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...

Lima-Peru

Spent the day touring a little more of the city. Todays treat was the Museo Larco.  If one wants to see only one museum, this is it. Nice history of the various regions of Peru and its inhabitants. As we travel on the motorbikes it will give me a better understanding of the local people.

 

 

The most interesting section included a description of what was called "Peru: The Cradle of Civilization". The following map shows the six regions of the world where the first civilizations emerged independently, uninfluenced by other societies, also known as the "cradles of civilization".

 

 



 

 



There was an interesting separate exhibit, thank goodness due to all the school children, that showed how important fertility was the local ancient Peruvians. Not so much for reproduction but to fertilize the earth for future prosperity.

 

 

 

Ended the day with an excellent seafood dinner and Piscos with guide Alain in a quaint park quite festive with local families and street vendors. The parks here like most Hispanic towns, is the center meeting place for relaxing in the evenings. This particular park was full of cats! They were lounging around, chasing each other playfully, enjoying the children petting them. It was the neatest thing to see! Fat and sassy, not your typical starving abandoned cats. 

 

Off to enjoy my last day in the city... still haven't met the other rider.... tomorrow Nazca Lines via an airplane!! 

 

 

Lima, Peru

Another awesome day in Lima, Peru! I am amazed at myself how comfortable I feel traveling so far by myself in a foreign country.  of course this district Miraflores is suppose to be the upscale district in Lima, one can tell by the upscale housing, shopping and beautiful parks along the coast line. Its a nice transition into Peru for a Westerner! 

 

 

 

I finally heard the mystery surrounding an earthquake... yes, it was here 250 meters south of Lima around 6.7 . I must be so accustom to them that I never felt it! However, it was quite the conversation at breakfast this morning!  Hotel was quiet this morning for the first wave of tourist left and headed North to the Amazon. They are also visiting some of the same sights we will be so they promised to look out for motorbikes along the way! 

 

 

 

 I wondered along the boardwalk today and stumbled along a Galleria Mall... gee whiz, and a Starbucks.  Keeping with my promise, I went "Beyond Starbucks" and had a latte at the Juan Valdez coffee shop!  I was so warm still adapting to heat and humidity, ice coffee was the special for me! Wow, how did I ever survive living in Florida? and my hair ?!  Embarrassing!  

 

I met one of the guides today, Alain. He is a French/Australian just coming off another 6 week tour with 14 riders, so this will be a piece of cake for him! Eduardo is the other guide meeting us in Nazca on Thursday.   I am so ready to ride...

 

Tomorrow, City Central.

 

 



Lima, Peru Arrival

Sunday, August 24

Arrived in Lima after a long 8 hour flight from LA at 2 am in the morning. Lima is a huge city of 11 million people, much quieter than I expected for wee morning hours. The city looked familiar even though I have never been here... a combination of new and old architecture, run down areas with beautiful hacienda's tucked in between. No traffic rules, windy roads, round about, no rules... just hang on! The driver road in reverse for several blocks trying to reach hotel front! Now I understand why we are picking up bikes south of here... liability!!

Hotel is very charming and I have fallen in love with the décor of South America again...

 

Antigua Miraflores Hotel

After sleeping 12 hours, I wondered downstairs for a bite to eat and to taste the local Pasco drink...  I am going to have to be careful with those tasty drinks!! I met a very neat woman from Cyprus "Georgina " also traveling alone . We had an awesome time chatting about adventures, choices and dreams... I love meeting people like myself that is willing to take the step outside of your comfort zone.. and learning to ride a motorcycle is another dream of hers. Encouraging other women to ride is so powerful for me yet humbling...

Another rider shows up tonight from the US....   its a good thing we are traveling on bikes... I have always loved South American art, course there is FedEx  (sorry Guy).....

Adios!

10 Days ....

Starting to have pre-departure jitters! Similar feelings I had before I rode down the Cassiar from Anchorage to California alone.. "what the heck was I thinking?!"  However, I have far more experience in adventure riding than that trip. What could go wrong?! At least I will be riding with others this time... which brings me to the subject of "other riders along trip"..

Small group, there are only 4 riders (including myself) and  2 guides. Robert, Jay and son, Jay. Guides are Eduardo from Brazil and Alain, an Australian/French fellow... clients are all from USA.   Funny part, I did not want to pay the extra fee for single accommodations , hopefully can I choose my roomie?!

or will it be...

lol... Lucky Me!