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DAY 135-138, Feb. 22-25, Mancora - RECOMMEND, Temp: 28C, (380/16,820km)
Tried for an early start, which was impeded by a car blocking me in so I didn't get on the road until 8am. From the Mountains to the coast again with a bit of a dodgy stomach I wasn't sure I would make Mancora, Peru. Not many kms, but some tough riding with a border so 7 or 8 hours was expected. Cuenca to Santa Isabel C6R7T4V7 nice road with clean curves and fog. Santa Isabel to Pasaje C6R4T4V6 traffic in the way of detours, mud and rock slides. Pasaje to the Peru Border C4R7T4V6 banana plants and traffic until 3km to the border which is where the town of Huaquillas is. What, no one wants to go to Peru?
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| Ok to get block in by Xavier's beauty |
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| Just want to sleep on those clouds |
More experience riding in fog with low visibility. No rain at least.
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| Detours begin |
Following a Bug for a bit through a detour section 100km out of Cuenca
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| Great colours |
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| Last bits of mountains and curves |
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| Lovely place for a rest stop |
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Trust me Bumble you are better
out there |
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| Tight fit |
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| Giant speed bump! |
I arrived at the borders after by passing them first and getting lost in Huaquillas where the border used to be. Nice new huge border offices with no people entering or leaving. I was given amazing service and was in and out in 30 min total (note 3 different border locations, Aduana (3km before main border) and Migration for Ecuador and one for Peru). As I mounted my steel horse asking how long to Mancora one of the guards told me I might not get passed Tumbes as there was a road block...what!
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| Don't miss the Ecuador Aduana stop |
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| left here to leave Ecuador Aduana |
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| Signs you have missed Immigration, shit! |
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With out queues you don't know
where to go... |
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| Where are all the people? I heard this border was bad! |
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| Take a break boys |
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| Signs you don't want to stay in Tumbes. Looks chaotic. |
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| Look out ahead there's a road block |
On a little rougher road I cruised to Tumbes and through waiting for this road block. About 10 km down the road vehicles started to line up and then I came upon a bunch of moto taxis spewed across the road. Along with moto taxis there were people all over the place. I decided to creep forward finding spaces to continue on and through the road block. I got some weird looks, but just kept going as I knew there was beach and ocean down the road. It felt like a post war zone, like something big went down. Through the crowd and back up to speed for 500m I came across road block 2. This was a little easier to navigate and I passed through seeing lots of travellers walking with backpacks, etc. Another 500m and I crossed road block 3 with mounds of dirt and trees similar to the others. After this block the chaos settled and the trucks lined up in the other direction told me this was the end, YES! I would be swimming in the ocean soon...
Road block talk. Apparently during the week that this road block was up 2 people were killed by explosions. Not sure if that is true, but it is crazy to think people are dying for a Transportation Strike (Taxis, Buses, Trucks and other protesting for what really. No seriously for what???)
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Backpackers having to walk 3km
to get a bus on the other side of
the blockade. |
In to Mancora after a straight road with nice coast views C2R6T3V6/7. It's a similar place to Montanita, EC, with the major difference being a highway running through the middle. With out the road blocks up north the traffic must be quite bad at times. I expect accommodation would be easy to find since people weren't crossing the border. I was wrong. Due to the blockade no one went to Ecuador so it was quite busy. Loki is by far the most popular hostel, but only had dorms so I eventually I came the HI La Posada across the highway that was good. A pool, private room/toilet (best shower detachable with 8 flow settings!), wifi, parking and a very engaging owner, Lusia who I always wanted to talk to. And besides it was possible to get day passes to Loki anyway where they have a good bar and excellent pool.
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| Tasty, but a little odd looking |
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| Super Jenga at Loki |
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Don't know what you call it, but it's
fun! |
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Good fun with the English = Tom,
Elliot, Matt, Richard (Ben missing) |
Night Fun on the beach, a commentary with Brad and Tom.
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| So many Chileans in Mancora |
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| Fire twirling displays |
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| Could I do fire twirling? |
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My buddy guard Martin from Loki
(6 photos and still no smile) |
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| End of the night burger or any time after 11:30pm burger |
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Burger place in a good location
across from Loki on my walk home |
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| Donde Estoy? |
DAY 139, Feb. 26, Huanchaco - RECOMMEND, Temp: 32-26C, (620/17,440km)
A long straight day in the desert was ahead of me so I got on the move as early as "I" could (7:30am). Desert, foothills, ocean and oil wells rounded out the day of riding. C1-3R5-7T1-3V7/8. See the photos, captions and videos to get the story of the day.
About 50km out of Mancora early in the day
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blocks on the center line that you
can really feel. I guess they don't
want me to pass illegally. |
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| Gorgeous foothills |
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| A little green remaining at this point |
Bike passing 40,000km and this is where it happened.
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| 40,000km on the clock. No problems |
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| Some of the curves |
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Very detailed sign. Good thing I
took a photo so I could read it later |
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| Above ground pipelining |
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| And then there was some straight road |
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| Road side shops and housing |
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| People of the road side |
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| I know you want to take a look, but a little space big guy |
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| Moto taxis galore |
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Starting to see the lack of money in
Peru. To be fair I think the lack of
trees and greenery aids this look. |
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| The use of my highway foot rests (Not pegs to be clear). |
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| catching shade |
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| working the wet fields |
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| What Batman's moto taxi would look like |
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| Translation: God is Love |
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| Furry looking dunes |
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| Statue of Mary on the hill in Guadalupe |
Good, fast riding through the desert. Coming from an area of the world with little to no desert I found these views very intoxicating.
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| About a 20km section of green in the middle of the desert |
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| stopped for a good shot |
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| Tough living conditions |
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| Huanchaco view from my room |
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| Great hostel |
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Couple of beers with Olivia (French)
Ana and Natty from Lima. |
Huanchaco is a chilled place right by the beach with great seafood and an excellent hostel Naylamp (great towels, bed and shower = $16)! Definitely needed at least one more day here.
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