Ayacucho...still...

We've now been in Ayacucho 2 nights... and it looks like a third is going to be needed; Natalia is still not working, and what with the terribly sad news, even if she is repaired it's unlikely that we'll be attempting the mountain passes at all - a lot of the fun has been taken out of the event and has brought home just quite how dangerous this is.

We are now trying to contact different shipping agents (although diffcult on a Sunday) to move the Mototaxi's (working or otherwise) to Piura - and to make our own way there, collect them, and limp across the finishing line... it won't be the first time we've towed Ian and Anne-lise but might be the very last! (Also this means that we'll officially beat them across the finish line!).

Things eaten since last post:

- Probably Thyroid / possibly sweetmeats - Steak

Ayacucho...

It´s been an interesting few days to say the least.  The Mototaxi´s really are a stone around the neck and it´s clear that we´re taking them to Piura, rather than them taking us.

Natalia (Ian and Anna-Lise´s AKA Los Gringos Perditos mototaxi) died. She wouldn´t go at all and we were between 2 towns.

In the end Ralphy (our mototaxi) had to tow them to the next tiny village, we were lucky that it had a guest house (which no-one had stayed in for 6 months or so). It cost us 15 soles each (about 3.25 pounds).

We also went to talk to the ´head´of the village and negotiated for them to put both mototaxis on the back of a truck and drive us to the next big town (about 160km away). They couldn´t fit us all in the cab of the truck so Ian, Anna-Lise and Clare spent 5 hous in a mototaxi on the back of a van covered by a tarpaulin - looking like a middleclass refugees.

Natalia is now having a whole new engine and Ralphy is at the mechanics with a FULL service underway. We are planning to try and drive 230k tomorrow to the next big town and from there arrange to have our vehicles shipped to the finish point.

We´ll then try and fly to meet them there. It´s impossible to get the whole way without a helping hand - these vehicles are useless!! We´re not in the worst shape of the teams - 1 has no electrics and can only drive in good daylight, 1 broke down on the top of the mountain at 4,400m above sea level (very cold!!) and had to be rescued by police, 1 flipped their mototaxi, 1 crashed into an oncoming car and 1 had their mototaxi stolen. So all in all we´re doing OK.

Things eaten:

- Guinea pig - *quite surprising that they seemed to just deep fry it whole - it still had a face.....including teeth!!* - Chicked heart - Beef Heart - Alpaca - Chicken feet - Tripe (unsure of what)

 

LIMA

**LIMA**

We are here after 33 hours of traveling and are half way to the start point... we´ve a 22hr coach ride at 5:30pm today which will do the last 1000+km from Lima to Cuzco. After that - the test driving starts.

Clare & I went to bed yesterday afternoon at 4pm and woke up this morning 6am... well earned rest!

Clare has picked up the basics of Spanish - "uno pisco sour por favor"...