pedalpanam

11500 from Matt Kelly on Vimeo.

Another 500 mile update.  Apparently scrunching my eyes makes talking for the camera easier.  I realize hearing the names of small towns in Peru might not be terribly exciting, I’ll try to have a map up for the next update.

Hello from Leymebamba in the quiet valley of the Uctubamba river. Unfortunately no pictures for now, will have to wait till better internet connection.

After two rest days in San Ignacio, back on the dirt road. Except it would only last 33 more miles, then the pavement began! It was nice for a change, the last 150 miles from just past Vilcabamba, Ecuador were all rough dirt/gravel/rock/potholed road. I made it to Bellavista, about 68 miles from San Ignacio. Not once that day did I use my little chainring (lowest gears)!!! I can’t even remember when the last time this happened, definitely not Ecuador, probably not in Colombia or Central America. Bellavista was near the Marañon River, I don’t think I was more than 800m (2,600 feet) in altitude, so it was a rather warm night compared to the past week. The whole area has a lot of rice growing, probably the only time I’ve seen this on the trip. And it is good too! I’m not sure what kind they grow, but it is some of the best I’ve had, with a nice and chewy consistency.

Continue reading Leymebamba, Peru

The past week has been one of those where I kept telling myself “Holy Cow, this sure is bike touring!”.  I finally got my package from Optimus stoves in Loja, so am back in business with plenty of O-rings to last me for quite a while. In Loja, I had to choose between essentially two routes to Peru.  On the advice of several cyclists, I decided to take the more arduous dirt road.  Everyone said it was worth the effort. My trip from Cuenca to Loja was on very new road, with a fair bit of traffic, and lots of cold drizzle at the top of every big climb.  I had hoped for some blue skies my last days in Ecuador, and got just this!

Heading south from Loja, the pavements ends in Yangana.  After a short day from Vilcabamba, I got to Yangana and knew the road turned to dirt.  The dark clouds up ahead in the mountains made me call it quits for the day, and I found a very basic room for the night.  Of course it could rain  continuously the next day or week, but the gamble paid off and the next day I awoke to sunny weather.  Time to tackle the hills!

Continue reading San Ignacio, Peru

Up until now I’ve been taking a picture of me and my odometer every time it rolls over another thousand miles (~1,600km). A few days ago I passed 11,000 and I decided to begin taking a quick video every 500 miles so to keep you updated on the places I’ve gone through.

After watching this a few days after I taped it, I realize how unfocused and scattered I seem.  I had been off the bike for a week and the hour of uphill at the high altitude had left me rather light-headed and cross-eyed.  Hopefully in 500 miles I’ll be a little more enthusiastic.

I’m now in Loja, still without my DHL package.  But just yesterday DHL said that it finally got out of Ecuadorian customs and should be here tomorrow morning.  From here I plan to head to Vilcambamba, and further south to cross into Peru on some rough back roads.  All the cyclists who go this way say that it is well worth the difficult riding and it is stress free border crossing. (The Berling brothers’ recent account said they had to go find the immigration officer who was lounging in her bikini with a beer, floating in an inner tube in the nearby river).  I spent the last 140 miles on a busy highway between Cuenca and Loja (for those cyclists that haven’t traveled it yet, it’s all brand new paved concrete with lots of up and don), and I’m eager to find some quieter routes.

The old map in the hotel here has what is now part of Peru (ie San Ignacio) still in Ecuador.  This disputed border has indeed been of conflict for a long time now, but all the reports have made it sound no worse than any other border crossings, so I’m not worried about it.

A lady in the market in Saraguro asked me why I don’t shave my beard.  I really don’t have any better reason than “Why shave?”.  But this wasn’t an acceptable answer, she kept insisting, so I asked why she didn’t shave her hair off.  I wasn’t trying to be nasty or anything, but I guess just trying to make the point that a beard seems just as natural as her hair.  I think I’ll just start lying about the beard, maybe say that I’m running from the law and this is my disguise. Any other creative explanations?

I’ve visited the two rather large grocery stores here in downtown Loja (a city of 180,000), and of course hoped to pick up some butter.  Despite having many other refrigerated dairy products, and shelves full of many margarine choices, there is no butter to be found.  I always thought butter was a staple grocery, but it has been difficult to find lately in Ecuador.  Not sure why this is.

Even More Observations from Matt Kelly on Vimeo.

I arrived in Cuenca early Saturday afternoon, though really shouldn’t have arrived until yesterday or today. Here’s what has happened the last week or so. I’ve had more than plenty of time to write an overly detailed account.

Continue reading Cuenca, Ecuador