To the land of the Incas

After climbing the Huayna Potosi and the subsequent muscle soreness, we head to Cusco. We ride along the huge Lake Titicaca before entering the breathtaking region of the Sacred Valley in Peru.

Parcours cycliste 1999233 - powered by Bikemap 

Several ways are available to exit La Paz on our bicycle. The hard way, climbing back this (press on the picture to start the video):

We choose a "safer" and easier route through the highway.

A long 500-meter climb to El Alto... 

After 2h30, we finally are back to El Alto where we enjoy a lunch in a traditional Bolivian food court. The road out from El Alto is also very busy, with an endless flow of minibuses honking and stopping just ahead of us to let passengers on or off. The rain hits us but fortunately, there's a toll station! We therefore have a break before arriving to Huarina. We are by the lake Titicaca and back in the Bolivian countryside, but this time the hard alpaca meat is replaced by a delicious fried trout.

"Hay trucha!" (there's trout!)

On the next morning, we start a little bit late after a fried trout (again?!) for breakfast. We try to organize a little cruise to Puno on the Peruvian side of the lake. Unfortunately, international cruises don't exist anymore even if our map tells us the opposite.

Looks like the map is wrong

Séb and a typical Titicaca scenery

We therefore reroute ourselves to Copacabana. During the afternoon, we arrive at the Tiquina strait: our first boat crossing in South America! We embark, wedging our bikes next to a bus that is pitching dangerously as waves shake the ferry.

A loaded ferry

Holding our bikes during the crossing

Two young sailors working on the ferry

The coastal road tires us with its numerous ups and down. Still, the magical sceneries of the lake and nice encounters keep us motivated. At the bottom of a hill, a group of children is gathered. When they spot us, they all run to us, greeting us and pushing our loaded bikes uphill! Later on, I am caught up by Nicolás, a young cyclist who ride with me for a while. We chat about his dream of becoming a professional cyclist before he goes back with another young cyclist riding in the opposite direction.

Nicolás with his training bicycle

The night falls. We still have 20km to ride and a pass to get over before the last downhill ride to Copacabana. The road is in a good shape, with little traffic and inlaid reflectors which perfectly guide us. We arrive exhausted in a hotel under a light but cold rain.

We'd better hurry up!

We rest the next day at Copacabana and enjoy a little boat ride to Isla del Sol, on the world's highest navigable lake.

On the way to Isla del Sol

This is what we call a nice day off!

Our last day in Bolivia is an easy one. There's only little traffic, no problems at the customs and the road is mostly flat or going downhill by the lake.

Quinoa fields

Nice asphalted road to Juli

Dogs by the lake Titicaca seem calmer than their Southern counterparts...

Wonderful day for a bike ride

On the next morning, we start from Juli after a royal breakfast.

Lomo montado: steak topped with a fried egg and fries

On our way to Puno, we ride into Radu, a Romanian bicycle traveller. He is travelling alone from Peru to Bolivia. Uner the little bit surprised gaze of locals, we exchange information, maps and take a group picture before continuing to our respective goals.

Group picture with Radu and a local cyclist

We arrive early in the very touristy Puno and enjoy our last city by the lake Titicaca.

Puno

During our lunch break on the next day, we get an nice advice from a passer-by in Juliaca. The road we are following has much traffic and he recommends taking an alternate road that goes through Lampa. This village and its huge and gorgeous church have been forgotten due to the economic growth of the lake shores around Juliaca and Puno. During the lunch, we change our minds and decide indeed to sleep in Lampa.

On the way to Lampa, a friendly environmental advisory ("Do not litter, massacre penalty")

In Lampa, the owner of the hotel is also the sport teacher of the local school and is still working when we arrive by the end of the afternoon. We therefore wait around a snack, when he suddenly shows up, looking for us!

100% Peruvian: Cusqueña beer  (brewed in Cusco) and Inca Kola

The church in Lampa (long exposure night shot)

The next morning, we ask a group of policemen about the road that brings us back to our initial route. Even if the closest village lies only 20km further, they are unable to indicate which road we should take. After some dubious jokes about my name ("Shakira") and the quality of our bikes, one policeman asks his boss where to pass. After some other dubious jokes, we take farewell of this laid-back company. After a nth small pass and almost exactly at 6'500km of riding, my chain breaks.

Fortunately, I've got a quickly installable spare chain

The weakest link...

After a quick repair, I'm back on the (dirt) track with a brand new chain. An average day of riding later, we sleep in Ayaviri.

We expected the next day to be the hardest stage of the journey from La Paz to Cusco: 110km of road with a pass at 4'338m in between. The day starts by helping a dairy farmer to push his car out of the mud and simultaneously covering us with dirt. At lunch, the cook brings us good news: the road that goes uphill to the pass is a constant and weak ascent. And indeed, it takes us much less time and energy than expected to climb to the pass.

Now 40km of downhill awaits us

During the descent, we pass through many small villages. A couple of times, groups of small children "spontaneously" beg us for money which gives us a strange impression of the local perception of "bike-tourer gringos". Some good memories though: at some point, we overtake a maintenance locomotive carrying 6 railway worker. The race is on! We all laugh and wave at each other before they finally get the advantage and disappear in the horizon.

The last two days until Cusco, the scenery remains mountainous, with the first andenes (terraced fields).

Andenes

An overloaded bus overtaking Martin

The last afternoon before Cusco, we arrive in Urcos just before the daily storm. Too tired to bargain, we accept to sleep in a hotel in renovation. Big mistake! We pay too much and get woken up at 6am by construction workers dragging bricks just above our heads. After this short night, we clear the 50 last kilometers to Cusco in a little bit more than half a day.

We are tired but happy to arrive in Cusco. Séb's parents have joined us for a few days and it feels great to meet them again! They brought us some spare parts, together with Swiss chocolate and French Calvados (for Martin ;-) !). Thank you very much for this logistic support!

The supply team has arrived!

Tasting Calvados with one of the hostel owners

With Cynthia in the superb old town of Cusco

During our break, we went to the Machu Picchu ruins and mountain.

After 7 hours of bus, the trek starts by walking 2 hours along the railroad tracks ...

...add 600m of inca-style uneven stairs...

...to finally get a spectacular view of Machu Picchu