Cusco to Tacna

The ride from Cusco to Puno was beautiful but uneventful, and I was thankful for that. I was still pretty sick and I needed an easy day of riding. After a good night’s rest in Puno I crossed the Andes, reaching an elevation of just over 15,000 feet. Along the way I discovered that my planned route was a dirt road that clung to the side of the mountains with a precipitous along one side. Fortunately I was able to follow the road signs and find a much better route.

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Sick in Cusco

I went to Cusco for one reason – to visit my niece Genny and meet her fiancé, Fabricio. They were fantastic hosts and I had the time of my life. As luck would have it their friend Richard was visiting from the United States, he volunteered to bring my new DeLorme inReach from the USA to Peru. The four of us had so much fun. Unfortunately I was sick the entire time.

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Lima to Cusco – The Andes, Part One

Sick and On The Go.

While I was in Lima I got sick. It wasn’t horrible, but I definitely had some kind of sickness that wasn’t getting better. I waited a few days and finally decided to push on. The ride over the Andes proved to be quite a challenge. It was cold and windy, the roads were covered in oil, the cliffs steep, and there wasn’t a lot of air to breath.

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It is decided: The Andes Route

After much research, a lot of input, and many hours of research I’ve made my final decision about the route I’ll take over the Andes Mountains. I’m currently in Cusco, Peru and the ride from Lima was very educational; I encountered ice, snow peaked mountains, freezing temperatures, high altitudes, precipitous drops, and a very challenging ride. It was beautiful, but I don’t think I want to repeat it any time soon.

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