From Ayacucho to Cusco

Ayacucho is a big city with a wonderful central square a lively vibrant feel and over 30 churches. Mission 1 is to figure out how to get us and the bikes to Cusco by bus. We call the tourist information. The most likely option seems to be the overnight bus. We purchase our tickets and then set about a little tourism visiting the cathedral and some of the mansions around the main square. Then a really nice lunch - quite a relief after so much repetitive peruvian village food.

The bus is another adventure. Frustratingly, we have to remove both bicycle wheels. Every piece of luggage requires a label- including the 4 wheels, that is 12 items. The bikes are clumsily and unnecessarily squeezed into a small back part of the bus above the engine. Its painful to watch. Inside the bus we have large wide reclining seats which are really not bad and even Alice manages a little sleep. The route (in the dark) is entirely mountainous and we are winding madly either up or down hill (uphill is slower). Even though speeds are often 30 to 40kmh its a rough ride. Its quite an experience. There is over 11000m of climb and descent and 16 hours to cover 550km. In the middle of the night we encounter a big thunderstorm. The bus splashes through huge puddles and the engine howls through it. Alain wakes up to realize that the bus corridor has become a huge muddy rocking puddle, which unfortunately sloshes over our food supply (which, anyway, we are not eating because the road is way too windy).

We arrive into Cusco and recover all our bits but the extraction of the bikes is tricky and painful. The bikes still work but bear the scars. :-(.Read more