SEPTEMBER 14 - NAZCA TO BUSH CAMP

We were supposed to go 90 km today. but the staff decided to cut it short to a closer bush camp at 70 km.  However, the entire distance was a long climb, with the average grade 4 - 6 percent.  That isn't huge for a bike, but it was all day long, so it became a grind.  Total altitude gai was about 2700 meters. The other factor was altitude gain.  The camp was well above 3300 meters altitude and this has affected some of the riders.


The road to Cusco is windy, twisty, but generally well paved.  Not too much traffic today so there wasn't a lot of traffic stress.  A photo of the winding road:








Above about 1800 meters the landscape changed to grasslands, with the odd green patch

A farm in a valley.  Raises the questions: why? and how do they manage to do it?











A cactus with some small blooms









A shepherd.  He probably lived in a village down the valley a bit.  Looks like pretty dry feed for them

Bush camp - basically a cleared lot beside the road.  Dusty!