INTO PERU´S RUGGED MOUNTAINS
JUNCTION TO HIGHWAY 18 FROM THE DESERT BACK TO THE ANDES MOUNTAINS
It was nice to be back running after my 3 day break in Lima.. Now I am heading back into the Andes mountains after a break in the desert for about a month… That sounds funny…. Take a break in the desert… But that´s exactly what it was, a break from the mountains.
I now feel refreshed. I enjoyed the desert stretch and thankfully did not have any problems with the infamous petty theft on this coastline, issues I mentioned before…
My mind is still rock solid.. One or two people have emailed me asking me if this is really the case and hoping I am not just saying so!
Those that know me and hopefully those that don´t know me but follow this blog know I don´t have an ego.. I try to make this blog as honest as I can with all mistakes highlighted and there were a few in this blog update! I try very hard to try to take the reader along with me as though they were running with me.
On this run the only times I have felt down was in Flagstaff, Arizona when my ipod got stolen.. I know that´s stupid and I got little to worry about… And then for a few days in Ecuador when I was going through a serious energy crisis… From nowhere tears gushed out of my eyes… I stopped dead in my tracks and asked myself what this was all about as even then the future of the run was never ever in doubt, that I am sure of.
That same night I read the message my sister Ann handed me the night before the run started. A message called DONT QUIT.. > Read HERE. Once again I don´t know why I read it, I have only read it about two or three times. I guess because its been in my bag ever since the start, I am so aware of it… No quitting has never ever been on my mind and never will be as long as I am healthy.
Yes I guess I fet a bit worried and down when I was on the USA /Mexican border READ HERE waiting to cross into the great unknown. After the much highlighted, if not exagerated dangers which some armchair and even bar stool travellers told me I was headed for… ” No Tony, The trouble is getting out of Mexico, not getting in! ” A whole bar room had laughed. That was in BK´s Bar back in Snyderburg, Pennsylvia, USA, I think. They were a great bunch of lads but it was a typical ongoing brainwashing comment all the way across Canada and the USA. I kept it out of the blog so as not to worry my folks. READ HERE
THIS NICE LADY STOPPED ME TO OFFER ME SOME PAKAI FRUIT
So I ran along highway 18 towards Cuzco feeling like the luckiest man in the world, living my dream. I think some people believe dreams should be easy peasy.
Running towards the ancient Inca empire… Even though it is about 1,000km away I was so excited.
Since leaving the Pan-American Highway the road has rapidly deteriorated. Less traffic.
Now I am back to my dinner plate sized hard shoulder. That´s the way it was for almost 50km all the way to Sayan.
A lady stopped to give me a pakai fruit. Pakai grows on trees inside a large leaf. Its very succulent and fruity with a big black pip in the center. Peruvians keep stopping me like this, to help or even just to say hello, just like the folk on Irish country roads. They ask me why I am not travelling by car or even on a bicycle and I reply that this is the reason, that to travel by foot is perhaps not only the most adventurous way to travel but also the most rewarding and the greatest travel experiences can be had.
SOMETIME PEOPLE JUST SET UP SHOP IN MY HARD SHOULDER! HERE THEY ARE SELLING CORN. WHAT´S THE SONG ABOUT COTTONFIELDS?
Sometimes I got to run wide of the shoulder as people set up shop. Today I stopped in a village where people were drinking a black beer which they mixed with cola.. More stops, this is great I am building up my picture of these wonderful people. I am sure that sometimes this is the reason my blog falls behind, not only due to time pressure but that I need to get the ´full picture into my head. ´ And that sometimes takes time.
WHERE IS ALL THE TRAFFIC GONE TO?
So where is all the traffic gone and what has happened to the road? I asked myself.
If you go to Google Maps and ask for directions from Lima to Cuzco this is the road they suggest.. So that´s the road I took. Others know better and take a different route, their hard luck was my wonderful time here. Perhaps the toughest and most challenging segment so far, but a fantastic experience was had!
Once again I wonder about Cuzco being such a major tourist centre, so where are the buses and trucks! Why are the bridges now posted with a 10-15 ton max capacity instead of 50 tonnes! Well Google maps as good as they are got this wrong and I followed for the next week like a sheep, or rather a llama.. But wow what a rugged experience I had. Many elderly people told me I was the very first gringo that they ever did see and not once was I asked the terrible question about where was my bicycle, not hard to figure that one out as not even the cyclists, amazingly have taken this route it seemed to me.
THE START OF MY ROUTE TOWARDS CUZCO IS A SURPRISE... BUT I THINK I AM IN FOR A GREAT EXPERIENCE 
I had sent my ´heavy bag ´(as regular readers know is my main supply bag which I keep mailing on ahead) onto Huancayo about 320km away. I had looked at the map and figured about 8-10 days with lots of places to stay. Well this segment was to take two weeks and my distance was closer to 450km! That road I mentioned earlier from Huaura to Sayan was soon to deteriorate to a rugged mountain track, so rugged it was that efficient running was incredibly difficult. Even when walking I stumbled on the jagged stones and rocks which were just spread out on the road for the traffic to flatten. Flatten they didn’t as time after time I got shock waves through my joints as I trod on them and also from the discomfort of constantly altering my stride. Shifting and weaving my meandering way along those rocky potholed road tracks.
SMALL VILLAGES AND TOWNS ALL OVER PERU HAVE A MOSQUITO ERRADICATION FROM FRUIT PROJECT GOING ON,
Running, or more marching on towards Huaycho I took a wrong turn, or rather didn’t turn right at an insignificant looking bridge. I had just ran on a further 5km. So after being corrected by an insistent man I returned to the bridge. I did not log theses kilometres into the total distance.
I made my way up a very steep hill for about two hours and was told there was no hostal or hotel for a long way ahead. I also realized that many people have little or no idea of where small villages or towns are or in many cases have never even heard of some of the places I am headed for. So the idea is to listen to everyone and figure out who knows what correctly.
Yes a gps would be nice now, but I try not to get bogged down by the weight of so-called unnecessary gadgets.
I had even sent my backpack onto Huancayo figuring I would be okay for this segment with my strong, sturdy satchel, it is of such good quality that I could easily run with my laptop in it. Not so, I soon discovered, and decided it best to return to Sayan that night to purchase a small backpack, recheck my route and tell people back home that I may be out in a wilderness for the next few days.
Most of Peru´s roads are serviced by buses or mini buses also here what are known as ´collectivos ´which in this area are battered Toyota Corolla estate cars. I have commuted in some of these with as many as ten people crammed into them! The collectivos run along designated routes, stopping along the highway to cram in yet another passenger with bags and even chickens in. They are like cheap taxis and are best picked up in the towns and villages, only trouble is you got to wait a while for them to get their starting quota of about five passengers.
Needless to say seat belts are not even considered and stupid people like me are asked to unbuckle it as it´s preventing another passenger getting in. The police just seem to turn a blind eye, or more than likely are paid off. Many people would not be able to make a decent living if the police enforced every regulation they were supposed to, so perhaps there is a different side to them. The last collectivo departure from Huaycho to Sayan that Sunday afternoon was around 4pm so I took it back for the night.
THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE DREW ME OUT A VERY DETAILED MAP.
Next morning back in Huaycho I was directed up this track above. I had asked my way towards Acos as the maps were still unclear. On I shuffling, it was pretty hot. I met the lady in the photo above and asked her the way, she didn’t know. I was lucky that the man pictured in the middle was working in a lime tree field had overheard our conversation. It seemed he had plenty of time on his hands as he came out and insisted I had been given wrong directions back in Huaycho which was now about 15km behind me. I was told that Acos was the other side of the mountain. People here have a funny way of pointing, they often move their fingers around or sometimes with a clasped fist just wave their hand around, often towards the ultimate location of the destination and not the way to go!
This man had a lot of patience and when I told him there was no way I was going back as long as there was an alternative, even if longer route ahead of me. There was another way, though much longer I decided I wanted to push on ahead.
We all sat down on the track while he drew out a detailed map. This man knows his mountains.
A long time ago I had learned that one of the first essentials to pack for the road in the morning are a pen and paper. Imagine being in this situation and having neither!
THIS MAN LOOKS LIKE SOME KIND OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL STOPPED FOR A CHAT...
On I went along my new route. I was enjoying myself, stopping to talk to several surprised but always friendly people. They waved from the fields and came out of their houses to talk or greet me.
I stopped at a small village for a snack. so many people don´t like being photographed so I try to photograph them before they see me. Often I sneak a photo while asking, not a nice thing to do I suppose. That´s what happened here on the way into this shop. When I came out of the shop the woman was giving the child a body wash in a large basin.
SNACK STOP
These shops obviously don´t get much business but as long as they have a decent stock the customer will just ring the doorbell for attention. Often the shops are closed or have a gate closure across the front so as the owner can just go about their daily life, changing the babies nappy or plucking a chicken or whatever.
SURELY NOT AN IRISH DANCE IN THE ANDES!
A little further up the track I came to this village. It was around lunchtime and the residents were in high spirits… The amount of stops I could make and do are unreal, not really good time management but a hell of an experience management.
COME DANCE TONY!
And they danced on and on. The harp which is the Irish national symbol is a very popular instrument here in Peru. I have seen people on television on many occasions playing it.
AND THE BOYS DO WHAT BOYS DO... THEY LOOKED ON AND DRANK!
On and on I marched for as I mentioned running was not so easy and if anything was just about the same pace as running. All trail runners know what it´s like to be running up a steep mountain trail. To be so stubborn to keep running. The absolute killer blow in these races is to be passed by a couple of efficient marchers, seemingly not out of breath as they talk about last nights dinner and whats on television that night!
In such situations not to walk even though running is less efficient can be a pride thing for the runner. That short walk can give the runner a chance to recover, or even prevent an injury.
Further on up the trail I met about a dozen men and women having a late lunch and drinking more cola beer…. Jokingly they told me they were working very hard. Around the corner I got attacked by a swarm of bees. They were everywhere, on my arms, hands, face, hair. I ran and then stumbled and fell on the ground. As I got back up picking up my two water bottles I got stung in the face, I felt lucky to have gotten away with only one sting!
Then I saw the people were probably working on these bee hives, about fifty hives. I was to see several more the next couple of days. That´s when I did some of my hardest hill running, funny what you can do when you really want to!
May 20th, 2012 at 9:09 pm
tony, the photos are brilliant especially the “detour” pictures of rual villages that nobody sees. a great read again. well done
May 20th, 2012 at 10:28 pm
I think your writing gets better and better. You make it all such an enjoyable easy read. Glad the poem helped you when you needed it. Keeping on running, writing and snapping photos. We are all enjoying it so much
May 21st, 2012 at 4:01 am
Tony—-whoooaaa—had a lot of reading to do to catch up with you—guess I have been doing a bit of running around here and hadn’t checked the blog in awhile—instead sending e-mails etc to you—-Great read—many parts made me laugh and reminded me of “collectivos” in many countries with people jammed into every spare square inch of space—and you were putting on your seatbelt ha ha ha—–Interesting detour–but isn’t that what this whole thing is all about!!!!—-good stuff.
Yea–I remember talking with you in beautiful Sedona after you had had your i-pod ripped off the day before–kind of a down moment—but we made up for it with a couple of good days reunion!!!
OK man–keep the legs moving—-Great read!!!
good running–Greg
May 21st, 2012 at 1:31 pm
Hi Tony
Well done so far. Great Blog, even better Photos, You could do a great book on the World run just with your amazing photos. I saw you at the Dublin Marathon 10km mark in the Phoenix Park a long way ago.
I’m an ex-Liffey Valley runner who is overweight but trying to get back into it and maybe like others reading your blog you’re an inspiration.
Keep going you’ll be a legend “The Irishman who ran around the world”
Best of Luck
Matt
May 22nd, 2012 at 1:27 am
i tony…another great rear…its a long wknd here as we celebrate victoria day wknd…may 2-4 we call it ..it looks like summer has struck here as temps have bee +26 today….but…this is a big island as you know and it may snow ( shudder to think) at any time ….don’t hold your breath…i’ve seen it snow here in mid june!!!!!
hope all is well???
your friends in newfoundland
stewart and bernie cochrane
katheryn off to ottawa marathon this thurs for third time
talk soon
stew
May 22nd, 2012 at 2:17 am
Thanks Matt. Great to hear from you! It means a lot to me if I can help you or others in any way re.. motivate anyone back into this wonderful sport.
Please stay with the blog as I always say it´s not just my run…It´s our run!! I need all the help I can get…
It is exactly the same for me as it is for you…re motivation..Its just one step and day at a time,
Good luck with your return. Take care and keep in touch, Tony
September 26th, 2012 at 2:02 pm
Many thanks for the link Tony.
I will definitely make sure to visit when I get to Peru. I very much enjoyed reading this particular entry as it sounds so much like my recent experiences. Never going to quit, but that doesn’t mean I am not going to say how I feel in terms of the journey. It is my dream adventure, but not an easy walk in the park like so many people expect dreams to be! Have also just written a large vitriolic piece on the ‘armchair scaremongers’. Grown tired of people proffering their ‘danger advice’ despite never having been anywhere near where I am. How the brainwashed think they know the world!
I have covered some fantastic areas already, but your blog is providing me with much excitement of places I am on my way to.
Many thanks and keep running strong!
Clayton