CN - Sunday
So this morning we are currently in Chimbote, Peru after riding yesterday from Chiclayo. We had crossed the border from Ecuador at Macara on Friday morning. So far northern Peru has been fairly desolate - with the massive sand dunes being the only interesting feature. Chiclayo was an ok city with an attractive centro park square, but mostly northern Peru is pretty trashy. In that there is trash everywhere you look. I'm sure it will get better as we get closer to Lima and into Pisco and Cucso where most tourists visit. I guess we will find out.
Looking back, I have to say Ecuador really surprised me. It is a beautiful country with a climate similar to Colorado. I wasn't expecting mild daytime temps and cool nights right at the equator, but the extremely high elevation of the country dictates this climate. Until reaching the border town of Macara (elevation 1,500ft.) we spent most of our time between 3,000ft. in the Amazon and 10,000ft in Quito. We also traveled over many mountain passes over 13,000ft. I knew Ecuador had very high volcanos and mountain peaks but didn't realize that most of the country is at high elevation. Ecuador so far has been the most dramatic landscape experienced on the trip, with southern Colombia coming in close second. And the Galapagos Islands (also part of Ecuador) were just completely off the hook in terms of awesome places to experience. Ecuador is also big enough that we didn't really scratch the surface in the two weeks we were there. Someday I'd like to go back, rent a motorcycle from Freedom Rentals and explore more of it.
Back to Peru - As Ken mentioned earlier, we had met Lonestar (Joseph) and Ward in Cuenca and met up with them again for the border crossing into Peru. The crossing was pretty straightforward in getting stamped out of Ecuador and handing in the bike paperwork to Aduana (customs) proving we took the bikes out of the country. Coming in to Peru the process was simple in getting stamped in through immigration and completing the bike paperwork, however, we were held up for several hours at the Aduana due to Ward's paperwork not matching up on his names (he goes by his middle name and one of his documents reflected this). Unfortunately he was ahead of us in line so we all waited until they could sort it out. The locals behind us in line were getting restless so eventually they booted him to the side and started processing the rest of us while waiting for instructions from the home office, probably in Lima. Since Ken and I are on small bikes and the others were on larger, faster bikes, we took off while Lonestar and Phil waited on Ward. Phil is a retired guy living in Ecuador that Ward had met in Medellin and decided to join him down to Ushuaia. Phil later got separated from them shortly after the crossed the border together once Ward was cleared. I guess Phil got pissed thinking they left him behind and turned around and went back to Ecuador. So forget about Phil because he is gone. The riding has been pretty crazy in Peru - especially through the towns. The traffic has no order to it and lanes do not really exist. We have been passing on the left, right, sideways, etc. just to get through the mess of traffic. We got spoiled in Ecuador where the drivers are much more civilized. I can't imagine what Lima will be like - probably pretty terrifying!
The last two nights we spent having dinner with Lonestar and Ward shooting the breeze and sharing travel stories. Lonestar rode up to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska last summer so I was very interested in his stories. Our hotel here is just ok, but has secured parking, internet and a seat on the toilet so checks the important boxes. Today we are planning to ride to Huaral - about an hour north of Lima to stay with one of Ken's cousins that has been living there with her family for several years. Then we plan to visit Machu Picchu, the Nazca Lines and hopefully catch up to the Dakar race in either southern Peru or Bolivia.
So this morning we are currently in Chimbote, Peru after riding yesterday from Chiclayo. We had crossed the border from Ecuador at Macara on Friday morning. So far northern Peru has been fairly desolate - with the massive sand dunes being the only interesting feature. Chiclayo was an ok city with an attractive centro park square, but mostly northern Peru is pretty trashy. In that there is trash everywhere you look. I'm sure it will get better as we get closer to Lima and into Pisco and Cucso where most tourists visit. I guess we will find out.
Looking back, I have to say Ecuador really surprised me. It is a beautiful country with a climate similar to Colorado. I wasn't expecting mild daytime temps and cool nights right at the equator, but the extremely high elevation of the country dictates this climate. Until reaching the border town of Macara (elevation 1,500ft.) we spent most of our time between 3,000ft. in the Amazon and 10,000ft in Quito. We also traveled over many mountain passes over 13,000ft. I knew Ecuador had very high volcanos and mountain peaks but didn't realize that most of the country is at high elevation. Ecuador so far has been the most dramatic landscape experienced on the trip, with southern Colombia coming in close second. And the Galapagos Islands (also part of Ecuador) were just completely off the hook in terms of awesome places to experience. Ecuador is also big enough that we didn't really scratch the surface in the two weeks we were there. Someday I'd like to go back, rent a motorcycle from Freedom Rentals and explore more of it.
Back to Peru - As Ken mentioned earlier, we had met Lonestar (Joseph) and Ward in Cuenca and met up with them again for the border crossing into Peru. The crossing was pretty straightforward in getting stamped out of Ecuador and handing in the bike paperwork to Aduana (customs) proving we took the bikes out of the country. Coming in to Peru the process was simple in getting stamped in through immigration and completing the bike paperwork, however, we were held up for several hours at the Aduana due to Ward's paperwork not matching up on his names (he goes by his middle name and one of his documents reflected this). Unfortunately he was ahead of us in line so we all waited until they could sort it out. The locals behind us in line were getting restless so eventually they booted him to the side and started processing the rest of us while waiting for instructions from the home office, probably in Lima. Since Ken and I are on small bikes and the others were on larger, faster bikes, we took off while Lonestar and Phil waited on Ward. Phil is a retired guy living in Ecuador that Ward had met in Medellin and decided to join him down to Ushuaia. Phil later got separated from them shortly after the crossed the border together once Ward was cleared. I guess Phil got pissed thinking they left him behind and turned around and went back to Ecuador. So forget about Phil because he is gone. The riding has been pretty crazy in Peru - especially through the towns. The traffic has no order to it and lanes do not really exist. We have been passing on the left, right, sideways, etc. just to get through the mess of traffic. We got spoiled in Ecuador where the drivers are much more civilized. I can't imagine what Lima will be like - probably pretty terrifying!
The last two nights we spent having dinner with Lonestar and Ward shooting the breeze and sharing travel stories. Lonestar rode up to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska last summer so I was very interested in his stories. Our hotel here is just ok, but has secured parking, internet and a seat on the toilet so checks the important boxes. Today we are planning to ride to Huaral - about an hour north of Lima to stay with one of Ken's cousins that has been living there with her family for several years. Then we plan to visit Machu Picchu, the Nazca Lines and hopefully catch up to the Dakar race in either southern Peru or Bolivia.
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| From the hotel in Macara. |
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| Lots of desert in northern Peru |
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| Is this a passing lane? |
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| More desert. |
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