Piura to Huanchaco, Peru 292 miles

Peru, land of goats and garbage. Well, that is at least something you see often on the side of the road; literally.

Today was our first day venturing in the giant dessert of Peru. We woke up and hit the road by 9 as we knew we had a long day ahead of us; the stretch we had to make didn’t have much in between. As soon as we headed out of the city, and after taking the wrong road for a few miles, all you could see around you was piles of garbage and dessert sand. In fact, going down one road in the morning were literally piles of garbage, almost as if the walls of peoples homes. I’ve seen the worst of Mexico, but this topped that easily. On top of that, we filled up our tank and gasoline costs us $4 a gallon. These poor people, no wonder they are riding around in extremely small-engine vehicles and motorcycles.

Just outside of the city was the dessert, and the occasional ‘town’. To paint a picture of what these towns looked like, think Star Wars ‘the sand people’. Yes, picture that and you are right there with us, zooming down the well paved straight road at about 80mph. I kept praying that Yoshita would stay strong as the last thing that I wanted to happen was a breakdown. I wouldn’t want any type of encounter with people that live WAY out in the middle of NOWHERE with nothing around them but a sandstorm; they must be crazy.

The dessert just kept on going, but the further we went in, the more the wind picked up. Just before Chiclayo (a fairly big town in the middle of our dessert stretch) it was so strong I felt at any moment the bike could be swept over. The wind at least stayed fairly consistent, so I think we were just riding along at a 30 degree angle, although when we passed a truck or a slightly large sand dune, we would be whisked forcefully in one direction than another. I don’t think I’ve ever been so tense on the back of the bike…thank god for Mike’s ipod as the music helped me relax.

We only stopped in Chiclayo for another fill up on gas and a quick bite to eat. Nothing special, the usual chicken and rice, but I ate as much as I could stomach because you never know when the next time you’ll find edible food is! I thought that we were done with the worst of the dessert, but just as we pulled out of Chiclayo, the wind only seemed to get stronger. I just clenched the grips on the bike so I’d keep myself from clenching Mike too hard (don’t want to distract him from his important job; keeping us upright!) and thought about how crazy anyone would be to live out here. The terrain didn’t change much, but towards the end of the day we started seeing crops, crops of rice. Okay, call me crazy but why would anyone plant rice which requires plenty of water in the crops out in the middle of the dessert!?!?!? I know there must be a reason, most everything has a reason behind it, but for the life of me I couldn’t figure it out all day. That’s right, right there in the dessert were crops of rice. That followed by sugar cane.

We ended our wind-swept dessert day in a surf town called Huanchaco. I didn’t expect too much after our day’s driving through little dusty and shabby towns, but this is quite a gem. All of a sudden we turned the corner into town and there was the ocean. I didn’t realize we were riding so close to it, but I’m sure that is why we had such strong winds. This town supposedly is where they think the first surfers came from, pre-Inca era. They make these reed board/canoe type things that they take out into the surf, to fish, and ride the waves back in. They have been doing this for years, before the Incas and still are doing it today. We watched a bunch of them go out at sunset while we had dinner tonight…quite a site.

The town is full of Peruvian and an occasional tourist surfer. The waves are consistent, plentiful and big. There are plenty of restaurants, bars and hotels lining the malacon and beach. Supposedly there is one of the world longest breaks here – 2km! The ocean water here is cold, almost as cold as home…Mike and I couldn’t figure that one out either…I guess there are a lot of mysteries around these parts. If you gaze down the beach and along the shore, yet again you feel like you’re in the set of the ‘sand people’ in Star Wars. The buildings are that mud brick type and all surrounding them is dessert.

We found a nice little hotel, and it must be off season because we talked the guy down and had him include breakfast for just under $20 bucks a night. A room with a view of the ocean. Adam also stayed here with us for $10/night. We had a little rest of the beach, then found a nice little restaurant which served some very delicious fish.

We are staying here another night as tomorrow we want to take an excursion to some ruins in Chan Chan (1,500 year old mud-brick city). Mike’s hoping to rent a board tomorrow too, but it looks a little too big for me!

Hmmm... its getting dry, fast

What a wasteland...

At $4/gallon (and average hourly wage <$2) the 125cc rikshaw makes alot of sense

This has to be one of the worst places on earth to live

More than 200 miles of this today...

and then all of a sudden rice?!

Mike's new favorite beverage

$20 hotel room has a great view!

Lets zoom in on the surf...

WOW! Looks GREAT! I love Huanchaco!

Catacocha, Ecuador, to Piura, Peru 165 miles

Catacocha is the real deal. We are the only tourists here. The city itself is small, and somewhat picturesque, but our reason for being here is strictly practical. Its was about to start pouring and we are close to the Peruvian border. Despite the five year old who tried to pickpocket me, the people are friendly and we had a fine evening.

We put or fleece on before hitting the road this morning because the Andes have been cold, but as soon as we got out of Catacocha, we started our descent. As we went down, the temperature was going up just about as fast. The misty green mountains quickly changed to orange, red, and pink rock and we had to stop to take the fleece off.

Riding through the mountains today was a lot of fun because it felt like we were somewhere really different than everywhere else we’ve been. The road was in good condition and there was no traffic to speak of. We only had to slow down for goats and donkeys in the road. Other than that, we were zooming.

We got to the border of Ecuador and Peru just before noon. I was hoping we would get through before everyone quit for lunch. The route we chose to the border is not the primary road. We made this decision for two reasons, better scenery, and smaller border. A smaller border means less people, less chaos, and less hassle. This border crossing was the best so far. Amie doesn't make eye contact with anyone while she "does her job" (which is watch the bike). Shes says eye contact says "Hello, come touch my motorcycle and maybe try to steal something from me if you like." So she just avoids it all together. Whatever works. About 20 minutes on either side (exiting Ecuador and entering Peru) and we were done. The people at immigration and customs were both friendly and helpful.

Into Peru we rode. The landscape was barren and hot. The buildings, if you can call them that, were made of sticks lashed together with rope. The people here are noticeably poorer than Ecuador, and things cost more. Go figure that one out. Gas is double ($1.50 in Ecuador vs. $3 in Peru) and water is double ($0.25 vs $.50 Peru). Those are our two essentials and Barometer. Even still, we should be able to continue to meet our $50/day budget.


Piura is where we will rest our heads tonight. It is the last town before the 150miles of desert we will cross tomorrow. Hotel is nice, $25 is expensive for here, but its the last town with malaria risk, so we don't mind paying extra for window screens. They had a secure parking lot as well where I finished off the moto maintenance. Wireless internet too?? Hot damn. Amie caught up with the family, I posted this blog. Now I think we will retire to our room and watch "The Break Up." Some days are so much more civilized than others.

Hello little lady

and good day to you senor

Sharp blue shirt Usted!

On the road to Peru!

Si or no? Can we leave Ecuador??

Nice photo Amie!

Zoooooom!!

Peruvian hombre

Watch your ass!!

Time to change the airfilter

Have a closer look...

Cuenca to Catacocha, Ecuador, 200 miles

We woke up to the alarm as we wanted to hit the road at a decent hour in hopes of getting as close as possible to the Peruvian border. The alarm is the last thing I wanted to hear as the movie the night before kept us up late and the bed couldn’t have been more comfortable.

We packed up and were on the road by 8:30. Surprisingly the town was fairly easy to find your way out of, a first. As soon as we headed out of the city we were back in the gorgeous Ecuadorian countryside. The landscape was full of little farms, Ecuadorian farmers and cattle. It was very peaceful and something you would see in a painting on someone’s living room wall. The houses here are all made of big mud bricks, and it seemed that these farmers were doing quite well for themselves. You can easily spot the woman as they continue to wear their bright (pinkish red) shawls and ‘top hats’ while in the fields with their sheep or cows.

The road started off pretty decent, but as we continued through, up and over the mountains, it began to have many big potholes. The scary thing is the road other than the potholes was in great condition, which allowed us to drive faster, but around each corner there was easily a giant pot hole in our path. It made me a little stressed as I kept envisioning taking a corner and running across something that which kick out tires out and make us crash.

A little after noon we made it to the last big city before Peru, Loja. Our plan was to eat some lunch and make the decision to either stay there for the night or press on. We found a little local restaurant which served a full meal for $1.25 each. The soup was a little scary, so I passed (especially considering they like to eat Guinne Pigs here…therefore I don’t like to trust mystery meat), but the chicken and rice were quite nice. There were plenty of locals in there and we were quite the spectacle with all our gear and giant bikes parked out front.

We decided to press on and get closer to the border, either stopping at Catacocha or at the border town if time permits. The road from there got better, but we hit some drizzle. Nothing bad, in fact it was quite nice as it brought us into some very thick fog at one of the mountain peaks. It was so thick that you could barely see the car in front of you… At a slow speed, it was magical.

Once we hit the road to Catacocha we all made the decision to stay instead of heading into the dark clouds for another couple of hours. The town resides on top of a hill. We had to drive up the side to get into the center of the town. This town definitely doesn’t see many tourists. It looks like something out of an old western. Tons of people walking about, old men lining the porches just sitting, all day, everyday. Plenty of stores, but not a lot of options for the tourist. We didn’t even think there was a motel, but after Mike asked some Senors, they sent their kid to walk Mike around town to the hotels. We discovered what I would call a gem for a town like this. Simple room with that terrifying water heater that plugs in above the shower head, but very clean; $12 bucks. You want food? You don’t have many options. We walked the entire center and only discovered one place we could get food, which was some sort of chicken meat torte pie thing; dry and not very tasty. In a town like this, they don’t see tourists often, so we are quite the spectacle walking around; you get the feeling that everyone is staring.

The road today was very tiring for me, so I’m looking forward to an early night to sleep. Tomorrow we have about a couple of hours until the Peruvian border. Our last night in Ecuador, it’s treated us well.

Adios Cuenca! We will miss you!!!

Amie takes great photos from the back of the bike

Nice one!

Mine from the front aren't near as good!

Shouldn't these kids be in school?

One horsepower.

Ecuador and I say hello

We arrived in Cupacoochie, or whatever this town is called

The only restaurant

Cuenca, Ecuador

We love Cuenca. It has the splendor of a beautiful European town, but it is all so cheap! We slept in our nice and comfy hotel room, got up for our 8:30 breakfast (included in room price), then went back into bed until around noon. This is what a vacation is all about!!!

Once we mossied out of our room, we set out for laundry and internet. The town is full of fun little boutique shops, restaurants, cafes and ice cream parlors. The buildings are all beautiful as they line the cobblestone streets. There are many plazas you can discover while wandering around and a great big brick church in the center. We ran across a little Mexican restaurant, and believe it or not, Mike and I have been craving Mexican; they sure know how to cook! You can’t really get anything spicy in Central America, or South America (at least yet). I didn’t think I’d be craving Mexican food so soon…but it was awesome. So good that after lunch we made a deal that we’d go back for dinner. We ran into Adam after lunch at the gelateria, got an ice cream then cruised some of the boutique shops. Mike got a very fresh hat and I found a nice little sweater (I guess I’ll have to ship that home!). A lot of great shops and prices to go with it! Too bad I didn’t have an extra suitcase…

We must have walked most of the old town by the end of the day, but it felt good to move our legs around rather than just sit all day. After a little break back at the hotel, we set out with Adam for the Mexican restaurant (take 2). It must have been great food, because even the second time we were smiling and singing sweet songs to the delicious comida.

Mike and I got a great DVD discovery, Casino Royale (007). One dollar each--Yes please! We even found the new Leonardo movie that I don’t think is even out in theatres yet…thank you South America! I guess we’ll be staying up to date with the latest and greatest movies!

Our great day in the city made us excited for what lies ahead in South America. It was a good breath of fresh air and much needed.

Shopping...

...and internet makes for a happy wife

Being way ahead of budget makes for a happy husband!

Husband and Wife duo

Beautiful Cuenca

The church in the main plaza

Mikes new purchase

Riobamba to Cuenca, Ecuador, 135 miles

We woke up in our lovely comfy bed, walked down to enjoy some breakfast ($2 for toast, eggs, juice and coffee) in our hotel. The man that runs the hotel was shuffling around all nervous like as usual and his kitchen helper was a hummer…which solved the mystery of the humming noises I heard while having a shower earlier.

As we packed up the bike, the owner of the hotel stated and insisted we hadn’t paid the night before; we had, but proving this became impossible and after a long conversation between him and Mike, we had to fork up another $30 bucks. What we call a trip f-you, the room costs us $60 bucks. Frustrating, but not much you can do except remember to get a receipt of payment from here on.

We hit the road, trying to forget about the morning f-you. Fortunately as soon as we headed out of town, the scenery was amazing and the road in prime condition, we quickly forgot about the mornings mishap. The countryside looked more like Ireland or Italy than South America. There were rolling hills with beautifully colored crops and small little villages tucked away. The indigenous people here like to wear those tiny little top hats and brightly colored garb. The women seem to love the bright red almost hot pink shawls. You can easily spot them on the hillside against the bright green grass. It was breathtaking. Even though the air was a bit nippy, we finally got to take advantage of our warm gear and felt quite comfortable all bundled up.

The rolling hills turned into steep mountains, the Andes, and the views along the road were outstanding. I hadn’t thought too much about Ecuador prior to this trip, but I have a whole new appreciation for the country, the ride was the best we’d had. As we climbed up and down the steep mountains the roads turned to dirt, still decently maintained. On the dirt roads came the kids who hold the ropes out, to block the road in hope of forcing you to pay a ‘toll’. The first one we hit had a few kids, they let the bus in front of us by, but as we approached they lifted it up. Adam whizzed right through, but then they raised it higher for us, Mike kept going and then last minute slammed on the breaks, but just as we started to stop, they lowered the rope and we continued on. I think they probably have had a few bad rope burns and don’t like to play chicken with a motorcyclist! I had heard about the kids with the ropes, and as we passed, was relieved that we made it though… Well, that wasn’t the end of it. For the entire stretch of the road there were at least 5 other places with the kids trying to get something off the passing tourists. Our savior for a couple of the spots was the bus directly behind us; we got a free pass. After our third, I think Mike just didn’t care anymore, rope burns or not, we weren’t even slowing down. I honestly can’t imagine that anyone would stop, pay and not just smack the kid for trying to destroy their car. First of all, I don’t think they could stop a passing vehicle without hurting themselves more, and who in their right mind is going to pay someone that is trying to jeopardize their drive? Obviously they are out there for a reason though…

We stopped at one of the breath-taking vistas and had a group of little kids, giggling and clinging on to each other slowing walk up to us and just stare. They were all giggling and checking us out in amazement. I gave them a pack of gum which I think made their day.

Adam’s KLR kicked our butt on the dirt roads, but Yoshita did quite well; she’s a champ. Just as we got back onto tarmac it started to rain. Yes, it rained, and rained, and didn’t seem to stop for quite some time. In the past when it has rained, it was almost refreshing as it has been so hot, but up here in the Andes mountains, it’s another story. Ice cold air and non-stop rain make for a very uncomfortable ride. My helmet mask was completely fogged over, as well as mike’s so he had to keep it slightly open as the icey cold rain struck his face. We were cruising at about 20 mph for at least a couple hours. We kept the hope of the rain dying down and continued truckin’ along, icy feet and hands. Our gear (jacket and pants) are GREAT in the rain, we are completely dry underneath, but our gloves and boots are another story. I need waterproof gloves!!!

After sometime, who knows how long, as when I get that uncomfortable I tend to get my mind off such things and start thinking about Candy, my home or a hot shower, we stopped to try and find some warm food. Our only option was French fries with a filleted hot dog all fancy like, but that and the little break did the trick and we hit the wet rainy road again. Soon after, sunshine! The sun was never more appreciated as we slowly dried and got to enjoy yet again the great surroundings to our drive.

We made it to Cuenca, and even though our boots were still soaked, our clothes had dried off. The outskirts of Cuenca was beautiful, one of the nicest, cleanest cities I’ve seen on this trip. There were plenty of residential track homes surrounded by parks filled with families out for their Sunday afternoon. It obvious isn’t a poor town and was refreshing after the many poverty stricken towns in Central America. The old center is even more beautiful. Cobblestone streets and old colonial buildings, beautiful churches, cafes, this city has it all. We found a nice little hotel, and even though we splurged for $25 a night, our bike is safely parked in the lobby and our bed has a real mattress and plenty of hot water.

At night, we walked the streets as the news from the new President of Ecuador was announced in which every car on the street with honking a little tune and waving a flag of Correa (Spanish for Belt) who just got elected. The honking at first was interesting, but these people go nuts, they can’t stop, they love the horn and they must love their new president!

After some pizza, we made it to an Austrian Café for cake. I guess they must not be known for their cake, a bit disappointing, I guess we should stick to Sausages when it comes to the Austrians…

Mike and I got to watch one of our $1 movies in bed, it was great! You, me and Depree; funny and entertaining. I don’t know if every movie we’ve watched is really that good, or just the comfort of enjoying a movie is great???

Tomorrow we’ll stay another night in this beautiful city to be able to see it before we’re off towards Peru.

Welcome to the high Andes

Hello old lady

Guapo in the rear

Sunday Market (note Dale Correa - soon to be president)

Beautiful patchwork hillside

This is what we rode 6,000 miles for

A trio of cute hats

Muchas Rocas en la Calle

Is that the shot you wanted Adam?

Who's that lady! Oouuuu!

Hasn't started raining yet! Still smiling...

Yoshita likes 11,000'

You beat us Andes!!!

Or maybe not...we made it to Cuenca!