Off to Peru... looking a little damp

A few more attempts at conveying the view





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It's hard to convey the experience of riding a one track road with a ravine besides you, especially when there is nowhere to stop to take a photo and you may meet an oncoming vehicle coming around a blind hairpin bend. But made it safely to the one horse town of Celendin


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Last day on the road to Cajamarca:
Set off from Celendin knowing it's a reasonable road. After breakfast I had walked across the Plaza to the Policia where I had deployed all my Spanish to interview the squadroom. (It had apparently been raining for several days in Cajamarca, across the mountains. I asked if there were any huaicos (landslides, that have been blocking many mountain roads).
The sergeant (or at least the oldest and most authoritative guy in the room) declared that the road was 'an autopista! (motorway). When I probed further he proclaimed: 'es perfecto!' which stretched even my credulousness.

We fill up and turn left as directed, into a deeply rutted and puddles mud road and I immediately begin to doubt .

But after 2 different 'Si, es la ruta para Cajamarca' we press on.

Soon, by the giant straw hat statue in the outskirts of Celendin, we join a tarmac road (if not an autopista!). It has lovely swinging bends, some with dogs sleeping on them in the sun.

We climb to 3700 metres and the threat of neblinas as it gets cold but, happily, stays dry.

We arrive at a little town where we had been 12 days before, on a busy market Sunday. Today it is pretty quiet whereas then there was a cacophony - including this reluctant pig:



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There is just a little market but some friendly people who wants me to taste espalta (?) which turns out to be a local term for the most delicious avocado


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It's that although the truck banner says 'God lights my path' this guy has hedges his bets by fitting some powerful spotlighs as well


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After possibly the worst coffee break so far (tepid water and a total of 1 teaspoon of instant coffee between us!!) we are on our way again.
Soon we are back in Cajamarca with its lovely key police ladies


Although some may prefer the svelte Lima police lady motorcyclists



Despite all my efforts I was unable to get myself arrested

The views back at the house outside Cajamarca are stunning




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And that just leaves a free day before the return to Lima. We choose to ride up the mountains to the massive opencast gold mines

But a chain breaks - in a bike whose clutch cable broke yesterday
Franco is set to work. This is the second chain failure and third chain replacement on seven bikes which is pretty poor.

We are a bit of a local attraction



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But finally it is time to say farewell to the bikes and head for Lima. We did about 1200 very rough miles with this collection of Suzuku DR659s, Honda Transalps and a couple of Hinda 240 Tornadoes and many are badly in need of some preventative maintenance including bearings


And one of our number left the trip with a broken leg so he will need a little maintenance also!

I won't recount the good times in Lima over Easter weekend as no motorcycles are involved.

But although the Spanish conquistadors did strip Peru of gold and silver, some did escape their grasp as we saw in Museo Larco and the Cental Reserve Bank museum:


There is also fabulous weaving. Whilst these are probably a thousand years old there is lots of weaving going on in the country today



It's been a great trip for me - fun motorcycling, a chance to practice my Spanish as few speak English in the mountains, and also to enjoy the friendly people and the delicious food. My last meal in Peru us another delicious ceviche


Hope you have enjoyed the ride report!


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Reflections on Peruvian cuisine:
Generally delicious but light on vegetables.

A sample conversation with a lady trying to entice me into a Lima restaurant:
Me: Have you got vegetables?
Her: Lettuce.
Me: Any other vegetables?
Her: Chops!
Me: That's not a vegetable
Her: Oh! .........Come in and eat anyway

One highlight was the Cordano restaurant in Lima (see early post). When we returned 2 weeks later it had been closed down


Hope it was a tax dispute rather than a health breach!


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