SEPTEMBER 9 - PUCUSANA TO CERRO AZUL

Today's hop was 117 km, with about 1000 m A & D (go up the hills, go down the hills and at the end of the day wind up at the same altitude you started at).  The notable feature was 30 km of dirt road in the middle, described as being 'moon like.'  Unfortunately, Laura was recovering from another bout of somebody's revenge and wisely chose not to ride - good decision because she is better now.

A comment about the weather:  all of our photos lately show cloudy days. Apparently, this time of year the coast can be shrouded in clouds and fog got days at a time.  The sun almost broke through today.

Off we go.  I got a good, early start and made great time down the highway.  Going through the small town of Santa Rosa de Asia here's a photo of their main plaza.  A lot of the small, not very prosperous looking towns try to have a nice looking plaza as a focus to what is often a pretty dingy town.


Not long after, the dirt road starts.  Not a bad road, but in addition to being dirt, it is gently uphill, so the progress slows.  I keep going around curves hoping to see the lunch truck, but it never seems to appear.  I panic - am I on the wrong dirt road?  No - there's an orange flag that the early truck puts out each day.  I am only averaging 10 km/h uphill in the dirt (as opposed to 30 on level pavement), so I panic every 20 minutes or so.  Luckily, I also see the bikes tracks of the 4 guys in front.  Finally, 10 km into the dirt the lunch truck appears!  Yay - salvation.  Laura takes a photo of me coming in.  Note the big smile - finally the lunch truck!

After  break, its off for the last 20 km of dirt.  Here's some of the 'moon like' scenery.

Another rider (Marius) overhauling me with the yellow truck (not the lunch truck) in the background.  This is the moon with hydro towers.









The dirt road is mainly downhill after lunch so the progress is better.  The pavement ends and I hit the town of Quilmana.  Interesting boulevard - lights down the centre, two small strips of pavement flanked by sand.






Around a corner into the main plaza and we run into a children's marching and drum ceremony.











A beautiful flowering tree in the square












Here's the overloaded donkey photo of the day.  4 poor donkeys pulling a big load.  Check out what the driver is doing!












I meet up with a couple of other riders and we tear up the pavement into our hostal in Cerro Azul.  Our room is built right into the cliff behind.







Here's my lunch - Anchovy salad.  The anchovies are dehydrated & served with onions, tomato & olive oil with avocado on the side.  No salty taste at all.









Cerro Azul is a small seaside fishing / tourist village. It is in a sandy bay and has a long pier.  










View of the town from the pier.  We are one street back of the waterfront at the left side of the photo.











The pier and the town in the other direction.











The local fishermen have just launched a flat bottom dory and are paddling it out through the surf, presumably to the larger fish boats anchored beyond the pier.









I'm in the local fish market at the end of the pier.  A much quieter place than yesterday at Pucusana.  In the photo I recognize the tuna, but nothing else.  I saw some mackerel at another stall.  The small translucent fish might be anchovies.  Any better guesses?





I wandered around town, but didn't see anything of note.  Here's the main square.

That's about it for today.  Laura will be cycling with me tomorrow - 130 km all on pavement.