Yes, we are back safe in Cuzco... and I have learned ALOT! Mostly where (and where NOT) to go on ATB 2010!
We left off in Yauri (it´s also called Espinar, but I like the Quechua better.... Yauri is quite cold this time of year... and with no heat in any of the buildings, yu just can´t get warm except with a hpt shower, or standing in the sun at noon! We ended up staying at the Hotel Plaza Espinar, a 3-star hotel by someone´s warped imagination. We asked for a "matrimonial" (it being our silver aniv.), so they put us on the 5th floor! It is already 12,300 ft above sea level... we didn´t need the extra 50 feet! But the shower WAS hot...
Yauri is not a pretty town/city, but does have some redeeming aspects. The indoor market is smell-free and AMAZINGLY clean! We had breakfast there before our return trip... Sara - Lamb soup... I - fried trout.... both excellent! I surprised Sara´s deriere by purchasing a full sheep´s skin to add to the moto seat. It also made us look a little more like the "rugid traveler"!
On this return trip we planned to go directly from El Descanso to Yanaoca. We had (what we thot to be) a good map made by Toyota, circa 2007. NEVER trust a map. What SHOULD have been 45 min turned out to be over 4 hours! This road follows along the top of a ridge and the views were haunting. We saw 2 other vehicles ALL afternoon. We began to become worried...
At sunset, we wound down into a town which we thot was Yanaoca, but really was Quehue. Thank God they had gasoline as we were "running on empty". The people told us that Yanaoca was only 20 min further, 45 at the most. 2 hours later, and very beat up we rolled into Yanaoca. NOT a nice place, but we finally found a little room and decided just to sleep dirty and head out the next day early. We will NOT be going this way on ATB 2010!
We did get off by 8 the next morning, and, HALELLUJAH (sp?), it was all pavement from there! Alex, the moto rental guy did not believe that Sara had made it the whole way! He had sworn that she would be returning by bus, not in the saddle! Oh! how nice to get back to showers and a clean bed at Norton Rats!
It being Sara's B-Day, I treated her to a makeover, then dinner. We tried an Irish Pub called "O'Gradeys"... the food was OK, but not the atmosphere we were hoping for.. In the morning (before our noon flight) we had arranged for side by side, full body massages, to complete our Silver Aniv. A MUST for those who finish up in Cuzco! I think I will try to find something similar for the groups in each ending city (Huanuco, Tarapoto, Cuzco).
So... MUCH learned. I have chosen the best and most beautiful of the routes we discovered for the first 2 days of our ride, written down distances, hostels to spend the night, places to stop and enjoy the beauty of God's creation.... IN all,... VERY worthwhile. I am VERY happy with the quality and attention of the moto rental company, and I think I made a friend too. The motos are quite new and well maintained. At the moment he does not have any XR400's, but hopes to buy 4 new ones as soon as they arrive in January...
I purchased some new maps... (YES, AFTER the trip!) and will scan them when I get a chance, so you that are "following" will get a second reminder. It makes it much easier when you can SEE the towns and routes being talked about!
We left off in Yauri (it´s also called Espinar, but I like the Quechua better.... Yauri is quite cold this time of year... and with no heat in any of the buildings, yu just can´t get warm except with a hpt shower, or standing in the sun at noon! We ended up staying at the Hotel Plaza Espinar, a 3-star hotel by someone´s warped imagination. We asked for a "matrimonial" (it being our silver aniv.), so they put us on the 5th floor! It is already 12,300 ft above sea level... we didn´t need the extra 50 feet! But the shower WAS hot...
On this return trip we planned to go directly from El Descanso to Yanaoca. We had (what we thot to be) a good map made by Toyota, circa 2007. NEVER trust a map. What SHOULD have been 45 min turned out to be over 4 hours! This road follows along the top of a ridge and the views were haunting. We saw 2 other vehicles ALL afternoon. We began to become worried...
At sunset, we wound down into a town which we thot was Yanaoca, but really was Quehue. Thank God they had gasoline as we were "running on empty". The people told us that Yanaoca was only 20 min further, 45 at the most. 2 hours later, and very beat up we rolled into Yanaoca. NOT a nice place, but we finally found a little room and decided just to sleep dirty and head out the next day early. We will NOT be going this way on ATB 2010!
We did get off by 8 the next morning, and, HALELLUJAH (sp?), it was all pavement from there! Alex, the moto rental guy did not believe that Sara had made it the whole way! He had sworn that she would be returning by bus, not in the saddle! Oh! how nice to get back to showers and a clean bed at Norton Rats!
It being Sara's B-Day, I treated her to a makeover, then dinner. We tried an Irish Pub called "O'Gradeys"... the food was OK, but not the atmosphere we were hoping for.. In the morning (before our noon flight) we had arranged for side by side, full body massages, to complete our Silver Aniv. A MUST for those who finish up in Cuzco! I think I will try to find something similar for the groups in each ending city (Huanuco, Tarapoto, Cuzco).
So... MUCH learned. I have chosen the best and most beautiful of the routes we discovered for the first 2 days of our ride, written down distances, hostels to spend the night, places to stop and enjoy the beauty of God's creation.... IN all,... VERY worthwhile. I am VERY happy with the quality and attention of the moto rental company, and I think I made a friend too. The motos are quite new and well maintained. At the moment he does not have any XR400's, but hopes to buy 4 new ones as soon as they arrive in January...
I purchased some new maps... (YES, AFTER the trip!) and will scan them when I get a chance, so you that are "following" will get a second reminder. It makes it much easier when you can SEE the towns and routes being talked about! 
Nice post, Toby. I was in Espinar/Yauri with Lars and group. Remember it well, because we arrived early afternoon from Urubamba and went for a joy ride to look for (supposedly nearby) canyons - but we took the wrong road from the Espinar airport. Insteady we drove up to a spectacular pass SW of Espinar and on the way back I hit a speed bump (same color as the dirt road) full speed, which threw me into the air and I landed with my belly on the handle bars and my nose 1 inch from the front tire. It did a severe number to my back, but I did not crash. The Dutchman behind me was not so lucky, he crashed, broken bones, broken bike, and finished for the rest of the trip. We drove the next day to the Colca Canyon, but I stood the entire time due to the sore back.
ReplyDeleteWe also stayed at the Gran Hotel Espinar (4th floor - quite a climb). There is a restuarant accross the street, serves mountains of arroz chaufa and there is a rat 'n roach cybercafé down the street. What a hole.
Thanks for the memories and watch the speed bumps, caray!
Rob