The First Seventy Years: 108 - In Peru
Eric Biddulph spent an unforgettable week in the high Andes in Peru.
Eric’s book The First Seventy Years can be obtained for £10 by contacting http://mary@bike2.wanadoo.co.uk or telephoning 01484-658175.
All the cash raised by the book goes to a water aid project in Malawi.
After three days riding I came to the conclusion that it was time I got myself away from the coast. Arriving in the town of lea I was told there was a petrol filling-station on the edge of town where all the lorries refuelled before continuing on the road south. I did not have to wait long before the driver of a high sided twelve wheeled lorry responded to my request for a lift. Hauling my bike up the side of this double-decker bus-high lorry I was subsequently ushered into the cabin to find myself sitting between Jonny and his companion. I was about to experience a twenty four hours journey of marked contrasts.
For several hours we continued along the desert highway. As the light faded I was instructed to climb up on to the top of the lorry. This was to allow Jonny space to lay down and have a sleep. A few hours of struggling to find a comfortable resting position amongst the boxes and sacks, not to mention my bike, came to an end when Jonny shouted up to me to climb down. Only later did I realise that we had parked up close to the famed Nazca Lines.
Soon afterwards we left the Pan-American Highway and began the long climb into the Andes. Long stretches of first gear driving with the lorry crawling along at barely a fast walking pace. This did have the advantage of allowing me to appreciate the magnificent mountain landscape. The sun came into view for the first time. We eventually reached the town of Arequipa, over 2500 metres above sea-level. Bright sunlight greeted me instead of the depressing dankness which I had experienced since my arrival in Peru. Unloading my bike I was preparing to thank my hosts of the past twenty four hours when Jonny motioned me to follow him. I was invited into what turned out to be his parents house. I was to spend the next week as a guest of Jonny's family. Although language was a constant problem it was one of the most memorable periods of the six weeks tour. Conducted sightseeing trips; visits to the homes of Jonny's extended family; eating and drinking against the backcloth of the extinct volcano El Miste; clear skies and bright sun. Arequipa is one of the most beautiful locations I have ever visited; the sun shines 360 days a year.
