Day 31-37 hey....these legs actually do something!

Day 31 Abra Huamina

First, you'll notice the descriptions of these days are only mentioning the impressions that I'm left with rather than any detail. I'm writing this after 3 days and visiting Machu Picchu, so there you have it.

A half day for me as there was a large climb at the beginning. My legs were beginning to work, but they weren't that keen.

The ride was on unsealed road at over 4000m in altitude. Quite nice actually. The road was actually in very good condition for the most part, as there's a lot of roadwork preparing it to be sealed.

A rather uneventful day except for the campsite. A wide open area on a slope. Very cold at night, well below freezing. The sky put on a very nice show at sunset.

Day 32 Chincheros

Ah, the day of delays at roadwork sites, starting with a chilly morning with ice covering everything.

When road works is done here, it's a little different to back home where they'll work overnight, close 1 lane and try to keep traffic disruption to a minimum. Here, different story. Close the road and only allow traffic through between 6am and 7am, 12pm and 1pm, and 6pm-7pm. Any other time queue up and wait.

The locals can be quite smart and take advantage of this. You'll often find them setting up a small fire cooking up a storm with usually rice, eggs, potatoes and tea.

The ride was otherwise enjoyable and uneventful on unsealed roads. On the downhills and flats I quite happily was able to pass quite a few people thanks to the dual suspension bike while others are enjoying their bikes shuddering over the rough surface. A good sign I'm becoming stronger too.

Day 33 Andahuaylas

The route chosen for this day was such a great choice.

After a first large uphill of I remember rightly 1200m of climbing, there was this magnificent downhill. Just a beautiful part of the world on an unpaved road.

I opted to start from the beginning of the downhill. It still bugged me doing this while most of the riders earn the downhill by climbing to the beginning of it, but I'm still racing the sun at my climbing pace. There's not enough hours in the day.

After the downhill, the lunch spot was exceptional. A very good place to feel mellow and appreciate the mountains.

Found THE spot to relax and appreciate the scenery

After lunch however, it became a VERY tough uphill. Sometimes with a 10% slope on rough ground. I have no shame in saying I walked parts of it.

Part of the climb.

Photos often do not give away well how steep something is. 

Let the fact that there's switchbacks tell part of the story.

Day 34 Eucalyptus Forest

MORE roadworks after lunch. Although this time it was because of a rather large landslide.

Later in the day though it was such a gift. The scenery was beautiful, the climbs short and gentle, and the downhills were had a nice flow to the corners. This was on unsealed road.

Yolande was taking it easy on the downhills. She's on a cyclocross bike. So no suspension, and skinny tyres, and the corners were sometimes sandy. So she was being very cautious.

Once arriving on the campsite, I found it's a eucalyptus forest! Just like being back at home. Just missing the possums in the trees and the thump of kangaroos or wallabies.

Day 35 Abancay

A relatively short day. 60km and 714m of climbing.

Rode the whole day, and given it was a short day, experimented a little with my technique. Much to my surprise my legs could take a little more strain than even a few days ago. Up a gear or 2 more, still going well. What's this? These legs can climb now?

Day 36 Limatambo

The last of the big hitter days with respect to climbing of over 2000m, In this case 2459m and 118km long. There are longer days to come, but they're flatter.

Despite being rather pleased with myself from the day before, the first climb right at the start was huge. Well, it was long, even though the slope apparently was at a manageable average of 4%. Still, that would take me a long, long time. So up to the lunch spot I go in the truck. I don't miss out entirely, there was more climbing later.

At the top of the climb, there's a little chapel and great views of nearby snow capped mountains.

At the lunch spot with Adrian, Graeme, Kevin and Christine along with Didier of course

After lunch, there was a rather long downhill. Another moment where I was catching bugs because my smile was so wide.

At the bottom of the downhill there was a river, bridge and a small village. I stopped to get an Inka Kola for some energy before the climb. There's a shelf at the front of the shop full of drinks and snacks. I saw the fridge behind the counter, so I ask for a cold bottle instead. So of course the girl open the fridge and gives me the bottle. This was great, the fridge wasn't turned on. Warm Inka Kola. One of those little quirks that we often get each day during our rides.

The climb to our camp site went well. I was riding a little distance behind Kevin and Graeme. This time I didn't watch them fade off into the distance. Nice. I declared to Kirsten while she was cooking dinner with a huge cheesy grin, no more half days for me. I'll be doing all the climbs from that point on.

We camped outside a hostel. Some people took a bed, but there wasn't enough beds for all of us. So we had tents in their yard.

A lot of us including myself tried cuy (guinea pig) for dinner. Many compared it to rabbit. It was marinated, so plenty of flavour. They're little buggers though, you wouldn't order just 1 if you're hungry. Not much meat on them!

Day 37 Cusco

This day has been highly anticipated by many of us. It's a larger city, and the stepping stone to Machu Picchu.

Not too long a day with 78km, although 1479m of climbing. 1000m of this climbing was as usual first thing in the morning in one big chunk.

With my new and growing confidence in my ability, I elected to take it on.

Don't get me wrong, I took 3 hours to climb that first mountain. I arrived at lunch on the other side of the mountain just after midday. I stopped after every 150m of climbing to drink and have something small to eat like a biscuit to prevent running out of energy like I had in the past. It worked, and my legs while sore, kept going.

Turned out the tough bit was also my preferred bit for this day.

For perhaps 30km there was a flat area which gradually began turning uphill again. This is when the first unpleasant bit happened.

Happily rolling to 1 side of the road, where a bus decides it can squeeze past. The silly thing actually BRUSHED me as it went past. It would have scared the crap out of me, only I haven't had diarrhoea for some time now. I was hit by a car and injured last year, so I did feel a little rattled after that.

Towards the top of the 2nd and last climb before dropping into Cusco, I got hailed on. Still, I'll take that over being brushed by a bus any day.

Finally enjoying the drop into the centre of Cusco I had a puncture. I had perhaps 4km to go. During this trip when I've been using my slick road tyres I've had many punctures. The tubes inside the tyres could be works of art with the amount of patches on them. I didn't have any spare tubes left, so walked the final distance to the hotel alongside the chaotic traffic.

Next I shall describe the visit to Sacred Valley, Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu and how Cusco is so different to the rest of Peru we've seen. That's later! A very memorable 3 rest days for so many reasons.

Day 25 - 30 Settling in

Day 25 Cerro de Pasco

A big day. One of the toughest with 120km and 2611m of climbing up to the mining centre of Cerro de Pasco. One of the highest cities in the world at 4330m altitude, and also claimed to be the ugliest.

I was enjoying my turn to have a very upset stomach. I optimistically took the truck to lunch, with the expectation to ride to the hotel. 3km into the ride however, I was getting VERY uncomfortable. Ride back to lunch.

I have to admit, the city didn't appeal all that much. It did however have an open pharmacy. It seems you can get anything here without a prescription. Antibiotics, prednisone, you name it.

The hotel was interesting. The bathroom was so small I had to step over the toilet to get in the shower. In the shower there's the tap to turn on the shower, but no handle. The handle was separate, which is fine if you want to screw it on to turn the shower off. Useless to turn it on. I managed to jam one of my tools from the bike into the hollow thread and twist. It's a cold place, the water came out hot, by the time it reached me it was getting rather chilly. The hot water was supplied by an electric shower head. In general most of us are glad to see them, as they provide reliable warm water. Unlike most places.

The night was cold enough for 1 of the 2 trucks to appear to have the diesel thicken in the fuel lines, enough for it not to start. The altitude wouldn't have helped. Diesel engines at this height belch out huge amounts of soot. Petrol engines aren't much better.

Day 26 Tarma

A long day at 141km and 863m of climbing. So once climbing out of Cerro de Pasco, it was reasonably flat.

For whatever reason I was feeling extremely lethargic. Perhaps it was due to the previous 3 days of dealing with being unwell. I was otherwise getting better, just wanted to sleep. Perhaps I hadn't drunk enough water, perhaps the altitude contributed, could also have been the fact that my body was getting tired from the sudden change of activity level over the last month.

So I helped with lunch, and remained with the truck for the day. On the way through the plateau with small villages, we saw this plaza with so much work done to it, it was quite surprising. It felt like it was in the middle of nowhere, but there it was.

Going from Cerro de Pasco, to Tarma which is known as the pearl of the Andes was a totally different experience. Flowers and gardens to be seen on the way in. Nice place.

On arrival at the old style yet comfortable hotel, got a good amount of snoozing in before heading out for dinner.

So we enjoy a rest day in Tarma. Did a little exploring purely hunting for lunch, but otherwise read and slept. Exactly what I needed.

Day 27 Huancayo

I was feeling MUCH better. No sickness, no chest problems, no sore knees or wrists. Wow, how good was this!

A 99km day with 1085m of climbing. Not wanting to push my luck, and to see where I was at, I was in the truck until the first climb to a plateau was done. From there I road across the plataeau at over 4000m altitude, then dropped down to Huancayo, with a small climb in between.

The ride went well, and I enjoyed it.

Huancayo, riding through that city was chaotic. Turned out I was riding with Paul and Babette for the last few km. The taxis and tuk tuks were all over the place going in any direction that didn't make sense. At one stage we went to ride through an intersection only to find all of a sudden traffic started coming at us from the right hand side. I looked to the left to see they had a green light, but then when I looked forward, I couldn't see any red light to stop the traffic going in our direction. They stopped anyhow and let us through.

I was pleasantly surprised at one point where there was this especially steep but short part which I was able to climb without changing gears, but use strength instead. An obvious improvement.

On arrival at the hotel, it was very impressive. It was called colonial style. Think of it like being a huge hunting lodge mixed with a mansion. A fire place on the second floor complete with deer heads on the wall and on old wind up telephone.

All very comfortable, complete with 4 pillows on the beds. Nice.

Day 28 La Esmeralda

Left Huancayo feeling good. 99km and 1085m of climbing.

Morning traffic wasn't as chaotic as the previous afternoon, and the ride was enjoyable.

I'm still relatively slow on the climbs however, so on arrival to lunch, Didier pointed out that it was unlikely I would make it to camp before dark. I may have, or may not have, but it was borderline. Didier knows what he's talking about, so I joined him and a very sick Kevin in the truck. His turn to be unwell. Yolande was with us as well, as she must take care of her back, and there was some unsealed road coming up.

Just before leaving the pleasant lunch spot, which was setup on a bridge over the river, there was this old lady slowly lumbering her way up the hill towards us. She stops beside the bridge and stands there for a moment. Then with a sudden burst of youthful energy ejects a bag of rubbish into the river, then returns to her slow elderly self as she watches her bag float down the river. That burst of energy seemed so out of character I burst out laughing, tears almost coming out of my eyes. Apparently waste management isn't common in the smaller areas. So this town dumps their rubbish in the river, and near other villages we've seen plenty of rubbish on the road side.

The surprises for the day wasn't finished yet.

Our intended campsite apparently was not a good idea according to the police. The area had become a thoroughfare for drug dealers. So we were directed to a compound that used to house an anti-terrorist group of the army, but not now houses workers of the local hydroelectric plant. We were first told to wait outside, as a helicopter was due to pickup some VIP's. Just before sunset we were told it wasn't coming, and to come on in.

Now THIS was a campsite. Our tents went on the grassed soccer field. Soft grass! I placed my tent between the goal posts, I figured I'd score there. Didn't work, but you've got to appreciate the thought? Wait there's more. There was SHOWERS. Toilet too! Our other bushcamps haven't had that. Showers were normally provided by a water bottle or river, and the toilet is wherever you can find out of view. Remember to bury anything that can be stepped in. Nothing worse than being the second person there stumbling in the dark...squish! Or splat, depending on the health of the previous stumbler.

Speaking of health. Aside from the dusty road causing a lot of people to cough, almost everyone was feeling good. A good sign we're getting used to the place. Adrian (Aus) and Kevin were doing it tough still.

Day 29 Mayocc

A very inviting day. 88km, 967m of climbing with almost entirely unsealed road. Some climbs, but trending downhill. Oh hellooooo. My kind of riding. Downhill and offroad.

What a great day. Starting with plenty of downhill. I kept up with the front of the group for the morning, with the group slowly being split up as some get through roadworks, while others have to wait.

The road took plenty of concentration. It was barely 1 vehicle wide. Blind corners, huge drops off the side and sometimes a very soft surface that will cause a person to slide the front tyre if a rider tries to change direction. Throw in the occasional herd of goats, cattle or donkeys on the road and there's a fun day to be had. I'm serious! It was great to truly interact with the place we're riding through.

I'm waiting for the cattle to pass. Looks peaceful right?

Try watching them come towards you when the jostle each other with those horns.

This is an opportunity to get the real taste of Peru. The dust of Peru courtesy of trucks and cars. Don't forget to chew, great for cleaning teeth.

At lunch there was a truck hosing the local streets and the main road to reduce dust. They were also so kind to hose down my bike on the side of the street which had my helmet hanging off the handle bar. Thanks guys. Wet helmet. No big deal.

So after lunch for the next few km I was able to play in mud rather than dust. Now my bike looked how it's supposed to look, mud everywhere. Mud is also great sunscreen.

A great ride, and pleased to have gotten through the day to camp without burning out.

Camp was beside a river. The water was great to swim in and wash the dust and mud off. It also had a full compliment of sandflies (midges) in the air. The air was thick with them. These aren't the boring ones from home that swarm together but don't seem to do much else. These little pests bite. Bring on the insect repellant and cover up as much as possible and hopefully forget about them. Turns out the next morning not everyone was able to forget.

The night was incredibly clear. A million star bushcamp. Stunning. We also had a camp fire for the first time. So it was great to sit with a few others and just stare at the sky, feed the camp fire and talk about whatever. The night was warm, and there was flashes over the horizon. Later that night rain came in. RAIN! This is the dry season, and we're up in the mountains.

Day 30 Ayacucho

First, the aftermath of the midges. Ghily had a bite near her eye, and looked like she'd been in a fight. Some of the girls had bites on their bums, as they don't have the same convenience as us guys where the world is our urinal. Paul and Babette apparently left the mesh open of the tent. I saw their legs, spots all over them. Looked like Paul had even begun to bruise. When there was some exclamations from some of us at breakfast, his only response was he didn't want to talk about it.

So this day had a 78km ride with 1371m of climbing. Over half of it still unpaved.

Still not being all that keen for all that climbing as it takes a long time, I opted to ride from lunch. There was still 450m of climbing to go, but at least I get to the hotel at a reasonable time, and wouldn't make Didier wait at lunch.

I left with Yolande and later caught up by Colin, and Christine (NL) from lunch. Yolande being an especially experienced rider was pointing out I need to lower my cadence (speed that I pedal) on the climbs. With a high cadence and a relatively easy gear (called spinning) I protect my knees and prevent the muscles burning out from using a lot of force, but then risk exhaustion which has happened a few times. So finding the right balance is the key to me becoming a mountain goat I think. That and continuing to lose the cargo (weight). I've lost a significant amount of weight already, even in the past 5 weeks. I'm struggling to keep my bike shorts on when I stand, and I've had to punch a new hole in my belt when I wear jeans, as there's no adjustment small enough. During the climb up to town, Christine pointed out that I had a cloud of midges chasing me which made her chuckle. Until the climb got steeper and she slowed down as well, which she had a cloud of her own. I figure a midge can fly at no more than 12km/h.

The night in Ayacucho was very good. There was a festival on with a live music in the plaza. Quite a few of us found the same restaurant upstairs overlooking the plaza. Ilkka tried alpaca which he recommended. I was more excited by the fact they had milkshakes!

View over the plaza from the restaurant

Day 21 - 24 Bounce back

Day 21 Parque Nacional Huascarán

A non riding day whilst still recovering from the chest infection and asthma. We were climbing up to 4200m above sea level, although the dry air seemed to be doing me good despite being thinner.

Our lunch stop before entering the road to the national park had great scenery of snow capped mountains in various directions. We stopped in front of a family's house. They had a lamb dressed up with a hat, and the young girl holding the lamb was a hit with us riders. At first she was unsure and shy, but after a few photos, something small to nibble on and a little change, she warmed up and became equally curious about us.

On arrival to our camp for the night, I was quick to take a spot on top of a nearby hill for my tent.

What a beautiful spot. The sunset put on quite a show. It felt like a real privilege to be able to stay there. Overnight, it was mentioned it reached as low as -5C. Everyone seemed well prepared for it however.

I woke part way through the night. The moon was bright, the sky was clear. It was nice to open the tent and just stare across the mountains and listen to music until drowsy again.

Day 22 Huallanca. Ambitious return

On paper it seems a relatively short and easy day. 71km with 982m of climbing. In reality, everyone found it tough as crossed the highest point for the trip of roughly 4800m or 15 748 feet.

At this altitude even walking became difficult. One of the stronger riders, Kees from the Netherlands found himself in the truck from lunch onwards with altitude sickness.

So of course this is my first day back on the bike after being unwell. From lunch onwards to the peak. I won't lie, I rode perhaps 40% of the climb, and walked the rest. There were many others who walked the climb struggling for air. Add the cold wind, and the place whilst beautiful, felt hostile.

After finally reaching the peak, we had a long downhill. First still on unpaved road, then on sealed. This is where I happily passed everyone I encountered. With dual suspension on the dirt, I don't have to pick my way for smoother lines like most of the other riders. I also roll quickly on the downhills, and perhaps less cautious and leaning more into the corners so I made it to camp in good time.

Day 23 Tingo Chico. My kind of day

A short and sweet day. 49km, 428 metres of climbing and started with perhaps 20km of downhill.

During the downhill I rode with Ilkka for a good portion. The scenery was beautiful, and rode between steep narrow cuttings which was surreal.

Because of all the downhill, we were faster than the lunch truck and we passed the intended spot to stop. The spot had thermal springs with baths, which everyone was so kind to tell us how good it was to soak in hot water. Because Ilkka, Adrian (UK) and myself had missed lunch, we stopped at a small restaurant at the top of the climb. Then followed Richard and Kirsten in the 2nd truck carrying luggage and kitchen to the camp spot.

Day 24 Huanuco. Feeling better, fitness still has some way to go

110km and 1223 metres of climbing at the start. HUUUGE downhill for 55km to Huanuco dropping from a chilly 4000m above sea level to 2070m.

Left camp after a cold night full of anticipation and optimism.

Met up with a few of the other riders such as Kees, Harry and Fred a couple of times during the climb until my energy began to drop off. I'd climbed perhaps 400m and began to hit the wall. It got to the point where I was finding these nice soft sunny patches of grass to have a lemon sweet and water and enjoy the scenery, but no drive to keep moving. After 41km, and perhaps 10km from the top, the tank was empty.

I REALLY wanted to reach the downhill, so had to get to the top. I saw a passing tuk tuk (locally called cockroaches) with a flat tray on the back. I flagged him down and got him to agree to take me to the top. Was a nice experience to still be amongst open air and admiring the scenery, but not exerting to climb.

Towards the top, the road was blocked by a very enthusiastic party. Apparently a lot of the riders got caught up in the moment and found themselves dancing with the locals. Me being in the back of a flat tray, I got away with a few calls of "gringo!" and some taps on the arm, then we were through.

Near the top I saw the lunch truck driving back to check where I was, so I was madly waving my arms to get Didier and Yolande's attention.

After a brief lunch, I still had another 3km of climbing to go. Wow did I feel flat. Then at the top I had a great view of the mountain that they call "crown of the Incas", and onward to a wind catching grin as I began a 55km long descent.

Our directions sheet did say it was a dangerous descent. For most parts it was a single lane road, with a big drop off 1 side, and no guard rail. Blind corners, uneven and broken surface...all the good stuff. Had to keep the mind switched on all the time.

During the descent, the temperature noticeably got warmer, the wind settled and then trees began to appear.

A great afternoon. Need I remind you that this went on for 55km?! HUGE! A loss of almost 2000m of altitude!

My immediate challenge for now is energy management. Have received some suggestions, shall see how it works out. One way or another in the next month I want to be able to at least keep up and ride with the main pack.

Day 16-20 resting in Huanchaco. Filling the quota.

Day 16 Huanchaco

A long and relatively easy day. 112km with only 446m of climbing.

The day changed slowly as we were riding through coastal desert. It's very dry here, as the Pacific Ocean in this area has a cold current, so very little evaporation to form clouds, and the Andes mountains form a barrier against clouds to the east.

I rode with team UK (Tamsin and Adrian) for the first 40km until they didn't feel well enough to continue, and then rode in the truck. Stomach bugs are catching quite a few people out. Thankfully everyone has managed well. Not like when the body says..."you have 30 seconds until I dump, and that count started 20 seconds ago" so nobody has yet lost their dignity roadside. Will see if it stays that way!

So I continued riding to lunch solo.

Everyone was waiting for my arrival at lunch, as we had to ride together through the next town as it had a bad reputation when previous cyclists were robbed (not a previous year of the Andes trail riders). We also had a police escort.

Once through, we were all back at our own pace.

I fell off the back of the group as I still don't have the breath and endurance to keep their pace. A pity, on windy days like we've had I've noticed there can be up to a 10km/h difference in pace when the riders stay behind each other's slipstream and take turns at the front. We've been having constant headwinds for the last few days!

Perhaps half way to our hotel from lunch, the police wanted me to jump in the car to catch up to the group as it was dangerous by myself. More because trucks keep forcing me off the narrow road. In the group, traffic gives more space. The Peruvian drivers are less considerate than Ecuador a few of us have noticed. So I lost 10km catching up in the car.

Once arriving in Huanchaco, it was a nice place. It's a tourist destination on the beach, with a hippy feel to it. Surf lessons, cafes, the occasional person wearing a tea cosy on their head, hand crafts etc. A good place to rest for 2 days.

We received a great welcome. After lunch, we were joined by a local passionate cyclist named Luis. His wife met us at the hotel, and had made us 2 delicious cakes. We then enjoyed cocktails together later that night. Very potent going by the taste!

Huanchaco, 2 rest days

2 very chilled and relaxed days. I had the pleasure of realising that the day before I hadn't put sunscreen high enough up my arms, so when my jersey sleeves moved up when I stretched to the handlebars, I had a thin strip of skin on my upper arms that scored 2nd degree burns. Pretty blisters. Oops.

I caught a taxi into nearby Trujillo just to have a peek. It's one of the larger cities, so there was a shopping centre with cinemas and that sort of thing. I also saw a scooter rider being hit by a car. It was at slow speed. The ambulance arrived quickly and carted the rider away. Overall, didn't excite me all that much, and my curiosity was satisfied for now. I'm sure I missed some gems, but sitting at a beachside cafe in Huanchaco had much more appeal.

There were 2 places in Huanchaco that gave massages. They were very much in demand with 30 sore cyclists! I got one, and felt much improved afterwards. Massages are so much better when it's earned through hard exercise. The contrast of soreness to relaxation is so much more noticeable.

We were also joined by 3 dutchies and 1 Australian. They all are friendly and fit right in with us. This group is rather good. The organisers have commented that this year the group is larger, and compared to previous years very easy going and positive.

Day 17, Camp Chavimochic. Bushcamp, and that was not water on the road.

After a very enjoyable rest we faced a 115km day with 910m of climbing. 83% paved. Finally some offroad.

Getting out of town, everyone was showing a strong pace. After I warmed up I rode with the guys who are usually at the front (James, Johnathan and Lee) who were taking it easy. Riding behind someone is SO much easier being shielded from the wind, so I was enjoying the faster pace with much less effort.

On the outer edges of town, there were some darker patches on the road. Turns out it was oil. I thought it was water, and realised otherwise when my front wheel slid and I went down. Thankfully no cars or trucks were following close behind. After I'd gotten up and moved to the side of the road, I watched a truck try to use his brakes, his wheels locked and he continued sliding down the road. I felt ok and continued. No broken skin, just covered in oil when I rolled.

I continued and got perhaps 40km into the ride when I realised I had taken a pretty good knock when I fell. My right knee was stiffening up to the point I was getting the other leg to do most of the work, and both wrists were sore. When I stopped to have something small to eat, it hurt more to stand than ride. My day was done. I saw the inside of the police car again.

On the way to lunch in the car, I was sitting with 3 police. They were very curious about the ride, where I was from, and what life is like back home. My spanish could still use some work, and their english was nil, so I cheated and used my phone. I used google's translate page so we passed comments to each other that way all the way to lunch. A good trip.

At lunch, the antibacterial handwash worked extremely well getting the oil off my skin, then I rode in the truck to our camp site.

The barren beginning of the valley Cañón del Pato

Day 18 Canon del Pato. Saw very little of this day! Heave.

For whatever reason I was very rather queasy in the morning. Breakfast, I ate a little. With still feeling sore and favouring a leg, I opted for the truck. A pity, a full day of offroad. A place I'm much more comfortable to ride. This is also one of the so far rare moments where I have an advantage as I have dual suspension. Most have front suspension, or full rigid bikes and they get bounced for the entire day.

As the day progressed I felt sicker and sicker to the point I had to concentrate on not throwing up in the truck. So I tried to rest lying across the bench as the truck bounced along the road.

So unfortunately I didn't notice much of the environment. I did see the first of the dreaded narrow dark tunnels. Most riders have these little lights that are used for cars to see them, so can be a nervous experience going in only to find a truck coming the other way and very little room to get out of the way!

On arrival at the bushcamp, very uncomfortable. A couple of big chunders and I felt immediately better. Ok, they were full open mouth power chucks. There was no carrot. Go figure. There's always carrot in chunder right, even when no carrot has been eaten?

At camp, the scenery was striking. A narrow barren valley with a small river running through it. Most of us took our turns rolling in the river to get all the dust off. A little chilly perhaps for some, most of us found it refreshing. Sure beats the usual method at camp, washing with the water of a single water bottle.

A great dinner as always (I'd gotten some appetite back after the big purge) and a warm night with a gentle wind. The sky co-operated and even though our view was limited by the close mountains, plenty of stars to be seen.

Day 19 Caraz

More offroad today, all seen in the truck. Not feeling queasy, but wouldn't you know it, the chest infection is getting much worse and setting off the asthma. Lots of wet rattling coughs and short breathing. Very tasty. Plus still sore in the wrists. Knee feels happier thankfully.

This time it was Adrian Roff's (Australia) turn in the truck trying to sleep on the bench while being bounced by the rough road. He had his turn of power chucking.

Lee didn't have a light for his bike at all, so given I was off the bike, I leant him my portable sun. 900 lumens of goodness. James commented that it was so bright it caused everywhere else where the light didn't shine to seem very black, so he had to ride beside Lee.

The scenery just keeps getting more awesome. As we get closer to Caraz, we can see Cordillera Blanca (white range) which are snow capped mountains rising over 5000m in altitude.

At the lunch spot, we saw a Condor flying past very close to us. It did 2 passes. I was too sluggish to get the camera out, and apparently seeing Condors flying in this area are quite rare, even more so to see one within metres of us. A large majestic bird of prey. A great sight.

The hotel was comfortable, and found a great restaurant nearby. I went initially by myself, but was later joined by many others. Seems that when we go hunting, we often go to the same places even when there's plenty of good choices.

Beside our hotel was a church. Later that night there was singing by the choir, and I could clearly hear them through the open bathroom window. Their voices were truly beautiful. What a great way to drift off to sleep.

Day 20 Huaraz. Choke.

Once again seen in the truck, and we've climbed over the last few days from sea level to roughly 3000m (or roughly 10 000 feet).

I was finding it very tough to breathe on this day. In the morning helping carry luggage to the truck, after each bag I had to stop to catch my breath.

Today was only timed from start to lunch. So at lunch I was keeping the time as everyone arrived. Everyone was having a great day. The many comments of the scenery. Green valleys, snow capped mountains and a relatively easy ride with great weather. Photos show palm trees in the foreground and snow capped peaks in the background, yet not so far away. Wow. The pace was quick, and the times between riders was much closer. I was very proud and pleased to see team UK come in towards the front of the group. Normally Tamsin and Adrian have been a good way back, so they had a strong day and stormed in. Huge progress. I was a little selfish in how proud I was of them, as it means I can progress quickly as well, just like they have. Not taking away from being genuinely pleased for them.

Cordillera Blanca from the lunch spot

My photos are far from giving this place justice. I promise I'll take more so more to choose from!

I didn't notice or remember as much as I would have liked, I've fallen a little more inwardly focussed thanks to the lack of air.

Very soon after arrival at the hotel, Susana took me to the clinic to be checked out. The hotel recommended the clinic over the hospital as it's faster, better treatment, and roughly the same price.

After x rays, first the good news. Even though I've been battling this chest infection for almost a month, I didn't have pneumonia. I did have bronchitis (much inflammation in the lung's airways). Temperature and blood pressure was fine, just no breath and what I did have was very rattly. So antibiotics, cortisone injection, cortisone tablets, many doses of using the nebuliser I was feeling a little relieved and told to come back that night. Roughly $160, much cheaper than I expected.

I later found a great cafe/restaurant and enjoyed a banana smoothie, long black coffee and a small hamburger. A good number of us went back later that night. I wasn't hungry after eating earlier, so I enjoyed a hot chocolate with them while they enjoyed dinner. The filet mignon received praise from Malcolm who knows food well. Sadly even though he has run a cafe back in Perth Australia, he still has milk with his coffee. Sigh, not a purist. The shame! Tamsin was feeling more adventurous and ordered cuy (guinea pig). Apparently it tastes like chicken, but more flavour. Don't order one if you're hungry as there isn't much meat, and you really have to pick your way through it to get the little pieces of meat off the bones.

Cuy! Nice guinea pig....with potato!

Later that night on my revisit for more doses using the nebuliser, the doctor wanted me to stay in the clinic overnight. I had progressed, but not enough for his liking. I wasn't keen on it, I was feeling MUCH better. Far from 100%, but I was comfortably walking the 10 blocks or thereabouts to the clinic. So I said I'd be back in the morning.

I look forward to being 100%, as I've never felt totally well since arriving here. I've been perhaps a little over 1 hour slower than the fastest guys at the end of each day, based on riding time alone, I've been losing 2-3 hours each day having to stop to catch my breath. Take that delay out...

Days 10 - 15. An unforgettable Ecuadorian farewell, hello Peru

Day 10 Catacocha. Change is coming when I return home.

It was a big day. 96km with 2273 metres of climbing.

On the first of the day's 2 big climbs, I was pleasantly surprised that I could ride all the way up. No breaks. Another step up.

We rode some of the old Pan Am highway, and it's in the process of being resurfaced. So it was all ripped up, with loose dirt and gravel mixed with fist sized rocks. Very tough when still riding on road oriented skinny slick tyres! Wrong wrong wrong tyres for these offroad parts. The rocks would roll under the bike causing the bike to skip and skate. Sure made me feel alive when I was going down the 10% slopes towards a hairpin corner, and if I missed the corner, I'd be wishing I'd packed that parachute.

I managed to get half way through, and pushed until I had no energy left, and stopped at lunch.

I received a call from work in the early evening. This was the call I've been expecting. I was advised with a number of other jobs, my job is being sent offshore. The official line is my employment with the company is still ongoing, until the point where they do not find another open position suitable to my skillset. Given the number of jobs going, and my rather specialised skillset, my bet is I'm getting a redundancy package. To be honest I'm glad for it, things had to change, and this is a way of helping it along. While I was on the call, I was looking out the hotel window at a rainbow.

Day 11 Macara. A tough rewarding day, and a night to remember

Another fair sized day. 94km with 1417 metres of climbing. The roads in parts were rough.

It started straight away with a 15km downhill on dirt road. This is where for once I was up at the front, riding behind Ilkka. It gave me quite a head start, as the fast guys didn't catch me until 40km into the ride. To be fair, this day wasn't being timed, so they weren't pushing hard.

Riding alongside Ilkka, still downhill, but after the dirt

Made it to lunch well enough, and kept going. It then got rather hot. My bike computer was reading a temperature 43C, and this made climbing very difficult. At one stage I found a shady spot, and sat there for 10 minutes cooling off and getting more water in.

The rest of the ride into Macara was difficult. More resurfacing of the roads, and I was still riding on my road tyres. When they're laying the road base before packing it down, it's very loose and my tyres kept sinking into it which can be dangerous. This was while still trying to pick a rideable path through, and keeping out of the way of traffic at the same time.

Later that night, just when all the hungry cyclists go out to hunt down a worthy restaurant, it worked out we gathered in the town's plaza. This day was a special day for the catholic locals. So they were having Mass, after which there's a fireworks display.

For the first time, we all gave in and bought some food from the street side vendors. Chicken, chips, grilled beef. It was all good. As a group it was great to hang out and mingle. Unlike where some go to 1 restaurant, others go to another and sit in 1 place at the table and only speak with who's sitting near them. An ice cream van turns up, which was popular. Half chocolate, half strawberry ice cream in a cone for 50c. Sweet! His generator on the van was so loud he didn't need to play any music, everyone was looking to see what the noise was anyhow.

We were all fascinated by this framework made of what looked to be made of bamboo. Attached to it were were wheels made of bamboo at various levels, and pointing in various directions. All these had fireworks on them. The maker of the display was quite proud of his work, but concerned that some of the fireworks wouldn't light, as there was a brief period of rain earlier in the afternoon. Then there was a toy bull, again with fireworks. With Mass finished, the fireworks display began.

First, a man gets under the toy bull, wearing it like a very large hat. The fireworks are lit, and he runs up and down the mall, people trying to get out of his way. That was good for a chuckle. Then some of the fireworks are lit on the side of the sculpture. Lots of sparks and that squealing sound. Not forgetting this is in a mall. Buildings and people right beside it. On the roof of a building on one side I could see some dry weeds. But this wasn't the kicker for the night. There's a wheel right on the top, lying flat. This was lit. But rather than staying on the frame, it broke free and lifted off. It spun its way down the mall like a tiny UFO, only to land over this woman like a hoop. Fireworks and still merrily squealing and fizzing away. People rushed in to help. I'm guessing she was ok because no ambulance turned up. There's no way any of it would be done like this back home. The fireworks would have been set away from buildings and people, and roped off.

Here, you're responsible for your own safety. We've seen man holes with no covers. Open the hotel window, and bare metal power lines are within reach. Drains across a road have their grill oriented to catch bike tyres. Stairs with big gaps to fall through, walk to the rooftop level and remember to duck the edge of metal roofing...take your pick.

Day 12 Chulucanas, Peru. Crossing the border and a coutryside cruise. For 127km.

The border crossing was painless. For the entire group including trucks, perhaps 2 hours.

This was a very different day. 127km, with 764 metres of climbing. This climbing was different in the fact it was spread over the length of the ride in the form of rolling hills. Not like the straight up the mountain type of climbing we've been doing so far.

The terrain was very different as we've dropped out of the mountains and are heading towards the coast. So the roads are straighter and more flat. Here's a good sign. I caught team UK (Tamsin and Adrian) at the 80km mark.

So it was a very easy day. Although rather long. Almost all of us fell off our bikes in 1 particular water crossing which was slimey. I was one of those riders. I slid right across the concrete crossing, and on to the rocks. No injuries. The water was nice and warm, and the slide was rather fun.

In all this pleasantness, I got caught out. The hours of endless pedalling in 1 position while I get used to using correct technique burnt out the muscles in my inner thighs while I try to keep my knees in. I was rather sore when finally reaching the hotel.

They have tuk tuks! Locally they're called cockroaches. Slow things, sometimes with excellent sound systems on them. They quite happily buzz around the streets ALL night. All the riders love them, so nice to fall asleep with what sounds like a never ending go kart race.

Day 13 Motupe. First bushcamp.

Another easy day, but long. More rolling hills. 147km and 811 metres of climbing.

Started out strong, but within the first 20km I was already slowing down. That soreness from the previous day was really starting to bite. We were riding alongside the Andes, it was a landscape of contrasting rolling hills, but tall mountains on 1, or sometimes 2 sides of the valley.

Riding alongside the Andes mountains

The locals as always are curious by us riders. I've noticed that only over the last few days have I heard kids call out "gringo!". I stopped by 1 guy, he was about to rope up 2 20L jerry cans full of water to his bike. I was as curious about what he was doing as he was curious about what I was doing.

On arrival at lunch, I could barely pedal the bike. Walking was even worse. Things are definitely done differently here. Our lunch spot for the day was at a temporary site for the government's department of agriculture to count traffic. Exciting job for them! They're there for a week. If we'd asked to setup a lunch spot back home at such a place, we'd be told to keep moving.

After a good lunch (as always), I was in the truck to the camp site.

The camp site first of all was full of thorns, so there's a good portion of riders fixing flat tyres. Other than that, it was a great place. An enjoyable dinner, eating in the dark as the generator wasn't working. We had a little light thanks to those of us who had lights worn our heads.

I have to say camping was very pleasant. Straight after dinner, into the tent, admire the stars for a while before drifting off to sleep.

Day 14 Lambayeque

For me, it had to be a day off to allow recovery. It was only a short day of roughly 70km, with negligible climbing. I was slowly walking like I'd ridden a horse for a month non stop.

So riding in the truck I heard Didier's broad tastes of music. Not a bad way to see the countryside pass by.

After everyone had arrived, most of us went to the nearby museum showing the royal tombs of Sipan, from the civilisation of Moche before the Incas 100-750AD. They were very good at working copper and gold. Our guide was also very enthusiastic and proud of the museum and his heritage. Only a few of us could handle the fast paced 2 hour visit. There was a lot to see there.

Quite a few of us noticed the similarity of this region to the Middle East. VERY dry and dusty.

Day 15 Pacasmayo

Another long day of 119km, and 363 metres of climbing. The climbing was almost impossible to notice thanks to all the climbing being done slowly and spread over many km, and also a constant head wind.

I had a very patient police motorbike trailing behind me. I managed to speak with him a little, using my very poor spanish.

The ride in comparison to what we've seen was quite boring. Desert and straight roads. I was grateful for the cloud cover, I could imagine this place would get very hot.

This part of northern Peru is barren

My legs began to send the warning pains at around 45km, so I called it a day when arriving at lunch, so I can ride tomorrow. Our final day of riding before 2 days off. It's been a long week.

Arriving at Pacasmayo, we're on the coast. Looking across the Pacific ocean. A surprising thing to see, as the desert leads right up to the coast. They don't get any rain here unless they have El Nino conditions, when they get too much rain, and back home in Australia we get dry conditions.

Day 8 Oña, day 9 Loja, rest day in Loja. Line in the sand.

Day 8 Oña (pronounced on ya), line in the sand

On leaving Cuenca which I quite liked, we had a big day ahead. 109km with 1817 metres (6000 feet) of climbing. Some of which had up to 11% slope.

You may have noticed that I don't mention the exploits of my fellow riders too often. This is mostly because I ride at my own pace, and currently at the back. So I don't see too much of the goings on such as who uses strategy and that sort of thing. I do however hear some good stories. I'm just not much good on passing on stories second hand. I do mention people however, and if you're curious to see who they are, and perhaps follow a link to their own site if they have one, you can find it here.

I don't mind riding solo, it gives room for my mind to wander and take in my surroundings. Very enjoyable. I'm also used to living by myself, so this it also gives me a moment to take a break from the busy activity of sharing space with 26 other people. Activities such as contributing to group decisions such as when and where to eat etc, is something I'm not used to. I'm used to: I have to do something, go find it, do it. Done. My pace doesn't match anyone's either. I'm quick on the downhills where mass vs area presented to the air counts, and slow on the uphills. So really I can only ride with people on the flats, with is an extremely rare thing so far.

So the day starts with 30km of first getting out of Cuenca, then going through gently undulating countryside.

Morning chill out

The climbs began after the morning's meditation of countryside coasting. Some very steep and long climbs. Once again I had to get a few hundred metres then stop to catch my breath. This was beginning to be a good day however, even on the 11% slopes I rode them. Not walked. This is a big step compared to how I started over a week ago.

By around 2pm I had reached the lunch truck. Way behind the rest of the riders. I didn't care, I still felt good. I hadn't hit the wall (run out of energy, with nothing left) like I had done previously after a tough morning. I was gently encouraged to join the truck given I still had roughly 50km to go, and 4 hours of daylight left. I decided this day however, I was capable of completing the day. So after lunch, I went on.

There was a HUGE downhill that went on and on. I went from having cold strong winds at the peak of the mountain I'd climbed up near the layer of clouds, down to the bottom of a valley with warmth and gentle winds.

I sent an SMS ahead at around 4:30pm and I was on the final climb for the day, 10km from the hotel, and began to climb. More 6-9% slopes. My legs were roasted by this stage, so there was a good portion of hike a bike. There were perhaps 6 kids not from our group also on the climb, and they weren't so keen for me to get too far past them. So it was a game of leap frog all the way up. I was cutting it fine however, towards the top, the sun was touching the horizon. I didn't miss the fact that the mountains at sunset are good to see, with the way the shadows moved across the valleys. By the time I reached town, it was beginning to get dark.

I received a very warm welcome. Didier was on the corner beside the flag marking the turnoff to the side street. He said they were almost getting worried. Almost. He then pointed to a bunch of people waving on a balcony of a building a little up a small hill, they were some of the other riders welcoming my arrival at the night's hostel. A nice touch. When I stopped at the hostel, I received a good many congratulations. Colin mentioned to me that sometimes a person should draw a line in the sand, and go for it. It was my day to do that. Not a bad place to do it either, finishing in a place pronounced as "on ya", which for us Australians is short for "good on you". A first full ride of one of the longer and tougher days.

At this point I had the unique occasion of putting my bike in a shed, beside some coffins. Whether they were occupied or not I couldn't be sure, but I didn't smell anything unusual. Before you think it, I didn't stink to mask the smell. The air is very dry, so it's a challenge to get sweaty and smelly. Well, unless you have something that stops the shirt breathing like a backpack, which I carry, but that's a minor detail. It just means any stink I allegedly may or may not have trails behind me, which I can't detect. Much like the vapour trail skunk Pepe le Pew leaves trailing behind him in the cartoons when he hops along.

Finishing off the day, an enjoyable dinner for $2 at a place run by who Malcolm called Ecuador's spice girls. 4 elderly ladies who have run the place since who knows when. Well, I don't know when. This visit by bike dreams however finds there's only 1 of these ladies left. The 3rd of them had passed away 8 days earlier. It was Fred's birthday, so out comes a cake that Kirsten had put together. How she did it whilst on the move like we are each day, I'm quite impressed. Good cake.

Day 9, Loja. Discretion

Another big day. One of the toughest. 110km, with 2471 metres (8100 feet) of climbing.

This time I did listen to advice backed by experience, and sat out the first half of the day. So that made my day roughly 50km and 800 metres of climbing.

The morning starts with 2 large climbs, with subsequent descents. It can play with a person's mind putting all that work into gaining the altitude, only to lose it, then climb it again. Some people tried it the other way round by riding from the beginning, and later found themselves riding the truck into the town, and missing the easier 2nd half of the day. Then of course there's the majority who through various levels of ability made it through the entire day.

Whilst riding in the truck, for the first time I was able to see how each of my fellow riders get along as we passed them, and in what order. The truck also stopped for 15 minutes at a local market, where there's mostly traditional dress of of wearing mostly black, both men and women. They're rather shy and not too keen on photos. People such as Yolande and Malcolm would make great paparazzi photographers, very good at shooting from the hip. Just remember to turn off the flash perhaps?

After a quick lunch, those of us who were in the truck started off. Starting with 10km of downhill. I had to try to stop grinning, as my wide smiling mouth was catching bugs and causing me to slow down from catching all the air. I was in the front! Until the climb that is. Climbing is what makes me the slowest. More specifically that I have to catch my breath. I'm losing around 2 or 3 hours per day in total just in rest stops. Usually between 20 seconds or a minute in length, yet there's many of them. They'll decrease as we continue.

On the final downhill I caught Ilkka from Finland. A quietly spoken and likeable guy. We ride into Loja, and combine our efforts navigating. It worked out well, and didn't find ourselves geographically embarrassed. A nice hotel waiting for us at the end. Of course after storing the bikes, there's soup and this time even brown bread rather than the easier to find white bread. Always a great way to finish off.

So the luxuries in life so far count as

1. Hot showers, usually they're lukewarm or cold
2. Brown bread. Only seen it once so far.
3. Working WiFi in hotels. When there's all of us people trying to use the internet, it usually crashes. Also the closer you are to the WiFi router, the better chances you have in keeping the connection. In the old days people huddled around a fireplace and talked to each other, now people huddle around a WiFi router and chat to the other side of the world.

Rest day in Loja

Wasn't too inclined to explore. Lee, James and myself have established where a good bakery/cafe, and where a good restaurant is with grilled steak and chicken. We did see some other places, but wow were they filthy. Couldn't shake the feeling that there's some unexpected extra flavours to be had in the food there!

On the Sunday night we did walk around a little, but it was a ghost town. Monday morning however, very busy.

Lee and myself did find a place to get the knots massaged out at a health shop. I felt so much better afterwards. Not so sore and tight in the leg muscles. My masseuse mentioned to Lee afterwards she was rather tired. Not surprising after the sudden change my muscles recently had been put through.

So the next few days shall prove interesting. The next day is 96km, yet 2273 metres of climbing, we'll have our first bush camp this week, 7 days of riding until the next rest day, and we also cross the border into Peru. 

Ecuador has been good to us. We've been lucky with the weather having clear days, being able to see the volcanoes rather than just cloud, the friendly people, the food, and already some historical sites. Reading through the well prepared guide we've all received, we have so much more to look forward to.

I'll get back to getting more photos on here as well. Hate to say it, the scenery and the towns are beginning to feel normal! Yet each place has its character.

Day 6 Ingapirca, day 7 Cuenca and resting in Cuenca. First milestone

Day 6, Ingapirca. A bit of fun, tough challenge, and a reward at the end

This day starts with a bit of fun. Wilbert who runs the ride, has a tradition. There is a mascot. Surprise surprise, we have a little toy llama. The idea is the mascot is carried by a rider for the day, then handed over to the next rider who had a story to tell. This particular morning, I was given the llama. Fellow rider Harry said my die hard attitude and constant optimism even though I'm clearly finding it very tough, and much slower than the rest, was worth being chosen for. A nice gesture, a few other of the other riders mentioned I'd earned it. I did appreciate the encouragement, as I have a lot of respect for them.

This day on paper looks relatively short and normal. 71km which is OK, however there's 1979 metres of climbing.

By this stage my legs are sore, and the climbs were long and steep. Everyone found this day tough, so I wasn't the only one.

The scenery began to change to being able to see green valleys below. I found it fascinating to look west towards the coast and see the weather down below. Just like being in a plane, yet there's mountains rising on either side of the road as well.

Hard to see in the glare, but you can just make out that in lower altitude they had a cloudy day

This was another day of consistent 6% climbs, which seems to the the Pan Am highway's bread and butter slope. So once again I found myself walking the steeper parts, and eventually exhausting myself after 36km.

I rang ahead to the lunch truck to see how much further ahead they were, as I was also out of water, and I was told I'd be picked up as there was still some climbing to go, and the wind had picked up which I had noticed. I was not going to argue with that given once again I had no reserve.

So Didier picks me up in the truck, hands over some sandwiches and watermelon and we're off. What a relief. I figure I may have another 2 or 3 weeks of occasionally getting in the truck until I have my full strength up. Apparently it also takes up to 3 weeks for acclimatisation to altitude to reach its peak.

So we all arrive at Ingapirca. Its name derives from the meaning of Inca wall. Yes, there's Inca ruins right beside our hostel. The mutters of how hard the ride was with the strong wind, and the tough roads especially for the last 10km drifted away as everyone began to truly take in their surroundings.

Susana guides us through the ruins, describing the Inca culture with how they were organised, along with their sacrificing of young girls. Sometimes the victim was chosen before birth, and waited to around the age of 16 when there was a call for a sacrifice to stop bad weather, or whatever was troubling them. To grow up knowing that even before you become an adult, your sole purpose in life is to have a sharp hit to the head to please a god...I don't know. Apparently it was an honour to the family, but what a waste of potential, a life not lived.

Looking towards the ruins and the sun. Fitting given the builders were sun worshippers

The craftsmanship of the King's residence of how well the stones fit together was excellent.

Day 7. Cuenca and a revelation

A relatively easy day. 78km scheduled, and 1052 metres of climbing.

Ok, I rode a little further after becoming lost...I mean geographically embarrassed and rode 82km and got to the hotel from the wrong side of the city, but I get ahead of myself.

The morning brought the moment where I had to tell a llama story, and pass our mascot on. Our llama and I had plenty of time to admire the scenery the day before. Watch the farmers work, say hello to the school kids who come racing out while they stare at the bike while I catch my breath (my bike is worth an average Ecuadorian's annual income). But where does the llama go next? There's the story of those poor people in the truck with Richard driving, who took some wrong turns and found themselves heading back the way they came. The llama doesn't want to see the same scenery 3 times. The llama wants to feel the wind in his/her fleece. Speed is what's needed. But who? Jonathan? No. In the previous day, James had a broken pedal, yet still managed to leave a still sick yet still capable Lee behind in the distance. Let's face it, the pedals are a pretty important part of the bike! The llama was impressed, and so was passed to James.

The day starts almost immediately with changing scenery, and a 20km long climb. This time I didn't walk at all. I found part of my technique could use some improvement. By stopping my legs moving to the side at all, and dipping my heels at the bottom of the stroke I found the climbs noticeably easier. Ok, there was a 12% slope right near the beginning where I was walking beside Tamsin while she was pedalling away at the same speed. That made me chuckle. Her only comment, for me get on my bike!

So now I find I can ride the Pan Am's bread and butter 6% slope now. A milestone. I still have to stop to catch my breath, but it's progress!

After reaching over 3500m in altitude (11 500 feet), there was a long, long drop on the other side. Not as fast this time as it was windy already in the morning, so only reached 70km/h, but it just kept dropping, and dropping. Nice.

From lunch onwards was a little more descent, then rolling hills into Cuenca. A rather nice cruise, even though the road was busy and narrow after Azogues. There was a detour that blocked my listed way through, so I just followed the signs to Cuenca. I ended up on a highway that was different to the planned route. and I also entered Cuenca from a different side. I eventually found the hotel.

That's 7 days down, and now a rest day.

Cuenca, rest day and some exploring

After a good rest, I noticed in the morning I've definitely lost weight since leaving home almost 2 weeks ago. Not surprising considering I've burnt roughly 20 000 calories in 1 week according to my bike computer! In reality it will be higher as I haven't been wearing my heart rate monitor, and my heart rate has definitely been up there showing I've been working very hard.

Cuenca has a nicer feel to the place than Quito, and enjoyable to explore on foot.

Once I'd gotten past the usual stalls and shops, and began to truly look at Cuenca, it's a nice place.

Not much to say really beyond a great place to rest, some grand old buildings, some convenient scattering of heladarias (ice cream shops). As always we find places that serve excellent food here in Ecuador. We've been told that will change once in Bolivia...

 

Whilst not being a religious person, this photo does not give this Cuencan church justice.

Religion can inspire great beauty

Day 4 Guamote, and day 5 Chunchi. Progress.

Day 4, Guamote

A relatively short day of only 52km with 809 metres of climbing. 

Working internet seems hard to come by, so for some days when I think back I'm only thinking of the impression from the day, as opposed to all the detail. Which is not what most people would want to read right?

The first climb out of Riobamba was such a pleasant surprise compared to 2 days before. I mentioned earlier that I've had to take some expectorant to get the junk out of my lungs. It has been working. So on the first climb and reaching some riders near the top who were taking photos, my first loud comments were "I can breathe!!!". Don't get me wrong, I'm not about to challenge Cadel Evans. On the slopes that exceed say 4% for a few km's, I'm still having to walk the bike in some parts, and other times stop to catch my breath. At least this time though I didn't burn out and had enough energy to not feel flat.

The scenery had its moments as we could still see Chimborazo, but other than that it was winding road, hills and farms. After some fun downhills of close to 90km/h we arrived in the small town of Guamote.

The hostel was very comfortable, with a fireplace, and good company as all the riders begin to know each other. Lee my roommate, and myself gained one of the few available rooms. I'm guessing between Lee's throwing up during the night before, and my hacking cough, it was better for everyone that we were in one of the rooms rather than the hostel area upstairs. The ceilings had what looked like flattened bamboo. My guess is it's there for insulation. Considering that the building stayed warm all night, it works!

I'll say I'm amongst some great characters. Strong passionate riders, intelligent, good people. I'm very glad to be amongst them until December. Not one bad egg in the group.

Up front as far as speed goes by what I hear, we have double J. James from NZ, and Jonathan from Germany. Babette from the Netherlands is also a very strong climber with plenty of experience.

Harry van der Raad from the Netherlands is another character that can't help be noticed in a good way. We had a Spanish lesson when we were finished for the day. Before Susana had finished getting organised and started, up pops Harry and went through each person getting us to count up to 100. He also had his own family flag flying when we started at Mitad del Mundo.

Richard who is the bike mechanic for the trip was able to fix my back hydraulic brake. Turns out the problem started back in the bike shop back home when it was bled. Some air had gotten in which had made it feel vague, but I wasn't too concerned at the time. But once the bike was taken to higher altitude, those air bubbles expanded, making the brake useless. So while Richard didn't have the proper tools, he was able get it working perfectly. To attach to the system and get all the air out, he used some tubing, some rivets and a syringe. Top marks. Good timing too, I needed that full braking capability the next day.

Day 5, Chunchi

This day was more of a challenge. 81km, with 1377 metres of climbing and some very long and fast downhills.

The temperature was 10C when we left. There was frost overnight. However the temperature went over 30C during the day. Being amongst the mountains, there's this rather good mix of cool dry air, and warm sun. Well, good until the sun disappears. The sun is more intense than at home as well, it's so easy to turn red. Here they sell SPF60 sunscreen, where at home I've only seen that we can get a maximum of SPF30+.

The scenery changed to where we were riding on mountains where we could see the valleys far below. Quite beautiful, and also a reminder not to go into a corner too quick, as I forgot to pack my parachute.

The climbs again exceeded my ability, at times reaching a 9% slope. So once again I'm having to sometimes, stop, take a breath, travel another few hundred metres, and stop again. However, I was rather pleased how I got through the day. I was thinking of day 3 days ago, where we had a similar sort of ride. That time I couldn't make the climb up to the lunch truck. This time I did, and was able to happily continue. Not fast, but I still had energy to burn unlike only a few days ago. Progress is good! My GPS monitor said I burned 4000 calories, if I'd worn the heart monitor with it I'm betting it would have said higher. Add that to what I normally burn to just be living, today I have burned approximately 8000 calories. A few months of this, I'll be a very different person.

The final run down into Chunchi 

Being lost, err, navigating and exploring to the hotel in Chunchi

Gasp! Day 2 Lachuca, and day 3 Riobamba

Day 2 to Lachuca

We left Quito, bound for Lachuca. Getting out of the city wasn't bad despite the traffic. Once out of the main part of the city though it was many km's of up, up, UP!

The climb out left me breathless, both in the change in scenery and physically. I haven't been able to shake the lung infection I was lucky enough to gain before leaving home, and so it has been interfering with my breathing, so at altitude riding becomes a combination of ride a few hundred metres, stop to catch my breath, then cycle again.

After the first climb, there was a magnificent descent where I was passing traffic at a maximum of 76km/h. Really enjoyable, until turning for another climb.

I passed a toll gate, with perhaps 5km of climbing (distance, not altitude) to go until our lunch spot, and just didn't have anything left. No breath, no energy. Thanks to good organisation by Bike Dreams, I had the truck's number to call to check how much further ahead they were. They came back, and picked me up which was a huge relief.

We couldn't stay in the hotel that we were originally intended for in the middle of town, so we were diverted to a brand new hotel a little further from the centre. It was like a big house with many bedrooms. Really comfortable. We were the first people to stay there. I'm kicking myself for not taking a photo of the shower. It had hot water (luxury), with multiple points from where the water came from. Brilliant. When I buy my house, I'm getting one of those showers!

Day 3 to Riobamba

After a night's hacking away coughing, and feeling rather poorly with a rattling chest and headache the next morning, I had to swallow my pride and allow some rest. I was always determined to ride 100% of the trip, and not see the inside of the truck! With the condition I was in, I was better off allowing recovery and hopefully riding the next day, rather than pushing and causing a week to be lost.

The day was no less enjoyable. I went in the truck with Richard who is one of the drivers and mechanic, and Kirsten who knows how to make just the right food for us. They're great characters to hang out with. They had the stereo playing with a mixture of I suppose you'd call it funk with jazz, and some similar music to what I recognise from Ministry of Sound whilst watching the Ecuadorian rural scenery go by. Kirsten pointed out that many houses have unfinished storeys, because if the house is unfinished, then the taxes don't have to be paid. So entire regions of houses all look unfinished.

We stopped at a local market to pick up some fresh food. Oh wow, so many people and smells of fresh fruit and vegetables. From a variety of corn, to things I don't recognise. Ok ok, for those who know me I can hear you laughing your arses off from here. I know nada about food. Zip, zilch, zero, less than bugger all. I also saw guinea pigs for sale (known as cuy), which are eaten. Along with a table full of fried pig's heads. Mmm...mmm!

We continued along up to a maximum altitude of 3610 metres (11843 feet) and saw the Chimborazo volcano. Thanks to the equatorial bulge, the volcano's peak is the furthest distance from the Earth's centre, as  opposed to Mt Everest which has the highest peak above sea level.

Chimborazo volcano, 6310m above sea level (20 702 feet)

After arrival at our hotel in Riobamba, I got some extra sleep along with instruction from Didier, who is the medic for the trip to take in some expectorant, to get all the junk out of my lungs which hopefully allow me to breathe better. This is going to be messy. As long as I get back on the bike and capable of climbing, I'll be happy. Let the splat fest begin.

Day 1, Mitad del mundo. I'm going to have an uphill battle for the first stages. Bad pun I know.

Today was the first of many riding from mitad del mundo (middle of the world), through to fin del mundo (end of the world).

Today was a short day riding a return trip of 54km, starting and finishing at the hotel we've been staying at for the last few days in Quito.

The weather was near perfect for riding, and quite beautiful.

We left the hotel at 9am and rode to mitad del mundo, which is the place where the equator passes through. The ride there was easy and downhill. We even had a police escort for the most part, which made life immensely easier getting through the traffic.

Roughly half way through, we then had a steady decent, dropping roughly 500m. I was constantly on the brakes just to maintain 55km/h behind the police car and our lead rider Rob, who is part of the Bike Dreams crew.



There was a cheeky uphill at the final part before arriving at our destination, and that's when the rest of the riders all went cruising past me. At present I carrying more weight than I should be, and haven't been able to train anywhere near as often as I would have liked. On the way up I see a fellow rider Adrian (and he's also one of the few riding dual suspension like myself). He's sitting in the shade, having a rest. Turns out he was quite unwell from an illness he gained a few days ago, and the ride out didn't do him any favours. He later went to hospital for a drip and observation. So on day 1, we already have someone in hospital!


Along the way I also noticed I had to keep pumping my back brake for it to work (it's hydraulic). On the return trip it failed altogether leaving only front brakes.

On arrival, we all find ourselves a place to leave our bikes together and grab some cold drinks and relax before the moment when the start of the ride is announced, have some photos taken, and the traditional pumping up a bike tube until it explodes is done.

Straddling the northern and southern hemisphere

The group, a great bunch of people

All faster than me uphill currently!

After lunch courtesy of one of the trucks, we head back to the hotel. Roughly 13km of climbing at gradients of between 6-8%. To put that into perspective, the trucks climbed passed me in low gear, you'll see steep hill signs at around 10%.  Again the other riders drift off in front of me, and I have to say I went into the climb too enthusiastically, too early, and burnt myself out. It's a long climb, at altitude, and between the bike, me and my pack containing water, I'm hauling perhaps 125kg uphill. My legs have the strength at least! The result was a racing heart rate which I had real trouble bringing down. It got to the point where every few 100 metres I had to stop to get my breath. Not helped by the buses and trucks that really belch out some nasty black smoke, straight out the side to the ground. Thick enough to chew. By this stage, our lunch truck had finished packing and was on the way back, and they pulled over to see how I was going. I went to stop behind them, and being too exhausted to unclip from a pedal in time, I tipped to my side. I have this technique perfected, and so not even a scratch. I told them I was exhausted, but otherwise ok and I'll see them at the end.

Once the climb was out of the way however, it was a very nice cruise back to the hotel, mostly flat, or very gently downhill. No police escort this time, so got to ride with the traffic a little bit. These drivers are FAR better than Sydney drivers around bikes.

On arrival at the hotel...oh how good is this. Bowls of soup, fruit salad and cookies. They were GOOD. Whoever thought of that is pure genius. Not too heavy, but enough to take the edge off.

So today was relatively short, but today showed that on these longer climbs, I have no choice to go for an easier tempo and lesser effort on the climbs to be able to last through the next one, and the next one. Back in Australia the climbs are far shorter, and I can blast up the hills, with little regard for what's left in reserve. Not the case here.

Tomorrow brings a full distance day of close to 100km, taking us out of Quito. Time to see new places!

Acclimatisation and diving into the cultural deep end

I'm at the point where I'm in Quito, and getting used to the near 10000 feet or 3000m altitude. I noticed when walking to a bike shop (10km round trip) to buy some tyres, I was a little breathless and a mild headache. Although I left Australia with a mild chest infection.

Being in Quito which is the capital of Ecuador (but not the largest city), I've been surprised about how few people from other cultures are here, after being amongst Sydney for so long. So I fear I do look like a tourist, with little chance of blending in.

The people here are friendly, and thankfully accommodating with my weak skills speaking Spanish. I'm learning from them as I go. There is the occasional person who can speak English. I'm glad for the course I did last year to get by with the essentials. The company that has organised this ride has offered some more short sessions to learn more Spanish before we start riding.

The view from the hotel in Quito. Real mountains!

A better view of the mountains beside Quito. 

Note the houses going up the mountain on the top left of the photo. Steep place to live!

I've noticed when I visit places, I think of a chaos scale. Watch how people drive on the roads, how uneven the footpaths are, how many and how pushy are the beggars, how obvious is poverty.

The first, and so far very limited impression I've gotten is Quito is,

• It's not as congested as Sydney
• Getting around on foot, cars do seem to at least respect traffic lights most of the time. Indicating a lane change doesn't happen, but they may indicate when they're turning. Crossing roads can be deceiving. There are zebra crossings, but if there's a green traffic light showing traffic to cross your path, best wait. It's only on the smaller side streets without traffic lights do cars seem to stop to avoid pedestrians, although I'm not counting on it!
• Not run with the efficiency and planning like what I've seen in parts of Europe, it certainly feels more predictable and safer than say Jakarta Indonesia or Cairo Egypt (I had some close calls in Cairo).  It's somewhere in the middle.
• I haven't had people chase to sell me something, or feel that I've gotten someone's interest just for passing by.
• The storm water drains have a slight whiff of sewerage, watch your step as there's crumbling concrete and the occasional uncovered hole in the paths.
• There are some grand older buildings here, and some newer buildings with much imagination in their design. Although I've seen that some of even the newer buildings are in need of repair.

The schedule