Jan Weitner riding his XT from Terra del Fuego to Vancouver

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Winter in Cusco (Peru)

07681 kms

It is an incredible summer in South America. Last few days the temperature has been around 5 to 10 degrees and I had my first hail and snow experience in Cusco. Hail as large as big bullets. Irresponsible to go out on the street, everybody was running for cover. I am surprised by the amount of tourists here. Too many shoe polishers running after you. I am still in doubt if I should hit Machu Picchu. My timeschedule is calling me. The rain was terrible today so it will probably be a swimming pool overthere or did the Incaīs take care of a high tech shower system?

Weīll find out tomorrow.

Days in Peru are good. Food is excellent compared to Bolivia where I could hardly eat last week. No nice terrace for a coffee. That country is hard for itīs people. Low temperatures, high humidity, many products unavailable, leaded petrol with unknown octane numbers, and people doing their toilet things in the main streets. Just lift your skirt and do your thing...

Together with Fausto I spend some time in Potosi and Copacabana at the Titicaca lake. This lake at an altitude of 3800 meter and it's one of the highest in the world and the highest in South America. It has some small beaches, but hardly any tourism. This lake is waiting for an investor. Not me I am leaving Bolivia. Taking a drink in the harbour of Copacabana was great. Fausto was fighting his altitude diseases with hardly legal herbs and coca tea and it worked!

To reach Copacabana you need to take a boat from one side to the other. 10 boats are waiting to take the vehicles. They all look like they are going to sink but surprisingly they even take buses and other heavy traffic. Driving across the lake gave me a good feeling and made me forgot the misery I saw in Bolivia. I even met my friends from Argentina again.

Peru started with a negotiation. Long live corruption. The police at the border started asking for facilitating money. Just to be sure the local police could always call the border police in case of a problem, so a contribution was a good idea according to them. A shame I donīt have pictures of these guys. They ask the money in USD and you give the same number in the local currency and they are happy. I send them into the bush with some Bolivianos. They accepted with a smile.

The first city you see after the border crossing is Puno from there it is 350 kms through the mountains crossing at an altitude of 4400 meters to Cusco. Again a great ride. Passing some fields with delicious flowers, realizing the bad scent in Bolivia. Driving behind a bus or truck in Bolivia takes months of your life, that is how it feels. Some trucks have a sort of big blue light in the back, but it is just an enormous cloud of exhaust fumes.

The roof of my hotel could not stand the hail and has a lot of holes in it now. My floor and bed are soaking wet. I need to check what is going on.

After all my complaining I got to say that the music is great in South America. In Argentina, Boliva and now again Peru, everywhere music on the streets, in the shops and the internet cafe. Fantastic.

South America is awesome I must conclude after 7500 kms. The next 7500 will contain more sunshine and I canīt wait to hit it.

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