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Daves Travel Pages

Dave briggs

My name is Dave Briggs, and welcome to www.davestravelpages.com , my travelogue site. I am an Adventure Cyclist from England, and my latest trip is to cycle from Alaska to Argentina. I started in July 2009, and estimate that it will take 18 months, so please drop by again to check on my progress !

To read my current travelogue, use this link Alaska to Argentina., or simply have a look around the site to see my previous adventures, thoughts and views. The site is bigger than you might think, so put the kettle on, relax, and enjoy !



 Cycling from Alaska to Argentina

Below are my latest travelogue updates. Please use the menus on the right to explore previous entries.

 

Cycling from Huancayo to A small village

Leaving Huancayo was pretty simple, although I had to ask for directions in a couple of places. There then began a 3 hour uphill ride.

 

 

Cycling from Huancayo
 
 

 The road went uphill through a valley of farmland. 

A tiny Church

 

 I cycled by friendly people and through small villages as I reached the top. There then came a great 31 km long downhill section, made all the better by a wonderfully smooth road and virtually zero traffic. 

Cycling to Izuchaca

 

 The road followed a river flowing downstream, on the opposite side of which were some thermal pools. When I reached the bottom at the town of  Izuchaca, I met another cyclist, who was having some quick repairs done on the side of the road. 

Agusti

 

 Agusti is from Barcelona,and is cycling from Lima to at least La Paz in Bolivia, and possibly further to Argentina. I found myself in the unusual situation of my knowledge of another persons language being better than that of their knowledge of mine. It had to happen some time! 

Station in Peru

 

The road from Izuchca turned into a dirt road, which it will continue to be for the next few days. Not that it mattered as we cycled up and down the valley, chatting as we went. 

cycling from izcachuca

 

Stunning views, and good company made the afternoon fly by. Coming up to four, we neared a small village, and Agustis chain snapped. As luck would have it, this small village had three places to stay at, although actually getting a room proved to be a long task, only solved 2 hours later by a kid breaking into a locked hostal for us. Sharing a room, at 7 soles each makes it the cheapest lodgings so far!I’m not sure precisely how far we cycled today, although I believe I am at least 20 kms ahead of where I thought I would get today.

Last Updated (Thursday, 02 September 2010 20:45)

 

Cycling from A small village to Mayocc

Another day of cycling through the amazing Peruvian landscape, as Agusti and I headed out of the small village we never quite got the name of, and cycled for Mayocc.  

Cycling from a village

 

 It had rained overnight, and whilst there were some muddy puddles first thing in the morning, for the most part, it had done us a favour, leaving the hard, unsealed road almost spongy. 

Agusti cycling

 

It wasn’t all smooth riding, however. Shortly after this picture was taken, Agusti got a puncture, which then turned into a slightly bigger problem. Apparently, he never had any problems with his bicycle before meeting me. Sorry mate! I cycled on, and he caught me back up at lunch time in La Esmerelda.  

Cycling to Mayocc

 

 The dirt road followed a river as it flowed through a valley. The views were spectacular.

Cycling to Mayocc

 

 Everything in Peru just seems to be on a bigger scale than anywhere else. Huge mountains, huge views…. The only thing there is less of, is traffic. Wonderful! 
Cycling to Mayocc
 

 It seems that every time you turn a corner here, the next view is more incredible than the last. Amazing to think that a week ago, I was cycling past snow capped mountains, and today I was cycling through an almost sub-tropical valley, with flocks of parakeets flying overhead. There were, however, a ridiculous number of quite vicious mosquitoes. I got eaten alive! 

Cycling to mayocc

 

 The final view before we cycled into Mayocc. There was a Hospedeje in Mayocc, which again had a great deal of confusion attached, so that it was an hour before we could get into the place. 8 soles each, not bad!So, another great day of cycling over the dirt roads with amazing scenery. I have to say, that in terms of views, Peru is up there in my top three countries I have cycled through!

Last Updated (Thursday, 02 September 2010 20:56)

 

Cycling from Mayocc to Ayacucho

It had rained extremely heavily overnight, and when we left in the morning, the dirt road was thick with mud and puddles.

  
Cycling a straight line
 

 Keeping a straight line was difficult, especially going up the steep climb right at the beginning of the day. 

 

Cycling from Mayocc

 

 The views were amazing, as I have learned to expect from cycling through Peru!The day was an overcast one, with an on off drizzle throughout. The initial 40 km, saw us cycle from Mayocc and to the town of Huanta over roads which were quite bogged down with mud. The conditions exposed one of the most negative aspects of cycling with the Bob Yak trailer, namely that cycling through the mud with it, is like ploughing a field.   

Cycling from Mayocc

 

 When you add in a series of hill climbs to the equation, it equalled quite a strenuous morning.After 3 hours, we arrived at Huanta, where a lunch was in order. The weather deteriorated somewhat as we ate, and although it wasn’t heavy rain, it was certainly more than drizzling when we left. The road was sealed though, which made life a lot easier.I seemed to get stronger as the day went on, and the hill section between Huanta and Ayacucho went easily for me. Cycling into the centre, we stopped a couple of blocks short of the Plaza de Armas, and ended up in a great little hotel called Hotel Azul, which provided big rooms to the both of us at 20 soles a night each. The hot water was amazing!

Last Updated (Thursday, 02 September 2010 21:09)

 

Day off in Ayacucho

After the quite tough cycling between Huancayo and Ayacucho, a day of rest was in order, as the road ahead to Cusco promises to be even tougher. A day of rest is never a day of nothing, however, and there was a list of jobs to get done. A touring cyclist day, whether cycling or in a town, is very similar, and Agusti needed to do almost exactly the same jobs, which ran something like this. 

1. Breakfast

2. Information

3. Laundry

4. Get bicycles sorted

5. Lunch

6. Buy supplies for the road ahead.

7. Get extra items of clothing

8. Internet

9. More food

10. Even more food 

On the bicycle front, I have continuing issues with my rear hub. If it is tightened too much, the wheel does not turn freely, and if it is loosened to much then the rear wheel wobbles. A half hour, 2 sole tinkering session achieved a reasonably happy balance. My second problem, is still my front rack, which is in pretty bad shape. Being made of aluminium, there is no welding solution, and unbelievably, in a city this size, with 5 bike shops, none of them sell a rear rack of any description. I hope to get this problem finally solved in Cusco, assuming the front rack last that long of course.

Wandering around Ayacucho, I cant help but be impressed with the city. The centre retains its colonial design and architecture, with reportedly 33 churches within a 7 block radius, and the plaza is big and quiet. The most noticeable thing, however, is how clean the city is. The dust and rubbish which are such a major feature of other villages and towns are absent in the mile square centre.

 

 

 

A street in Ayacucho
>
A church in Ayacucho
>
The plaza in Ayacucho

 

Ayacucho carving

 

And so from here, the rough road will take me over three passes above 4000 metres as I cycle towards Cusco. Apparently, it has just snowed (unusually) in Cusco... should make those mountains a bit interesting!

Last Updated (Thursday, 02 September 2010 21:29)

 

Book a hostel online

Book a hostel online

Concerned with arriving in a strange city at an unfavourable time ? By booking a hostel online, you know your bed is reserved, leaving you hassle free.

 

Last Updated (Saturday, 03 April 2010 01:28)

 
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