BACK TO LIMA. 17 MARCH 2018

At 8 am we left Ponies Lodge for Lima in the Yaris for our 50 km trip.Took the the main road west to the coast, which ended up being a 104 km pass which was a pot hole nightmare all the way up to 4380 m. Going down the other side was not bad at all, but took four hours to do 100 km.

Then  all the way to Lima on The Pan American Highway on lovely asphalt, then the traffic entering Lima was a hectic and can't believe I made it through without a scratch, they drive like lunatics, but it works. Took us eleven and a half hours to get back to Lucky Lodge . Mutton curry was the meal of choice which I scoffed down as we didn't eat all day.

The fruit in Peru is delicious and had a huge mango and an advo sandwich with cheese for breakfast and then strolled down to the beach. Must have been Peruvian Airforce Day as they had jets and aeroplanes flying all day long, was quite a display. Went for a swim which was great to be in the Pacific again and can still swim at 60 !
Had dinner with the overlander gang, Phillipe, Neake, Paul, Suzie and Kelvin at the cry place and then bud them all farewell for the final time in Peru and that's the end of our sojourn around South America. Tomorrow  19 March at 2:30 we fly back home to cold Montana .

HARROWING DRIVE TO CARAZ. 14 MARCH2018

Huaraz - Carhuaz on AN107 via Chacasto San Luis on AN105 to AN106 to Yanama to Yangay.

Was a grueling route for the Toyota and me. Took 8 hours to travel 225 km on some of the narliest dirt roads I have ever been on. Was up and down all day with switchbacks galore and vertical drops of 300 metres on washed out shale and dirt roads. Got high centre once in a washout and luckily just kept my foot down on the gas and the Yaris inched forward at a snails pace and we made it over. We dodged some bullets today, had no clue the road was that rigorous and knarly, but probably still would have gone.
The sheer drop off was quite frightening on one road that seemed like it had been a abondoned and was pleased as punch when it came to an end and we didn't.
Got to the top of the pass and the downhill drive was filled with switchbacks and cloud and  old only see twenty foot in front of you, as we descended the 4700 meter pass down to Lake Orkonococha. Passing by a switchback with 13 crosses on the side of the road where a bus must have gone over was a little disturbing, but we made it into Yungay and then North to Caraz to Pony Lodge on the Plaza de Armas.

Neake and Paul had also arrived today so we met for dinner and over several beers and a meal had plenty of laughs and many travel stories were told.

CAÑÓN del PATO

From Caraz you travel 40 km to Huallanca passing through 35 tunnels, an absolutely amazing road running alongside the Rio Santa, which divides the Cordillera Blanca and the Cordillera Negra by 15 metres in one part and has sheer rock montains rising a 1000 metres straight up from the river on both sides.

We met Paul and Neake for dinner and discussed the days events, they went up to Lake Paron and said that it made Lake Louise look like a swamp. We are heading there tomorrow and they are doing the tunnels on their bikes which makes it a lot more fun.

LAKE PARÓN

From 2256m (7401 ft) to the lake at 4200m (13780 ft) in 31 km and a two hour drive over some real rocky road with mega fall offs you wind your way up to enjoy a spectacular view of the lake and Chacraraju Peak (6108m) in the background. ( Thanks to Neake I am told it is the Paramount Pictures symbol) 

To the south is Huandoy Este (6070m).