Peru Tour Day 5 Pampamarca to Puquio

After last night, I’m sure I’m traveling on an adventure tour.  We stayed in Pampamarca at the home of a local woman.  She provided kitchen space and our guides prepared spaghetti for dinner last night and French toast for breakfast.  The rooms we shared were primate, but the electricity worked.  There were banos in one corner of the lot behind the building and cold running water in the other corner.  

But we survived.  Today’s route was all about high prairie.  We started at 13,500’ and climbed to 14,500’.  For the next 60 km we rolled along between those altitudes as we scraped the sky. We saw a lot of llamas. I think the altitude is too high to grow any crops.  We did see some vicuna as well.  I find it amazing that people are able to live at this altitude, and make a life.  The pictures will tell more of the story.  It was a pleasant change from big climbs.

The final 30 km of today’s ride brought us down to 10,500’ to the pleasant town of Puquio.  And the St. Joseph Hotel has hot showers for which we are grateful, indeed.  It was a great run in to town except Bob blew a tire on a hairpin turn on the descent.  He’s okay except for some nasty road rash.  Part of the group is out shopping for bike parts.  It sounds as if he’ll be ready to roll in the morning.

Riding on the roof of the world.