March 30, 2000
Day 160 Halfway to Epizana and Cochabamba: Free Camping
Patrick still feels weak. We ride about 15 km’s. For several km’s we are chased by school children, or rather they run to keep up with us.
We stop to take a break about 10 o’clock. Just as we have everything out a truck comes by (they are few and far between!!) We flag him down and take a 70 km ride to Epizana. The road just jars us around and we feel beat up.
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The road continues to climb then there is this incredible downhill to a huge river. Then a 56 km climb to Epizana. The road sometimes follows ridges and is narrow in spots sometimes not easy to watch the corners. Again, we felt on top of the world looking back into the river valley and across other valleys and mountains. The road wound around, sometimes a cluster of brick housed, that looked like projects.
We go through Totora, and “unspoiled colonial town” with a “jumble of re-tiled roofs”. The road between Totora and Epizana is cobblestoned. The driver of the truck stops once to give a child cookies, and again stops to give a ride to 4 school kids.
We unload in Epizana. It’s noon, we finally eat. The truck is continuing onto Cochabamba. It’s tempting to just keep going with him. But the road is asphalt now!! We decide to ride on and see how far we get tonight. Epizana is 2600 meters, we climb to 3400 meters following a river sometimes nearby, sometimes we are high above.
At about 5:30, Rachel catches us with Patrick who is talking with about 4 men by a cluster of houses. They are interested in the bikes, bike pedals and gadgets. Patrick asks if we can pitch our tent by their house. It’s starting to get dark, foggy and cold.
We go to the side of the house where women and children are sitting outside. They indicate a spot for the tent, and watch intently as we put it up. Patrick is putting the tent stakes in the ground by using a rock, one of the men grabs a sledgehammer to help “for fun”.
We fix hot water for soup. They are also interested in how the stove works. (It’s not working very well at this altitude. Later, they bring soup out to Patrick. Rachel is already in the tent and had eaten tuna fish & egg sandwich.
Today's ride: 57 km (35 miles)
Total: 5,285 km (3,282 miles)
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