The Grand Adventure

A bike trip with no end Read more

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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Hola Peru
April 23, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C
Catch an early bus heading to Peru. After we cross the border we make our departure and head off on our bikes. Make our way along Lake Tititica. Find a relatively secluded place to camp by the lake.
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Another fertile valley
April 24, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C
Enjoy flat riding, except for the one spike up. Domestic animals abound! Agricultural lifestyle la seem to be the norm. Pass through fun village squares with intersesting topiaries. Camp at a lovely hilltop village where we actually sleep in a foyer.Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Through Puno
April 25, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
Opt for a short day to allow for some errands in Puno. First check out nearby Inca ruins (and friends). Wander in the largest supermarket that we have been in since Antofagasta. Take showers and head along coastal road I search of camp spot. Miss a turn but set up in a relatively sheltered area. Man comes by and not particularly pleased with our presence but mellows once he realizes we are on bikes.Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Adios Lake Titicaca
April 26, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
Tough morning of gravel riding and pushing as we climb above Lake Titicaca. Beautiful views were our reward. Enjoy smooth pavement after that. Lose a bunch of time in the chaos of Juliaca. Finally clear the hectic city and make it to our camping spot, hidden in a trough by a lake. Very cold night.Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Alongthe Rio Yavi
April 27, 2024 in Peru ⋅ 🌙 6 °C
Very cold night and morning. Everything was frosted over until the sun rose. Relatively easy and flat ride along the Rio Yavi. Stopped in Pukara for lunch - home of many ceramic bulls. As we continue north, mountains around us get taller. Stop in Ayavari and check into hotel.Read more
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The hills are getting bigger
April 28, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
Struggle to find groceries or even a coffee/breakfast place open. Seems Peruvians eat what we would consider dinner for breakfast. Manage to find something and off we go. Short day and relatively flat but feel sluggish and struggle with altitude. Stop at a dairy ‘factory’ and get yummy yogurt. Pick up groceries as best as we can as towns are getting smaller and further apart. Attempt to check in to an agroturismo spot but not open on Sundays. Check into nearby. hospedajeRead more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Up and over
April 29, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C
After a quick backtrack for coffee and breakfast begin our scent to 14,200 feet. Fortunately the grade is gentle and not that bothered by altitude today. Mountains surrounding us are very green and lush with only a bit of snow on a few peaks. Make it to the top and cruise down to Agua Calientes. Enjoy some very toasty pools.Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Trees
April 30, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
Start the day with a nice soak. Pools are much fuller and quite steamy. 18 miles and 2000 foot drop in elevation later, and we are in a city of sorts. Make our way to nice market and stock up on produce. Rest of the ride is a bit windy. Lots of trees on the surrounding mountains! Check into very cheap hospedaje.Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Rainbow Mountain
May 1, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C
Maddie and Alec decide to make the journey from Cusco to join us on a hike to Rainbow Mountain. Arrange transport with a taxi and we make the beautiful but sketchy ride to trailhead. Plagued by a flat tire and rain. But both seem resolved once we get there. As it’s rather late, most people have left. Make the slow journey to almost 17k feet. Skies clear and we have great views. Much easier going down. Once back in town we go our separate ways … for now.Read more
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Into the sacred valley
May 2, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
Continue to follow Rio Urubamaba towards Cusco. Gradual down with some undulating hills. Stop in Urcos for lunch. Stop and explore Inca road and puerta. Peel off the main road and enter the Sacred Valley. Attempt to stay at a yoga camp but no one around. Make it to San Salvador and look for a hospedaje. Wind up staying at the 2nd home of a family of fellow cyclists.Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Final ride …. for now
May 3, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
Very rainy night! Clouds and rain continue and we don our rain gear for the first time in many months. Ride a muddy road until able to cross the river Nice breakfast in Pisaq. Relatively easy cruise to Yucay, though drivers and dogs are not cyclist friendly. Find our way to our host’s home - the place where our bikes will live for the next few weeks. Enjoy a lovely Shabbas dinner.Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Meetup!
May 4, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
Organize our gear, taking only what we need for next few weeks. Hop on colectivo and head to Urubamba. Find our Airbnb and settle in. Hannah and Maddie arrive soon after. Walk around town and get food from nice big market. Settle into our Peruvian home.Read more
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Pisaq market
May 5, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
After a slow start, catch a series of collectivos to go to Pisaq. Wander the market, considering different purchases. Lots of festive events going on. Grab lunch and ice cream and catch a direct collectivo back. Maddie and I go for a wal about and stumble upon a kitten. Learn that it’s mother had died and no one was really caring for it. Scoop it up and sneak it back to our cabana.Read more
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A hike up the mountain kitten chaos
May 6, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
Maddie and I head out on a little hike up the mountain. Turns out to be a pilgrimage route. Very steep but beautiful views. Return to town and do our daily shopping. De code to put Pisco (the kitten) in the bathroom while we all go on an adventure. Unfortunately door locks and they are stuck inside. After an hour of trying to pick the lock, finally ask for a key. Ta-da! Too late for our planned outing. Wander a bit and land at a nice brewery.Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Ollantaytambo and Moray
May 7, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
Big day planned! Three of us head to Ollantaytambo to explore where the Incas managed to hold off the Spaniards. After met up with Hannah and took a taxi up into the hills to Moray - an agricultural laboratory. Apparently the Incas used the terraces and different temperatures to determine where to plant what. Began hike down towards the salt mines. Trail petered out and it got late so bushwhacked our way back to the road. Made it back alive!Read more
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A return to Pisaq
May 8, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
Awake to a rainy morning. Explore another huge market in town. Make our way back to Pisaq. As it is relatively late, determine we need to take a taxi to the top and walk down. Immense area of ruins built into mountainside. As we explore, wind picks up and it starts to drizzle. Ill-prepared for such weather. Speed along, missing quite a bit. Beautiful canyons and lush mountainsides abound. Very steep down!Read more
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On to Cusco
May 9, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
Transition day. Say goodbye to little Pisco as he is going to hang out with a local vet. Pack up and wind our way up and out of The Valley. Arrive in busy Cusco and check into our apartment. Do a bit of exploring. Out to nice dinner.Read more
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Cusco adventures
May 10, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
Wanting to amortize our Cusco Tourist Ticket - hit a few more sites in Cusco. First a small museum in town and then Sasqawaman. The size of the rocks used to build the walls was tremendous. Continued uphill to Balconia del Diablo - a very cool cave. Back to town to finish preparing for our packrafting trip and off for an excellent dinnerRead more
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Into the jungle
May 11, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
Organize ourselves and head across town to meet our guide Jeremy. Catch a van to the outskirts of Cusco and wait awhile for those vans to fill up. Finally head out and up over a mountain range, clinging to the side on a windy road. After another short up, hit the clouds and begin the very long descent into the jungle - dropping over 10,000 feet. Arrive at our hostel and enjoy a nice dinner.Read more
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Onto the Rio Madre de Dios
May 12, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
Early morning wake up, and carry our gear to the dock. Fumble through our first inflation and loading of the boats. Push off and are surprised by some big rapids. Continue along for a bit - stopping on a beach for coffee and breakfast. More paddling/floating and we stop again-this time deflating everything and packing up so we can hike to the lake. Lots of big birds along the way. Check out an observation tower and head back down. This time spotting spider monkeys along the way. A bit more paddling and stop at a beach for the night. Lunch and then really fumble through setting up our beach camp. Quick dunk in the water, cards by the fire and nice steak dinner. Great Mothers DayRead more
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Shintuya lodge and hot springs
May 13, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C
After a night of rain, up early to try and catch birds by clay lick. More fumbling but board our boats and paddle across the river. Apparently the birds don’t like rain so it’s a no show. Breakfast. River is moving fast so our 6 hour paddle is much shorter. Stop and explore a creek into primary forest - spotting lots of prints but few animals. Continue along to lodge. Pouring rain spoils our hike plans - instead soaking in hot springs.Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Washout
May 14, 2024 in Peru ⋅ 🌧 21 °C
Pouring rain overnight and the river is high, very fast and full of debris. Determine it is not safe to go. Instead walk to waterfall during a rain break and soak in the hot springs.
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
Onward
May 15, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
Amazingly the river is down and looks safe to go. First a quick soak to warm up. Head off into cloudy skies and cool temperatures. Spot 2 capybaras along the bank. In a scary moment, Maddie gets caught in branches and then tips - getting caught underneath for a moment. Emerges safely but minus a shoe, sunglasses and her hat. Find our first jungle camp and again fumble with set up.Read more
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The Grand Adventure Helene Rimberg
A small leap forward
May 16, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
Manage to break camp easier than setting up. Overcast morning as we paddle toward Boca Manu. Determine that it’s best to take a boat to make up the rest of the time we lost due to the storm. Chug along slowly. Find a nice camp spot and Maddie and I do a double decker. Listen to night sounds and seek out frogs.Read more
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The sun returns
May 17, 2024 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Though hear animal noises during the night, we awake safe and sound. Sun is out and the temp is rising. Float along seeking out monkeys, turtles and caimans. Leave the hills behind. Spot lots of tracks on the beach. Seek out a spot for the night. Another muddy slope up. After set up, dunk in the water. Feel markedly cleaner.Read more
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