Huaraz to Trujillo: Cañon del Pato

I left Huaraz. One day I would like to return and climb more of the peaks in the Cordillera Blanca. A fantastic place. I rolled out of town and soon was passing through Cañon del Pato. The canyon of ducks. I didn't see any ducks but there were several thousand tunnels, or so. The canyon is beautiful. At nightfall I ended up in a little town called Yuramarca. I stayed in a basic adobe hovel and had chicken and chips for dinner.

In the morning I continued downhill into a stiff headwind. Lunch and an asphalt road both arrived at Chuquicara and then the mountains receeded to be replaced by a wide flood plain. I met a pair of German motorbikers. I continued cycling into the darkness again and ended up in Santa. I found a resonably priced place with a TV and ensuite. The height of class. 3 quid a night. I had, you guessed it, chicken and chips for dinner and listened to a passable salsa band composed of school kids. Then I watched Beverly Hills Cop 2 in bed. In the morning I woke early enough to watch Germany give England a thrashing in the world cup. Then I headed off along the Panamericana. A pretty miserable ride into a headwind. I passed huge sand-dune mountains and a continuous stream of trucks passed me. Some traffic police stopped me to tell me to speed up as it was dangerous to enter Trujillo at night. I camped shortly after in what I think was a bamboo plantation.

Today was a short day to arrive in Trujillo and locate the "famous" (in the cycle-touring world at least) Casa de Ciclistas and meet the famous Lucho. Safely ensconced, I met the other cyclists staying there. A pair of dreadlocked Argentinians and a couple of older cyclists from Columbia in matching t-shirts. Cute. The Columbians had whipped up a bit of lunch. A spicy stew of rice, lentils, banana and avocado. Delicious and a nice welcome. Now I am off to have a look around the historic centre of the city.