Northern Peru, the jury is still out¿¿¿

Dry!

Fishing boats or Peruvian slippers?

Bad hair day! No really, sugarcane being taken to be processed

Did I mention it was dry?

Friendly locals, going who knows where

The happy couple enjoy an awesome view of the Castillo Blanco

Just another beautiful vista!

I even feel odd writing this entry, you know that most times I try to keep a positive attitude about just about everything but something happened when we crossed the Peruvian border. I think we were beamed-up and transported to a place of only sand, rock, garbage and chickens. Peru is definately the poorest country we have travelled in yet, and usually I´m o.k. with that but it is just the.....smell. Garbage is everywhere. In their defence I have to admit, I think they are trying to contain it as some piles are definately bigger than others along the PanAm as if they are kind-of makeshift garbage dumps. The trouble is many people have come down to the coast from the mountians to try and scratchout a living selling goods; fruit, shoelaces, candies or ???? anything to make a sole ( three soles=just under a dollar). Shanty towns line the PanAm Highway and most don´t have sewer of even running water. The people are very nice and helpful but maybe a little sceptical of foreingers.

The landscape consists of miles apon miles of sand and rock interspersed with rice and sugar cane fields (along with the garbage), and where nothing will grow they have constructed huge chicken farms. After all there is A LOT of chicken consumed here, but again a little smelly. And if that isn´t enough and you think the smell can´t get any worse there is the stench of dirty cops! They can spot a tourist a mile away and when they find our your spanish isn´t fluent (damn! I should have taken those spanish lessons in Guatamala) it is game over. If they can´t think of a traffic infraction you have committed they want "money for a coke, mi amigo!!" Oh, and while I´m on the topic of money, we were given a conterfiet 100 sole bill at the boarder by the money exchange. Only about $33.00 dollars but to us poor travellors it´s alot of money, close to a days budget in Peru.

I really have to lighten up a little! After a few days heading south on the PanAm we found ourselves tired of sand and garbage and decided to head for Huarez in the Castillo Blancos. Huarez is a city of about 70,000 nestled in amongst 50 of the worlds highest mountians, of 5700m or more, the place to be if you are a hiker or as in our case a rider. The road over the summit took us to an elevation of 14,000 ft., it was definately the most spectacular ride we have had yet. The road wound up into the mountians thru terraced hillside covered with corn, cows, mangos or whatever could take root on the near vertical slopes. Now we love Peru for it´s fantastic mountian vistas and roads with no dirty cops.

After the ride in the Andes it was with regret that we headed to the PanAm and the continuation of our ride south through cop infested territory. I´ll mention that so far we have paid a total of just over $15.00 U.S. for 2 fines we are still questioning but we are sure they are bull crap. The road into Lima and in the city itself are suppost to be the worst, so we set our alarm for early hoping to be through the biggest part of the city before anyone wokeup. It was not early enough. Although we alluded the cops we ended up in the heat of early morning rush-hour. Let me also note here that bike have absolutely no rights on the road in Peru. We were pushed and cut off for about an hour as we made our way through the city. Reaching the south side of the city we gunned it on the four lane highway and headed for our next destination. Huacachina, here we come to take advantage of the sand and try our hand at sandboarding and dunebuggy riding.