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Published: January 30th 2006
Where to start? Well after 3 weeks of spanish classes I started to dream in spanish. now I don´t even know what I am dreaming about didn¨t undersatnd a word of it. maybe my brain is ahead of my tongue for the first time.
This weekend three of us decided to rent motorcyles and take a tour of the Sacred Valley. It was abit of a challenge for me to get back onto a bike after the last ride ended under a ford ranger in Victoria. anyone who rides can say that riding becomes a part of you that you can not give up, it gets into your viens. I have been craving a ride for a long time now. noe was the time, the other drivers here well that will be something to tell you all about. After a short time I really got back into riding. we rented honda enduro style biks good for road and dirt. One of the guys in the group had only riden once before but that was not a problem here as far as renting a bike is concerned. He did really well considering. If you think riding in the foot hills by bragg creeck is a rush with the windy roads and beautiful scenery well. the windy mountain roads of Peru would leave you in total awhhh. The many hairpin turns, the busses that don´t like to stay on the other sides of the lines and the lack of guard rails can make for an interesting time. Occationally you round a corner and find a small landslide has claimed your side of the road, hopefully no buses to compete with. the view of the valley stretching out below was breath taking. We first stopped in Pisac to see the market and have a break. our guide turned up a small walkway street and we followed. people scattered as we road along the narrow path. I felt really bad about that. the path was of cobble stones with a small gutter along the center, just wide enough to fit a bike tire, interesting to balance along its edge and not fall in. After a brief walk around the market we headed down the same walk way and off to Urambamba. we convinced the guide to go a bit faster. So we picked up the pace and had some fun. we passed through several small towns along the way. many of the dogs here don´t like bikers and would run out and try to bite the lead guys ankles leaving the rest of us to try not to run the dumb thing over. we stopped In Urambumba for a nice steak lunch. the best steak I have had in a long time. After lunch the rain stopped and we road on to Oyantaytambo a great site of ruins along the Urambumba river. We found a dirt road leading off to the side off the ruins. our guide fisrt drove across a little cable suspention bride over the river, not sure it was ment foe vehicle traffic but he made it so off we went. that was a bite spooky i will have to say but fun none the less. you could feel the bridge shift beneith you and see the water rushing by through the gaps in the boards. I was happy to get to the other side. After that we road back towards Cusco and turned off on a dodgy little side road. the road lead us to the Mala salt flats. the gude got a flat tire and had to leave to get it repaired. we thought he said he would meet us back at the top of the hill down to the flats with in an hour. he never came back, we waited for about an hour and a half but by then the weather was starting to look really bad, the valley was starting to disappear into the clouds so we decided to head back to Cusco. Shortly after leaving the flats we found ourselves riding a terential down pour with an hour left to Cusco. we got into cusco just after dark and Coleman told us he new a quick way to the place we got the bikes, so we disided to follow him in. He got a bit off track and took us done a street that was so steep wet and built with slimy cobble stones, the side walk was litterally a staircase, It was a rather tense moment in my life I will say. after that it was a short ride with the loco local taxis through the plaza de armis and to the shop. the girls at the rental place laughed at us as we walked in soaking wet freezing and smilling from ear to ear. I will have to say it was an amazing day. nothing like a bike to make you feel alive again.
PS I am shooting film yes film for the image quality so you all will have to wait til I get home and get the images up on my website.
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Vanessa
non-member comment
Hey fellow biker
Glad to see you overcome that fear. Sounds like quite the ride and also glad that you returned the bike safely. Skiing was a bit more adventursome this time and I think I'm getting better. So glad to have someone to travel there and back and to ski with. Today is our (Shaun and I) six-month anniversary, yet we did most of the celebrating on the weekend along with my delayed birthday celebrations. I enjoy reading your travel journal. Thanks for taking time to keep us posted. Prayers for safety, good planning, and many opportunities that become realities.