Day 120: Talara to Pacasmayo, Peru

Buenos!
A day of contrasts today. We were up early as usual in our flash hotel and packed up before breakfast and then on the road. We had to travel down a side road to the Panamericana through the posh sector and past a squatters' village






and the airforce base. No one has told me what this aircraft is yet?



Then we were on the road inland to Sullana and Piura. It was a good straight very straight road! And reasonable quick.



With some amazing scenery on the side as if the beach dunes had marched inland.






Sudden contrasts between barren and green.






We managed to bypass both of the big cities and that took us out to the desert proper. It was quite pleasant really - the temperature was around 24C and the road surface was good so we sat on around 100kph all the way. There was quite a head/cross wind though that sent my fuel consumption up to around 5.7 litres per hundred kms. We were on the lookout for sand drifts across the road but there were none. Phew!









After about 90kms we stopped for a pee and a stretch. Because of the wind I stopped under a tree which had these amazing flowers.



Kiwi checked out the sand. Hmmmm ... He didn't like it much.



Then this German cyclist appeared. He had done 100kms in five hours and was looking to sleep the night in his tent in the desert. He had been on the road alone for a number of years travelling, including NZ and Australia!



Good luck to him! But not for us thanks.

The fuel gauge was twitching by the time we rode into Chiclayo and battled our way through heavy traffic. Then we came across this amazing cafe which was offering a lunch buffet for 42 soles - about $NZD20! Shirley went mad with the camera.

Kokoda....



Avacado with shrimp.



Duck.



Tamales.



And one for Frances.



And a proud dessert chef.



On the spot griller.






And so we left replete and very quickly we were back in the desert again.



And suddenly back into green gardens.



And back to desert again.



At about 4pm we decided we had had enough and turned off to a beach front town called Pacasmayo. It took us a wee while to find the hotel advertised on a huge billboard at the turnoff but eventually we found it. We parked the girls as usual in the hotel foyer.






and went up to our rooms. While we were there a funeral procession went by below.



We went for a walk along the waterfront and out along the wharf.



Complete with pelicans roosting in a dinghy.



And a kiwi paddling in the surf.



Shirl took some photos of the sun as it set into the sea.



And that folks is about that. A good distance today and now we are tired. We have had a light dinner and a beer and that will do us. Another big day tomorrow.

Good night. Po marie.

Today's run: 422kms
Cumulative: 29,285kms
Tipovers: 7

Location:Pacasmayo, Peru

Day 119: Machala to Talara, Peru

Gidday everyone.
Well it was a variety day today! Breakfast was included at Machala so we were all packed up and ready to go at 7am before going to breakfast. This was a really expensive hotel so we expected, and got, a really good breakfast. I had two plates of the Bircher's muesli with pawpaw before moving onto a minor mountain of bacon with eggs and toast. Not bad. Not bad at all.
We were on the road at 8am and had a bit of an effort to navigate out of town. Out past the old loco.




And along some distinctly crappy roads once we found the way out of town.




It was only about 65kms to the Ecuador border so we got on with it. Once we got there we were pleased to see some signs of cooperation between the two neighbouring countries. In a single building you went from the Ecuador exit queue to the Peru entry queue. Good one.
Unfortunately as Dick was parking Mella he put his foot in a puddle of oil and dropped her onto the curb. It took a bit of grunt to get her upright again and we had to call on the assistance of a couple of touts. Who asked us for a dollar! I think they were joking so shook their hands and thanked them for their assistance and told them that whenever they came to NZ they should look me up. Not too much harm done to the bike but one of the side riding lights had its mounting broken. We taped it up as best we could.








while under military supervision.




Dick and I then went on to sort out the entry permits for the bikes while Shirley roamed with the camera. Another motorcyclist in the making?




Welcome to Peru!








Dick and I made good progress getting the bikes sorted. I had assumed that the person we were directed to first was an Ecuadorean official and she would cancel our Ecuador temporary vehicle importation permits. However it turned out that she was a Peruvian official and was signing the bikes into Peru. Everything was complete and our permits issued and in our hands when I did a really dumb thing! I asked her where to go to get the exit stamp from Ecuador for the bikes. She suddenly realised that we hadn't done this already and took the entry permits away from us. We had to go back four kms into Ecuador to get the exit stamps. Bugger!
Double bugger when we finally got back there to the Ecuador customs when the official looked at our papers, stamped them, and then filed them. So we had to go back to Peru with no paperwork anyway! Why DID we bother!
While we were away this group of six Italian motorcyclists cruised in.








We checked them out. Seemed ok.




Finally we were on our way and into some heavy town traffic. Outside the towns was good riding with cultivations on both sides of the road.




And lots of three wheel rickshaw things.








But also some barren landscapes as we approached the coast.








And drove by the sea.




We had some amazing landscapes.








And seascapes as well.




Skyscapes?




Herring boats.....




And more busy towns.




Finally we cruised into a town called Talara and past the airforce base. Any guesses on this aircraft?




And found a hotel. Again a bit expensive but we'll make up for it by stealing the toilet paper. Once again, beer, dinner and bed! Breakfast is included so we'll starve ourselves tonight. Right!
Today's run: 322kmsu incl a border crossing
Cumulative: 28,863kms
Tipovers: 7

Location:Talara, Peru

Day 118: Saint Miguel to Machala, Ecuador

Greetings all
Well a sobering moment for us today as we passed through a small village and encountered a huge group of people and police blocking most of the road. On the left and partly down a bank a small motorcycle upside down and with a twisted frame. Ten metres along the road a young man lying in a pool of blood from a head wound and obviously dead. It made us think, not only about bikes and stuff but also about helmets, boots and the protective gear that we struggle with from time to time. Hmmmmm.

Breakfast was at seven at our quirky little hotel so we were up and packed and ready to go before then. Shirley took some photos before we left. Firstly here is her sea bass dinner from last night.



Then a grinder at the frontbdoor.



We headed on down a reasonable but busy road through Riobamba. Da boys were out riding too. Mostly pretend Harley's. They weren't sure whether to wave or to ignore us!



As we rode along we could smell coriander. It was this truck's load!



Just south of Riobamba Karen told us to go left for the fastest route. Even though the signs said Cuenca straight ahead. We took a chance and went left which took us through Pallatanga. It was a wonderful road - up to 4,000 metres asl at one point but hardly fast.



The road climbed steeply through precipitous farms and gorges all highly cultivated.



Lots more indigenous people here - stocky and deep chested with the women wearing dinky little trilby hats.



Lots of animals tethered at the side of the road. Even sheep!



And pigs



Not all of which were tethered.



We stopped so Shirl could photograph some food.






And gradually worked our way down to El Triunfo. We made a critical decision at this point. We decided that instead of going to Cuenca we would continue south to Machala and cross into Peru tomorrow.

We had stopped on a bit of road that was cambered quite steeply to the left and a bit downhill. Shirley fetched us stones for our sidestands so the bikes weren't cantered over too far and we spent time studying the maps and being sure we were being sensible. Dick packed up his topbox and gave the lid a good slam to close it. Mella slipped off the stone, the sidestand folded up and the bike headed for the tarmac. With an absolutely amazing Herculean effort Dick managed to hold her upright as she headed down the hill. Shirley got in alongside him and between the two they managed to stop her from toppling. Phew! We got her in gear, edged her up a bit closer to the curb and put the stone back under the sidestand. Blimey, that was close!

We now headed down out of the highlands and on the the plains at about 16 metres asl. What a change. Lots of big crops here. Sugarcane.



Hectare after hectare of banana trees. Dole and Del Monte!



Finally we rolled into Machala at about 5pm. Initially we were impressed with a three lane expressway leading into the town. But when we got off the expressway the streets were in much rougher condition. We had a hotel keyed into Karen but she wasn't to know that lots of the roads that she wanted us to ride on were in the process of being ripped up.



Eventually we found the Hotel Oro Verde - quite a bit more expensive than we would have liked but we were tired. And sick of riding round in circles.

And so dinner, a beer and I think we won't be long out of bed.

Goodnight!

Today's run: 422kms
Cumulative: 28,541kms
Tipovers: 6

Location:Machala, Ecuador.

Day 117: Quito to San Miguel de Salcedo, Ecuador

Hi folks
Super short blog tonight cos we're quite jolly old tired.

Taxi to BMW Quito to pick up the girls. All good. Note the new Ecuador sticker.



A bit of a struggle to get out of Quito because Ebony needed petrol badly and we wound up going through the city. We got separated from D&D at this point and had to meet up along the road. Then we got hit with a huge thunderstorm that turned to hail and snow. Remember this is less than one degree south of the equator.










Hailstones on Shirley's sheepskin!



We decided to stop early at at about 4.30 pulled into this quirky hotel in San Miguel de Salcedo. Complete with 1951 Cadillac.






And an ostrich that seemed to regard me as a sex object.






And some round things with holes.



We have now had dinner, a glass of wine and that's about it.


Today's run: 123kms
Cumulative: 28,119kms
Tipovers: 6

Location:San Miguel de Salcedo, Ecuador.