October 24, 2013
Trujillo
Reflecting on the conquistadores
This turned into a much better day than it might have. I awoke this morning feeling refreshed and well rested in spite of the lengthy uproar outside our window last night (which Rachael surprisingly had mostly slept through), and we enjoyed a good, nourishing breakfast at our hotel. Again today we faced a forecast for prospects of significant rain and winds, so once more we were anxious about what the fates had in store for us. Again though we were lucky in timing and enjoyed cloudy but essentially dry skies all of the way to Trujillo.
The initial 15 mile leg of today's route followed minor highway EX-206 to the southeast into a stiff 10-15 mph headwind. This road carries a bit more traffic than we've been seeing and has a sufficient but not wide shoulder, so we stayed focused on the traffic and pavement and didn't look around much. The ride improved dramatically once we left this road to turn northeast, and we followed a series of small, nearly carefree lanes the rest of the way to Trujillo, buoyed by more favorable winds.
Trujillo, the home of the most imporant conquistadores, is another significant historic city with much to see. This has been an amazing stretch, with Marvao, Caceres and Trujillo so close together. With a car you could really buzz through them all in a single day; but how much better it feels to break it up this way and come to each site with fresh eyes. We arrived a bit after 1, and were immediately awed by its majestic central Plaza Major. It is ringed and towered over by majestic monuments built with the spoils of the conquistadors, and punctuated by a heroic statue of Francisco Pizarro, the conqueror of Peru. If you can set aside imagining the bloody history of this conquest, the town makes a fascinating place to wander through.
After an initial assessment of the plaza we stopped in at a cafe for lunch and then dropped a few blocks to our hotel - Hostal San Miguel, a beautiful old place with huge rooms and beautifully tiled floors. Its keepers spoke no English at all so we got by largely on pantomime. In fact it has been striking to us that in the major tourism sites of Caceres and Trujillo we have not heard a word of English outside of the hotel in Caceres. And thinking back, I don't recall us hearing English speaking guests at any hotel since we left the coast.
By the time we changed and made it back up to the plaza, the dry spell was just ending. Within a few blocks of leaving it for a walk up the hill to the monumental area the rains began and didn't let up for about 4 hours. We made a game attempt at enjoying what we are seeing, but it just isn't the same when it's cold, wet and windy, you have no umbrella, you can't use the camera for fear of damaging it, and nothing is open because it's the siesta period. So, back to the hotel to dry off and warm up.
We were more or less resigned to things when the weather unexpectedly improved late in the day and gave us a second chance. We scurried out again for a second, much more satisfying pass, including a tour of its now open castle and the wonderful views it provides (it is amazing the number of really fine castles we have seen in our short stay here). Afterwards we returned to the room for a bit until the dinner hour, and enjoyed a fine meal in a restaurant overlooking the plaza. Great place, nearly great day.
Tomorrow, we visit another important town - Merida, also a world heritage site. And tomorrow, we again face the prospects of rain and 50 miles of mild headwinds. Hope for the best.
Elevation log: 1800' today, 25,100' total.
Today's ride: 39 miles (63 km)
Total: 547 miles (880 km)
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