2
« Last post by Biggles on April 20, 2024, 12:27:46 PM »
From Nazca we headed directly into the Andes towards Cusco, the ancient capital of the Incas which they had dubbed "the navel of the world". The route was long and winding— it took us two full days of riding— but it proved to be some of the most spectacular motorcycling of the entire trip. The road was fabulously paved and, within the first two hours, it wound up from the coastal desert to an arid, starkly beautiful tableland. We passed a towering white mountain of sand: Cerro Blanco, the world tallest sand dune at 1176 meters. Initially the air was warm and pleasant and we rode in our mesh jackets with just t-shirts underneath. The temperature dropped as the road continued upwards and the dry landscape eventually gave way to the altiplano, the grassy, high altitude plain that crowns the Andes. Further up we wound, eventually topping out at a breathless 4600 meters (15,000 ft), the highest point we would ride our motorcycles on the entire trip. The air had a funny, crystal clear light to it, and we had the impression we were motorcycling on the roof of the world. And it was cold.
The Great Pan American Motorcycle Expedition Jesse & Jessica Eyer p205