August 15, 2016
This is it: back out in the ochre hills of the Andean highlands.
After three and a half weeks with the comforts of a city, it is sad to be leaving Sucre. I was reminded that after that much time lay off the bike it would be hard the first day back cycling, but I manage the steep climb out of town easily enough.
Upwards I pedaled pass "Recollector", the old town, resisting a last stop for coffee at the Mirador café. Then the hard part begins as the street keeps going up to a gap between two camel hump like hills. Now the legs feel exhausted and the heat of late morning is getting a bit much. Soon though I pass through the gap and start down the backside of the hills along a wide chaotic avenue, with collectivos belching out sooty fumes and stalls and people sat on the pavement selling all kinds of plastic junk.
I stop at a kiosk to buy a big bottle of coke, however fail to find anyone in attendance, even after shouting loudly. But I manage to purchase a two litre bottle a little further on, something I was going to need by early afternoon.
The city sprawl eventually peters out, but for kilometres on the verge has been used as a rubbish dump: bags of domestic waste, old fridges, tyres and the like. Then the gradually downhill road descends more steeply into a hole, wherein is a settlement too small to be called a village, but with road toll collection booths in the road centre, beyond which begins a long climb back out of the hole. This is one of the main terrain features, namely lumps of hills with deep hollows between them the road must descend to the bottom of and climb up and out the other side.
The climb goes on upwards, up over a range of hills. I stop many times to get my breath back. It takes me into afternoon when I drop down upon a plateau with more hills ahead, where I stop in the shade of a roadside bush for a long break consuming most of the coke.
I think this kind of landscape has the least scenic appeal for me. At about three thousand metres, it's mono-hued ochre. There's a deadness to it. I'd much rather be in green undulating lowland close to sea-level.
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By late afternoon I see the hill with eucalyptus grove ahead where I camped when I passed this way in 2010. Another climb to begin with, followed by a more gradual ascent across the hillside. Since the last time a new rest-place with car parking has been built, with a stone path curving down the hill and around to follow parallel through the trees below the road.
I push the bike along the path until I come to a shoulder wide enough to pitch the tent upon.
Today's ride: 47 km (29 miles)
Total: 12,090 km (7,508 miles)
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