Same but different.

Feb 12 Lima to Nazca

Backtracking is never a popular option with us but the option is to ride into the mountains then south. The rainy season is in full swing and numerous reports of washed out roads and flooding make the decision to stay on the dry coast a bit easier. The coast is what it is, dry and hot, but a little less interesting than the mountains. This also means that we will not likely end up in Bolivia at all this trip, a bit of a let down but it would not be enjoyable in the cold and rain anyway.

One of the elaborate billboards.

The route back to Nazca looks different in the opposite direction, the lighting showcases different aspects of the desert and rocks. There is little reason to stop aside from gas and the occasional picture, the towns have not changed in two weeks.

As we approach Ica a mini-bus passes me waving and pointing backwards, almost simultaneously I get a call on the intercom that Brenda has a flat tire. I quickly turn around and soon see that a car has stopped and two men are lifting Brenda’s bike onto its’ tires. The front tire blow-out put the bike into a speed wobble and Brenda’s skills managed to slow the bike enough to turn what could have been a serious crash into a minor wipeout. Her twisted ankle took another bump but the combination of big riding boots and soft luggage saved her from serious injury. Now it was once again time to pull out the tools and fix the tire, adding air didn’t seem to work and once the tube was removed it became obvious why. The valve stem was torn from the tube. No problem, dig around in the luggage and pull out the spare tube, pump it up and away we go. I find another spare tube in Ica then we are off again to Nazca.

Tire changing 101.

After that the rest of the ride was very calm and uneventful, we check into the same hotel and have supper at the same restaurant. Creatures of habit I suppose. There is a bike from Colombia at the hotel but we never catch up to the rider, the hotel owner said he was Japanese so we figure he must have rented the bike.

Typical family outing.

Feb 13 Nazca to Camana

During our route planning we decided that we should take a shot at the high country. The route to Abancay rises dramatically from Nazca and by the time we ride out of the valley and up the hill the dark clouds, cold weather and impending rain chase us back down the mountain. Riding in 5C rain and poor visibilitiy does not sound like something we want or need to do this trip. Instead we top up with fuel and stop at a watermelon stand for a snack, while stopped the Japanese/Colombian goes by. The bike is rather distinct being a Yamaha 660 Tenere.

Armando in the wind.

 

Sand drifts on the highway.

 A ways down the road we catch up to him and share the ride into Camana. As the day slips away we find ourselves riding in the dark for the last 30 minutes or so, which is not something we like to do but we just ran out of daylight. We check into the same little hostel as before, mainly because it is hard to find anything else in the dark and the parking is secure.

Once cleaned up we take a stroll down the beach with our new friend Armando, who is actually a Colombian on a Colombian bike, not a Japanese fella at all. Not sure what the hotel owner was talking about. In any event the rest of the evening was spent enjoying fresh seafood and conversation along the beach. 

Dog of the Day for sure.