A Very Special (and Long) Day
Our special day began with me still being sick, unfortunately. But getting out of Tanta (and our Hospedaje) and having the worst two passes behind us for now did a good job of lifting our spirits.
Today’s route would take us further through the nature reserve and past a ‘baño del inca’ (a hot spring tied to Inca history). Although a short fairly light climb for a few kilometers out of Tanta reminded me of just how sore my legs were, this was quickly forgotten after we were surrounded by beautiful and diverse scenery on our way down the valley through the national park (I looked it up for you, it’s ‘Nor Yauyos-Cochas’). Around 8 or 9 km after we left Tanta we arrived at the baño del inca. It was a very mineral-rich natural well surrounded by old stone walls with small shrubs and wallflowers growing between the cracks. You could see the bubbles of the water and oxygen that were rising from somewhere deeper in the earth’s crust until they met us at the surface of the small pool. After days of dips in icy mountain rivers and cold showers we were very excited at the prospect of soaking in a warm bath. Alas, the definition of a baño del inca doesn’t put that much emphasis on the ‘hot’-part and more on the ‘spring tied to Inca history’-part. While the water was warmer than the rivers we bathed in, calling it warm was a far stretch.
Nonetheless, we enjoyed bathing our feet in the water (Göran was even courageous enough to fully bathe in the small pool). We sat there in the sun, eating crackers and chatting while our feet were dangling in the cool water. It was nice and relaxing. The only problem was knowing that we still had 46 km to go to get to Huancaya, the larger village where we wanted to have our next rest days. While all was relatively well while we were cycling downhill, each little incline was so difficult for me and my tired legs, that we had to make several stops. My body not properly processing the food I had given it since the stupid trout didn’t help in giving me energy. It was frustrating for me to feel so weak and knowing that my limitations were slowing the men down as well.
Although it was a bit frustrating for them, they mostly felt sorry for my situation and did their best in helping me. And when I say they did their best they both really were amazing in helping me reach the metaphorical finish line: Whether it was my dad giving me a push uphill, cycling farther ahead to help me push my bicycle uphill when I couldn’t cycle anymore, or Göran cycling my bicycle up very long and steep inclines for me. They both were amazing. It was clear to everyone though, that in my state and our current speed we wouldn’t reach Huancaya in time. Hence, we decided to cycle to the little village of Vilca and see if we could manage motorized transport for us to Huancaya there. The scenery and its incredible variety with each significant change in elevation were absolutely mesmerizing though. So even at this personal low point, we found comfort in our group and our beautiful surroundings. Up to today, I still don’t understand why this part of Peru doesn’t really seem to attract foreign tourists at all.
Shortly before Huancaya there was a particularly nasty slope, but around its corner was a beautiful laguna which gave way to one of the most extraordinary natural wonders I had ever seen: the laguna spilled over into hundreds of little waterfalls which were cascading their way down to the village of Vilca in dozens or hundreds of little overflowing pools. This sight alone would have been special enough, but what made it even more amazing was the forest growing in the water of the cascades. With our phones we weren’t able to take any pictures or videos which could properly capture just how special this place was, so I recommend googling it for better pictures or videos on YouTube.
We arrived at Vilca shortly thereafter around mid-afternoon. While Jacques was watching the bikes, Göran and I went into town looking for a car that was suitable to take us and our bikes. After a bit of searching we found a great pick-up truck but apparently the driver was gone and it wasn’t known when he would return that day. We continued our search and through the kindness and hospitality of some of the local people, we eventually ended up being brought to a kind-looking young woman named Alexia. We got talking to her and she was very friendly and funny! We didn’t exactly understand how she tied to getting us to Huancaya but from what I got someone named Adri had a car and could possibly take us to Huancaya when he was done working in the forest.
What it actually turned out to be was completely different we found out while we were chatting the next few hours, after Dad had joined us with the bikes: Alexia was the daughter of a well-known Andean folk singer and he was in the area to shoot the music video for his newest release. Her father, Diosdado Gaitán Castro, had hired a bus to fit all his crew and actors inside along with his two daughters. Apparently the local man from Vilca had just brought us to Alexia and told her to take us in said car 😀
While we waited for almost 2.5 hours instead of the 1 hour we had been assured it would take, we enjoyed Alexia’s company and witty conversation so the waiting was actually quite nice (except for the cold and the uncertainty of whether our bikes would or would not fit in the bus). When it was already dark out the entourage finally came back from filming the video and it was our turn to meet the man, the myth, the legend that was Diosdado. He turned out to be just as kind, generous and funny as his daughter, just less fluent at English than her.
He had a special Andean alcoholic herbal tea with caramelized sugar made to warm us up and toast. It was surprisingly tasty and soothing for my upset intestine despite containing alcohol. After some chat and a few jokes, Diosdado called for the bus so we packed our belongings to see if we would fit in. We were a bit bummed when the driver said it wouldn’t fit, but we had looked forward so much to reaching Huancaya and travelling there with Alexia, her sister, and father, that we didn’t take no for an answer easily. After a few alternative suggestions, we decided to try taking out the front tires and voilá: with a bit of puzzling Jacques and Göran managed to fit in all three bikes while I was Tetris-ing our bags into the full trunk.
When everything was safely packed and all of the crew were in the bus, we went on our way to Huancaya. I sat next to Alexia’s sister, Audrey, who was just as kind and outgoing as her older sister. What a kind family (at least the ones we had the pleasure of meeting)! We were happy everything had worked out because we were tired, cold, and the way to Huancaya turned out to be pretty long after all. Even by bus it took us more than 45 min. When we arrived, we said our heartfelt goodbyes, well-wishes, and deep gratitude towards the Gaitán Castros. After a picture to commemorate this bizarre and special encounter, we parted ways. They would drive back to Lima that night whereas we would stay in Huancaya. We stayed in the hostel of one of Diosdado’s acquaintances. We didn’t pay much attention to what it looked like that night. We were just happy that we could safely store our bikes in the patio, had a bed, and a roof above our heads. We went to a restaurant for dinner and finally went to bed at around 10:15 PM (very late for us!).
PS: While the YouTube video for Diosdado’s new single is not available yet, we recommend you check out his Spotify or YouTube collections to get a sense of Andean folk music with a modern twist. For instance: Busco a Mi Madre or Amor aventurero.
distance cycled: 32,1 km
elevation gain: 234 m
Actual altitude: 3824 m
time cycled: 3 h
