to San Marcos - 2200m: down, up and back down - Racpat RTW 2015-2017

March 2, 2017

to San Marcos - 2200m: down, up and back down

"We'll pay for this later, but that was a great downhill" Rachel says. The ride today starts with a glorious downhill. We have not had an easier twenty kilometers since riding in Peru. But of course there is a price to pay.

First of all the sandflies are back at this lower elevation, and it is noticeably hotter. Second, there are three kinds of "resaltos" (speed bumps) There are the kind that are just big humps that really hurt if you are going too fast, and another version of the hump that has a ramplike edge over a flattened top. Today was the better third kind which were just series of reflectors and could navigate through without losing much speed. After the end of the downhill we follow a river to Aguas Calientes. There are supposed to be some hot springs here where cyclists have stayed before, but the day is still young for us so we start climbing. We need to gain about 700 meters to a ridge. It starts off very hot, we space our breaks every kilometer or so in whatever shade we can find. Later clouds move in and give us a break from the strong sun rays.

The road is a nice two lane with wide shoulders, until just outside San Marcos, and it becomes rough in places. We reach San Marcos quite early and are surprised at what a nice little town it is. There are plenty of hotels, but we have gotten in the habit of first going to the Plaza des Armas, which is typically the center of town, and look for a hotel there first. There is a nice looking Hotel Plaza right on the square, as the name implies. It looks expensive, but is surprisingly cheap at only 40 soles. We move in and have lunch on the plaza. The afternoon is spent with a nap and some reading.

The Wifi is not working today. In the evening we find a chicken BBQ place and afterwards we sit on the plaza for a while. A lady sells us a rice-pudding like dessert that tastes great.

From Cajabamba we descend into a much drier and hotter valley.

The landscape changes with the altitude. Here huge agave plants line the road.

Political parties have all adopted a symbol that illiterate people can easily remember when they're in the voting booth. As we travel from one region to the next we keep seeing new ones.

Small village of Chancay with large monument.

Right on the Plaza d'Armas in San Marcos. What must be the best value hotel in Peru: 40 soles (12 $US) for a nice room with plaza views and a hot shower. The WiFi does not work though....and the American flag is hung upside down...a sign of the times.

The large white hats are worn by women and men. It seems the hat, and not the width of their behinds, determines how many guys fit on a bench.

Today's ride: 59 km (37 miles)
Total: 28,617 km (17,771 miles)

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