2017-08-11 day 117

The mother and father herded their sheep and donkeys past us and stopped for a chat. Sounded like the mother had a headache so we gave her three ibuprofen, one she took the others went in her little bag.

The father asked for a little money for food so as I gave him some coins the mothers hand went out. So we gave s/5 to both. The father could read and write. They had been married 28 years so I guess they may have been our age or even younger…. They live a hard life.

As with most farmers (world wide) he complained of the lack of rain and therefore not much food for the animals.

As we passed through one village, I bought a small packet of fried banana chips and a few mandarins. Arrived in Huanuco to check wifi and parking then headed back south. 

Traffic very busy - mayhem. But got out onto the red road south. Main road to Lima. Just a small two way sealed road.

Found a small track to camp on across the river from main road. The river hid most of the road noise.

2017-08-10 day 116

The next laguna Patarqucha was magnificent.

A house and farm nestled on the flats where the laguna we camped on flowed down into this one. Reflection was almost perfect. We stayed here on the side of the road looking. John took two panoramas both about 50 photos…

We continued on, the road is dirt, narrow and windy.

Not much new there. Past through small villages till we got to Jesus.











At the top of the 14 switchbacks climbing out of the valley we camped just off the road above some houses.




The local inhabitants herded their animals back past us Carrying their firewood collected during their day. We had a chat and took photo of family.

2017-08-09 day 115

Did a little work on panoramas then we decided to go for a paddle. I put a loaf of bread on and we got the kayak ready.

What a great paddle, we diagonally crossed Laguna Sura Saca paddled past a couple of rivulets on up the lake a little further.

Quite gusty at times. Got near the end of the lake and turned back. Crossed diagonally back to EC’s side and paddled on home with the wind behind us. A great paddle with the glaciers above us. The lake is around 4400m alt. Our highest paddle.


As I was laying kayak out to dry John made a fish curry in bread maker.

 

Half way through our curry Alejandro turned up on horseback. A little while later his 7yr old cousin Yefersion arrived. They were both very interested in the kayak and would have been nice to take them for a paddle but it was dry and we needed to move on.

Folded it up then John showed them inside EC

Alejandro & Yefersion's home

Finally left about 15.30 for the mine and the track past it.

The road was narrow and windy but if the mine trucks can travel it so can we.

All good the mine was no hassle and we got past and camped above a little laguna about 5.30pm.

Managed 26km this arvo.

2017-08-08 day 114

Continued along the lake in the fog very pretty.

Wanted to go into lago Punrun But when we turned of at Chauplmarca we got caught up in the mining and there wasn’t a way through. At least we couldn't find it.

Took a short cut so we didn't have to go through Cerro de Pasco. A white road and very rough road but in 40 k’s should join an orange rd. Stopped to do a bit of Internet work. Sent Retrolooms another email. Decided on a hotel and cancelled the rest.

Got up to 4700m alt. at the pass. We were heading for the Zona Reservada Cocrdillera Huahuash which looks to have great contours. The orange road which is normally sealed is rougher than the white road. A very slow trip. A couple of towns on the way were keeping trucks out by having large yellow concrete blocks, a hilux width apart…. We had to go round….

Came across some more mountains and switchbacks stopped and had lunch at about 4550m overlooking a great valley with the white road very prominent.

Got to Oyon and found some very narrow roads. A ute was parked so had to put right hand wheels on foot path. Local cop just waved us on. Bought some bread and left town behind two coaches with writing that indicated that they carried workers. So maybe they were going to mine Rauru. We got held up leaving town as 15 trucks came down the hill.

We followed the buses all the way to our turn off. They travelled fast but the dirt road had been watered so no dust. Turned off and drove to Laguna Sura Saca. Camped right on waters edge near dam wall.



Three local guys came to visit, one 16 yr old Alejandro was bright eyed and had a few words of English.

168 kms a big day

2017-08-07 day 113

Past some interesting things today as usual. Lots of wheat and spuds out drying and car loads of grass. Lots of soil worked but looking very dry.

In some valleys irrigation is used. As we came out of Tarma and up the valley a bit the valley floor was planted with flower crops.

As we got higher (4000m+) the vegetation dropped off again.

 

Took a side road off to see a monument of the Junin war in 1824 which helped win the war of independence from the Spanish. The anniversary is 6 August - so yesterday.

The monument was from 1824-1924 so soon they’ll celebrate the 200 year anniversary. We wondered if that was why a new road with curbing was being sealed.

We had lunch here but the camp stove was not producing much heat. So couldn’t cook the fish.

Turned off at Junin out to a National reserve and lago Chinchaycocha. Found a great camp spot.

2017-08-06 day 112

Frosty morning. Only got down to neg 4. John Much better this morning. Heating water in the frost outside for my tea. 

Drove on and into Huancayo. There is a supermarket in a large shopping complex listed on our map. Ended going through the local markets with the streets only half width with all the stalls. However got through and around the corner and into a big quiet car park.

Managed to buy NZ cheese and some yogurt and wine, the wine cost more that the other shopping. So are again restocked. John’s throat is very sore again and we managed to buy some throat lozenges. Took ages to get out of town with speed bumps every 100m. Got some diesel and watched a small herd of cows cross the main road.

 
Filled with water at another fuel station and were in need of a camp. Took a side road just before Concepcion and manage to park just outside a small church.



Spoke to the family next door and they were OK with us staying there. The father had a logo on his shirt indicating he was a driver so maybe he understood..

2017-08-05 day 111

Internet was not much good so after heating water for tea I cooked plantain on the camp stove and water for a coffee.

I discovered 3 different "air" plants while waiting for the water to boil.


This "air" plant is commonly seen covering the power lines.

Sat down to do some Internet stuff and the Internet stopped so we decided to drive on for a better Internet site.

We stopped in a little village called Churcampa as I saw some fish being cleaned. There was 4 varieties and some fillets so bought 4 fillets enough for 2 meals. S/10 AU$4. so dinner for a couple of nights. Had a look in a couple of other shops. A huge range of stuff from butter to poly pipe.

The road is gravel but two lanes wide and good surface.


Drove on a littler further and found a nice spot off the road with Internet to swap left front tyre with back left. Had a salad and salami bun for lunch. Booked two different accommodation spots in Huanuco for Sunday-13 & Monday-14^th for a Board meeting. Not sure if their parking can accommodate an Earthcruiser

We drove around a corner to see 3 little boys holding a pink string across the road. Our first hold up! Couldn’t quite understand what they wanted but gave them 3 bananas. When John asked if he could take their photo they bolted...

John has a bit of a frog in his throat and not feeling the best (mind you he has been up since 3am)

Drove till about 4.30 and found a great camp with view down the valley. Achieved 90km in only a few hours of actual driving today.

2017-08-04 day 110

Baked another chocolate cake in bread maker it came out even better than first one.

Finally found a Fuso service centre north of here on the Internet. John rang and got an email address. Yes 100,000 service booked for Mon 14^th in Huanuco about 700km in a northerly direction from here.

Finally moved on about midday. Sealed red road but still with a few “slumps”in the road. But has improved since yesterday.

Not as lush vegetation here as yesterday. We took a “shortcut” on a yellow road (dirt) it was a quiet road and cut off 30km and 30min; a short cut that was actually shorter!!

At some point we were out off vegetation and back into dryer land but irrigated.

At Huanta, which was quite a big town 20 streets wide and long, we did a bit of shopping in the markets more fruit some detergent and oil. I bought some short fat reddish bananas as I have not seen them before.

A very common site. You never know what is around the next corner.










When we came out on the red road it degraded dreadfully and we were back in dessert country. We did meet up with the new main road eventually.

Found a camp spot up an unused road.

2017-08-03 day 109

Drove through San Francisco and bought a little fruit at the market. 

We asked a Policeman about the road north to Rio Negro. Our map doesn’t indicate it goes through and Google does. He said yeah no probs 5 hours very rough and a knee deep river to cross. He does it in 5 hours. 

We didn't quite trust his 5 hours so asked at the gas station and the women said no because of river and boat?? we weren't really sure what they said but it was clear that you could not get through. Had a closer look at map and there is a white road on the other side of the river that becomes a very small white road on Google. We know what their red roads are like so we’ll give it miss. 

Camp sites are hard to find in this vegetated area. Lots of houses and most land farmed. Very hard to get to the river as roads that run parallel are often 10m or more above it.

Finally found a spot on the outside corner of a quiet side road.

Just sitting down to our first camp stove dinner when a ute stopped.

I went out and a family were outside indicating we were on some animal food. We apologised and talked about our trip and asked their ages and off they went happy.

2017-08-02 day 108

San Fransisco for lunch. Going was good for first 10 minutes. The road degraded the further we went. Deep potholes and washouts.



Finally stopped up a creek on an inside bend for lunch and to do the washing. Nice not having fingers frozen off in the water.

Check the inside corner!

 Sums up the road quite succinctly

Continued up over the pass (2200m) and state border, where an army guy checked EC papers and ours and wrote us up in his book.

Continued down the other side the road was only gravel here, still with potholes and washouts oh and corrugation…

Thought we found a road to the river. A farmer was worried about his hose so John helped him dig it into the road. Continued on 50m to end of road, no river. Back and out. Finally found a spot near a disused basketball court and a building Which has a plaque commemorating the commercialisation of coffee growing in 2014.

Pulled the stove apart (again) to check thermo sensor. Looked ok but on test an open circuit should be closed. John wiggled the wires and one popped out! Our problem all along I think. An intermittent fault. Not really fixable so we may have to get one sent over, but to where?

2017-08-01 Day 107

Even though the camp was not great we had Internet so did quite a bit of “stuff” headed off about 10am.

Although we are on a red road and yes it is sealed (in most places) but very narrow in places with enough traffic to keep us on our toes.

These trucks are very popular and carry anything from livestock to provisions to people.

Stopped a few times to buy fruit (bananas, mandarins, pawpaw, pineapple and persimmons) and bread buns. Most people very friendly.

Finally found a track down to just above the river. Very hot again well not really only 28C but humid and considering we were in winter 2 days ago...

 Had a cold shower. Nibbles and fruit salad for dinner.

2017-07-31 Day 106

Picked our laundry up at 6.30 and headed West, up a narrow windy valley. Stopper and had pancakes for breaky. Took ages on the stove which goes out every 10 minutes.

Then drove up more switchbacks to alt. 4350m then down more switch backs. Two lots of mountain bikers one I think went down a Llama track the others came down the main road.

Took lots of photos of flowers. John was very patient.

Strange bids nests in trees. Only seem to be this variety of tree.

We did a small shop in Quillabamba for butter yogurt and cheese. Got EC greased for S/26 A$10. Headed out for a camp and .2 hours later on with dusk gone we finally found a flat spot off the road. We were beginning to eye off the inside corner where stream cross the road….. A hot night at 25^oC A hot night I guess we need to get used to it, and bugs….

Turned in early. June rang and got me out of bed but reception not very good.

2017-07-30 Day 105

While having breakfast it started to rain. We were in no hurry.

Joined the queue about 9 in the sunshine. The bus took us up about 600 vertical meters around lots of switchbacks in about 20 mins.

Big line to get in but once inside and gained some altitude the multitudes thinned.

Fantastic vista! Impressive site. The Site is what makes Machupicchu what it is.

The queue for the bus was very long so we decide to walk down. 1 hour down to hotel. We changed clothes then had 5 hrs to kill so went out for food and a beer.

Fell asleep on the train back to Ollantaytambo. Climbed into EC, in the car park for the night.