Day 61 to 62 – to Loja, Ecuador

21 to 22 May    Kms travelled – 15,119

Leaving Chiclayo at 6 in the morning I was soon pleased that I didn´t press on the night before.  The road ahead changed from irrigated fields, to scrublands and then into the open Sechura Desert, which showed the signs of an area habitually challenged by winds.  At least with such an early start I had beaten the worst of it.  And in fairness to Peru there were ready signs that they were actively trying to calm this area of the landscape, with tree planting projects in evidence along the more open areas.  Before tackling this stretch of land I did the silly thing of reading up on the area in my guidebook.  It noted that the Sechura has been recently home to bandit attacks and bike riders should not attempt to cross it solo.  While I´m sure they meant cyclists, I couldn´t help releasing a sigh of relief as we rolled into Piura, some 200kms later.

That is until I breathed in again.  Sorry, but the place stank like a cesspit!  I´m sure it was just the outskirts of the town which resembled a landfill site, but nevertheless, come on Peru!  We know you can do better!  I wouldn´t have mentioned it, but at Sullona further on I found the same.  Holding my breath as much as possible, I didn´t stop.  It was here where the Pan American again gives you some options.  I chose the route recommended to me in Cusco, namely the more interesting inland road (1 – not 1A) up to the quieter and easier border crossing at Macara on the old PanAm. 

Some 60 kms from Sullana saw a run through a series of small towns which gradually thinned out into lovely rolling green hillsides.  In fact, the border seemed to come too soon as I was enjoying the cooler and more diverse landscape.  But arrive it did – the international bridge (Puente International).  A grand title for a strip of road spanning about 10 metres of river!  But it was the border, and was crossed with ease and a few nice conversations.  More detailed information on the crossing can be found on The Borders page of this website (see link above).

Hello wonderful Ecuador, which held such promise and about which I had heard so much.  It was green, a more comfortable temperature, and provided my first stop for a late lunch – I was a bit peckish to say the least.  That stop was Macara town which, after a good feed for peanuts,  also provided the location to change out my remaining currency to American Dollars – official in Ecuador.  Now mid afternoon, and with some rain coming down, I decided to call it a day and found a cheap hotel with secure parking – and more crawly things than I had experienced on the trip to date.  Ah well!  At least it had a (cold) shower!

As we left Macara in the morning on the old Pan American (35), with the lush green mountainsides surrounding us, we were riding in the clouds within minutes.  And minutes later we were back out of them again, which is just as well as this was an area where the road had started to disintegrate.  Well, perhaps that is an understatement.  Some of it had clearly slid down the side of the mountain!  And more still had slid down onto it.  So it was 40kms of potholes, dirt riding, avoidance of landslides, and a whole range of animals (pigs, goats, cows, donkeys) all the time with the most spectacular vistas.  I loved it.

I loved it even more when after passing some road works we encountered the most perfect brand new asphalt surface imaginable.  Staying in third gear, we rolled on and off the throttle winding up, around and down some of the most wonderful mountain roads.  I was singing in my helmet.  This was fantastic, and a short stop at a military checkpoint confirmed that more was to come, aside from some poor road around Catacocha. 

Well, those cool army types were spot-on on both counts.  There was more fantastic riding to come before arriving at Loja, but first we had to traverse some 25-30 kms of some of the poorest road to date.  This included some long strips of gravel and dirt, which were actually easier to ride than the so called paved bits – which I´ll leave to your imagination.  But once passed the sins of the road were immediately forgiven, as I returned to my Irving Berlin repertoire...  heaven, I´m in heaven, and my heart beats so that I can hardly speak...   Really, the riding and scenery was that good!   

Each valley entered seems to have its own micro-climate, with either hot air rising, or cool air falling.  Some with low cloud, some with clear blue sky.  Naturally this meant the roads running across each valley got a little hairy when riding over 2,500m high peaks, but only for a short while, then back down drops of 500-800m into the wonderful land built for bike riders. 

And then Loja arrived, in which we quickly found a safe hostel and went for a walk.  A nice place that also seemed to have been built for bike riders – or at least petrol heads of all descriptions.  I don´t think I have seen as many bike and car shops, workshops and parts suppliers in one place for a while.  Shame we really didn´t need anything, as Ecuador was proving to be a pretty cheap and spectacular place to be.

Thought for the day

It is custom and practice, a lack of alternatives, poor education, or simply a lack of care and interest that can cause a people to reduce a beautiful (if barren) landscape into a rubbish tip?  I struggle to understand.  The smell alone must send out alarm bells regarding heath issues, particularly given the proximity to homes.  It certainly doesn´t help a country clearly striving to improve its lot – as the area encountered would be one of the first found by any travellers heading south into Peru.  Don´t worry all you prospective travellers – if you are heading that way, pin your noses and set your sights on the incredible country that awaits you further on.  I loved Peru, and would like to go back.

Day 58 to 60 – to Chiclayo, Peru

18 to 20 May    Kms travelled – 14,546

My flight from Lima was delayed as I decided to repack the panniers after using up the chain – quite a weight loss from the one side.  But when I did hit the road it was more a fright than a flight north.  While I loved the Miraflores area, the further north we went in the city, the worse the driving and surrounds became – and the road surface for that matter.  I had pretty much got used to around 10kms of nonsense on the road leading into and out of major Peruvian towns, but I guess as this was the capital they had to go one better.  Nevertheless we survived without any scrapes and after over an hour and a quarter, settled into the Pam American north (1). 

After running through the surrounding towns the road opened up into desert again, with more of the straight breezy bits, and then traversing desert hills and valleys.  We also had that morning mist again, which prevented any meaningful snapping by the happy camera.  I had been warned that this run north didn´t have much to say for itself and that there were much more interesting, beautiful and fun biking roads back inland.  But I felt the need to make some progress and was, in fact, enjoying myself.

As the temperature increased into the afternoon, with the sun coming out in force, and the wind picking up enough to take the shine off the ride, we rolled into Casma and upto a nice hotel (half the price I paid in Lima).  I also had a great bit of fish in the hotel restaurant for dinner – but I was concerned about a persistent noise from Idris (despite it running really well). 

The run from Casma to Trujillo the next day was fine, but the noise from the bike persisted.  I knew that Trujillo boasted some pretty impressive pyramids, and was hoping to see a sign so I could detour – but before I knew it I was in the town...  which was nice!  But I had seen a lot of Plaza de las Armas by now and was looking for something different.  

This was provided by the short ride out to the coastal town of Huanchaco, where local fishermen still each day use a form of reed surfboard to beat the surf and get out to retrieve their daily catch.  Perhaps a little touristic, but there is nothing like staying at the beach to ease the mind and kick back.  I had a great afternoon and evening there, sampling the local fish delicacy Cerbeche.  For the first time in the journey I was also offered drugs – I guess beach resorts are the same the world over!

With the bike´s noise persisting, and the journey through a series of not so nice looking towns the next day hardly inspiring, I resolved to stop early and find a place to do some more serious investigations.  Chiclayo provided the answer, and the large secure car park at the Hotel El Sol became my workshop for the afternoon as I stripped the bike´s rear hub and cleaned and refitted the chain.  This helped, and was left with the conclusion that it might have been a combination of things, including the new chain and sprockets bedding in.  One thing I did notice at the Hotel El Sol was the amount of blood stains on the walls, where previous residents had clearly set about massacring the mighty mozzie.  And they must have been mighty given the quantity of red!  On sight of this I went straight to the panniers and retrieved my mosquito net – which did the job and facilitated a good night’s sleep.

Thought for the day

Am I fearful of the unknown country or nervous about border crossings?  It struck me in an otherwise uneventful ride that I seem to slow down as I approach a new country.  I spent a few days in Mendoza before crossing into Chile, and the same in Arica before taking on Peru.  While I was not planning any rest days before Ecuador, my daily mileage was clearly dropping as I headed further north.  I think the subconscious mind had been playing on me, but now it has been found out and become very much conscious I will strive to progress to Ecuador in good style!

Day 56 to 57 – to Lima, Peru

16 to 17 May    Kms travelled – 13,906

As I return to life on the blog as normal, we pick up my trip again at Nasca in Peru (or is it Nazca?  I´ve seen it both ways), heading north.  The place has, of course, been long famous for motor racing, and they have even named a car racing competition in the States after the place.  Seems that the ancients were such petrol-heads that they even built a whole series of race tracks in the desert which can still be seen today!  Well, perhaps not, perhaps they are in fact something else, but the Nasca lines are still causing some debate as to why they were laid out, and why they can only really be seen from the air! 

I didn´t take to the air, nor did I climb the observation tower just outside town to see the strange figures in the desert.  I had a date with a new set of tyres and a chain change, and I wasn´t going to be late for that.  I´m not being much of a tourist in this trip, and have been determined to leave some key visits behind in Peru as motivation to return and spend more time here.  It truly is a spectacular country with fantastic people and great food.

But back on the road, and the Pan American (1) north from Nasca beckoned.  I was blessed with some very interesting rock formations from the edge of the Cordillera Occidental, before the desert took hold.  But the locals are fighting back, and I was impressed by the quantity and quality of agricultural land that had been reclaimed from the shifting sands – this must be a better way of production than chopping down rain forest.  Certainly the green stretches were a welcome respite to these eyes, which were getting a little tired of the sandy stuff.  

What I did encounter was also quite a lot of mist.  And I wasn´t altogether sure at one stage whether in fact that was a sea mist or perhaps fine sand being kicked up by the desert winds – perhaps a bit of both.  In any event it countered my feeble attempts to take anything near decent photographs until later in the day.  I´m sure someone with more skills and better kit than I would have turned some of those scenes into romantic images – all I managed to achieve was a strip of road leading into whiteout!  Clearly the eyes are the best lenses in the world – but unfortunately the brain does not necessarily offer the best memory.  My recollections, recorded here, report some very pretty desert – I just can´t show you much of it!

Rolling into Lima was fun - not!  It kind of starts about 50 kms before the city, and I can´t say the traffic (ie driving) was as bad as leaving Buenos Aires, but they do seem to be giving the Argentineans a good run for their money.  At least I was heading for Miraflores on the south side next to the sea, so I managed to get in and to my selected hostel without any scratches.  And this side of the city was a pleasant surprise.  Clean, well kept buildings dotted around green parklands – and with sophisticated shopping.  If you are heading to Lima, I recommend this area as the place to stay.  It was most certainly more developed than I had anticipated. 

I noted earlier how fab the people are – as I was unloading the bike outside the hostel a well dressed chap pulled up in his car to admire Idris.  Seems Julian´s company does work for Yamaha and he was able to point me in the right direction regarding where best to get Idris some new tyres.  He also invited me to a get together with some friends on the weekend, but I had to decline that due to time issues – shame.  As it turned out the next morning Julian was spot on, when I headed straight to Direli (Pirelli dealers) and got us a new set of MT60s at a price less than half what you would pay in the UK.  I also took the opportunity to get the mechanic to swap out the chain and rear sprocket (now done 21,000 kms) to use up the DIN ones I was carrying.  Which by lunchtime, left me to make my (slow) way back to my accommodation and take a long walk around the area.  I am trying to make such walks every day, and they seem to be having an impact on my struggling back.  

Thought for the day

Lots of deep thoughts as I rode through the desert – many of which I have yet to distil and return to before recording them on this site.  One that did return to me (I´m not sure whether I have noted this one previously) is when does a beach end and the desert begin?  See, I told you they were deep thoughts.  I had settled on the line created by high-tide, having discarded man made barriers such as roads, beach bars etc.  But now I am not so sure.  Surely there are beaches that these days never, or hardly ever, get covered by the sea and yet we still consider the whole area the beach.  That being the case where do you draw the line between a Peruvian (for Chilean for that matter) beach and the surrounding desert?  I feel it important that this matter is resolved – so if you have any insight, please feel free to post a message.  Thanks.

Pretty desert - or is it the beach?

Day 51 to 55 – to Nasca, Peru

11 to 15 May    Kms travelled – 13,417

Here I am, and pretty much up to date again with these scribbles.  The next blog entry will be a full report of the next stage, as I am now leaving the embargoed zone.  I thought the south was impressive, but I have seen some sights in the last few days – and experienced some riding – that is leaving me a little lost for words.  Not to worry, I am sure the words will come, and I´ll let you all know in due course how you can get your hands on the published material (if it is felt worthy that is).  Suffice to say that I have encountered some of the best riding of my life!

Thought for the day

Over the last few days I have mainly been thinking about my wife, and the fact that I miss her greatly.  But I do tend to miss her more some days than others (sorry my love).  I have been pondering why that might be.  She is constantly in my thoughts, but it seems to me that I miss her more when I am in a place that I know she would love, and miss her less when the area is less pleasing (for the want of a better way of expressing it).  I wonder if that is related to me knowing her likes and dislikes and wanting her to be happy?  And feeling thank goodness she is not with me here in this place, when things are not so nice?  Curious... but I think that explanation might be close to the mark.  I know she would love Cusco!

Day 47 to 50 – to Arequipa, Peru

7 to 10 May    Kms travelled – 11,771

As I write I´ve had over 10,000 hits on the website since I started scribbling, so a really big thanks to all of you for the ongoing support.  

Please feel free to share the link to the blog with your friends, work colleagues and family (if you think they may be interested).  The more the merrier to help keep those donations to Unicef rolling in.  

If you don´t want to use the online Just Giving page (see link on top right of this site) – you can donate to Unicef in all sorts of ways – their website will give details on how to do that.  Just remember to post a quick message on the blog, so we can count it towards the total.   

I rode down there, I did!

Day 44 to 46 – to Arica, Chile

4 to 6 May    Kms travelled – 10,568

In this short update I´ve been working on The Stats page of the site – so click above to see some of the details of what I´ve been up to. 

I should have much of the site up to date soon, by which time I´ll also be back blogging in full.

Day 41 to 43 – to Antofagasta, Chile

1 to 3 May    Kms travelled – 10,568

As promised I´ve been updating some of the border crossing information for those tackled to date, just in case there are people out there who may find that of interest.  See the tab above for the Borders page.

Thought for the day

Should Tsunami warning and evacuation signs inspire confidence that the local authorities have things in hand, or cause concern that you are in the wrong place (though perhaps at the right time)?  I think perhaps only a very little of both, as all the signs I have seen (and there are quite noticeable in all the coastal towns) simply point away from the sea (doh!) and not necessarily to higher ground either!  

Day 39 to 40 – to Los Andes, Chile

29 to 30 April    Kms travelled – 9,150

Its hard not writing this blog for this part of the trip, but I am still writing about it.  

I´m doing OK, not great, just OK – and still heading upwards.  Idris is starting to complain a bit, so some TLC might be in order soon.

Do you view your bike through rose tinted glasses?

Thought for the day

I never thought this was going to be easy – but have I left it too late?  Should I have done it years ago?  I know others who have done this trip in the same sort of timeframe, or less, and who are much older than me.  But every trip is different because every person is different - I can only count on how I feel, and the strains on my own person, and I am now finding it hard.  So my main thoughts today have been, ouch, ahh, eek, and ouch again!  Still smiling though – but it is starting to look a bit more like a grimace...

Day 36 to 38 – to Mendoza

26 to 28 April    Kms travelled – 8,468

Idris and I are OK, but some big decisions need to be made now about the trip.  I´ve lost more time rather than making some up, so I have to return to my wish list of things to do and reprioritise.  Feeling a bit down about that – but there is so much to see and do, I can´t possibly fit everything in.  Tough choices ahead!

Thought for the day

What a wondrous world we live in.  There is beauty all around - in the people, the flora and fauna, and also in the landscape.  I´ve mentioned before the scale of this country, but as each day passes I am still able to be stunned by the majesty of nature.  I hope that continues, but I just wish I was finding it a little easier to get to.  I suppose the greatest rewards are those we work for. 

You can now read about this section of the journey in Issue 13 of Adventure Bike Rider magazine.  See:  www.adventurebikerider.com  for information on how you can get your digital copy. 

Day 34 to 35 – to Trevelin and Bariloche

24 to 25 April    Kms travelled – 7,152

I´d like to say just a quick thank you to Clare and Victor for their hospitality, and to Iwan for his time.

I´m still moving (but not as quickly as I´d like) – still taking photos – and still writing.  It is almost like this country doesn´t want to let me go!

Thought for the day

I was just wondering as I ride and write whether my thoughts and opinions recorded on this blog and in other writings will end up contradicting earlier posts, or perhaps evolve as the journey progresses.  I will try to remain true to what I feel at each stage of the venture, and to aid in that, not to re-read earlier material too much until after the show is over.  It will be interesting to see if things do change.



You can now read about this section of the journey in Issue 13 of Adventure Bike Rider magazine.  See:  www.adventurebikerider.com  for information on how you can get your digital copy. 

Day 27 to 33 – to Esquel

17 to 23 April    Kms travelled – 6,755

Some of the hardest and most painful travelling I´ve ever done is during this section of the trip.  Also some incredible sights, and great kindness (thanks Hugo and Maria). 

I´m itching to tell you all about it, but I guess we are all just going to have to wait a while longer. 

Needless to say I need your support, but so do the very many kids in each of the countries I´m visiting.  

Those of you who have kindly pledged to support Unicef, but have not yet had the chance to make a donation, might like to do so now.  Go on – give me a reason to keep going - I´m struggling!

You can now read about this section of the journey in Issue 13 of Adventure Bike Rider magazine.  See:  www.adventurebikerider.com  for information on how you can get your digital copy. 

Day 25 to 26 – to El Calefate

15 to 16 April    Kms travelled – 4,332

I´m still safe and on the road – and still writing too.

No, I don´t need a loo break!

I´ve started updating some of the stats for the trip to date on this website.  An interesting variance in fuel economy to date caused by changes to the road and climactic conditions.  Fellow travellers thinking of doing something similar will wish to keep this notable change in tank range in mind.

At least I´ve not had the need to add any more numbers to my mozzie bite count, now that the colder weather has set in.  See, there is always a positive!


You can now read about this section of the journey in Issue 13 of Adventure Bike Rider magazine.  See:  www.adventurebikerider.com  for information on how you can get your digital copy.