Riding toYanque/ Chivay Region

Woke up this morning so excited to head east off towards the Colca Canyon. Slept awesome after watching a beautiful sunset over towards the volcano view from my room and had another fun evening with the tour guides Edu and Alain and Robert (the other rider). The food here has been so awesome and the restaurant view was over the Plaza de Armas (town center) such a spectacular sight at night with all the lights.

I love riding so this morning I was ready to go! Breakfast with the guys included having Hermann making fresh biscuits and hand squeezed orange juice. He was so quiet this morning with a twinkle in his eye serving me fresh orange juice. Boy, am I getting spoiled!  Unfortunately it was Roberts turn to come down with an intestinal plaque... poor guy! After packing up bikes and waiting for Robert to gain his composure, we are off for a wild ride thru town traffic in this early morn. Edu warned us to stay close to him so we would not separate bikes. OMG ! I was sorry my Go Pro was not recording!! Three lane crazy traffic with at least 6 cars in the lanes driving like mad men. No traffic rules here! I loved every minute... I was glued to Edu so cars would not drive in between us... thank goodness for my California bike riding experience! I laughed the entire time.... we pulled off for gas just outside of town and to let Alain catch up to us...

Waiting for guides to figure things out at least gave Robert an opportunity to recoup. Never found Alain, he has the support truck, so we headed off down the road to Colca Canyon region.
We rode for hours, climbing higher in elevation. Beautiful scenery looking very similar to areas I have ridden thru. Sweeping curvy roads, mountains and desert looking terrain. As we climbed up in elevation we started seeing llamas, alpacas, and sheep herds.

Stopping along the way to rest, we never came across Alain and the support vehicle... scrounching thru our bags for water and snacks and wishing I had stashed a few of those biscuits in my pockets!  Robert was feeling really bad at this time, a combination of no breakfast and high elevation. He just about passed out off his bike, yikes! Just wanting to ride on, Robert took off on his bike. Eduardo sent me off after him while he turned around to look for his lost gloves. I rode on what seemed like for hours (I am sure it wasn't) but enjoying every minute because I felt like a lone rider out on her adventure... lol...  I never caught up to Robert and started getting worried so I pulled over to the side to allow Edu hopeful to catch up. After waiting for awhile I started thinking perhaps I took a wrong turn ???  Haha! So I turned around and started heading back the other direction...

 Soon Edu passes me by waving away with no concern that I was heading the wrong direction...sheesh.. after braving another u turn, I headed off behind him!
We stopped at another pass measuring at an elevation of somewhere around 15,000 feet above sea level. Beautiful lake views and clear skis ahead we moved on towards Chivay.

 

Somewhere along this route, I haven't a clue where I am, we came across a road crew that told us the road ahead was close to traffic. Rats! We now have to turn around and ride back the opposite direction. Its now late and the weather is changing rapidly and we are low on gas... lol.   Gassing up at one of the towns, we bundled up to ride into a rain/snow storm. Thought I was back in Alaska riding...

Arequipa

Arequipa is Peru's second largest city, lying at more than 7,550 Ft above sea level at the foot of the dormant cone of Misti Volcano, which reaches an elevation of 19,098 ft. This is winter season for Peru, however I am finding the temperature perfect! Most tourist travel here in February for the summer season after the rainy season, if they receive any.  I can't even image experiencing those warm temperatures.

Beautiful old city, bustling plaza in the center of the city. Great place to people watch and laugh at the children teasing the hundreds of pigeons.

My tourist excursion today was to visit the Santa Catalina Convent opened to the public in 1970 after 4  centuries of mystery.It housed approx.. 450 nuns at one time, living completely in seclusion. Amazing stone architecture and simplicity .

There are still a few nuns (21) residing in a secluded section in the far back of the walled colonial town nestled in the heart of Arequipa.

Our hotel is also quite charming and it  is a popular place for other travelers from all over the world.
The Las Mercedes...

The volcano views from my hotel balcony window.

Tomorrow morning off to Chivay and riding thru the Cola Canyon. Northwest of Arequipa, it is more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, however not as vertical as the Grand Canyon. Home of the mighty Condors. Sounds like awesome motorbike riding roads again!   Time to try the Go Pro video...

Nazca to Puerto Inka

Been off the grid for a few days... sorry for the delay in travel photos! I don't know where to start, its been so incredible!  Traveling from Lima, I was grateful to be in a motorcar. Traffic on the Pan-American highway is crazy! We followed the coastline thru small towns, very congested with people and vehicles. Its so humbling traveling here, it appears like the people's only concerns are how to survive another day, yet very friendly to new faces.

Arriving in Nazca at the hotel was quite a surprise. After hours of dry, dusty roads and vegetation starving for water the hotel was like an oasis in the middle of the desert.

The hotel originated as a convent, that was then turned into a hotel. There were museum quality artifacts collected by the families that depicted Peruvian history. Beautiful ancient trees, bougainvillea vines that had trunks as large as trees. Exotic birds, a llama and small guanaco milling around the lawn. One of our guides, Alain has made a new friend!

This "tree" is a portulaca tree which is common in Florida typically grown as a bush... one of my mothers favorite plants..

Next morning off to Nazca to fly over the Nazca lines discovered around 1920's even though it is believed they were created between 400 and 650 AD by the Nazca culture. They are a series of ancient geoglyphs in the shapes of animals and lines: monkeys, hummingbirds, spiders, fish, and a figure called "the alien"..

More to come....!  Afternoon ride on motorbikes.... Finally!!!

Ride to Arequipa

Woke up this morning plagued with the dreaded upset GI tract.... ugh... not going to be fun on a motorbike!  So much for the fresh fish..so I thought but others that ate it were fine.. Traded a Bandaid for Imodium with Bob, lol....

Most amazing ride 250 miles up and around mountains, sand dunes, steep elevations, twisty roads, dodging rocks on the roads, huge diesel trucks, cars, sea fog.... anything goes on these roads! Just be safe!  Trucks pass on the right, they pass on curves, they are everywhere. Always a surprise around the corner! It was so much fun, I felt like I was in a video game. Please do not worry family, I am actually pretty good at this style of riding.... lol.

 Note the huge sand dune behind us....

 

Completing the day in Arequipa with coffee at the next hotel... Las Mercedes

Bob, Eduardo, Alain

Puerto Inka

I have to say, it is nice not to worry about time and have someone else figure out the traveling details. There is so much planning for a major trip like this in a foreign country. Organizing visas, permits, money, hotels and I am thankful and appreciative to the hosting company I choose to take this adventure with... Compass Expeditions.  And I applaud my other motorbike friends at home for challenging this on your own. I love to do it myself but this is huge,  It is part of the adventure and journey and can be stressful,  Hopefully Lifetime friendships are made with your traveling companions! 

Off to Puerto Inca, a short ride down the coast. In and out of sea fog/mist in the mountains... beautiful cool ride. Almost missing the turn off the highway, again I am pleasantly surprised by the cute little places nestled off the road... a small beach cabaña style hotel with rooms and a great place hosting backpackers or campers tight on the waters edge.

and of course, another archeological ruin recently discovered just over the hill...

 

 

 

Finished the day out with excellent stories from our guides, fresh fish and of course, Pisco sours!

 

and falling asleep to crashing waves... 

Riding Nazca Region

After flight, lunch and siesta we became acquainted with the motorbikes. Thank goodness I brought my own custom seat! The bike is a 700 gs, looks similar to my bike, however its a wee bit taller than my f650gs, so my custom seat gave me at least a 1/2 inch lower in height!! I am accustom to riding my bike trippy- toed but I am really stretching it here... of course the guides are laughing at my stretch... I'm not too worry though, my riding is good!

We left the compound and headed out into the sandy, rocky, gravelly roads around Nazca to see the archeological ruins that were recently discovered..(within the past 10 yrs).  Amazing terrains, and its the local peoples roads!

That's Bob from Las Vegas... the other rider.

Thank goodness for my desert experience in riding on rough terrain! It was a great time to get acquainted to the bike... not tricked out like my girl, however I am very familiar with how they handle. Poor Bob rides an Aprilia in Vegas on the road so new experience for him!

We passed old cemeteries out in the middle of nowhere. I found it very puzzling.. no homesites around and very far from town. It would be interesting to know why they chose out there... 

It was quite warm at this time of the day and I was thankful for having my vented gear for riding..
Next stop was a new archeological ruin that was discovered by an Italian hiker some 10 years ago... the shifting sand unearth this old city. Students of archeology from all over the world are coming here to assist the Peruvians in recording the find. It will be fun to follow in the future as they unearth the remaining city knowing I saw the ruins in the early stages of discovery.

Last ride for the day was to another archeological site another cemetery with mummified people....

Rode back to hotel after dark, in a strange environment, new roads and memories exploding in my head.  It was awesome!  I am feeling very grateful at this moment...