with the altitude. We finally arrived in Cusco in early evening, having dodged the rocks left in the road by the political protesters.
That all added to the experience as did the hotel’s unique food.
The following day after a leisurely start, we were free to explore the city, that was once the capital of the Incan civilisation. It is very much a place where past and present collide, allowing you to experience the past, but with all the trappings of a modern society; a tour ticket for all the main attractions is part of the deal. There was plenty to do with the various museums, markets and historic buildings virtually on every corner and within easy walking distance of the hotel. The Plaza de Armas was superb, particularly viewed from the Norton Rats bikers bar.
The main church, La Compania, has an intricate interior, finely carved balconies and altars covered in gold leaf. It was started in 1571 and took nearly 100 years to complete. Brendan and Leo were working hard checking the bikes over and doing all the maintenance as they did every day while we enjoyed ourselves. The next day it was back on the bikes for a stunning ride through the Sacred Valley on some stupendous roads after pausing to view the Fortress at Saqsayhuman, a large Incan historic site with panoramic views above Cusco. This was nothing compared to our destination of Ollantaytambo (9,185ft) where we parked the bikes. This amazing terraced Incan ruin set into the mountainside gave a clue as to what we would see the following day. With the bikes parked in a secure garage and armed with our own personal guide, we boarded the Vistadome train which follows the river through the Urubamba valley to Aguas Calientes at the base of Machu Picchu. The train ride
it was back on the bikes for a stunning ride through the Sacred Valley on some
stupendous roads
trough the mountains allowed us to see the Incan trail which many chose to walk. A unique hotel provided a short night’s sleep as we rose at 4 am to queue for the bus that was to take us up to Machu Pichu and a chance to climb the mountain Waynapichu which dominates all the pictures. Just like the Grand Canyon, until you stand at the location you cannot comprehend its size and being, no matter how many pictures you’ve seen.
The first sight of Machu Picchu is magical, especially early in the morning. The ruins appear to be part of the hillside itself from which it seems to be carved.
Only four hundred people a day are allowed to make the climb and this was once again a good example of having inside knowledge as we made the first group, thanks to our guide. After an energetic morning it was back on the train after lunch to pick the bikes up and ride back to Cusco. A different route on some superb blacktop was followed by en excellent meal in a unique chic restaurant to end a mind-blowingly superb day. The next day was once again free to catch up with things and see parts of the ancient city that we may have missed.
The following day saw us head out of town on
the Pan American Highway, before turning onto hard packed gravel to head for the remote settlement of Yauri. This small mountain town was totally devoid of the trappings of tourism we had become used to and gave a real feel to Peru. The gravel roads were easily traversed and my fellow travellers, both two up with no off-road skills were coping easily so it wasn’t hard to keep a reasonable pace even with frequent photo stops.
An early start saw us head back on hard packed gravel roads to Chivay, regarded as the gateway to the Colca Canyon, one of the deepest canyons in the world at 10,725 ft (3,269 m). It is more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the United States, but does not look it as the sides are further from vertical. This day saw us cross one of the highest passes on the tour at 4800m. The bikes coping well with all the altitude changes and performing faultlessly.
The end of the day saw us in hot springs on the outskirts of town that soaked away aches and pains ready for the next day’s bird watching session.
From there is was just a case of winding our way down to Arequipa, Peru’s second largest city, on some excellent roads, gradually descending from the altitudes we had become used to. Our descent gave the bikes a bit more oomph as the engines gained more oxygen and you realised just how well they had been coping before. The city traffic came as something of a shock given the clear roads we had become used to, but the bikes were soon parked in the rear of another superbly placed hotel for the following day’s sight-seeing.
Close to the Plaza de Armas and other treasures like the Catalina Convent it was an excellent base for another bike-free day and a chance to explore and enjoy the culture. Even the views outside are spectacular as the city stands at the foot of the snow capped volcano El Misti, which provides an impressive back-drop. The next day, refreshed, the bikes now clean and tidy after Leo’s work, we headed for the coast. With falling altitude the bikes perked up further, which was useful as we headed up one of the best biking roads in the world. This is the one BMW used to advertise the BMW GS range. Precariously hugging the Peruvian coastline, the main road was continually twisting and turning as it climbed and fell, leading us to an overnight stop at Puerto Inca. In places drifting sand and the odd rock-fall made life interesting, but in the main the surface was good enough to make me wish at times that I was on a sports bike.
The small bay that provides a base for the The ROAD 35
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