Ilave

May 18, 2025

It was one degree below zero this morning but I decided to spend and hour or so walking in the fields around our crappy hotel to do a bit of birding before we left. It was worthwhile too, missing out on two hummingbird species that were too quick for me to identify but picking up two new skulking species in Cinereous Conebill and Mourning Sierra Finch.

Cinereous Conebill (Conirostrum cinereum)

Mourning Sierra Finch (Rhopospina fruticeti)

The ride itself was, after two short but stiff climbs at the start, flat and mostly boring with quite a bit of traffic. Thankfully most of the traffic was very considerate given that there was no shoulder of which to speak. We had only one idiot who forced us off the road onto the gravel verge and I unfortunately let rip at him as he disappeared in the opposite direction.

On the mountain above Chucuito is a massive head of an Incan chief carved out of the rockface. We only found out where it was after we arrived in Ilave but at least we got to see the two modern heads that line the roadside as one exits the town.

Ilave is a dusty and busy town with a large Sunday street market. We took the long way through town to get to Hospedaje Valencia, our digs for the night, which is on the bypass to the west of the town. This was because we had hoped to almuezar before checking in. Instead we ended up checking in first and walking back into town to have lunch.

A short day tomorrow, I think. While I seem to have recovered from whatever bug has been ailing me for the past few days, it seems that Leigh is now off colour. Thankfully Juli is barely thirty kilometers away so if she is still feeling out of sorts tomorrow we will spend the night there.

Today's ride: 40 km (25 miles)
Total: 507 km (315 miles)

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