Andes Trail Stage 16, Aug 19, 2019

Stage 16 of 109 Pacasmayo to Huanchaco, Day 21 of 142

Photos on Strava: 112.7km, 290m climbing, 4:45, 34.5 kph max

Description	Distance in km	Dirt km	Climb in m	EFI
South America	1,767	50	22,071
Andes Trail	1,485	41	18,461
Ecuador	912	30	16,265	✓
Peru	572	11	2,196

We got started a half hour later than normal which was nice. After breakfast we all headed out at 8:50am. It was gray gray gray. You could barely tell the sky from the sea looking out to the west. And all through the ride, the sky never changed. The good side of this was that the temperature was absolutely perfect for cycling. Some people even wore jackets or arm/leg warmers. But it was perfect in shorts and short sleeves, no sweating!

The scenery was pretty much nothing to talk about. We laughed when someone said, “Look, a curve in the road” or “Look, a sign”. It was dunes and garbage and not much else. I rode in the main group today, slower and more relaxed than usual. I took a long turn at the front into the gentle headwind with Marc. Then rode at the back, chatting lots. We stopped at 40km in the middle of nowhere, then at 66km for lunch. It was setup inside an amazing indoor/outdoor large restaurant. Food was very welcome and we had a nice time.

Then back at it for the afternoon session. Now we had Rob leading and it was more interesting as we turned off the Pan Am Highway right away and did some unpaved (and super crappily paved) side roads. It turned out the whole last 50km was off the main highway and the last bit was along the coast. So we could watch the waves, but everything was still a uniform gray.

After one stop for refreshments/butt relief, we headed the final km and made it to Huanchaco, our home for the next three nights. The hostal where we are staying is really nice. We have a triple room with a shower so hot you have to add cold water (a first in a very long time), internet that kind of works, a big garden with hammocks, and a nice deck right by the rooms. We had another great soup and snacks session, then relaxed for the rest of the afternoon.

Around 6, we went out for dinner and decided on the vegetarian restaurant right near the hostal. I had the daily menu (soup, rice, lentil curry and salad) with a beer and a pisco sour. What a great place! It’s owned by a Dutch man who’s been here 11 years. Dinner was great and I’m planning to go back for breakfast. We met a Kiwi who has been on some Bike Dreams trips before and may ride with us for a few days leaving Huanchaco. After we went for drinks at a local bar – Bastiaan and I had Maracuya Sours – quite tasty. Then it was only 9:30 but time for bed.