Easy day consisting mostly of a descent. Sorry for no pics but it was too fun to go down so I didn’t stop.

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Touring Peru 101 by M

General remarks:

• cash is king
• bottle water is king (make sure to verify that the cap is intact)
• altitude is savage (acclimatization is king. DO NOT neglect it or you will be in a deep and unnecessary pain. 150 resting HR off the bike at 4800m above sea level is not fun.)
• UV index is fierce even through the clouds (spf 50 sun cream is a bare minimum)
• beginning of the rain season is honestly not that bad. Yes it rains pretty much everyday but mostly during the afternoons (after 4pm or early morning 7am). During the day occasionally a few drops may fall here and there but not enough for you to put on the rain gear. It can be very cloudy with limited visibility though.
• chance of rain in the high mountains is higher and it’s less predictable but still it probably won’t be a downpour but more like a drizzle
• Spanish of a 5yo can get you going. Highly recommended to have some basics.
• outside of Lima or Cuzco bike shops don’t exist
• alpacas are a rarity. Mostly sheep, pigs, cows and dogs.

Pros:

• friendly people
• everything is cheap. Avg. price for the hotel room is 40 soles (~$12). Meals range from 6 to 30 soles ($1.5-8).
• high mountains, views and passes
• main roads are in very good conditions. Descents are exceptionally well profiled.
• distances between villages are not that vast, thus you can get some limited services like food and shelter having relatively short days (~60km). Considering how much high altitude climbing there is and how potentially easy it is to get soaked in the rain after certain hours, it’s a good idea to keep the days short. Remember, at 4000m above sea level you have 25-30% power penalty just due to lower oxygen levels!
• 3g/4g coverage is better than in the USA
• amazing mango, papaya, ananas and avocado.
• A lot of people travel by buses or pickups or even trucks in these high mountains thus I believe if need be you potentially could get a ride with a bike

Cons:

• flat terrain doesn’t exist here. It’s either up or down. And usually you want to avoid going down because you know you will have to go back up.
• it’s a very poor country and it shows. Most of the cities and villages are not visually pleasing.
• stray dogs everywhere. Most of them chasing your. Some of them biting.
• food is not that great honestly. Particularly in the small villages in the middle of nowhere - It’s either chicken soup, chicken with fries or rice with chicken. Gets dull very quickly and the moment a truck carrying all these chickens passes you, all you can eat is rice or fries. The concept of a salad is a rarity.
• trash everywhere. On the streets, in the valleys, at the top of the mountain passes. Sad view.
• air pollution in a sense that every other truck or car is at least a 10 year old diesel without a particle filter. So pretty much everyone is ‘coal rolling’.
• noise pollution. Peruvians have no concept of respecting others peace in a sense that if they have to communicate sth they will shout across the street. In the middle of the night. While 20 cars honk at each other for no obvious reason.
• cars are honking all the time. Idk why but I can’t stand it anymore. Literally no one on the road but me, dude has an entire line for himself and he still honks. This triggers me so badly 😅