I finally found Azul Wasi, the children’s home funded by
LAFF after locating, visually from the road, just about every blue building in
Oripesa, except for Azul Wasi. I was directed to a hospital, then to a couple of other buildings, before finally
reaching the casa de la ninos abandonas. The home was a bit outside the main
town, which I was told about by Sarah from LAFF. I just didn’t lift my head
early enough to see it from the road as you drive in.
I hadn’t realised that
Oripesa was famous for its bread until I reached there and someone explained
how they had the best bread in South America. So I just had to buy some for my
dinner that evening
When I eventually reached the home, I was greeted by a group
of young lads who had just finished lunch after a morning at school or college.
I presented them with a football, having been advised that they were football
crazy and Newcastle fans no less! After chatting to them for a while I received
guided tour of the home and grounds. The home is basic as far as accommodation
goes ( though not as basic as some of the places I have stayed on my trip...and
I’m not talking of the tent) , but they have beds, a kitchen, a learning and
play room and a makeshift football pitch with makeshift goals. And they grow
their own veg and breed animals for food and as a means of generating cash. A
group of young people who were practising the art of sustainability without thinking
about it! Now if any of my colleagues from local government are checking out
the BLOG. The lads have two defunct computers! These are 1998 models!!!! I know
how often we upgrade our IT, so if you have some spare laptops or PC’s you need
to get rid of, can you send them to LAFF (based in London). Sarah will ensure
they finally reach Oripesa. I received one of their homegrown chillies to help
spice up my bolognesa that evening and after a photo session, bid them farewell
and headed back into Cusco.
About ten minutes after I left them, the heavens opened as
they did everyday and I got soaked. As I reached Avenida de Cultura in Cusco,
the water was running down the road in torrents. It was also dark by this time.
Then it happened! Cusco must be the only city in the world where the gratings
run from front to back on a set of oversized drains. They also span the whole
road just like a cattlegrid. I went down the drain with the front wheel and did
a spectacular somersault over the handlebars landing up to my ankle in water.
The trailer was spread across the road and a group of young women with their
ponchos just stood staring wondering what this was all about. Two decided to
come to my rescue, getting themselves soaked in the process. I eventually managed
to pull the wheel free and lift the bike and trailer over the drain.
With the front wheel buckled and jammed against the front
pannier rack, I was definitely not going to be cycling to Abancay the next day.
Talk of things conspiring against me! I pushed my bike back to the hostel and
the next day searched for a decent bike shop. Fortunately, there was one called
best bikes just around the corner. I went down to see them and they said that
they could have it fixed in a few days. They also said that they could supply a
bike computer, but would need to wait on it coming from Arequipa.
This meant that I was going to spending an extra three days
in Cusco. Ironically it would have given me time to do the Inca trail, but I
wasn’t ready to go back for more trekking. Instead I rested for a few days,
eating decent food in a few top restaurants. Greens Organic and Two Nations, to
name but two of the brilliant and reasonably priced restaurants.
I picked up my bike a couple of days later, looking almost
new! Unfortunately the bike computer that had delivered would not fit on the
handlebars, because the Specialised handlebars are too large, but he said that
he had managed to reset my broken computer and it was now working. As it turns
out....it doesn’t work, or rather it does, but only intermittently! He also
said that my rear wheel had a dent in the rim which would wear my brakes a lot
more quickly and that he didn’t have a wheel to replace it with. That’s all I
needed for the steep drop to Nasca! Next day I was on my way to Abancay. This
was going to be an early rise, as I wanted to do this in one day.
The great news is that, after a few steep streets out of
Cusco, the road to Abancay is all downhill. I arrived just as it got dark and
booked into an Alojiamente next to the hospital, which wasn’t a particularly
good idea as between ambulances and noisy taxis, I was in for constant sleep
interruption. The next day, as I was ready to make off from this cafe, there
were a number of police around, practically in riot gear. They said that I
wouldn’t be allowed to cycle ruta 26 because of “unrest”!
I went back to the alojiamente, and with my limited ability
to understand what it was about, as far as I could make out there was a
rebellion because of the discovery that a Peruvian gang had killed hundreds of
campesinos for the bodyfat which was being sold at a high price to Europe for
the purpose of “anti-wrinkle cream”! I then heard that it had nothing to do
with that and in fact no-one believes this...that it was a story made up by the
police! Instead, it was just a strike and stand-off between the strikers and
police. An alternative route, I was told, was to go through Ayacucho, through
the road is difficult. That as it happens wasn’t an option, because a condition
of my insurance is that I do not travel through Ayacucho and Huancayo!
Obviously my insurers haven’t heard of trouble in Abancay or of an area called
El Alto in Bolivia! The police then said that I would need to take transport to
Puquio and that I could travel from there. Perhaps I could get a bus? “Esta
bus, con esta remolque” (One of these buses, with this trailer) “No es
possible” I said! About five minutes later, a tourist bus passed with a number
of windows smashed! It was indeed starting to look like this might be a little
more serious. Apparently the bus was damaged a couple of days ago!
So stuck in Abancay I
was. I’d tried to email my friend George Manani in Lima, to say that I would
not be there for a few more days than I had suggested when I last emailed him,
but was looking forward to meeting up for a few beers.
If I had a pound for everyone that says. “Su viajar
solo....es muy peligroso”, I would have reached my fundraising target months
ago! It appears that most Argentinians, Chileans, Bolivians and Peruvians think
their country is much too dangerous for a gringo or indeed anyone to travel
alone on a bike. I’ve had to explain that there are cities towns and streets in
the UK that are just as, if not more, dangerous. Interestingly the last guys I
spoke to whilst having lunch at a cafe reckoned that that was indeed the case!
They’d seen Trainspotting!!!!!! So I hope we are proud that the image that many
people have of Scotland is that which they have gleaned from Trainspotting!
