The Grand Tour - Part 15 - Going home

The route home seemed fairly straightforward, Pacora to Lambayeque, pick up the Panamerican Highway and then straight all the way to Huanchaco. I had looked at the map beforehand and it looked simple, too, only one large city, Chiclayo, to go through and it appeared that the Highway ran right through the middle. Except there are no signposts in Chiclayo, and once I got into the city traffic I simply had to follow the flow - and it was almost grid-locked. Traffic was crawling, and I was looking all around to try and get some clue if I was on the right road, but just seemed to be getting further into the middle of town!
Eventually I came to a major (unsigned) junction and decided I had to go right to try and get back to the coast and the Panamerican Highway, and after a convoluted journey reached the ring road! The roundabout where it met the main road was badly signposted (I found this out on a later trip the same way), but it certainly saved a lot of time round Chiclayo - although the ring road did turn into a narrower road through a residential and shopping area, looking like anything but the main route through a city! Bear in mind that this is part of the Panamerican Highway - the road that runs from Alaska to Argentina - and not just a minor road in urban Peru!
Fortified with a tankful of petrol Oli and I proceeded Southwards, eating up the miles on the Highway. Around midday I was in need of a break and something to eat so started looking out for a likely eatery. There are loads along the way, but many didn't look that savoury and I needed somewhere that seemed safe for the bike too, so eventually pulled into a place in Chepen. They had a nice covered seating area outside, and I asked what was the "Menu" (fixed price lunch) for the day, and ordered it. The owner suggested I might like something else instead of what I chose, so, assuming that this was another Menu alternative, I agreed. But when the bill came I was being charged much more - as I had "ordered a la carte" and not Menu! A mistake I will not make again!
Back on the road and not far left to go - but the Panamerican Highway is probably the most boring road I have ever driven/ridden along! It is wide and relatively straight, but runs through miles and miles of the coastal desert, with just sand as far as the eyes can see, and at times the wind whips this sand across the road in a fine mist. The wind is so strong at times you really have to fight against it on a bike, and when you pass a heavy truck and then appear out of the lee the resumption of the cross-wind hits you like a fist!
Then I reached Paijan! I had been through Paijan a couple of times - once on my outward journey, and also when I did  test run to a place a little further up the coast - and through traffic was heavy through the town, there were no real dramas. The three wheelers can be a problem as they crisscross the main road, and the heavy trucks slow to an almost stop to navigate the speed bumps, but I had come to expect this in any urban area.I had slowed to meet the speed limit on the entry to Paijan, and from the North there is quite a long run-in to the centre of town, with a few businesses dotted along the way, but traffic generally light - and I recall that there were no vehicles in sight either in front or behind me, just a lone cyclist going the same way as me, who suddenly decided to turn across my path without looking back!! I yelled out - "Nooooo!" - but too late and we both crashed to the ground!
There was a flurry of activity and several bystanders came to our assistance - including a policeman who had been right there where it happened. We got Oli and the bicycle off the road, and assessed the damage. My left arm hurt like hell, and I initially thought I might have broken it - but I could move it so realised I had just taken a knock on my elbow, and other than a few grazes (and some bruises that developed over the next few days) we had both gotten off very lightly. I was expecting problems with the policeman - a Gringo knocking a local youth off his bike - but he had witnessed the accident, alerted by my yell, and grabbed the youth by the scruff of the neck and asked if I wanted to prosecute!
I was more concerned that the youth was not injured himself, but he appeared to be fine, so the policeman elicited an apology out of him, made me confirm that I had no wish to take the matter further and then lost interest in us!
Oli seemed to be OK at first glance, and started first time so I set off on my way again - but soon realised that the bars were a little twisted, as was the gear change arm. I managed to get the gear change sorted, as well as the brake pedal, which was also a little bent, but had no choice but to ride on with the slightly off-line bars. I proceeded slowly at first to make sure that all was well, then once I was sure things were acceptable sped up and completed the remaining 50 kms home!
I had been away for 15 days, covered 2400 kms, and the only real drama came a scant 50 kms from my destination back home! Damage to Oli was a little worse that I had first thought, as the forks had been twisted a little too, so I had to replace them as well as the handlebars, and the speedometer binnacle had also been cracked, though I didn't change that for another two years. My bruises came out over the next few days, but there was no lasting damage - though my helmet and boots bore the scars.

Riding boots showing accident damage

The metal lace retainers also  scuffed by the accident

Again I was thankful that I always wear a crash helmet!

Overall verdict - I had a great time, and Oli, the bike, had ridden like a dream - though the seat was a trifle uncomfortable on long rides, and the knobbly dirt tyres very noisy - and was already planning my next adventure.

The Grand Tour - Part 14 - Rancho Santana

For my trip homewards I had looked for an overnight location near Olmos, near where the Tarapoto road met the old Panamerican Highway, which would have been around 320 kms (200 miles) from Florida. That may not seem like much for a day's ride, but experience had now taught me that average speeds, accounting for stops for photos, meals, fuel, and "comfort", were in the region of 50kph, so that meant around 6 hours riding - and by then my butt was telling me (remember Oli is a trail bike, so doesn't have a touring-comfortable seat!) to stop for the day. Also I never wanted a repeat of the 9 hour ride between Cajamarca and Chachapoyas!
Unfortunately the booking site I used had nothing near Olmos, the closest being at Pacora, or even further at Lambayeque, and Rancho Santana sounded lovely, though it was so cheap I was a little concerned what it would be like. As it turned out it was wonderful, and I have made 4 further stays there, including a three-night one to explore the area (I actually intended to try some horse-riding, but the Swiss lady owner politely told me that at the time they only had small ponies available who would not be able to carry me!!).
My "room" was a large bungalow a little way from the farmhouse, which had a double bed and a bunk bed, plus a very big en-suite, and outside it had a small "garden" with a seating area and a hammock! Breakfast was included in the price, but other meals had to be taken in the town of Pacora, which was a five minute walk away, though I tended to use the bike since it was a dark and dusty track to the town.

"My" bungalow

Often one of the 5 cats would come over to visit - this was the friendliest

The farm is owned by Andrea, a Swiss lady married to a Peruvian man, and specialises in horse riding excursions, though is such a beautiful and peaceful spot that it is great just to stop off and recharge the batteries. There are 6 dogs on site, 5 cats, several horses, a couple of cows and goats, lots of chickens and a few ducks, as well as numerous birds that abound in the area - but the piece de resistance is they have Burrowing Owls on site, who pose nicely for photos!

This was one of the entrances to the owls' nest

I first spotted an owl in a tree outside my window

... who didn't seem that bothered by my attention

I then spotted two more, and asked Andrea about them and she told me they were nesting nearby

Although like all owls they hunt at dusk and during the night, these do spend a lot of time out during the day

... and pose happily for photos!

Beautiful ducks

Wattles around the face

This little duckling was wandering around alone - the adults chased him away if he approached, and I was told that he was the only survivor of the clutch. He did seem to be managing, though

2 of the 6 dogs on the farm

Some of the chickens

Horses

Horse riding is the main part of the farm's operation and people come from far for day trips out, as well as staying in the accommodation and visiting the local archaeological sites. They also take on volunteers at times to help with the care of the horses, in exchange for accommodation and free riding!

Mockingbird

Another Mockingbird in a tree

Pacific Hornero - related to Ovenbirds

While swinging gently in the hammock I looked up and saw these wasps - but they posed no threat

I saved the best till last - I freely admit I am a cat person, and as there were 5 on the farm, and most very friendly I was in heaven!

2 watching from a distance

This male was unsure about me so hid on the roof of the chicken coop

This lovely lady had just come back from the vet where she had been spayed, but seemed in fine spirits

... and visited me as I relaxed outside

... even having a gentle nibble on my finger

The following morning I had a leisurely breakfast with Andrea, after she dropped her daughter off at school - I was in no hurry to leave this wonderful place, and knew I didn't have a very long ride ahead of me, but eventually had to pack up and get on my way. Ahead was about 250 kms, mostly along the very fast Panamerican Highway, and home!

The Grand Tour - Part 13 - Florida to Pacora

This was going to be a ride of almost 400kms (250 miles) but as it was along the 5N highway (Carreteira Fernando Belaunde Terry), the main road over the Andes in the North of Peru I was expecting a fairly easy ride! I was to be mistaken.
The first third of the journey was straightforward, and I was making good time, and stopped a couple of times - once for a comfort break, and the second overlooking a beautiful lake/dam

Vulture watching me at my comfort stop!

Unidentified dam/lake along the way - the colour of the water should have warned me there had been heavy rain along the route!

As I headed up to the highest pass on this stretch of road I got stuck for some time behind a bus - the road twisted and turned as it climbed, and was too narrow to safely pass for quite a while, but eventually - just as we entered some light mist - I got past. As we climbed the mist got thicker, slowing me down, and then it turned to fairly heavy rain - with visibility down to maybe 25 metres! With a sheer cliff bordered by a deep (50cm) rainwater gully to my right, and a drop of some 500-1000 metres to my left, and nowhere to pull off once I passed the summit it was a nerve-wracking descent! Most of the corners were hairpins, and many not indicated, so my progress was painfully slow - and all the time I felt that the bus would be catching up with me in this poor visibility!
Oli had knobbly dirt tyres, which are not idea for wet tarmac, so I approached each hairpin with much trepidation, and cornered very slowly. By now I was also very wet - I had a good jacket on, but my legs had no protection, and I could feel water in my boots as well! All the time I expected the bus to come bearing down on me, as he knew the route and would probably not have been as cautious as I was. Just as the rain ended and I rode out of the mist I saw a large open area to the left, so pulled off into that (I needed another comfort break desperately too!), and a few moments later the bus indeed thundered past!
The sun had come out, too, so I knew I would be dry soon, and continued on my journey. We were now following the Utcubamba river, and the smooth sweeping curves made progress a but quicker - except that there were many places where the rains had caused landslips, with mud and boulders partially blocking the road! The road crews hadn't arrived yet so it was a bit of a slalom through these, with boulders the size of small cars in the middle of the road in places. Fortunately it was easy to weave my way through on Oli, and I even passed the bus during one of these blockages as he had to approach them with much more care - though I always kept one eye on the mountainside above me in case more earth came down! Traffic was thankfully very light throughout the day, something which I was grateful for on most of my journey.
I was able to maintain a good speed once out of landslip territory and soon found myself looking for a place to have something to eat - by now I was dry and hunger was my next concern! I was riding along unknown roads - I had come this way by bus to Chachapoyas the previous year, but this stage of the journey had been at night - so wasn't sure where I could stop, and was also getting to the stage where I needed to refuel (though this wasn't desperate as I was carrying a spare jerry can which would give me about 60kms), but eventually found both a petrol station (there were actually many along the way) and somewhere to have lunch, and take the opportunity to check my map to see where I was!
It appeared I was only about 80kms (50 miles) from my booked accommodation, and despite the mist, rain and landslips had made reasonable time, so after a leisurely lunch I continued on my way. I seemed to have left the high mountains behind and the rest of the journey was along a fairly straight and flat stretch of road, the N1 (called the Old Panamerican Highway!).
As always I had printed a route map to the accommodation, which was reasonably detailed, but when I reached Pacora, which is a tiny place, I could not find anything that looked like the turning to the small farm. I stopped and asked a couple of people and they didn't seem to have heard of the place, so eventually I just turned down a dirt track and by luck found it, despite no signs! The buildings were quite a way from the locked gate so I hooted and a lady came and let me in 

My bungalow

she had several dogs with her, and though I had petted them as I introduced myself one of them chased me and nipped me on the leg, putting a small hole in my trousers, as I rode up to the bungalow! This was the first of 5 stays I have now made at Rancho Santana!

Distance travelled today 395 kms.

The Grand Tour - Part 12 - Tarapoto to Florida

I mentioned that on my way to Moyobamba and Tarapoto I had paused at Florida, Lake Pomacochas, and booked a couple of nights for my return to explore the lake - 2 nights because the next leg of my trip to Pacora, was going to be my longest at almost 400 kms, so felt I needed a whole day to gird my loins before this stage.
I was retracing my steps on this stage so the familiarity with the route made it a reasonable ride 

Alto Mayo forest, from the way up - and in the dry!

Toll station - one of several - but motorbikes are exempt from payment, though not always clear which side you should go through!

and I arrived in Florida early afternoon.

This was one of the cheapest places I stayed at, but this is what greeted me in my room!

 Lake Pomacochas is a destination for Peruvian tourists, so prices are very reasonable, though it is quite a long way from anywhere so does not get that many passing through, meaning prices are very reasonable - I think my single en-suite room (which included a simple breakfast) cost me S/.20 a night, which is £5!

Lake Pomacochas from my bedroom

Looking up towards the main road

My route home would tale me along the winding road in the middle distance

The only downside to Florida is that it was an internet dead zone! There was an internet cafe but they themselves admitted that the service was poor, and were not letting people connect in protest to their ISP, who were planning to install an upgrade "soon"!
On my way through to Moyobamba on the main road I had passed a Hummingbird Sanctuary, not that far from Florida, so decided to visit that before I explored the lake the following day, which was Sunday, Mother's Day, so duly rode up there next morning arriving just before 09.00.

View of the lake from the road to the Hummingbird Sanctuary

Hummingbird Sanctuary

The gate was locked, and there was no sign indicating opening hours, nor any contact information. It was quite a distance from the gate down to the main buildings - too far to be heard calling - so I simply waited a while, admiring the views.

I was back in the Andes so the scenery was spectacular

The route I would be taking tomorrow

Panoramic view

I was higher than the clouds

  I waited for over half an hour, but with no sign of any activity decided to return to the lake - I had researched the sanctuary while I was in Moyobamba and there was no mention of opening hours, or any other issues, but I found out later that it doesn't open on a Sunday! I would have thought that Sunday - and Mother's Day - would have been a perfect opportunity to show off their wonderful work to the public, but it was not to be.

Stopped off on the way back to Florida

Sunday, however, was the day of cattle sales in Florida (the whole area is renowned for dairy products)

Some magnificent bulls tethered well apart

Vultures hoping for some scraps!

The same Black Vulture we have in Brazil

It appeared to be quite a celebration with much alcohol being consumed!

The short road to the lake passed the showground, but the lake was very quiet still. I walked along the wooden boardwalk to the boats and agreed a price for a tour of the lake, which was S/.20 (about £5.00), and climbed aboard. We were just about to set off when a family of 3 arrived, and I hear him quote them only S/.15.00! I wasn't that concerned as they were Peruvian, and often their is a "national" and "international" rate, but he came along and refunded me S/.5, saying that S/.20 was for a solo trip!

The vessel was pretty basic, but very stable

Dark clouds all around

Some of the larger boats - to the right - did have rain covers, but I am not sure if they sailed in them

The far end of the lake looked equally overcast

Eventually we set off and left the shore behind

Separated from the lake in that direction was a Trout farm - kept away from the voracious Tilapia bred in the main lake

Florida, behind us

We came across large flocks of nesting Great Egrets

... who were not too bothered by our proximity

The clouds were still closing in ...

... and we did get some light rain

At one stage the boat headed straight for a small gap in the reeds, and we pushed through to where some people were waiting - the boat doubled up as a water taxi, and collected 4 people with several bundles wanting to go to Florida!

We headed in here to pick up some passengers

 On the way back we stopped at the Tilapia "nursery", where they feed the smaller fish before releasing them into the main lake.

Tilapia "nursery"

Feeding time - Tilapia are predatory fish and will eat anything, so the Trout have to be kept separately

Low clouds over Florida

We diverted to pass another Great Egret colony

Once back I went for lunch in the visitor centre - the lady remembered me from my trip on the way through, and I had fried Tilapia for my late lunch! There were now a few people around, it being Mother's Day, but not as busy as I expected it might get.

The cloud cover had kept the sun away, which I was grateful for as I burn very easily.

I took a short siesta before heading out for dinner

A common sight in Peru - this lady, outside her front door, selling Anticuchos (skewered meat) and fried plantain (a type of banana) on a small barbecue

... but did give the street vendors a miss. I didn't want to risk an upset stomach for the long ride in the morning!