Day 27 Friday 9th December 2016
Paracas to Lima  260 kms



The final day of the rally and everyone was looking forward to getting to the finish line after 27 days of driving. Not everyone finished as at least 12 cars had various problems which prevented them from continuing. A high attrition rate.

You have to be ready for the unexpected on these roads. Cars suddenly dart out from side streets, red lights and stop signs are ignored and drivers push in without looking. The sides of the roads are even used for passing, particularly by the 3 wheel taxis who push in from the right side. At least one rally car collided with one of these strange vehicles. We are surprised by the large number of Volkswagon Beetles still on the roads here and all over Peru. Other strange vehicles on the road were "tall" tractors. These look as if they are on stilts and apparently go over the top of crops. Very weird looking at them from the low slung Morgan!

After 70 kms or so we reached the coast again with high sand dunes and struggling palm trees. Along this stretch also were hundreds of condominiums on the beaches for rent or sale. There were several small islands off the coast and even these looked bleak.

Only two tests today. Two laps around the Autodromo La Chutana circuit and then one lap around the Kartodromo. We were happy with our time of 1.45min and 1.28 mins respectively.

It was then 50 kms to the finish line in front of the Country Club hotel. Each finisher had their moment of glory under the finishing arch and presented with a finishers' engraved stein (full of beer).

In the evening the Presentation Dinner was held and some great photographs of competitors were shown throughout the evening.

Tomorrow we are moving to an hotel in Miraflores and on Sunday the Australian contingent of 12 people are having a farewell lunch.

We were placed 12th overall which we were happy with given the state of the rocky gravel roads on which the Regularities took place. During the last week of competition we took it easy due to the somewhat repaired springs and broken speedo cable which meant that we had no accurate distance measurements.

Now to get the car back to Australia (being taken to the docks tomorrow morning) and repaired before its next journey, to Japan in March for the Samurai Challenge.
Forgot to mention that the Puce Goose has now been to 32 countries.

Day 26 Thursday 8th December 2016
Nazca to Paracas   218 kms



Short mileage today as most rally participants were taking the 30 minute flight over the Nazca lines.
So it was an early start to get to the airport by mini bus.
Spread across 450 sq kms in the red, rock strewn Pampa Colorada, these lines are a complete mystery as to who made them and when. Spectacular animal and plant drawings in rock can be seen from the air. We saw the astronaut, whale, monkey, spider, several birds, trees etc.

Only two of the lines are visible from the Panamerican Highway (which amazingly cut through the lizard line) so it was great to see them from the air.

Arriving at the Rio Grande Regularity we saw that the MGC GT had caught fire due to a fuel leak. New Zealander Ken grabbed his extinguisher and quickly doused the flames and the mechanics were able to get it going again  (fixed linkages, wiring and brake servo was bypassed).
The Regularity was on tarmac at 60kph and we were happy with our one second late.
Before we arrived a local enterprising woman was blocking the road and extracting "tolls" from the rally cars. Marshalls paid her off so we could proceed unimpeded.

Scenery now back to desert and the numerous trucks hogging the road. Further on there was sugar cane growing and the flame trees were colourful.

Arrived at Paracas where the hotel overlooked the ocean.

Day 25 Wednesday 7th December 2016
Cusco to Nazca   664 kms





Leaving Cusco we soon reached 3,500 mts through farming areas with cattle, pigs & crops. Snow on the highest peaks, hairpin bends and pine tree logging. This was a day climbing up then down again and repeated three times getting up to a height of 4,600 mts.

Our guide told us yesterday to watch out for houses with red plastic bags on poles out the front. After seeing a few, we then came to the village of Curahusai where nearly every residence had the red flag flying. The significance of these bags was that the residents had hooch or moonshine for sale.

Throughout this area there were painted political slogans/pictures on many of the houses & buildings.

Lots of cows and goats on the road, often shepherded by young children.

Up a steep incline we came across the blue Mustang with vaporised petrol. We stopped in front of them, turned off the engine and asked if they wanted assistance. They said they would wait it out and they soon got going. We then discovered that our car wouldn't start because of the dodgy connection on the starter motor (suspected that it was the ignition switch). Put the car into reverse gear, rolled down the incline (almost at a hairpin bend) and started it that way. A hairy moment in case some fast moving vehicle came around the corner.

The scenery around here was back to barren rock with tufts of grass on the sandstone cliffs. Interesting weather going from heat at the lower altitudes to very cold at the summits (4,560 mts) so had to stop and put on extra clothing. At the summits it was bleak, no trees or vegetation, no animals or human life. There was a light drizzle when we came through but other cars came through snow flurries.

It was a long day and we eventually reached the hotel at Nazca just as the day was fading (would hate to drive here after dark on these roads with large lumbering trucks up hairpin bends). On the gravel rocky entrance to the hotel there were large paddocks of farmed cacti. 

Day 24 (Tuesday 6th December 2016)
Rest Day, Cusco



So good to have two days without having to drive and navigate.
After a bit of a sleep in, Dante the guide from yesterday took 6 of us to the market town of Pisaq. Leaving the hotel and turning into the large main square we saw there was a large parade going on, police, tourist police, military all dressed in their finest. We stopped, got out and took photos. The camouflaged group were hilarious.

Next were more Inca ruins , Sasayhumanam (shortened to Sexy Woman by tourists years ago).

We then drove to an alpaca/llama farm & museum. There were all the different breeds of alpacas & llamas guanacos, suris and vicunas.

The Suri breed looked as if they were draped in blankets as their wool went down to the ground.
This was a really interesting place as local women did weaving here and we saw how they created the  traditional dyes for the cloth they were weaving.

Pisaq is famous for its market selling lots of tourist goods. Before walking around the stalls the guide introduced us to a man who informed us about how to tell real alpaca goods, and not those mixed with synthetics.

We then drove to the village of Lamy, famous for its roasted guinea pig (cuy). Women roast them on fires close to the main road and sell them to passing cars. Some in our party wanted to try them so we stopped and sat at a table in the middle of the street. Having kept pet guinea pigs as children, there was no way I was going to eat it.

Then we went on to lunch at Yucay, near Urubamba and had delicious food of all the regional specialities and then a demonstration of riders on Paso horses who have an unusual gait on their front legs.

Day 23 (Monday 5th December 2016)
Rest Day, Cusco



Rest day! No, up at 5am for the 5.30bus to take us 90 minutes to the train station at Ollantaytambo. Then another 90 minutes on the comfortable train to Macchu Picchu and a final 30 minute bus ride to the sacred valley of the Incas. We had two guides, Juan (Got It) and Dante (Amigos) who were very knowledgeable and spoken excellent English. It certainly is a spectacular place. After lunch a few of us climbed up to the picture postcard spot for a round of photographs.

A long, tiring "rest day". On the final bus ride into Cusco there was a lot of lightning and rain so we were very lucky to have such good weather up the top.

Day 22 (Sunday 4th December 2016)
Puno to Cusco   410 kms



This morning we received an amendment to the road book advising that it was market day in the town of Juliaca (about 50kms from Puno), that it would be busy and indication arrows would be in place.

Busy was an understatement - it was chaotic. Bumper to bumper buses, mini buses, trucks, motor bikes, motor taxis (strange 3 wheelers, something like a tuk-tuk). This was just on the roads. The sides were lined with market stalls, produce and everything else.

We caught up to the Cadillac on a busy section - they had overheated and wanted water which we gave them.
Eventually we reached the passage control and the marshall wanted to know where all the classic cars were as none had come through. The arrows were of little use as they could not be seen if a truck, bus or van was in front of them.

Coming through a town on the way to the first Regularity, a marshall van came the other way and wanted to know was there a problem as no classic cars had come through. We told him about the situation in Juliaca and cars would be coming through soon.

This Regularity was Pico Mocco, at 60kph, mostly uphill to a summit of 4,100 mts.

The Time Control was at Pucara (only 260 kms to Cusco) which had excellent coffee and very clean toilets (cost one sol for use).

Two things are noticeable in this area- the awful speed humps on the road and the number of stray dogs. We go crash bang over the humps. It is particularly bad if you do not see one, or it is bigger than expected. As either of us spotted a upcoming hump, we would shout "hump" so the other was aware.
A guide told us that several villages around here sell roasted lamb (take away) to passing cars. The passengers throw the bones and scraps out the windows so the dogs know to lie in wait. Peru, or the parts of it we have driven through, seem to have a huge stray dog problem.

The scenery here is coarse tufts covering rocky mountains. We climbed to 4, 400 mts.

Through a police check, a policeman tried to extract money but we said no and drove on. We later learned that he did it with other rally cars too.
Coming down to a lower altitude it was so good to see trees, pine forests and eucalypts after the dry barren terrain we have been seeing for days. The ground is more fertile now with maize, potatoes and other crops growing in small plots. A lot of timber felling is also going on here.

Arrived in the historic city of Cusco without much drama. The rally cars are garaged several kms away as the old monastery hotel in the city centre has no parking.

Day 21 (Saturday 3rd December 2016)
Arequipa to Puno   304 kms



We thought being Saturday it might be a quiet drive to the outskirts. Wrong! It was traffic everywhere, mini buses stopping to pick up passengers, cars darting in and out, people walking in front of cars, people taking photos from the road....absolute chaos.

It was only 80kms to the first Time Control but due to the heavy city traffic and then enormous numbers of trucks making the climb up (over 3,000 mts) to our destination of Parahuasi we were a minute late so straight on with no time for coffee. Many cars were much later.

Climbing steadily to an altitude of 4,400 mts there were huge numbers of petrol tankers and large convoys of trucks (the biggest we saw was a convoy of ten trucks).

On the flatter ground there were shepherds (many women) tending sheep and llama flocks.

A small number of guanacos ran across the road in front of us. There was a lake with flamingoes but they were too distant for us to clearly see them.

The Regularity for the day (45kph) was Santa Lucia, a narrow gravel track around farms, tiny bridges to cross and watch for wandering animals. As we have no speedo or Halda (broken speedo cable) and dust covering the GPS we were too fast at the finish.

The hotel was now 60kms away but first there were lots of gullies in the tarmac road, and the villages of Manazo and Vilque. At Vilque there was a ceremony going on in the town square (think it was a wedding) with lots of music and a marching band.

Leaving Vilque it was 30 kms of very broken tarmac.  Arriving in Puno the route brought us to a very steep downward road which we had no hope of getting down. The GPS then took us through yet another congested area with a market in full swing. Eventually we arrived at our hotel overlooking Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world.

Our impression of Peru is that it is much poorer than Chile or Argentina but trying hard to catch up.
It is certainly more colourful. The women stand out in their multi-coloured gathered skirts, bright tops, shawls around their shoulders which are used to carry babies or goods, and their bowler hats.

Day 20 (Friday 2 December 2016)
Arica Chile, to Arequipa  440 kms





Up early as it was recommended we make the border (16 kms away) by 7.45am before busloads of people arrived.
We arrived at the Chile side at 7.06am and there were already four queues (about 100 people) ahead of us. There were only two counters in operation so it was a slow process (little did we know what was to come once we crossed to Peru).
Once the passports were stamped we went to the Carnet counter to hand over pieces of paper and get an exit stamp.

Onto the Peru side at Sunat. We waited here for four hours  as only one man was typing our data into a computer...slow, with two fingers, so it was going to take forever. Some officials came out and brought bench seats for us to sit on (an ominous sign), then eventually they brought in two more computers and staff to man them. Finally some movement when about ten of our carnets were taken away to the main office to be processed. When they came back an hour later we noticed that we had been stamped out of Peru (before we even got in!). Once this was rectified it was Customs turn. They examined the engine and chassis numbers and compared them to the Carnet. Another stamp and we were into Peru. There is a two hour time gain in Peru from Chile and we'd been at the Peru side for four hours.

Finally it was on to the Tacna Autodromo for a quick couple of laps (slowly in our case).

The route from here was through desert with attempts at growing maize, olive trees, many unfinished houses (taxed when finished?), stalls selling melons and plastic toys from roadside huts.
Along the scenic coast there were many "beach resorts", mainly straw one room huts which people would presumably hire during the summer season.
The rocks close to the shore were "white" from the droppings of the many birds nesting and resting on them.

I think it was along this stretch of road that the Medic van was pulled over for not having bright enough lights! The policeman was attempting to try them for a bribe.

The first few service stations here were cash only so fortunately we had exchanged some in Santiago.

This was quite an ugly route despite the lovely sea view. There were many refineries marring the landscape, close to the road and sea.

We passed some areas where potatoes were growing and trucks carrying bags of them. Maize and potatoes are important staples in the Peruvian diet.

After a long hot day we reached the Kartdromo Mostajo for a couple of laps of the circuit.

Leaving here we exited in the wrong direction. As we reached the exit gate there were two uphill lanes and a car in both so we immediately assumed it was one way and not the way we need to go. Our route took us through crowded Friday markets, peak hour traffic so it was quite a frustrating drive to the hotel.

It was an old colonial hotel in lovely grounds so it was a relief to get here. In the grounds was 135 year old Juanita, a Galapagos turtle as well as several llamas.

SPRING REPAIR IS HOLDING UP.

Day 19 (Thursday 1 December 2016)
Iquique to Arica   440 kms

Followed the coast road to arrive at the Autodromo Iquique circuit. We took it easy around the circuit much to Phil's frustration but we have to be careful of the springs and we still have over 1,300 kms to go to reach Lima. Finishing the lap local car enthusiasts presented us with a large bottle of Pisco. With limited luggage space, that's the last thing we needed but took it gracefully.

Near Humberstone we arrived at the old Saltpetre village. This whole village is a museum with all the old equipment displayed and the buildings kept as they were. 

Leaving the village we then drove nearly 140kms of road works, diversions onto gravel, traffic controls where the delay was up to 40 minutes (in the hot sun) and trucks everywhere. 

It was a rocky barren landscape, no habitation or plants. At the 30km police check all rally cars were told very severely that the speed limit was 100kph and police radar was in operation.

Coming down to a lower altitude there were some attempts at cultivation in the desert, palm trees and maize.

At the end of this stretch it was into the Autodromo Sergio Benavente. Again we took it slowly. 

At the Arica hotel we discovered that one of the spring repairs had slipped so a piece of chain, a bit of bungy cord, silicone and nuts should hold that piece in place to Lima.

Day 18 (Wednesday 30 November 2016)
Atacama to Iquique   490 kms

With reluctance we left the beautiful Tierra de Atacama hotel and travelled through the Valle de La Luna.

The hotel is only 8 years old and the two Chilean architects climbed up the imposing volcano to perfect the position and orientation in the landscape.

On the site was a 150 year old sheep and cattle staging pen used for livestock crossing the Andes from Argentina and heading for Chilean ports.
This  holding pen was left as it was and the hotel incorporated behind. From the road you would never know the hotel was behind the adobe brick walls.

We drove through the Valle de La Luna, sandstone peaks, barren ground with no vegetation whatsoever, huge wind turbines and solar panels.

Through the towns of Tucopilla and Chuquicamata it was a bleak landscape with four or five rows of electricity poles beside the long and straight road. The first Regularity was at Sin Nombre, again a very gravelly, rocky road at 70kph. We reached the sea at Tocopilla.
Mountains rose up from the sea and the clouds formed a layer before the peaks. No wonder the region is so dry and barren, the clouds cannot get over the mountains.

The second Regularity was on a gravel, rocky road at 45kph. There was a sheer drop to the sea  as the road wound around so there was an incentive to stay on the road.

Five hundred metres into the Regularity, the Halda stopped working so we had no timing device.

We then followed the coast for 60kms, along which appeared to be basic holiday shacks but no people. Perhaps it wouldn't look so bleak if there were crowds about during holiday season.

At the lunch stop at El Loa we discovered that we had broken springs, this time on the rear driver's  side. We left early to get to the hotel to see what could be done with the springs.


Once at the hotel we found three broken spring leaves so out it came with Paul K's help and with Andy's assistance cobbled together a spring with a new part  and moving the broken pieces.
With Paul C's help we got it back in and found that it was now too high for the U bolts so out it came again. Time for a meltdown and we also needed to do some rethreading of the bolts.

It was now getting on towards 9pm. Suddenly we had a whirlwind around us, Paul & Vincent (Bentley), Richard & Sinead (Bentley) and Hester and Leon (Bentley).Screws, nuts, bolts, jacks were going every which way. By 11pm when exhaustion was setting in, we had it back together. Sinead had organised our late dinners so a quick drink and we were in bed by midnight. We would never have done it in this time without the assistance of the above people. What a day!

Day 17 Tuesday 29th November 2016
Rest Day at Atacama



Up for an early breakfast before heading into the car park.
Last night we took everything possible out of the car, jacked it up ready to start first thing.
The leaf had completely split and it was a new one in June.

Andy fashioned a replacement from the one we had bought in La Rioja and by lunchtime and numerous coffees for the workers, the suspension was back in place.

After a panic to find the Halda screwdriver, the Halda is now back working.

With the hot desert weather all our washing was done and dried so all ready to head to Iquique tomorrow.

Once the car was fixed we walked into the village. Lots of shops selling tourist trinkets, and an interesting old church.

Tonight the hotel is putting on a Chilean cook-out "Quincho" where we will have barbequed lamb and entertained with live Altiplano music.