Cycle South 2019 la segunda parte. From Ohio to Ushuaia (now in Iquique Chile)

Funny you mentioned it. It seems I left my stainless camp mug somewhere. It’s gone.
And the coffee was ready when I found out. I used my collapsible silicone cup instead.
Note to self in Cusco. Besides finding a new camp chair, get new mug

Yes get yourself a new coffee mug. A man has gotta have a coffee mug. Enjoy !

Yo Dan-
Just want to chime and say how much I enjoyed our brief encounter in Lima. I hope you enjoyed the company. Also want to speak from the heart and say that your trip is so inspiring to me and so many guys like myself. Even though I have been blessed in so many ways, e.g having done 7 moto trips (and more to follow) in several countries in SA, among many other things in my life, I have not had the hootspah to do what you are doing. Sometimes I regret that and other times (most times) I am happy to have what I have.
The main point here is that I commend you and others that have gone before you to cut loose and "DO IT". Keep on doing it. And if you need any more medical assistance in Cusco, let me know and I can set it up.
Cheers
SC

Steve the pleasure was all mine, and thanks for the Cusco assistance offer.
I’m glad my crazy haphazard travel style is appealing lol! Right now, spending a second night in Huayucachi just outside Huancayo. Heavy rain today. Maybe more tomorrow. Might hang here. It isn’t bad.

Yes, I forgot that you are hitting the highlands in the early part of the rainy season. There is another greta ride you might consider. From Calca go to Lares and hit the hot springs. It is a fantastic ride. There is a hostel at the hot springs that provides a clean room for about $10/night. The Senora makes a mean Trucca Frita!!

Am at Hostal NQ in Huanta Peru after another exciting day riding narrow mountain roads with steep drops offs and lots of blind curves.
Here are some pics from the last several days. Peru just doesn't know when to quit. She just keeps on giving day after day!

There's @scurryO with a local Lima rider chatting during a get together held by Big Trail Center Peru

A nice European couple cycling the world that I met while brewing coffee on the roadside this morning

Wow, some stunning pics there. Very impressed. Thank you.

Those canyon roads are high on my list for Peru! Awesome pictures Dan!

Mariscal Caceres, looking away from the roadblock


the police tape is behind theses six cars blocking the road


Sunny parked while I reconnoiter
How many times can a person use adjectives like “amazing”, “spectacular “, “incredible “ and such before the reader thinks that either the author has a limited vocabulary or is just lazy using descriptors.
Yesterday was like that. I wanted to stop at every turn. As I followed a river most of the day, there was always waterfalls and roaring rapids off to one side. Sometimes at level with the road’s surface, often 100’s or 1000 ft or more below. And never a guard rail.
With small memorial structures erected by loved ones marking the location of a vehicle death. Some areas of PE3S had these every foot for a hundred feet. Remarkable but sad and a constant reminder to be aware at all times. Tooting the horn before rounding blind turns. Hour after hour. It’s exhilarating but exhausting at the same time.
I slept in today and decided to stay another night here in Huanta. I didn’t realize how tired I was when I closed my eyes.
And I wanted to mention for posterity one thing that happened yesterday that rattled me pretty bad, and had my knees and hands shaking for a few minutes.
On PE3S in the town of Mariscal Caceres I came to a roadblock. Police tape stretching across wood poles and about 6 cars waiting.
I parked Sunny and walked around to better assess the situation. I could see construction equipment just out of sight around the corner from the police tape.
As I was referring to a note on the iOverlander app about the closing and a possible route-around, an older local woman walked up and told me motos could get over the bridge!
I suited back up, removed the police tape and rode the bike past, stopping to replace the tape.
Right around the corner I could see the bridge with about a 10ft gap between the ground and the bridge’s surface. Two construction workers motioned me towards an aluminum ramp going up to the bridge. The two-part ramp was about 12’ long by 5’ wide, with about a 4” lip on both sides. To either side was a sheer drop of 100’ or more to the river!
I asked again if it was secure. They again motioned for me to go.
I pointed her at the middle, goosed it and launched. The ramp was at a good 20-25degree angle so I hit it with quite some force.
Right after the rear tire hit, the entire ramp shifted sideways! As the front tire crested onto the bridge’s surface, the rear tire hit the lip on the edge of the ramp hard, making it shift more. By then momentum had me into the safety of the bridge. Never mind the mine-field motocross track surface I dropped into on the other side, or the wide open stares of the workers as they saw me launch onto and blast over their new structure. The other side was easy by comparison.
That was the sketchiest moment of the trip to date. And one I’m not keen to repeat. The iOverlander comments DID have a route around. I shoulda read it closer.
Good news is that traffic for the next 30 miles was nil because of the bridge being out.
Here is the location of that bridge
Dropped pin
Near South America
https://goo.gl/maps/bFukvTcQpSiVmBxB9

wow!

That's what I'm talkin 'bout.
The followup looks interestig. Did you cover that series of switchbacks?
Cheers

That is some experience. Glad you cleared the deck safely with Sunny intact.

Those are incredible pictures. Can’t believe you are so close to the edge with that one shot. It looks like the mirror is hanging way over the valley below. Can’t imagine what your footing was like. This viewer has even more limited vocabulary in admiring your journey, or quest it seems.

Yes, all of it. ‘Twas crazy

You and me both brother.
When I was starting to seriously contemplate the trip, and read about “death roads” and such, it always made my head swim. Not that I’m particularly prone to fear of heights or such, I’m more prone to fear of death lol.
But now, after having ridden so many “roads” that seem crazy or impossible, I’m reminded of the anti-ADV saying...”ADV Rider. Riding to where other people live”
I’ve lost count of the times I was thinking to myself while picking my way through a crazy section “Self, this is insane and you might get hurt”....only to wind around a blind switchback to see an entire family packed into an old Toyota 2wd sedan with half-bald tires slowly winding its way in the other direction. Half the folks in the car asleep, the others staring at the Gringo. After a while it becomes more natural and the fear is replaced with wonder.

I like this.

knew you would :)

Wow, quite a scare! We missed that section of 3S because of our excursion to Nazca, picked it back up at Abancay.

I have become jaded in terms of advice of locals when they tell us “oh, you can do this or that” because we are on motorcycles. They have NO idea what our motorcycles are like. Their concept of a moto is the ubiquitous 125cc almost-a-scooter. I see them in tight parking spots picking up their bikes and turning them around, lol!

We are loving Argentina; you might consider heading over from Chile, after San Pedro de Atacama, over the (awesome!) Paso Jama. We plan to cross back into Chile at Mendoza, to Santiago, where I am scheduling service on the bikes. Got input from a local expat on where to stay (and not).

In any case, I am enjoying your report, glad to see you on the road again. Stay safe and enjoy Cusco and Machu Picchu!

Jim

Arrived in San Francisco Peru after another 5 hour day on mostly unpaved rocky roads. Nearly two dozen water crossings.
Got a room and went for food.
Back in my room, and looking at tomorrow‘s destination. I was pleasantly surprised and happy that tomorrow is a shortish 4 hours (mostly dirt) to Santa Teresa!
Santa Teresa is where I’ll stay and park Sunny for a few days as I hike eastward 10k along railroad tracks through jungle to Aguas Calientes where I’ll get a room. Then a bus to Machu Pichu and then a second night at Aguas. Then the hike back to the Hydroelectric plant and another taxi back to Santa Teresa and my bike.
Then roads to Cusco where I may stay a week and do a few things. Nearly time for another oil change. Air filter no doubt is dirty due to the amount of dusty dirt roads lately. And maybe also do a valve adjustment. Gotta check the service records. Did it last in Quito Ecuador.
I did take about 32GB of helmet video today. Some unusable due to rain/dust covering the lens. It’ll take time to go through and edit it down to maybe 5-7 minutes.

No wifi here at Hotel la Cosa . No hot water either, but the room temp shower felt great as I arrived here in a puddle of sweat. It’s a lot warmer at 3500ft than 13500!

Another week or so and I’ll be heading South towards Puno and then Chile.

Take your swim suit to Aguas Calientes for the hot pools. I did the 5 day Inka trail hike and the soak in the hot pools at the end was great.