It wasn't easy to leave our little Cusco Nest, but we tore ourselves away
and I was happy to be on the road....back on my Surly, listening to the strong purr of my new chain and cassette. Being off the bike for one and a half weeks seems a lot longer now then it did in the beginning of this trip.
We camped the first night by the river in a really sweet spot. Our tent has a little dream catcher in the middle. It's homey - I always sleep so well camped in nature.
Though, for some reason I left my old ski socks the next morning - still makes me mad thinking about it........ Usually I look around the camp site, making sure nothing is left. The socks were kind of camouflaged and had probably fallen off my bike and into the bushes before I had packed everything away. I guess I've got to get myself one of those beautiful hand made alpaca socks on one of the markets in the next town. Oh, darn....
We are attempting another pass to get to the Alto Plano of Lake Titicaca. (at 3900m without my socks!) The gentle pass (so we have heard) leads up to 4400m (without my socks) accompanied by a river and the rail road, believe it or not, so it really can't be very steep...
Though the climb is gentle I can feel the lack of oxygen soon after we pass the 3600m mark. Mocha chocolate from Cusco's market didn't help that much to get my energy back but I was looking forward to some hot springs near the summit announced by the Lonely Planet guide. We have passed by too many Agua Clientes already and here we have no Machu Picchu to distract us and plenty of time to "waste" since we can't leave the country until James gets his new passport from the Embassy in Cusco. (Yes, he/we have to do a so-called "Passport run" and bus it back to Cusco from Puno or somewhere near the border to Bolivia to pick up the document, which will be ready around the 2nd of October.)
So, here we are at the Occobamba Springs right next to the main road- first we were turned off by a crowed of people and taxis standing around - busses, cars..just a lot of hustle and bustle....but at a closer glance we saw they were leaving and they all were locals or at least Peruvians, no foreigners like us... A market right in front of the entrance had inviting trout fish baked in some hand made ovens and we sat down to eat.
At elevation over 4000m my appetite tends to dwindle but that trout fish smelled and looked SO GOOD I couldn't resist and ate a whole plate of the most delicious trout I have eaten in my life, hands down!! Then we investigated the springs, the prices and so on and were happily surprised how affordable, funky and kind of interesting this whole place seemed. OK, deal, we stay the night for 20 soles ($7) in a little funky room but get to use the baños (bathes) which are open 24 hours seven days a week. Have I mentioned the weather? It's been incredible!!! The sun heats up the mountains and it stays amazingly warm considering the elevation. Here is the little volcano responsible for the Hot Spring
This place has different pools and in some corner we found the mud bathes......
What a blast!!
This is one of my favorite and most unexpected funny/fun places in Peru and it's not even famous. The place is run exclusively by indigenous people - sweet and friendly! Well feed, rested and squeaky clean we are going to hit the pass tomorrow and role gently down only a few 100m towards the Alto Plano, Lake Titicaca and Puno. So the plan, but for now it's good night.....until later...
