#dakar2012

Ride into Lima - Last update from this trip.

On Sunday we finally arrived in Lima by the same route as all the racers and there were thousands of Dakar fans lining the streets to cheer; like riding in a monstrous and unruly 4th of July parade.

At our final fuel stop we had a mob scene of people wanting to get involved and be photographed even though most of them realised we were not real competitors; just gringo wannabees enjoying the palely reflected glory.

By the time we had dropped off the bikes, found the hotel, and made ourselves respectable - what my dad called "a shit, shave, and shampoo" - we had missed most of the Dakar celebration action at the Plaza de Armas but it was still quite a street scene; with the Dakar circus overlaid onto a normal Sunday in Lima where the centre of the old city is blocked to traffic and occupied by families in their thousands enjoying the evening air.

Every branch of the police and armed forces seemed to have been pressed into service for security around the Dakar but there were also dozens of "bouncers" manning the barricades. How did that word enter the Spanish language?

On Plaza San Martin, honouring the man who helped steer South American countries to independence from Spain in the early 19th century, groups were gathered to air their political grievances; everything from indigenous indian rights to education issues. This group surrounded a well mannered debate on the effects of western capitalism on the Peruvian food supply and the resultant effects on both economic independence and health.

So, there we are. Two weeks that seem to have flashed by. Three thousand miles from the Atlantic, through steamy Pampas, over the Andes, and along the Pacific through the dunes and cliffs in the world's driest desert. We moved at a speed that meant we did not have enough time to stop and see and absorb everything we would have liked (as Jim said "it feels like we ran through the museum") but our pace was dictated by the Dakar and it was wonderful to be swept along by the enthusiasm that everyone here clearly has for this race as it has expanded and settled in South America.

Everyone we came across was courteous and helpful and even the police seem to have received orders to behave. We were sorry to lose Gale along the way when she got injured but the group all got on well (L-R) Jim Hyde, who organised the whole thing, Charlie Walton, Michael Ruppert, Wim DeBruyn, and me.

The Ultimate Endurance Sport - Dakar on a bike.

At the top of this update is a piece of the road book that is provided to each competitor as their only instructions on how to navigate the stage - this was "liberated" from a checkpoint where the riders were changing their maps.

There is no GPS satnav to help; just old fashioned time and distance and information on where to turn and what to avoid. This strip is then loaded onto a device like a Rizla cigarette roller and off they go. It is inconceivable to me how they all deal with both the physical demands of this race and the mental load of navigation and survival - the cars and trucks at least have a second person just dealing with navigation. For most of the stages they are trying to find their way in open terrain and not on existing roads.

Stage9 that is shown here and in the video below is 566 Km with most of that in the dunes - that's 350 miles. Imagine racing from San Francisco to Los Angeles - on the beach - every day for two weeks.

These are really superb athletes. It is amazing that about half of the starters actually made it to Lima though mechanical, physical, medical, and mental reasons all contributed to the attrition. The finishers medal is a real badge of courage and determination.

Interaction with the locals

Everyone here in Peru is just thrilled to see the Dakar Rally come to their country. The headlines in all the newspapers talk about Peru in the eyes of the world and they all love it.

Every time we stop something happens and here are just a few examples from the cute to the bizarre.

The driver of the red rickshaw - called moto-cabs - in Chincha was flattered by all the questions and let us all play at cab driver. This was a particularly solid and well maintained example but the dozens of these dashing in every unpredictable direction made riding in Peruvian cities a real chariot race. Undoubtedly the streets of Areguipa and Nasca have been the most dangerous riding we have done. Seriously.

The three guys at the finish of the stage just wanted to be photographed with the gringos on big bikes who had come to visit. This happened a lot and was always done courteously wherever we went. People could not have been nicer regardless of country. On several occasions, ladies thrust their infants into my arms for a photo too. I am not too sure what this is all about - will the young lady one day be shown the day she met a tall darkly dressed stranger? Anyway, on each occasion, I make sure that the kid in question cannot fall from my arms.

Jan 13th - Back into the desert

Leaving Nasca at dawn and heading north you have to stop at the tower to see examples of the Nasca Lines; a world heritage site of pre-Columbian geoglyphs put there by the Nazsca indians in the first few centuries AD.

There are miles of lines and dozens of pictorial images over a 100km distance of desert but the little tower only shows two of them. This is an acacia tree - upside down from this angle as the roots are in the distance the closer pieces are the branches. What are they - messages to the Gods and signals for religious ceremonies or communications to aliens along landing strips for when they arrive? Scholars disagree; so you decide.

We then went to see the start of the next to last special stage of the rally - whoever has it sown up today is the winner as tomorrow is just a small parade stage like the ride around the Champs Elysees for the Tour de France.

What you see here are:

Two spectators who decided to keep their distance and stick to the long perspective

Stephane Peterhansel (302) sitting ready to blast into the desert - he is the race leader and today's stage did not change that. Yes, this is a Mini and maybe one like this one will come to a showroom soon - 4WD and 3.6 litre turbodiesel - perfect for shopping.

Jan 13th - Spectacular Riding

We got started too late this morning to be able to catch the Dakar circus but, as a result, we had an almost undisturbed day on one of the world’s most exciting motorbike roads; the Panamerican Highway from Arequipa, up the coast of southern Peru, and then inland to Nasca.

This is still in the Atacama Desert so for hundreds of miles the most arid place on earth is pushing up against the Pacific ocean. Extraordinary vista after vista after every turn and after every crest. Mountains and hills and plains of rock and sand but now with the blue colour contrast of the Pacific. Stunning beauty and an amazing road.