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.