The Missiones

We surived the ferry and the driving rain and the pavement ended about 40k past Concepcion, so we found the Hotel Etayo, and called it a day. The owners took us in as family and we truly felt at home. They even gave us a guided tour of the city in their four-wheel drive truck and took us to church services on Sunday evening. The restored Jesuit Mission in Concepcion

A closer look at the guy on the ladder

Evidence that the rainy season has started

Hotel Etayo

How to relax at Hotel Etayo
The bell tower at the Concepcion Mission, made entirely of wood.

The restored Jesuit Mission in San Xavier. We arrived in the rain, on Tuesday morning while they were celebrating their Feast day. It was the day after the celebration of the city's anniversary party. We got there just in time to watch the ushers throw a drunk parishoner out of the sanctuary.

Inside the sanctuary of the San Xavier Mission

All they had to say was "No,....."

But when we would ask if this was the way to Los Troncos or Concepcion they would all point in the direction we were headed and say "yes, just go straight" Soon , the road got to be just a dirt trail, but it also got to be that we didn´t even have to ask. Whenever we made a wrong turn, someone would always give us a sign to turn around or point in the general direction we needed to be headed.

Then, we came to a ferry crossing on the Rio Grande that wasn´t the most modern thing.

After a little bargaining on the price, we settled on the environmentally friendly company. Read- no motor, human power.

A little later, no worse for wear.

Safe and sound,.....and dry.

We headed off in search of Concepcion. Later we figured out that if we had gone south about 50k and then back north 50k, we could have been on asphalt the whole way. But then we would have missed all the fun

Welcome to the Jungle

Cochabamba from the hotel window

Entering the Amazon side of the Andes

So, we visited Machu Pichu, the ruins at Ollantytambo and Pisaq, and visited with Shawn´s parents in Aguas Calientes and Cusco. It was really fun, and Machu Pichu is truly a destination for people from all over the world. We met people from France and Brazil and a whole bunch of other countries, sort of an international cross roads. We left Cusco and ended up on Lake Titicaca in the town of Puno, Peru. Kind of a disappointment after the beauty of Cusco, but I guess every dog has it´s day. From there we crossed the border into Bolivia and went to another town on the lake, (ok, Ill write it again, Titicaca) Copacabana. This place was the Bohemian hideout for a bunch young folks livin´on the cheap, rooms for 3 bucks a head and dinner for arond 2 or 3 bucks. The next day we took a somewhat interesting ferry across the lake to the road to La Paz and found another hippie hideout in downtown, it kinda looked like a commune, but it was a cheap place to stay where we could get Shawn to the airport easily the next day. After some starting issues the next morning (even the motorcycle has trouble waking up at 10,000 ft) we traveled to Cochabamba over the Bolivian altiplano through sleet and 38 degree temperatures. More engine trouble occupied the evening , so we ended up working on my carburator instead of seeing the town. Today we intended on going to Santa Cruz, but no one told the map company that Bolivia has moved the major route east out of the mountains into the Amazon basin and the road ends up in Montero, 35 miles north of Santa Cruz. We got to spend the afternoon here taking apart Lou´s starter and finding out why it wasn´t working. It was just a loose piece and it worked fine after we put it back together. We´re planning on visiting some Jesuit missions, but the rains may change our plans, so stay tuned. Oh yeah, the day before Shawn left, my camera said card full, so I sent it home with him, and we´ll have to get the pic´s from Lou, sorry.

Machu Picchu

The traditional sunrise shot.

Yes, I did take this wonderful picture! ¿Como se llama?

Shawn and me at the top of the mountain at Machu Picchu

Going down was more unnerving than going up.

Shawn´s parents happened to be in town and we had dinner with them. (remember Sean Tucker is missing because he was on the "young man´s" bike trip.

In and around Cuzco

A warm cup of coca tea. Against the law in many countries.

Salesperson at the plaza.

Lou, Shawn and Landon at the Inca ruins above the city. Sean Tucker is missing because he went on a "young man´s" bike trip up to Machu Picchu.

Shawn receiving energy from the 12 angle Inca stone.

A little leaguer at the convent.

The Road to Cuzco

Lou had the fish dish.

Landon and Sean tried the cuy (Guinea Pig is a favorite here)

A mall in Lima. We traveled how far to get here?

Shawn Norris, astronaut in the Peruvian desert

The Nazca lines.

We spent several days in Lima, which is really a much more beautiful city than the guidebooks would lead one to believe. A wonderful couple hosted us in their home, and there was time to catch up on email, wash clothes, change oil in the bikes and take in some of the sites. During the morning of the last day in Lima I went to the airport to pick up my friend Shawn Norris who came in from Kansas City. He will ride along with us for 10 days. Then we all drove south along the desert coast to Nazca.

The next morning was Thanksgiving Day at home, and we experienced temperatures in the 80s. As we drove up into the high sierra, the scenery was spectacular. However the clouds moved in and the temperatures dropped until we were plowing through freezing rain and snow in the middle of nowhere. We spent a couple of miserable hours on top until we dropped down from the high country along a river to Chalhuanca, a little town that advertised hot water above the front door. If it would have cost $100 we would have been thankful, but it was only $8 a night. The next day we took the remainder of the road to Cuzco. It was comparatively tame.

Trujillo to Huaraz

We stopped in the town of Pariocoto for the night before we took on the trail to Huaraz. Two Catholic Priests from this town were killed by the Shining Path in the 1970's. Their death helped reduce the power of the Shining Path in this area, and they are entomed in the Church here.

I can't delete this

The road to Huaraz

The trip to Huaraz rewarded us with a beautiful view of the snow capped mountains.

When we left Tujillo, we stopped at the Huaca de la Luna, a pyramid that had been covered by a sand dune until it was discoveredi in the 1990´s.

The "road" to Huaraz included several surprises along the was.