August 10, 2017
Today really felt like we were getting closer to Cusco which was a next big destination.
Cycling Stats
Start Point: Huanta, Peru
Destination: Ayacucho, Peru
49.2 km, 13.5 km/h average speed, 49.1 km/h maximum speed, 3:39 time on the bike
1083 meters gained, 957 meters elevation descend, 2926 meters maximum elevation
Route Description:
Again this day is on a paved road all day. You climb out of Huanta on undulating hills for 20 km up to 2926 meters. Then we enjoyed a fabulous downhill over 10 km to 2426 meters. Then you have undulating up hill into the city for the last 15 km. Ayacucho is a big city with restaurants, hotels and stores.
Accommodations:
There are many hotels to choose from and they were expensive. One we looked at was 120 soles. We chose Hostel Ayacucho near the plaza for 60 soles with a private bath, hot water and good wifi.
What happened…
Amanda writes: The ride today with pretty enjoyable. There was a really nice downhill by a river although a lot more traffic as we got closer to a big city. The paved roads are still really a pleasure to ride. The scenery was much the same and I almost feel bad saying as much because it’s gorgeous; Peru simply is beautiful. So we rolled into Ayacucho and knew right away we would stay for a couple of days.
There is still tension with Andrew and I. I figure we’re both recovering from the Peru Divide and it’s not easy. I know Andrew isn’t happy and I’m eager to help change that if I can. My birthday is coming up in the next week and I tried leveraging that to try and get what I want and hopefully make Andrew happy. For about a month he has been saying he wants to go to the Coast in Peru in a kite surfing community called Paracas. You can rent a kite and there is good wind this time of year. I’m not interested in going especially while nursing my ankle injury. Andrew and I spend 24/7 together and I figure a good solution is that Andrew take a bus to Paracas and I ride the next week by myself. I would love some alone time and I enjoy riding my bike. By Andrew going to the Coast he could have some recharge time and it might help relieve some of this tension we have accumulated. So I spent our day off trying to sell Andrew on the idea. Let’s just say by the end of it we were further distanced than before and totally not on the same page. Andrew would hear nothing of it and was totally pissed off I would suggest such a thing. Well that didn’t go well.
The aerial view of our ride: