There’s not a whole lot interesting to report about today. Most significantly we made it through the gauntlet of traffic in and around Lima without incident. We hit the outskirts north of town around 9:30 and spent the next hour and a half navigating through the traffic. As the traffic thinned out south of the city, we found ourselves a Starbuck’s, grabbed ourselves a Frappuccino and Capuccino (I’ll let you guess who ordered which), a couple of breakfast sandwiches and continued on our way south along the coast.
I will say that the coast south of Lima is decidedly more attractive than the coast to the north. There was little to no fog and the coastline is populated with upscale beach developments, well tended agriculture and some light industrial buildings. It couldn’t have been more different than the desolation we observed to the north. And, for what it’s worth it continued throughout the day, ending in a national park where we ended up stopping for the night. My advice… you come to Peru and want to experience the coast, head south from Lima.
Otherwise, my only other comment for the day is that despite the seeming chaos of the traffic here, both Claudio and I actually find ourselves quite comfortable in it. Unlike the US, where driving on the freeway and in traffic is too often a zero-sum game and one is confronted with drivers with a sense of entitlement, here everyone just moves along. Granted they move somewhat erratically at times, and you most definitely need to stay focused and pay attention, but in the entire hour and a half we spent in traffic, no one flipped anybody off or got upset, (ok, maybe there were a couple of instances). It is also the case that nobody is staring at their phone while they’re driving! You couldn’t afford to here. Anyways, both Claudio and I have had the benefit of riding motorcycles in traffic around the world and we both agree that the US is the outlier… and not in a good way.
After droning down the highway for a several hours, the highlight of our day was an outstanding mid-afternoon meal in the coastal city of Pisco. We were both served a delicious plate of ceviche and we both had ourselves a Pisco Sour… in Pisco… how about that!! Shortly after our meal we learned that the we wouldn’t be completing the last part of our planned journey for today due to another protest blockade of the highway we were planning to take inland. Ah well, it was late in the day, we’d covered a lot of miles and after our Pisco Sours we were probably better off retiring anyways.
From Claudio
Shepherdess
Another tight curve, I lean into it, ride it out but scarcely have time to stop before a herd of chubby, submissive sheep is blocking the entire road. I ease my feet onto the ground. I am an intruder in this elemental order of rock and life in their extremities. A short, impassive shepherdess, tall hat on, staff at hand, is one more in the flock. Neither animal nor woman alter their swaying motion -they pulsate with the unyielding mountains.
NOTE: Am afraid this post is otherwise bereft of media. Not much to capture and what there was suffered from a very poor connection.
Peruvian Adventure 
Amazing you climbed 4600 feet on the coast.
We probably ate at the same place in Pisco.
At the cheap hotel in Cusco where we stayed for awhile we get friendly with the bartender name Achilles and he made the best Pisco sours ever. The hotel was cheap because the rooms weren’t so great but it had a good view overlooking the plaza.
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Yeah… lots of ups and down. Regarding Pisco, could be, but we were in a pretty small hole in the wall place we found wandering the beachfront. I loved the Pisco Sour I had… if I’d had one before I don’t really remember, but now that I have a taste it definitely won’t be my last! Flying over the Nazca Lines tomorrow morning… wish me luck!
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