COOKING AND BRAAAAPING AROUND THE WORLD: THROUGH THE ANDES I GO

DAY-172

4/22/2012

I woke up around 6am due to a bunkmate leaving for a trek at 5am. I walked to a famous café place, where they had awesome maps of the park and the Andes. I hung out checking out the maps, drinking coffee, and eating a breakfast burrito. I walked around for awhile until I headed back to the hostel to work on my RR and Blog. I met a nice guy from Santa Cruz; Jay, who had been in Ecuador for the past 4 months working for a nonprofit. He is an organic farmer from California. I worked on my bike went over it checking for anything loose as well as check my air filter and got my back up ready to go. We went out with a dad Neil from Bellingham, WA, he was a teacher and they had been living down here for the past 4 months. He took us to a local brewery that was started and ran by a guy from Steamboat, CO. It was defiantly the best beer I have had since leaving Colorado, nice to drink a beer with flavor. We then split up, Jay and I headed for some dinner, we found a little pizza place. While we were eating a young couple sat down and we started talking with them. They were Crested Butte’s enemies, ASPENITES!! No no they were very very nice and we talked for awhile they were here to climb but all of their gear and luggage was lost on the way down, so they were waiting.

DAY-173

4/23/2012

I quickly packed up my gear and then walked down the street for some coffee and breakfast. I headed out of town with a quick gas up and was making great time; I missed my turn but flipped a Uie and headed right back. I headed down a dirt road headed for the park; I arrived and paid my 5 Sol entrance fee. I was sitting at the edge of the park peering into the Cordilleras Blanca Mountain range which is the second largest highest mountains range in the world behind the Himalayas. There are 22 summits over 6,000 meters, and I was about to cross right through them. I headed into the park; I was having a blast ripping through the park. I stopped took a picture and the bike was looking good, I was about 20km from the park entrance when I glanced down and my speedometer was not working. Crap, I stopped at the top of a set of switchbacks and my speedometer cable had come loose and the inner cable fell out somewhere. Crap Crap Crap, I headed back slowly looking along the way no luck there and back. Oh well I can deal without knowing how fast I am going but not knowing mileage is going to be tricky not to run out of gas. So I will try and find one in the next town or at least will have some luck in Cuzco, still if I am having no luck I will get Mikey to bring it to Bolivia.

Well after knowing that it was gone it was time to rip rip rip up the Andes. I headed up into the Andes rising in altitude quickly; ripping passed the huge Andes towering over the road. The road just kept going up, I defiantly felt it strongly. I was around 16,000ft at one time, it was amazing to be that surround by massive mountains, defiantly reminded me of the Himalayas in Nepal. There were lakes everywhere, the views were incredible. I came upon a huge glacier just sitting over the road just waiting to avalanche on my head. I never saw another vehicle once I got past the hiking area. I spent 2 hours just throwing around the heavy animal through the Andes. The road itself was very bumpy, washed out at spots, rivers, mud, and whole lot of fun! It just kept going up, it would dip down for a second let me catch my breath and then back up again I went. Massive drop offs while hugging massive mountains, the feeling of riding through there are indescribable something you just have to experience.

I dumped out onto a paved road, and couldn’t figure out which way to go so I guessed (and was wrong woops). Quick 10 minute detour and I was back on track. I stopped at the top of this pass and it was an awesome picture of the twistiest road with switch backs after switch backs. I was stoked I started heading down and about 3 hours later I was still doing gnarly switch backs well over 300 switch backs from 4,000 meter down finally to like 2,000 meters. The road got super narrow, when I say narrow I mean it fits one bike and a car, one car, one truck, one bus, add a bike with the truck or bus and you got a tight squeeze. I had a couple of very close calls; the turns were so dangerous at times. You had a huge drop off on one side and cars trying to kill you from the other. The blind turns everyone gives a honk to give a heads up to oncoming traffic. I finally made it down and headed for Huánuco. All day I was getting chased and attack attempts by dogs, I was swerving donkeys, bulls, cows, chickens, pigs, goats, sheep, and so on. I was heading through a town when a goat jumped from the pack and I just missed him, I somehow missed the head of a bull by hairs, a huge chicken was crossing the road I went left and all of a sudden I was dealing with a dog chasing me when the chicken flipped a Uie and I hit him…. Lots of squawking.

I passed a police check point, no other cars pulled over, two cops in the back seat one standing watching me, and one more standing in front of his car back to me. Right as I passed he turned around and blew his whistle for me to stop, sorry to late already passed you and I kept on moving. I watched them in the mirror nothing, they just stood there watching me leave.

I was a little lost but figured it out and found the place I was looking for. They moved some furniture and I pulled the bike in, but they wanted me to take the Panniers off to get it further into the hostel. It’s a pain for me to do so, so I said no. There was a guy with tons of jokes that was driving me crazy asking tons of questions, usually not a big deal but I was exhausted and starving. They sent me down a few doors to a family where they let me park it inside their house next to their 125cc bike.

I found a slamming local spot for a great dinner of rice, grilled chicken, and veggies for 5 sols, so awesome. I am now going to go to bed and go again tomorrow.. Cuzco here I come, get to see Wyley a friend from way back and he is also bringing me my new Canon S100, a lot better quality pics to come.

Quick story that I forgot some reason I didn’t write about a few days ago. I was riding up to a small town and I could see people running frantically and jumping up on top of a truck and just trying to get out of the way. I slowed down as I got close to the action and then I realized they were all trying to get away from a pissed off bull. The bull was running around chasing people while they were helplessly trying to catch it. He was on the far left side of the road so I made a decision and pinned it as I did he came running across the road at me and a group of people standing on the far right of the road. I twisted the throttle and swerved right toward the group of people and around the Bull with a holler I was out and safe.