Trans Americas 2009 - The Blog

What does an Adventure Motorcyclist do on his day off? Answer: not a lot...

Today is a rest-day and another day in Cusco. So I decided to do very little, apart from sorting out my laundry (again), updating the blog (again), ringing Tracy (and having a nice long chat for a change), getting some shopping (deodorant, toothpaste and shampoo, and a replacement head-torch as mine broke). Such exciting stuff, but it's good to just get things sorted out and to spend the day relaxing. I did also wander around Cusco city centre, well, at least the main square and the streets off it, just wandering round admiring the architecture and trying to avoid getting a massage... actually, that's fairly tricky as every 5 steps I seem to be approached by a young Peruvian woman (and on one occasion, a young Peruvian man) offering me a leaflet for a massage. Now in other places I've been that would qualify as “soliciting” but here they seem to be genuine massage parlors, complete with pictures of people being massaged. But. Despite my shoulders aching from all the riding and carrying my camelbak full of water, I can't bring myself to be massaged by a stranger in a strange land... guess I'm not that adventurous after all (and besides, I'll just wait to get my massage from my personal masseuse when I get home).

I did have a quick look at the tourist's city guide to Cusco before my ramblings, and so had one particular sight that I just had to see. It's a 12-sided stone in an old Inca wall that exemplifies their abilities in wall building. It is part of the old wall of a temple destroyed during the Spanish conquest on which was built a new building... just look at how the surrounding stones have been shaped to fit perfectly, and remember, there's no mortar here and this wall has survived many an earthquake...





After more wandering and admiring the architecture, and people-watching, and avoiding the picture-sellers and massage touts, I met up with Max and Christine, who had also been approached by a tout with a leaflet. This one was different, though, as it was for a place called “The Real McCoy” and which offered “a taste of home”... in the form of pie and chips or mash with real Heinz beans... as it was lunchtime, we simply had to explore. And so it was that I ended up eating a chicken and bacon (no chicken and mushroom, sadly) pie and mash with Heinz baked beans whilst watching the football (Manchester United winning in the Champions League) on telly and drinking a pint of the house brew (which wasn't actually very good)...





I think getting excited about this stuff is perhaps an indication of just how long I've been away for...

The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing and trying to catch up on some lost sleep, before heading out for a drink prior to the weekly group meal. This week it was a rather good buffet in a local restaurant with some traditional Peruvian music (pan pipe band) and some dancers in traditional costumes...











Needless to say most of the group were thoroughly enjoying the show, helped by copious quantities of Peruvian red wine or beer. The dancing girls in particular caught one of the group's eye, so much that their video recording exploits extended to trying to capture them in all their glory, which clearly required a lot of attention...





As the evening wore on, the band played some classics, including “Hey Jude” which allowed the group to once again exercise their singing voices, before dancing with some other tourists. This was another excellent opportunity for “Gay Dad” to demonstrate his now infamous “Dad Dancing” as last seen in the square in Antigua Guatemala and captured here on video for your delectation...



After the excitement of the show was over we retired to the Norton Rats Pub for another beer or mojito-like substance, and whilst their signed the Adventure Motorcyclists Guest Book. This rather special book dates back to 2004 and is signed by a great many of the motorcyclists and groups that have travelled through Cusco and frequented this particular watering hole. There are entries from both the previous Trans-Am groups and the High Andes trips, and now there are some drunken scrawls from our group, including my very own... quite an honour...

A final nightcap in the Kamikase bar before finally retiring to bed around 12.30am ready for getting back on our bikes again tomorrow for the ride to Puno...