March 1, 2017
Week 101: to Cajabamba - 2650m: big skies
"I'm glad we get a little flat before the climb. These rolling hills were getting to me" Patrick says as we start to cycle around Laguna Sausacocha. This small village has nice looking hostals and restaurants. Trout is on the menu, though we've read from journals that it's not very good here.
We started out later than usual expecting an easier day with lots of downhill. Boy, were we surprised! Navigating out of the town and then to the lake was rolling hills and a couple km switchbacks. Then relatively flat around the lake.
Then the climb began with one section of steep uphill switchbacks. Beautiful views over the valley and back to Huamachuco with hillsides of corn and potato fields. We continue to see the standard dress of the older women with the broad white hats, layers of sweaters, full colorful skirts with layers, and long stockings. The older women are usually accompanied by a younger person, dressed in Western style clothing. There is much more traffic especially mini-vans on this road.
The top of the climb is at distance marker 1118, then drops down into a village. We stop for a drink and food break before continuing to lose elevation. In the curves where side streams would normally wash out the road, there are newer pre-fabricated metal bridges which is nice so that we are not having to navigate through water and mud. The downside is before and after each bridge is a speed bump. Many curves without bridges have speed bumps. And towns have speed bumps. What a way to ruin a nice downhill descent.
There are a few humps and a short steep climb up to Shitabamba. We'd been waiting to see this sign! We had been reading two journals about this route, William Bennett that we've mentioned before, and Andy Peat's "Going South" http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/thistimesouth
The closer we got to Cajabamba, the road became lined with gigantic yucca plants as we pass red tiled roofed adobe houses. We have one more gully to descend and climb back out of to the town. We come to the junction where the street is a pedestrian mall leading from the Plaza d'Armas. So we have to navigate the one way streets to Hotel La Casona just off the Plaza. The room needs to be cleaned, so we store our bikes in the garage of the Hotel and walk around the corner to a Chifa Restaurant.
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Today's ride: 54 km (34 miles)
Total: 28,558 km (17,735 miles)
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