We rode all day in the rain but fortunately in lower elevations - couldn't see much of the surroundings though...
The night was spend in Chincheros. Which was a quarter of way up the next pass. Coming down from Ocros we encountered numerous road construction sights and the rain had soaked the roads into the messiest mudslides you can imagine....
Somehow it didn't bother me - like the mud ride to Loja was fun too. It was warm enough and first we were descending to the river (Rio Blanco) where we had lunch. The up part wasn't too much fun since it felt to me I was going three pedal strokes up and two pedal strokes sliding down - slow progress in the rain. We met some young mountain cyclist who looked just as muddy as us:
They were on their way to a mountain bike race in the afternoon. Their idea of rain gear was plastic bags - of course, but they were embarresed enough to take them off for the photo shoot....
It still rained during the night - the morning was wet, but we "attacked" the next pass none -the- less. In the last village Uripa before the pass we bumped into an Australian couple at a little tienda, buying food. She told us that they spend all day yesterday and last night up on the pass because the roads were closed and it snowed so much they felt safer in the tent reading and sipping hot tea all day hoping for the bad weather to turn. He said he was sorry, but he didn't feel too social and he didn't really want to talk.....must have been rough up there, I gathered!
Today the roads are open we were told, but we also heard that the storm (in the dry season, don't forget) is lasting another day. It had stopped raining but the clouds looked threatening all around..
One of the Inca women on the side of the road tending her sheep pointed up to the sky and waved her pointer finger: no, no, no...don't go there....
We went anyways.....
A few blue patches in between the clouds above us gave us hope. We went for it and were rewarded:
It was simply amazing up there with all the snow, but the roads were clear and when the sun peaked out it was HOT on that 4200m plato ....and then down....all the way to Andahuaylas. This day we road a shocking 95km which is rare these days in the mountains.
Pleasant little town and supposedly half way from Ayacucho to Cusco. Two passes down - four to go...not quite half way in my opinion.
We spend two days longer than we wanted in A. because James' bag with his passport, camera and other things got snatched while we were loading our bikes Saturday morning. The robbers knew what they are doing - though the security cameras recorded it all, they were unidentifiable. The police wrote a report, ask questions, were super nice, but the guys run free and are probably in Lima or Cusco soon after their catch, selling what they've got...(fortunately no cash or credit cards were in the bag.)
It left us feeling raw, disappointed and vulnerable. I felt like our work now was in NOT JUDGING the rest of the people, the country, the culture! This could have happen anywhere!
We got to spend Sunday - market day in A. Have I mentioned how much I love these markets? The food and variety ..the colors and tastes .....the people, the buzzing, the laughter and fun..this was the biggest market I have ever seen!
I ate some very green dish from some very clean and happy looking women...
Loved every bite!
We finally left Monday morning...there wasn't much to do in terms of finding the robbers or the bag or both...
After several phone calls to the consulate in Cusco we found out that a temporary passport with a visa for Peru can be issued in Cusco. The camera wasn't worth a whole lot and somewhat defective, especially after James had dropped it a few times unintentionally.
We are OK - James is Ok......we can keep going...
