that didn't make it to the previous entry:
On The Inca Trail
Cusco's Plaza De Armas
Fountain in the Plaza De Armas
Day 139 Rainbow Mountain
We woke at 3 am to prepare for an early start to a very full day.
A passenger van brought us to the motor coach and we left the city at 4 am.
Most people slept during the bumpy ride through the countryside, unable to see
anything in the dark. Eventually we arrived in the small mountain village of
Japura, elev. 4030 m, for breakfast and a briefing by our lead guide, Patrick.
Inca Bridge at a Rest Stop on the Road
Yes, It's Strong Enough for Us Both
The hike to Rainbow Mountain took about three hours. Patrick
grouped us together several times along the way to provide rest and to pass on
information about the significance of the mountain and about the indigenous
people who have lived here for thousands of years.
A House Beside the Trail
Horizontal lines appear on the sides of most of the mountains
above the natural tree-line. Patrick told us that these were crude but very old
terracing to provide plots for “papas hielado”, which means frozen potatoes.
These mountain people lived on a diet of papas hielado, trout from the streams
and alpaca meat. Llamas cannot survive at these elevations. The potato
travelled to Europe with the Spanish and became a staple there too. Goats,
sheep and cattle later came from Europe to the Andes but they cannot eat the
harsh and sparse high elevation vegetation. Horses learned to adapt to the
environment but required special food.
Looking Up the Valley
Many of the local villagers were ready with their horses when we
arrived, to provide a ride to those who wanted or needed one. We knew this in
advance and had considered hiring a ride for Isabelle, because of her sore
knee. She was feeling confident about her knee and was keen to make the hike so
off we went. During one of the rest stop briefings, Patrick told us that horses
that came from Europe with the Conquistadores could carry a load only as high
as 2300 and possibly 2500 m. Five hundred years of breeding and evolution had
made the horses smaller and wider, to accommodate larger lungs. They also grew
a thick coat to keep out the cold. They could now safely and reliably carry
loads as high as 4, 800m.
Mountain Horses and Their Handlers
The hike was quite easy and pleasant until the last hour when
altitude became a serious challenge. Isabelle and I said several times to each
other, “Gabi would have loved this hike”. We had planned to do it with her but
put it off until after she left for home. Gabi had been having difficulty with altitudes
over 3000 m.
Highland Pastoral Scene
Mountain Stream
Alpaca, Too High for Llamas
Perfect Weather
The Indigenous horse handlers, who had stayed with the slowing
groups, began to get more and more takers. We saw several people go past on
horseback with white, expressionless faces. Many turned back, even after accepting
a ride. We listened to the horses and tried to learn from the shape and rhythm
of their laboured but efficient breathing. Imitating them seemed to help our
progress. The horse rides stopped with 300 meters of climb remaining. This was
the safe limit for the horses. Everyone was on their own from this point.
We had been living at altitude for two months and felt confident
about continuing. We had none of the symptoms people around us were exhibiting.
We became winded if we went too quickly but that was all. We “hiked” the last
300 meters of the climb at a steadily slowing pace. One step forward, pause for
two breaths, then put the other foot forward and pause for two more breaths. The
relatively easy hike was greatly complicated by the effects of high altitude.
Llama at the Summit
"Rainbow Mountain"
Two months earlier Isabelle had broken her ankle on the way to a
hike up Volcan Fuya Fuya in Ecuador. She hadn’t realized it was broken and
insisted on beginning the hike, saying that this might be the only hike she got
to do on the trip! A cast and five weeks of inactive recovery in Quito followed
that little adventure. Today, Isabelle “dug deep” and made it to the summit at 5100 meters (16,600 ft), one step at a time. It was a good accomplishment. The reward
was an all-around view of snow covered mountain tops and the beautiful bands of
colour in Apu Winicunca, "Mountain of Colors".
Views from the Summit
Apu Winicunca is one of four “rainbow
mountains” found on earth and has the distinction of being at the highest
altitude. Indigenous people had been making their way to this high point for
thousands of years. They made offerings to Apu Wanicunca of different kinds
hoping for the reward of better fertility for their crops, animals and for human
unions too. Offerings and sacrifices were made from the same three categories
of living things.
Look Down Views from the Summit
Day 140 Cuzco to Abancay
It was minus two degrees in our little courtyard this morning as I
removed the covers from the bikes. Final packing and breakfast were
accomplished quickly and we were under way by 9. We still hit crazy Cuzco
traffic early on a Sunday morning! We eventually got to the outskirts of town
and found “98” octane gas at one of the stations. Weeks of bad fuel, labelled
90 and 95 octane had caused pre-ignition knocking in my engine at low rpm.
Coffee Break at Pachamama's (Mother Earth)
We were treated to beautiful mountain views, many of the mountains
with shining white caps on them. It was a day of curves up steep, dry
mountainsides and down into lush, fertile valleys. Isabelle is becoming more
confident, trusting that her moto won’t fall down when she leans it over in a
hairpin curve.
Beautiful Mountain Views
White Capped Peaks
Deep Valleys Cut by Tiny Rivers
Day 141 Abancay
to Uripa
It was
another day of beautiful riding on a constantly curving road. Two hundred
kilometers of curves made for a long day. We were tired by the end. We passed
through at least three distinctly different ecosystems and over two high
passes. The highest pass was at 4275 meters of elevation. Temperatures ranged
from a high of 30 to a low of single digit degrees. We’re getting better at
choosing clothing for such days.
Water Brings Life to Desert Valleys
Roads Run Beside Rivers
The scent
of eucalyptus trees was a constant in the valleys. Are they a native tree here?
In California, they are not native and
the ubiquitous trees are unpopular with Californians. It seems that if the sap
filled trees catch fire they can send out showers of flames in wildfire plagued
California. But they sure smell nice!
Lunch Spot in an Unnamed Quechuan Village
River Scene
Breakfast
and lunch in small villages today cost $2 each. Hotels are also inexpensive
away from the big cities. Our hotel in Uripa gave us the best shower in weeks,
has a beautiful garden to park in, provided a clean and modern room with friendly
staff and served us breakfast the next day for $20 CDN.
Quechuan Village
Coffee Break
Marching out to Breakfast
We walked
slowly through the village that evening, past groups of children squealing and
old men jawing in the otherwise quiet streets. Pleasant greetings were traded
with people we encountered, “Buenas noches”, with a smile and a nod. We spent
some time in the market that earlier that day had caused us to detour with our
motos. Women in traditional dress were picking up bundles of herbs and
vegetables, putting them on their backs, wrapped in colourful fabrics tied
around their collar bones and going home as darkness closed in. Other marketers
sat around the street food vendors for evening “cena”. There wasn’t a single
sign of tourism infrastructure. We were well off the beaten path, truly in
rural Peru. We heard Quechuan being spoken here, not Spanish.
Adventure Rider
Interior Plains of Central Peru
Day 142 Uripa
to Ayacucho
Leaving
town was easy this time and before long we were in the mountains. Arriving in
Ayacucho at 2 pm landed us in thick traffic and some of the most aggressive
drivers we have yet encountered. We found a clean place with private hot bath
for 35 Soles ($14) with inside parking for the motos.
We took a
taxi into the centre of town. The teachers were protesting and had banners
strung up all around the large plaza. They have been striking for many months
throughout Peru. This was not the first demonstration we had seen. We found a
meal and had a stroll around, trying to get a feel for the place.
Inside Santo Domingo
Ayacucho
is becoming a tourist destination with many services. Numerous tour companies
and vendors with stalls full of textile products and souvenirs are scattered
around the main plaza and nearby streets. The “Shining Path”, a paramilitary revolutionary
group, long used Ayacucho as the base for their operations that included
kidnappings and violence. That is now in the past and Ayacucho is working hard
at establishing its self as a major Peruvian tourist destination.
Ayacucho
is famous for its Basilica and 32 other churches, one church for each year
Christ lived. We visited the Basilica (1672) and Santo Domingo church (1548)
and enjoyed a 2 km walk back to the hotel. On the way, we encountered one of
the neighborhood churches, San Sebastian (1670). It had seen better days and
was quite run down looking.
In Need of Some Attention
Day 143 Authentic
Rural Peru
It has
been quite a day of adventure! Narrow and rough dirt roads, death plunge opportunities, tractor trailers passing within inches of a death plunge, us getting
caught up in the struggle to pass, river crossings, getting lost, finding
lodging – these are a few of the things that happened today.
The First of Several Narrow Bridges
We began
the day with an archeological site visit, called Wari. The Wari people
controlled much of the central valleys of the Peruvian Highlands. They
coexisted and traded with the Nazca people and built large, organized stone
cities. They made fabrics and pottery that sometimes resemble examples we saw
in the Nazca exhibit in Lima. They also made bronze tools and weapons.
Like a Scene from a Modern Cowboy Movie
The
ancient city we visited is an active archeological dig site. The Wari people
were a well-structured society, believed in life after death and made both
animal and human sacrifices to enrich or protect their lives. They had laws and
government and the means to enforce their laws. It is thought that the Wari
(550-1100AD) left this site after an extended dry period. Human remains
deposited after the Wari people left show marks of violence suggesting there
was much chaos in the ensuing power vacuum. The doorways to the Wari homes had
been barricaded, indicating they hoped to return when the rains did. No more
evidence of the Wari has been found and it is thought that the Wari faded out,
never returning.
Young Mountains with Interesting Details
The Incan Concept of Reciprocity in Action
We got
back on the highway and headed toward Huanta, which is on the way to our
ultimate destination for the day of Huancayo. The Wari visit had taken more
time than expected. We knew we might not make it to Huancayo and found a town
about 60k before wherein Open Street Maps (OSM) indicated a hotel. The name of
the village is Izcuchaca. Google Maps showed no trace of it but in the past we
have found OSM to be more detailed and accurate outside cites.
Temporary Bridge
Having
said that, OSM took us on a wild goose chase out of town. The “highway” became
worse and worse. Narrow pavement gave way to gravel, rough gravel then single
lane dirt. Then came a steep descent with very tight switchbacks and sand
that increased in depth with every corner! Isabelle managed to stay upright
through the first few of them. It looked like we were going down into an open
pit mine. We stopped right there.
Sometimes There Was Gravel
Getting
the motos turned around was challenging and required strong pushing by
Isabelle. Having accomplished that I rode both motos back up the steep and
sandy switchbacks to a patch of gravel road that was more reasonable for Isa to
navigate.
Sometimes There Was Asphalt
I checked
the GPS carefully. It is loaded with OSM and it really did believe that this
sand track was highway 3S, that it would get us to Huancayo. The GPS is set to
lay down breadcrumbs so we followed them back to Huanta. We stopped to consult
maps, looking for the ‘autopista” (paved highway) to Huancayo. A kind man on a
motorcycle came along and took care of us. He explained how to get onto the
highway and when he saw that we weren’t understanding all of it he offered to
lead us out of town. A smile and a handshake, “Muchas gracias por su ayuda!” at
the edge of town transpired and we were on our way on the tarmac, another 1
½ hours behind the plan. We chose from
this point to follow Google Maps on the phone instead of OSM.
Easy Stream Crossing
The road
became rougher and then we hit a large construction site. The road ahead was
closed and we had to cross the river to use the detour. The suspension bridge
was a little scary with its single lane, open sides and bent up metal plates.
The detour road was mostly good gravel and felt easy after our expedition in
the sand a while earlier. There were a few temporary bridges and short but
steep climbs in the gravel before we re-crossed the river to the 3S again. We
stopped in a town to have a coffee and to catch our breath after the challenging
20-minute detour. We were unaware that the worst was yet to come.
There Were Numerous Stream Crossings
During
our coffee break we had a friendly time with a group of construction engineers
who were also taking a break. Our interactions came to an end, finishing with
multiple photos of them on our bikes. They gave us some advice about the road
ahead, not much, just that it was narrow. This would prove to be an
understatement.
Excellent Form!
The road
was indeed narrow, beginning just outside town. This section would require several
hours of very slow going. The road lay along a steep gorge, usually suspended a
few hundred meters up the canyon side with huge “death plunge” opportunities.
The road was clearly a very old dirt track that had, at some time in the past,
been simply paved over with a thin layer of asphalt. The asphalt had
broken away leaving potholes everywhere. Long sections with no remaining paving
were typical of the sharpest curves with the deepest death plunges. Stream
crossings were numerous and became rougher, larger and deeper as the afternoon
wore on.
Several Tunnels
A traffic
jam with the potential for disaster added even more thrills to the day. Four
tractor trailer trucks, two in one direction and two in the other, had met on a
very sharp blind corner. This scene was suspended above a massive death plunge
to the rocky river below. Much backing and many small maneuvers eventually
allowed everyone to pass. It was fascinating to watch as truck wheels inched
forward and back, impossibly close to the edge of the precipice. We were
motioned through and past the trucks at various points in their maneuvers.
Share the Narrow Road
Four
o’clock came along and we were nowhere near our goal or even our secondary
goal. We saw the word hotel and checked it out. This village isn’t on any of my
maps but there is a small plaza with a couple of basic restaurants and a hotel.
People speak Quechuan first. The hotel is basic but they allowed us to put the
motos inside the shop below, beside the huge bags of animal feed, for the
night. Sleep came easily.
Don't Look Down
Day 144
To Huancayo at 3200 m
Just
after getting started the road began to improve. We passed by a large walled in
compound with barrack style housing and recreational facilities that included a
pool. The place looked abandoned and was overgrown, the pool was empty. Nearby, there was a hydro dam spanning the
deep v-shaped valley. We guessed that the abandoned camp was built to
accommodate the workers while they built the dam.
The road
continued to improve as we saw more and more human presence. The pavement
became continuous and eventually the road opened out into two distinct lanes
with a yellow line down the middle! We arrived in Huancayo at noon and checked
into Hostal Los Pinas, an i-overlander recommended one. It’s lovely. There is
easy indoor parking for the motos. Our room is modern, clean and comfortable,
only costing $17. We decided to stay for an extra day, get our laundry done and
visit this lofty town at 3200 m.
Isabelle had
began to feel an upset stomach coming on. That went on all night.
Day 145
Huancayo
I went
out for breakfast and ran errands for Isabelle, looking for things to make her
more comfortable. I had several stops to make. Shops and services are highly
specialized here. Much walking, asking and searching is required to find things.
It always seems to take longer than it should when you are in a new place.
Words change within Spanish as you move from region to region. A drug store
might have been called, “Farmacia” once but now it is called, “Botica”.
After
getting some comforts to Isabelle I set out in search of a small electric
kettle. An internet search followed by a 5 km walk and it was mission
accomplished. Breakfast and lunch in a restaurant are huge meals here. We have
come to enjoy having just tea and light food in the evening.
I did
some moto maintenance and got the “Denali” headlights put back on. A mounting
bolt had vibrated out a few weeks earlier and I had tied off the dangling light
pod with a bungie cord. Finding a replacement bolt was interesting.
Like
businesses tend to agglomerate in Latin America but especially here in Peru. A
street may have several blocks of tire shops or bumper replacement shops, or
floor mat shops or welding shops. Shops really are highly specialized here. I
went to a tiny shop that sells used bolts and screws (no kidding, that’s all he
had) with my sample bolt, looking to duplicate it. The bolt shop owner, a
kindly and slow-moving gentleman helped me. He searched through jars and jars
of unsorted used bolts by dumping them, one after another, on the small patch
of concrete in front of his shop. He eventually looked pleased and handed over
his discovery. I paid the requested 1 Sol and he threw in a few greasy washers.
I may have been his only customer that morning.
By the
evening Isabelle was feeling somewhat better. We both walked 2 km back to the
laundry service to pick up our clothes. She was quite tired when we got back
but was happy to have gotten out a bit. We had a light tea after returning to
the hotel and Isabelle managed to eat a little more. We decided to stay for
another day to let her recover more fully.
Day 146
Huncayo
Isabelle
woke feeling much better. We walked to the city centre and spent most of the
day on our feet. We shopped for various little things we needed. About two
hours was happily wasted asking around the “Vulcanizadora” or “Llanteria” shops
for tire repair plugs. The words both describe a place where tires get fixed,
using the same vulcanizing process as the shop owner in Quito had used to
restore Isabelle’s rear tire. No luck with the tire plugs but we did find three
bottles of octane booster, enough for 240 L of gas – bye bye engine knock!
A Typical Peruvian Saxophone Band at a Wedding We Stumbled Upon
Music Education is Important!
A Shopping Mall in Modernizing Huancayo
Day 147
Cerro de Pasco
The road
to today’s goal, Cerro de Pasco, was immaculate. We passed the Junin National
Reserve on the high plains, well above the tree line. There is a large lake,
Lago Chinchacocha, and surrounding wetlands that reminded us of places we have
seen on Canadian canoe trips. Across the high plains we could make out the snow-covered
peaks that marked the southern end of the Cordillera Blanca. We reminded
ourselves that we were looking at mountains rising high above the flat ground
we were moving across, and that flat ground was at 4,200 meters elevation! We will
ride towards them in the days to come and hope to hike within this mountain
range in the national park, Huascaran.
We
arrived in Cerro de Pasco at 1 pm, much earlier than planned. The first half of
the route had traffic going to Lima. The traffic wasn’t thick but the drivers
were aggressive and dangerous. After we turned toward Cerro de Pasco we
followed The Mantaro river valley. The river was quite large and looked very
polluted as we crossed it a few times, trading places with the railroad tracks.
We passed
by evidence of mining and also shared the valley with a pipeline. We came upon what
looked like a very large ore refining plant and a large town beside it named La
Oroya. Portions of the town were gated, containing what looked like abandoned
military housing. We were travelling upstream and immediately after the
refinery the water in the stream was clear. The rock that made up the mountains
had a strange appearance, like fluffy, whitish whipped cream.
Smelting Plant at La Oroya
Human
activity at La Oroya dates back to 10,000 BCE. Today, La Oroya refines and
produces lead, copper and zinc. It is a large emitter of sulphur dioxide. Lead,
arsenic and cadmium also contaminate the soils in the town. 99% of the children
in and around the town have blood lead levels that exceed acceptable limits. It
has made several international lists of “worst polluted places”.
Silver
was discovered in Cerro de Pasco in 1630. The mines that followed allowed the
area to become one of the leading silver producers in the world. It is still an
active mining centre. The silver mines at Cerro de Pasco were a chief source of
wealth for William Randolph Hurst and his family. Lead contamination is also
present in Cerro de Pasco. Cerro de Pasco (population: 70,000) has another
claim to fame. It is the highest city (defined as having a population over
50,000) in the world, at an altitude of 4,400 meters or 14,300 feet.
Hotel Imperial in Cerro de Pasco
Sleep at
this altitude came in small patches punctuated by large gasps for air that woke
us up. If our breathing didn’t wake us the cold temperature did. The average
night time low is -3 degrees. Buildings are neither heated nor cooled. Morning
and moving on couldn’t come quickly enough.
Street Scene in Cerro de Pasco
Cerro de Pasco, Mining Town at 4,400 Meters
Day 148
Huanuco, pop 172,000
We have reached
the northern end of the “Cordillera Route”. Below is an excerpt from my
research notes on the route:
o
This road is often narrow and construction sites
are frequent and sometimes challenging.
o
See spectacular mountain views punctuated by
hardscrabble Quechua villages
o
330 km can take a few days
Well, it’s understated but it is accurate. It was definitely
a highlight of our time in Peru to be visiting these parts that are so far off
the beaten track for Peruvians, let alone for any tourists. The views, some
unspoiled and others not, really were remarkable. People are reserved and
cautious with strangers but warm up quickly after they finish sizing you up. We had a few
really fun exchanges with people in our butchered Spanish. Smiles and body
language are very powerful.
We constantly stuck out and were stared at. We are taller
and greyer and are dressed very differently than everyone else. The indigenous
people in this region have jet black hair, even into old age, and pretty much
no facial hair. People’s eyes would settle on Isabelle and follow her. Once, in
a restaurant, two tiny girls walked past us. One said to the other in Spanish, “Look
at her!”. The other girl froze in a surprised stare for a couple of seconds then
caught herself, giggled and kept going.
We have emerged from the highlands by descending 2,500
meters into the city of Huanuco. It is a much more modern and prosperous
looking city. We spent a few hours wandering about in it this afternoon and had
a very tasty cappuccino in a café on the Plaza D’Armas. Major highways run through the city connecting
it securely with the outside world. We have the front room in a pristine hotel.
Things feel quite “normal” again tonight as we try to digest and absorb our all
too brief experiences in the remote highlands of central Peru.
