25/08/13 Stage 13 Chulucanas - Motupe by malcandmarjetpatterson at Garmin Connect - Details

25/08/13 Stage 13 Chulucana- Motupe
25/08/13 Stage 13 Chulucanas - Motupe by malcandmarjetpatterson at Garmin Connect - Details

Straight flat roads So very different

Today we cycled almost 150 km. Yet I wasn't tired because the road was flat and I was slipstreaming behind Malcolm all the way and it also helped that there was some cloud cover to keep temperatures down. We were crossing desert and we had been told there were very few places to stop and get food and drink so just to be on the safe side we were on our third meal by half past 11! As it happened there were enough places all along the way to top up on drink. Most houses are very simple structures The better ones have adobe walls some lesser ones seem to be constructed of bamboo canes cut in half. Most seem to have electricity and there are quite a few satellite dishes about. There seem to be dividing walls but doors are usually missing and there might be a sheet draped across the door way. Running water seems more of a scarcity though never mind plumbing. When I asked for the toilets in one place where we ate I was directed to a hole in the ground in the yard covered by some wooden planks. The things you take for granted! I wonder if all of Peru is like this or if this is just a very deprived area. We had overcooked it again as it was getting dark when we approached Motupe and we still had to buy some essentials[ beer ] and then sneak in somewhere and pitch the tent . When we finally arrived in Motupe we found a very lively town and much against expectations there was more than one hostal to choose from so I didn't have to camp with the lizards or whatever that creature was. I saw scurrying across the road the other day. A double room with en suite bathroom cost us £6.- Sadly Malc spend more time in the bathroom than in bed with a serious case of food poisoning. Whether it was reheated rice, chicken, bad water, ice cream we are never going to know.

 Mostly this is what showers look like. It is good news because you usually get a trickle of lukewarm water but it is also very worrying to see bare wires. You don't splash about too much with one of these over your head!