Escaping Peru

Our last few weeks in Peru were filled with amazingly beautiful scenery, good roads and riding conditions and frustration over the things in Peru that just don´t seem to make sense. We made another pass of the Andes, topping 15,000 feet again and had our highest campsite of the trip. We awoke to more ice than we´d seen since our last winter in Minnesota. The sign welcoming us to Chile was a relief and renewed our excitement and optimism about the next stretch on the trip. We even started mourning some of the things we´ll miss about this trip when it´s over! Setting sail on Lake Titicaca. This was a highlight for me (Eric). Ever since reading The trail to Titicaca I had this on my list of places to see on our trip. Amazing!

Floating islands....absolutely nothing like them. A little commercialized. My feeling was they could create more interest overall by focusing on the island and less on the craft, then again, I don´t really like crafts!

On the water´s edge. The root structures are cut and floated into place, tied together and anchored to the bottom of the lake.

The soft carpet is made of reeds laid length and cross wise. Did I mention amazing?

Many clear days riding along the lake. Still gasping for air at times, but the paved road was wonderful.

Pedal power! Wheat and oat harvest were in full swing from the small fields along the lake.

Hand thrashing seemed the norm. People power is cheap in Peru.

Celebrating flag day. We found that there were several celebrations in Peru that gave kids a chance to miss class. Our feeling, they could have used the additional time in school!

Celebrating flag day.

For a small country, the Swiss seem to be taking over the roads! It was fun to see cyclists again.

A few days later we passed a German couple. Both couples had come through Bolivia. We chose the Chile route as Americans are charged $135 per person to get into the country. That would nearly double what we would typically spend for our time in Bolivia.

Our 10,000 mile shot. Over the edge there was a small farm on its own. We considered it as our future home....peaceful, quiet, open spaces and biking distance from our families!

The lack of Oxygen started to affect Christie. Not sure what she is doing here, but it was after a night at over 14,000 feet. We raced to lower elevations to minimize the loss of any more brain cells.

Desert camping. Some of the barest desert we´ve ever seen. No plant life....just a strip of asphalt through the sand.

That would be the strip of asphalt. Good road, a little windy and the military was performing artillery tests.

The road signs in Peru seemed to punctuate the end of our time. Don´t throw garbage, show your education.

Don´t put rocks in the road.

If in doubt, don´t pass.

Along with:

Only pass on the left.

Obey the signs.

Don´t burn tires on the road.

and Honk your horn.

All seemed fairly obvious yet were seen over and over again in Peru. We were quite cynical by the end.

So we arrived in Chile within hours of having our visas expire. We entered a land of smooth roads, higher prices, more diversity in the way people look and more western dress. Can´t wait to see what the next turn will bring!

Limping into Cuzco

Christie: Look at all the people awaiting my arrival into Cuzco! Here we are! (OK, the truth is, they are celebrating a huge Catholic festival called Corpus CHRISTY...with bands, loads of people, and food.)

...and lady and llama on lookout...

AND FIREWORKS TOO?!

_________________

I can relate when my sister questions over Skype ¨When are you ever going to get out of Peru? We should reach the border of Chile the exact day our visa expires...90 days in Peru! Our 1.5 weeks here in Cuzco has been good for the bodies, minds, and spirits. AND a great place to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary...and 10 months on the road!

We had about 5 of these passes, then down to a river, the week preceding our arrival into Cuzco, (3 of which were on gravel). I´m not sure why there was a lookout built here...we´re high enough already at about 13,000 ft, then we need to climb a ladder?

And when we´re pedaling at 4 to 5 mph for 30 miles, there are days we only climb and never reach a town to sleep. We met this family when I asked to fill our water bottles on the way up and they invited us to sleep in their house (food seller on the floor...and we were thrilled). Great family dynamics and fun to watch food prep including grinding corn for flour to make tamales while the Guinea pigs (called cuy) scurried about on the dirt floor of the kitchen.

Long climbs equal amazing lookouts and a chance to stop cursing the climb and thank God for His awesome creation!

Following a river valley.

Early morning chores...all corn is planted and harvested by hand.

High on a pass, the day was nearing an end and it was time to rest. We spotted this abandoned building that was a perfect place to set up camp. We counted sheep grazing as we closed our eyes dreaming of the downhill in the morning.

We have visitors arriving...time for a hair cut...the pull and chop technique is Eric´s signature styling method. The top of hostels have multiple purposes...besides salon...vista, cook area, and laundry drying.

Cereal is bought out of bags taller than me (come on...I´m 5´3!) and put into SMALLER ones like this for a price of $1.50. Oh and don´t miss my cute hubby in the background sporting his biker tan lines.

A fabulous dinner with our new German friends. The couple on the right with their kids (15 mo and 4 years) are volunteering in a hospital for 1 year, the couple on the left came to Peru for 3 months so their 5 year old boy could learn Spanish while going to Kindergarten. Pretty inspirational young families! Thank you for inviting us for the night...the peanut butter was a long awaited treat!

On to PAVEMENT...HURRAY!...and another climb up. (Our road into town is seen on the far mountain range, which turned out to be the straw that broke JoJo´s back...2 rims failed on one of the roughest gravel and steepest downhills yet).

Checz cyclist started in NY a month before we set off in MN. We have been on a similar route the whole way and finally met up on a climb.

Eric doing the only thing he could with the cracking front rim...epoxy glue...everyday for 4 days before Cuzco UNTIL.... ...our last downhill when I starting having flashbacks of our Baja blowout...shooting sparks as we screech down to a halt. I flagged down this truck and held on for 20 miles into Cuzco...not necessarily safer than riding on bad rims it turns out...eeeeasy does it around those mountain curves...YIKES!

CUZCO, we´ve arrived! A lookout from a hillside near our hostel. In the foreground school kids at recess, in the background reads Vive el Peru (Live Peru). A town of 400,000 people.

Taking the ¨donut¨ off for a new rim meant being creative with an iron worker.

A parade to promote Peru´s biggest festival at the end of this month. This is a lively place!

The colors of Cuzco at attention.

I caught this lady´s beautifully proud smile at the start of the parade...isn´t she lovely!Welcoming dad and taking in Cuzco´s central plaza.

Our day to Machu Picchu started with a 4:15am alarm and 5:15 bus for 2 hours, then hopped on the train for 1.5 hours. Normally the train goes all the way to MP but because of the landslide earlier this year, it´s bus, train, bus. Beautiful full moon and snow capped, rugged mountains to frame our ride along the river. Stunningly perfect day with our visitors: Greg (Eric´s dad), Denny (Dotson's chairman), and Jean (President of Dotson).

AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING! Couldn´t believe there were ruins even built on the very top of the steep mountain in the distance. I´m glad I wasn´t an Inca...geewiz that´s a lot of work!

Struck up a conversation with a great family from Montana. Fun to meet so many travelers and surprising when we saw a Twins t-shirt strolling down the cobble stone streets!

We were interview by these girls and 6 other groups while sitting in the park, as a part of their school assignment to practice English and learn about professions.

_________

A write in author to our blog....the following words are from Greg: Two North Americans surviving in South America on two wheels and prayer. Through the ups and downs of the roads and the emotions...through the close calls and the distant vistas...through the break downs and the break throughs...through the welcome gestures and the uncertain stares...these two pedal on with the challenge of engaging people in meaningful ways.

Witnessing these 2 curiously engage the child on the street or ask where to find bread thrills me each time. Simple acts of grace acknowledging that we share this earth as one people. What a wonder to experience Peru and Machu Picchu with you, Eric and Christie! Love, Dad

Christie: So our long list of bike parts were delivered and Eric has overhauled JoJo. A big thank you to Charley at Mankato Scheels and our delivery boy with the 60 lb suitcase! We also need to wish our 5th grade class followers a happy summer and wonderful last day of school tomorrow! Give Mrs. Nelson a big bear hug for us please. Dad G., it was an absolute thrill to have this week with you!

We will be powered tomorrow morning on alpaca pizza, cuy, Dove chocolate, Twizlers, PB, and power bars as we head towards the highest lake in the world, Lake Titicaca. We plan to be at the Chile border in about 2 weeks and then are looking forward to taking a month for volunteer work on an organic farm in Argentina around July 10. For those who are wondering the general plans after that...we should be at the tip of Argentina around mid October, fly into LA and spend some time with the Strecker family, the pedal into Mankato around Thanksgiving. We still understand the wonderful gift of time with each other we have been given, so we pedal on. Each day growing in our marriage, individually, spiritually, and from the kindness taught to us by others. We are definitely looking forward to the changes a new country always brings (and most likely less gravel!). Cheers.