Cycling to Sicuani
Luckily, the next morning the weather was better although the bar had been set admittedly low with the buckets of rain it poured down the night before and the strong winds that made me question how much the tent could take. It was cloudy and every now and again the sun poked through the clouds a little, drying our tent as best as it could. After washing, breakfast and packing we headed off and cycled towards the city of Sicuani.
We had some beautiful scenery along the way and we were once again mesmerized by how much the Andean landscapes can change between relatively few kilometers. Where Cusco had been surrounded by largely dry grass (with few exceptions) and patches of beautiful eucalyptus forest, we now cycled past green pastures through which rivers meandered and cows were happily grazing on. I say happily but obviously I can’t actually tell. I like to think they are happier than mass-held cows though, they just don’t know their luck. The green pastures and rushing rivers were complemented by small patches of trees here and there, some the common invasive eucalyptus and some pine trees as well. After around half an hour or hour of cycling, the clouds had finally lifted and the sun was shining down on us which made for hotter cycling but even greater colour intensities as well.
Around the same time we spotted some clay brick houses with a beautiful church poking out above the roofs on the far side of one of the fields. The day was young, we had already cycled quite a bit and isn’t it just the beauty of cycling to be able to adjust your route and plans however you want them to*? So we turned left and were greeted by a sign that said that this was apparently one of UNESCO’s best rated tourist villages. Hordes of other tourists are a bit of a red flag to us and we usually avoid everything that is touristy by a 50 km radius, save for Cusco and Machu Picchu. But because we were already there anyway and it was still quite early, we decided to go nonetheless. And it was worth it. Yes, there were quite a few tourists already but the little village was absolutely charming! We walked around a bit, enjoyed the views, took some pictures, and quite quickly decided we appreciated the beauty but were fed up by the other tourists and intrusive souvenir merchants. So we decided to cycle on.
Around noon we arrived in Sicuani, which boasted different surroundings again compared to the tourist village. More arid, but also more trees than Cusco. We wanted to go to the market for lunch, hoping for a repeat of the previous day’s vegetarian feast. We were sorely disappointed. The food was not only not vegetarian but it was worse than what we usually saw at markets. Pretty much only meat, and the worst parts of the cuts at that. So a restaurant at the town square it was. I got delicious vegetarian soft corn tacos with rice and black beans, and the men had an admittedly good looking hamburger and fries. Ironically, I would bet that their hamburgers are more nutritious and have more vegetables than traditional Peruvian dishes. To drink we had a traditional Peruvian drink: Chicha Morada. Chicha Morada is a Peruvian non-alcoholic drink made by boiling purple corn with pineapple peel, cinnamon, cloves, and sugar, then cooling and serving it chilled, usually with a fresh squeeze of lime juice. It tastes fruity-spiced, slightly tart and sweet, and is deeply purple in color. I think it’s delicious if they don’t make it too sweet. But then again I seem to like most fermented drinks except for beer, and thanks to my cousin, uncle, and Bill’s dad I’m even starting to like most of those too. At this point I should add that someone told me it is a fermented drink, but to be fair I have my doubts because it’s not very acidic but I’m too lazy to fact-check how it is made.
Because Jacques has been inflicted with my sinusitis, he wasn’t feeling great and the weather also looked unpleasant with very dark clouds promising that a heavy rainstorm was imminent. Therefore, we only cycled until out of town until we found a beautiful campsite that I feel compelled to describe in a little bit more detail than just saying it was beautiful. We were on a relatively level field on the lower ends of a mountain slope, with a beautiful view over the valley. Right next to our campsites were several patches of eucalyptus forest and green fields. This is where my descriptive competence reaches its limit and the pictures will have to speak for themselves.
While Göran and I set up the tent, Jacques took a nap in the shade and the rest of us just enjoyed chilling and having some spare time while it was still light out. In the evening, Göran made a nice, warming, albeit smelly campfire and after a slim dinner we happily went to bed. The next morning, heavy rain was loudly pelting on the tent. Because dad still wasn’t feeling great and none of us wanted to cycle in the rain we decided to have another rest day. Apart from another pleasant campfire, attempting to shower under a water sprinkler (brrr cold) on the irrigated fields, and heading into town for groceries, there is not much to say about this day other than we slept a lot, chilled a lot, and enjoyed the beauty of our surrounding nature when the sun finally came. With one exception. In the late afternoon, we heard the grass rustle and suddenly an adorable small dog came to us, its tail wagging all excited and laying down in front of us begging for some attention and affection. Because the little girl looked far too clean to be a street dog, Jacques and I gave in. After that, we loved her and she loved us. She didn’t leave the parameters of our campsite, came as soon as one of us whistled or called, and defended our territory as soon as any other dog or animal came close. At night, she even made herself a little bed of straw next to our tent and curled up there to watch over us during the night. We could hear her barking and chasing away intruders a few times. Absolutely adorable!
When one of us went out at night to relieve our bladders, she shot up sleepily from her bed and barked until she realized it was us and excitedly ran to us, tail wagging and nose gently nudging our legs. It was at this point that I felt that my parents should get a dog so that I can cuddle and love it without having all the commitments or potential inconveniences that having a dog can bring. I think it’s a great plan but fear my parents will not agree with me.
14.10.2025:
distance cycled: 39,8 km
time cycled: 2 h, 57 min
15.10.2025:
distance 9,9 km
time cycled: 1h
* (within certain limits of course, the scientist/engineer in me refuses to give absolute statements without ironclad proof that it is correct for all cases)
