We´ve pedalled (and bussed a bit - shh!) from Chachapoyas to Cajamarca over five days and are now in the Northern Highlands. The highlight of the leg was from the River Utcubamba to the (big) River Maranon - an Amazon tributary. There was a six-hour climb to a pass at 3700m (Clive was puffing here) then, after a night camped at a local´s ´farm´, a massive 50km descent into the huge valley. Next destination: Huamachuco.
Thought an overview of a typical day in the saddle might be interesting, so here goes: Life starts early in the Andes, with the cockerels crowing hard by 5am and the locals up and about by 6am, so there isn´t much of a lie-in. We´re normally on the road by 9, ´road´ being a dirt affair of graded stones and grit. The main factor each day is not the distance along, but the amount of climbing involved, as one big ascent becomes the dominant feature of the day - 1500m is our limit. Hopefully we pass a ´restaurant´ sometime for lunch (chicken and rice are the recurring staples), then it´s more pedalling and a lookout for accommodation by 4pm (as being near the Equator it gets dark early and quickly at 6.30pm). Overnight is a hospedaje, typically simple but serviceable places, then more food (cycling makes you very hungry). Yes, it is demanding, but the scenery has been generally impressive, sometimes spectacular, and a bicycle soon breaks down barriers with locals and really allows you to see, hear and smell a country up close.
Thought an overview of a typical day in the saddle might be interesting, so here goes: Life starts early in the Andes, with the cockerels crowing hard by 5am and the locals up and about by 6am, so there isn´t much of a lie-in. We´re normally on the road by 9, ´road´ being a dirt affair of graded stones and grit. The main factor each day is not the distance along, but the amount of climbing involved, as one big ascent becomes the dominant feature of the day - 1500m is our limit. Hopefully we pass a ´restaurant´ sometime for lunch (chicken and rice are the recurring staples), then it´s more pedalling and a lookout for accommodation by 4pm (as being near the Equator it gets dark early and quickly at 6.30pm). Overnight is a hospedaje, typically simple but serviceable places, then more food (cycling makes you very hungry). Yes, it is demanding, but the scenery has been generally impressive, sometimes spectacular, and a bicycle soon breaks down barriers with locals and really allows you to see, hear and smell a country up close.
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