Derek Jennings
Feeling On Top Of The World

Experience an account of 50 days on a bicycle over the Andes from Lima to Rio de Janeiro

Sunday 4th October
Pampas

We both had a fair nights rest and rose at 6am. Martin is better and knowing that the next stage is not expected to have any place to rest or eat we stocked up on food and drink and decided to make our way to Ayacucho. The road out of town was rough, but within a short while improved to a hard packed sandy surfaces at the edges and climbed around the mountains with spectacular views. But it was hairaising! to say the least, ascending and descending and riding on the edge of precipitous chasms. Changeable weather saw us riding in and out of sun and cloud and the experience of emerging from cloud formations to be confronted by these mountainous panoramic views was terrific! We lunched at the roadside on eggs, bananas, and bread, and rode all day without coming across any sign of habitation. We must have covered about 80km today at an altitude of 4,000-4,500 metres and finally reached a mountain top community.

When looking for a place to camp I was given a push to the top by children running to greet me. Martin had already arrived and spoken to them. Incredibly there was a restaurant here named the “Camino del Inca” so we can eat! We were made so welcome and can stay the night. Everything we do is to an audience and while we ate we gave all the children an English lesson. We are writing our diaries now in the dark restaurant by the light of our battery lamps, still surrounded by children. In the morning if this is unintelligable I shall know why – I’m finding it very difficult to concentrate! So far this evening I’ve consumed a “plato de tallerin con heuvos” and a cup of comomile tea and finished off with a cup of coffee. This really is living among the people, who seem to enjoy it. Martin is marvellous, he is making the communication really work and now he is getting a lesson from the children in QUECHUA (KE-CHOO-U). It is the Indian language spoken here.

We have just found out that the Lima car rally we’ve heard spoken about these past few days is en route from Huancayo – Ayacucho and comes through here tomorrow and the roads are closed all the morning. So it doesn’t look as if we’re going to get a very early start tomorrow.

Monday 5th October
Camino del Inca

Slept on hard chairs in the restaurant all night and was very cold. Rose at 5.45am and was immediately greeted by the owners children who wanted us to give them another English lesson over breakfast (egg and chips). After packing and the usual goodbyes we decided to get going despite the rally. We set out in low clouds, so low we were in amongst them, climbing and descending for a couple of hours and then a climb so steep and over a rock strewn road, it was the worst yet! The rally seems to be expected at any time and on a steep hairpin the TV camera was set up and the crew asked Martin to give an interview.

We set off again and climbed painfully, and soon after reaching the summit the rally cars came. We stopped and ate but after 25 minutes set off again, stopping whenever we heard the roar of a car engine. The mountainsides were scattered with hill farming families watching the rally, which meant we had to ride through them, some not too friendly (throwing stones and mud). The road was rutted, potholed, and rock strewn, the only blessing was that it was dry.

At 1.30 we reached Churcampa. I arrived first, and was directed to leave the road by a policeman. When Martin joined me, he was told the same. The race calmed and we attempted to proceed but was again stopped, this time our passports were confiscated. The Commandant appeared on the scene and our passports were handed to him! All this by the way was conducted surrounded by the usual spectators who took great delight in it all and forgetting all about the rally they’d come to watch. We told the policeman we’d go and eat and the Commandant said he would return our passport in an hour!

The afternoon was spent descending rock strewn tortuous roads, sometimes down hairaising steep hairpins, all at walking speed! At one time whilst being followed by a group of kids my Union Jack flag was torn from the back of the bike. Reached Maroc at 5 o’clock, just as it started to rain! We sheltered in a restaurant alongside the police station in the hope of staying the night. The restaurant lady then took us across the road to an empty shop, let us in and said we could stay the night there. We slept on a dirt floor, not before we’d been serenaded by a group of children in the restaurant!

Tuesday 6th October
Maroc

It rained during the night, turning the roads muddy, no breakfast available in the village, so left at 7.30am after buying a few oranges and bananas. The children were around again, chewing large pieces of sugar cane. The morning was sunny and crystal clear, and the first kilometres were along a river valley abounding with cactii and then giving way to more vegetation. Quite humid and the smell was glorious! The roads were a muddy red and Martin was having bike trouble again. By 10.30 we’d reached Juanta and had covered 30km but the road had got increasingly difficult, lots of loose gravel and very bumpy. But we could eat here even if it was only egg and chips!

We left at midday and attempted to do another 40km or more to Ayacucho. After a couple of hours through Utah type country Martin spotted a paved road below us, was it too much to hope that we were going to pick it up?! Well we did and for 15kms into Ayacucho it was the first bit of paved road we’d had for four days. Now having reached Ayacucho there’s going to be a few more “firsts” I’ve cleaned my teeth for the first time, had my first wash for two days and last night was the first time I’d had my clothes off for two days, mainly because it was decidedly warmer that night.

Luckily we’ve found shelter in the Hostal Central tonight so after a wash and a brush-up and bike maintenance – we done the town!! which is quite interesting. It is a Plaza with a central garden and statue surrounded by galleried buildings with shops underneath. Very old and dusty. We visited one or two cafes but steered clear of the souvenirs, it all seemed much too expensive. The town attracted visitors and even had a small modern airport. We met a Dutchman this morning doing an irrigation study along the valley.

Wednesday 7th October
Ayacucho

Before leaving Ayacucho we stocked up on provisions, posted cards to Stan and Charlie, found a breakfast of rolls, coffee, fruit juice and cake then I changed a cheque. Yet another performance! I had to get a copy of two pages of my passport and wait in a slow queue again! We never got away until 10am. I got the money in 1,000sol notes because if you tender anything larger they can never change it in the country districts, and you should see the state of the notes!!

Todays journey headed towards Abancay and from 2,750m the first 45km rose to 4,200m. It took us until 4.30 to reach the summit on a loose gravel and rocky road, no place to obtain a drink so we stopped just a couple of times to eat the food we carried. Very hard going to the summit, I was exhausted, but there was a restaurant. So, it was Huevos (eggs) and arroz (rice) and Inca Cola and in an hour we left to ride along a slightly improved road until dusk. Didn’t come across a place to shelter, so we camped and were lucky to find a suitable spot at this altitude! The last hours riding was amongst spectacular views of distant mountain ranges and approaching storms. We didn’t get them, but for the first time we used our tent and it was very good, we were able to eat and get a good nights rest and wait until morning. Yet another day overcome, different again, as all the others have been.

Thursday 8th October
Somewhere in the ANDES ? ?

Under overcast skies on the ANDES moors it was breakfast on sardines and bread. Took photographs and packed camp and was away on a fairly good road ascending and descending until after an hour or more the rain came. It took another hour before the road was reduced to a state of red muddy clay! By 1.30 we reached Ocros in which time I had fallen three times in the mud. The rear carrier broke in one of those falls and I limped into Ocros a filthy, wet, and sorry sight! So, it was no further today, we had covered 50km.

We spent the afternoon eating in a noisy restaurant, and then on a verandah of a nearby grocery shop cleaning up, bags, clothes, and bikes. The bikes went under the only village water stand pipe to wash off all the mud and we hung around the grocery store until dusk. I had repaired my rack and a rear tyre that had a slight cut, and we were very wet and cold. Over at the restaurant for supper in the dark (no lighting) two Civil Guards sat at our table and we were invited to sleep in their quarters at the police station next door. What a bit of luck!!

Friday 9th October
Ocros

I had a restless night worrying about the rack, I was not happy with the repair, but did not know what else I could do. The morning was fine and sunny which helped. So it was farewell to the police and 8km down the road was a restaurant for breakfast. The remainder of the day was spent descending to the Rio Pampas down rocky and loose gravel roads, quite dangerous and such slow going, hardly walking speed. The rocks were so big and we had to ride over every one, there was no way of missing them. The 10-15km along the valley was quite tropical, banana trees, parrots, and cactus trees and then rising from the river to Chincheros, these bumpy roads came again and I got slower and slower!

Upon reaching the prosperous looking town I was utterly exhausted having covered 60km. Another tumble today caused my rack to break again but as long as it doesn’t lean sideways and rub on the wheel I might get away with it. I have now eaten arroz con chaufo y papas and drunk three cups of tea and am feeling better. Martin has trouble with his saddle frame, which has cracked, and we’re not sure if a satisfactory repair can be done? We camped outside a hospital, a beautiful warm night, warm enough to wash in a nearby stream by moonlight. And boy! do we need it, after a day in the saddle along this route the dust gets everywhere! There’s not a hope of looking clean! My clothes are mud stained, sweaty, and dirty but have to be worn again and again. I don’t think I’ve ever been so dirty and not been able to do anything about it.

Saturday 10th October
Chincheros

Rose at 6.30 to a beautiful sunny day and returned to Chincheros for breakfast. Last night as we approached the town nestled in the hills it looked absolutely delightful, it even has street lights! This morning and part of the afternoon we ascended to 4,100m heading towards snow capped peaks in the distance. A hard ride over the usual rocky roads. Early on we had seen flocks of parrots on the wing and had to discard our top clothes it was very warm. We both look a bit moth eaten!, it was only yesterday that the mosquito’s were a bit troublesome, and we got bitten on both legs and arms. What with the bruises and abrasions, sunburn skinning, and now the bites, I feel the old body is taking a bit of a bashing. (haven’t had a shave for two weeks!).

On to the summit now after a picnic lunch, and near the top took photos of flowering cacti. Descending to Andahuaylas on a better road led us over tortuous hairpin bends again with the road snaking down to alarming depths. A village holding a fete, seen from above as we descended were quite a colourful sight. We stopped for a quick Coke and bananas and as usual were surrounded by the usual inquisitive people. Had to show our passports at a police check on the outskirts (this is now becoming quite common). The town of Andahuaylas also looks delightful from the road above (I took a picture) with its colourful roofs, but when you enter the town it’s a different picture! The bumpy, dusty, old streets lead to the Plaza which is surrounded by shops, church, and cinema. In the centre is a clock tower. But everything is so old and doesn’t look as if it has ever been maintained. In fact this place looks as if it could collapse at any time!.

Tonight we’ve managed to get a bed in the Pan Americana Hotel 500 soles each (no water again until morning!) It is now dark, we’ve eaten in a restaurant? and from our room we’re being entertained by the sounds emitting from the cinema and resounding over the whole town square. These Peruvians! they do love a bit of noise!! Today my rack held up OK and Martin’s saddle repair has got him this far. (I wonder how West Ham United got on?).

Sunday 11th October
Andahuaylas

The church bell rung out over the Plaza at 5.30am and we rose about 6. Martin boiled eggs to take with us, as the hotel now has water. A breakfast of egg rolls and cafe con leche and we were away. To our surprise we’ve found we haven’t stayed in Andahuaylas! this is Talavera and Andahuaylas is 6km further on!!

We rode to Andahuaylas on a paved road, it was a large town with a Sunday market, and the pave continued another 4km. We stopped for a Cola and the rest of the morning was spent climbing to 4,000m again, along a sandy and rocky road. The brilliance of the sun reflecting on the sand was dazzling at times. We did not come across any other place to drink all day and at about 4.15 a thunderstorm came and we found a mountaintop rest house where we decided to camp outside as we had already covered 80km. It was far enough today! (not worth going on to get a soaking). Martin cooked macaroni and beans and we settled down for the night. The evening was quite cold with cloud covering the mountains, but we’re warm enough in the tent. The sun screen we carry is a necessity at these high altitudes but Martin needs lip salve which we do not have.