COOKING AND BRAAAAPING AROUND THE WORLD: CUZCO TO PUNO

5/4-5/2012

After all the stairs my knees were f#$%&%, so I took a few days off recovered and worked on my RR and blog. Met a few nice people and just relaxed got ready to shoot for Bolivia. Nothing too crazy met up a few times with friends for beer but other than that took it very low-key.

5/6/2012

I packed up the bike and while doing so was talking with two brothers from Argentina but were ski instructors in Aspen. The hostel worker didn’t feeling like getting the ramp out so with a little help from the brothers we dragged it down a few stairs and out into the street. I headed off for Puno on Lake Titicaca. I was coming up onto a town and there was a collectivo van on the other side should right as was about to pass it. They pulled out flipping a U turn in front of me, SHIT!!! I held the horn and slammed through gears and then last resort had to lock up the back I slid all the way to the car and my front tire was basically touching the car. I was straight puckered cannot believe how close that was, and how he did not even take a second to look. I rode up to his window and he sheepishly waved and said sorry. I was still puckered when I rode off.

I was coming through a town when I saw a truck pulling two bikes, and 5 other bikes outside a building with a few people I got excited and honked the horn. They waved and I went on my way. A little bit later I pulled over at a gas station to check my oil level and top it off when a Yamaha Terrene 660 pulled up. We started talking his name is Roger Pattison and he runs Aero Stitch Tours www.aerostitchtours.com, while we were talking another 4 other riders pulled up and we chatted for a few minutes and exchanged our business card (I don’t have cards but stickers). Well they took off and a few km down the road I was able to catch up with them and rode for about 50-60km with them which was very nice to ride with a few other people. They pulled off to wait for their chase vehicle and I headed into town starving. After getting lost and turned around I found a hostel with parking, private room, for a whopping 7bucks. I went and found food before getting out of my riding gear. When I got back Roger had already emailed me asking if I wanted to join his group for dinner. I wrote back saying I had already eaten but would love to sit and have a few beers. So I walked to their hotel and met Roger and 5 other riders. There was a couple, Roger, a rad adventure rider who has done an RTW from Seattle, and another rider from North Carolina. They couldn’t be nicer we traded stories and talked about our adventures. We stayed for awhile just sitting around talking which was awesome for me. It is so nice to talk to other bikers who get what you’re doing there is nothing to explain they understand what pushes you to get on your bike and go for it. It was nice and a very well needed experience. Just a great night out meeting new people.

I was riding at 4000meters and all of a sudden today the bike started to feel and act strangely. Hitting high revs quickly, shifting strangely, and just not feeling right at all when I let off the gas. Although I am pretty sure it is the altitude, this is the first time I have stayed at high altitudes for a long period of time. I am going to change the oil tomorrow morning before heading off for Bolivia; I am only two hours away and have to make a decision on which border to cross.