Cycling from Junin to La Oroya in Peru

During my bike tour from Alaska to Argentina I wrote a blog post a day. This entry is from the day spent cycling from Junin to La Oroya in Peru.

Cycling along the road from Junin to La Oroya

It was cold in Junin, Peru

Blog post written August 27th 2010

I woke up early to the sound of music and people dancing on the main plaza at 06.00. These girls had been practicing the night before as well, so a festival must be imminent.

Good luck to them, I say, as it was unbelievably cold that early in the morning, with a freezing fog hanging low and cutting off vision after a hundred metres.

I went to the loo, and then got back into bed as quickly as I could, burying myself beneath a pile of blankets. An early start was never going to happen!

Cycling out of Junin in Peru

 

I resurfaced at 08.00, and went to use the internet for a bit, in the hope that things would warm up some. Finally, at 09.45, the sun remembered what it was there for, and started to give out some heat, which is when I hit the road.

A stop with my bicycle

Today’s cycling was easy, with the general theme of flat or downhill. The kms went by easily as I cycled through the barren landscape towards La Oroya.

 

There must have been a bushfire here recently. With the way the wind was blowing, it was quite easy to imagine how quickly it spread.

Scenery when riding in peru

Cycling into La Oroya, Peru

I stopped off for a warming Caldo at the tiny junction settlement of Los Angeles, before getting the last section done, which was basically all downhill.

Cycling into La Oroya, Peru

La Oroya is a peculiar town, in that it is a main junction town (HuarazCusco – Lima), and that it is also a mining town.

Huge white cliffs dominate the settlement, and the bus terminal is a hive of activity.

I found another 10 soles a night palace to stay in (was a bit too scared to use the grimy shower), and worked some on the internet.

Tomorrow should prove to be a long day of 120 km if all goes to plan. Best get an early start and no laying in !

Read more about cycling from Alaska to Argentina

Also read:

 

Leave a Comment