All in all, we spent a little over a week in Cajamarca. On our last day, we were both feeling really well again and wanted to use the time for something productive.

So, we headed to a dental office to get our teeth cleaned for the first time in two years. The office and its staff made a trustworthy impression on us, and we were happy to put up with the two-hour wait. After the brief treatment, when we thanked the receptionist, she gave us a hug as we left. Aww, that’s never happened to us before either😊.

That evening, to celebrate our renewed energy, we treated ourselves to what was probably the most delicious pizza since Italy! On the way back to our lodging, we sat down for a while in a park where teenagers were rehearsing their creative dance routines. We were fascinated by their expressive movements and their feel for music and rhythm. Perhaps we’re missing a joint that would let us do that😉.

What we were also missing were a few hours of sleep, which the Swiss national soccer team deprived us of with its nerve-wracking match against Argentina. But never mind, the next morning we were still ready to continue our ride: our legs were itching, and we were looking forward to kicking into gear. The first 20 kilometers were already familiar to us, and this time we didn’t have to turn back after our coffee break. On the contrary, the route made for a pleasantly easy start. It was more downhill than uphill, and the road was well-paved throughout. Excellent, this gave us a boost of confidence and self-assurance.

We could certainly use both as we continued on our route, because starting from Cajabamba, the pavement on Highway 3N got really bad and was often missing entirely. The only way we could tell that we were taking a shortcut on a side road between Huamachuco and Cachicadán was by its width. Back on Route 3N, nothing suggested we were on a main road anymore. There was no more asphalt, and hardly any traffic. No wonder, since in Switzerland, this winding road would connect the “metropolises” of Innereriz and Abländschen, with nothing of note inbetween – and with twice the elevation gain.

With patience for the bumpy road and our slow progress, we still managed to enjoy the trip. We took each day as it came, after all, there was no reason to rush. The corner shops in the small villages provided us with everything we needed, and camping was always very straightforward. We’d even come to appreciate Peruvian cuisine by then: We’d discovered that you can order the chicken or meat soup without lumps of meat, and then the broth with potatoes and pasta cooked until it falls apart actually tastes pretty good.

Tamara and Simon, who had noticed our bikes in the small village square of Pallasca, got an unexpected taste of our discovery over lunch together (sorry…😉!). We’d already met the Swiss cycling couple in Mexico, and we’re following roughly the same route. We were delighted to see them again and are curious about when our paths will cross next.

From Pallasca, it took us about five hours to descend 2’000 meters in elevation. We bumped down a mountainside toward the Río Tablachaca on a gravel road, surrounded by truly impressive scenery. We followed the river’s gorge along a road that gradually became paved, and we couldn’t stop marveling at the spectacular landscape. By the way, there are no guardrails to be found along the roads cutting through the steep slopes or along the riverbanks. There simply isn’t room for them, and by the next rainy season at the latest, they would be destroyed anyway, just like the asphalt, by landslides or flash floods. Nevertheless, the Peruvian road builders deserve our praise, as gradients rarely exceed 5%, and elevation changes are typically handled with countless hairpin turns.

On the climb to Caraz, we followed the Cañon del Pato. We particularly loved the 35 pitch-black tunnels, which were built for a former railroad line and provided us with much-needed shade. After a seven-day ride, we arrived tired but satisfied in the town of Caraz. Here we’ll take a few days’ break before setting out on foot to explore the mountainous landscape of the Cordillera Blanca with its glacier-covered peaks.