Oregon to Ushuaia on an XR650L

[diegoteck]

Ulyses,
Today I called the Kokopelli to ind out if I could take care of your stay there. They send me an email with the detailles but Nicolas at the front desk told me theu only do western union.
I'd rather do Paypal. Is it under your email?
Have a "cusqueña" on me.

[purpledrake]

Originally Posted by Ulyses

This one goes out to my first donor, who initially contributed $1,000 to the purchase of an old 92' R100GS that was eventually scrapped in favor of the Honda. He also spent countless hours working on the bike, adding modifications, and fabricating parts. Finally, he gave me tons of encouragment to actually embark on this trip at a time when I was dealing with some tough issues in my personal life, things that almost kept me from going.

So, here's to you allvincullumyork. Despite giving you a hard time, you're a hell of a friend and a great brother. Have fun back in Oregon. I'll try and get the bike back to you in one piece. "El Hermano" means "the brother" by the way...

Hmmmm. It seems to me that there are a set of parents somewhere in Oregon who have done a fine job in raising their children.

[Spud Rider]

Originally Posted by Ulyses;20524841...The night before leaving Arequipa, I picked up a late Christmas present to myself, transported to Peru courtesy of bubbletron's boyfriend, Scott.

[IMG

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m222/alvincullumyork/P1182682.jpg[/IMG]

When I had realized that my front sprocket was bad, I got on the internet and overnighted a new one to him; he was able to bring it with him when he flew into Arequipa to ride with bubbletron. I really lucked out on that; the one that Felipe had given me the day before ended up not working...

As always, thanks for posting the beautiful photographs, Bryce. I'm glad you got a Moose Racing, XR650R C/S sprocket for your bike. These sprockets, manufactured by PBI, in Oregon, are thinner than some other XRR sprockets, and have a deeper chamfer. Therefore, the PBI/Moose Racing, XR650R C/S sprockets are easier to install on the XR650L countershaft. If I may ask, why did the sprocket you got from Felipe not work for you?

Spud

[GRinCR]

Cusco and Machu Picchu are on the list in the original bucket. I've added a few buckets, but this area of Peru is paramount!

Brave man bombing through the hail to get us here. Mil gracias!

[96ssportsp]

Originally Posted by purpledrake

Hmmmm. It seems to me that there are a set of parents somewhere in Oregon who have done a fine job in raising their children.

You really have no idea! They have been my neighbors, and friends for over ten years. What a fine job they have done raising both of these young men. These guys just need to stay away from "hardleys' and they will be alright!


Ride safe, Scott.

[Ulyses]

Originally Posted by diegoteck

Ulyses,
Today I called the Kokopelli to ind out if I could take care of your stay there. They send me an email with the detailles but Nicolas at the front desk told me theu only do western union.
I'd rather do Paypal. Is it under your email?
Have a "cusqueña" on me.

Wow! Thanks a ton man! I can't believe you called a hostel in Peru! That's incredible! It's a good thing you didn't pay for my stay though, because I've run up a little tab on the microbrewed IPA's that they sell here.

My paypal account is through my email. If you just click one of the links on the bottom of my signature it will take you to my blog where I've set up a paypal donate button. Thanks again so much!

[Ulyses]

Originally Posted by purpledrake

Hmmmm. It seems to me that there are a set of parents somewhere in Oregon who have done a fine job in raising their children.

Damn straight!

[Ulyses]

Originally Posted by Spud Rider

As always, thanks for posting the beautiful photographs, Bryce. I'm glad you got a Moose Racing, XR650R C/S sprocket for your bike. These sprockets, manufactured by PBI, in Oregon, are thinner than some other XRR sprockets, and have a deeper chamfer. Therefore, the PBI/Moose Racing, XR650R C/S sprockets are easier to install on the XR650L countershaft. If I may ask, why did the sprocket you got from Felipe not work for you?

Spud

Thanks spud! I initially thought the sprocket that Felipe gave me would work, but then I tried to put it on and realized that the spline pattern on the shaft didn't match up. I'm actually not sure what that sprocket goes to. I left it at the Hotel in Arequipa for him beacause I didn't need it.

[Ulyses]

Originally Posted by GRinCR

Cusco and Machu Picchu are on the list in the original bucket. I've added a few buckets, but this area of Peru is paramount!

Brave man bombing through the hail to get us here. Mil gracias!

Yeah, I was really considering ditching Machu Picchu after I got here and found out how expensive it was, but I think I'm committed now. It really is something that I think I would regret not doing.

[Ulyses]

Originally Posted by 96ssportsp

You really have no idea! They have been my neighbors, and friends for over ten years. What a fine job they have done raising both of these young men. These guys just need to stay away from "hardleys' and they will be alright!


Ride safe, Scott.

Scott, when you let me ride your multi strada, you can ride my harley....

[Ulyses]

Day 96 (January 19, 2013)
Cusco, Peru
Day's Ride: 0 Miles

After yesterday's slog, taking a day off in Cusco was a well needed respite from the road. I took the opportunity to sleep in till 7:00 AM, eat a leisurely breakfast, and see the sights. I was also waiting for Mike, one of the guys who rode the Independence with me, and the Canadians (Kurt and Corey) who were all supposed to show up today.

The first stop on the Cusco tourism circuit today was the Plaza de Armas: the central square in Cusco. This is one of the more picturesque central plazas that I've seen in any Latin American city so far. Moreover, one of the amazing things about Cusco is that it used to be the capital of the Incan empire and much of the city was built on top of or even with the old Incan buildings.



The first church that I stopped at was having mass, so I slipped in the back and sat through a portion of the service. There's something about attending the "misa" in a cathedral with all of the ritual, the architectural grandeur, and the mighty organ music that inspires awe and majesty.

I walked back out into the Plaza and went and took a look at the main cathedral.



This building took over a hundred years to build and was constructed on top of one of the Incan emperor's old palaces. Much of the stone used in the Cathedral came from the old palace.

The center of the Plaza is dominated by a golden statue of one of the Incan Emperors. There has been a huge resurgence of indigenous pride within the last several decades and the statue demonstrates some of that..



Here's another shot of the plaza:



Radiating out from the plaza are numerous alleyways and streets that are still lined with the original walls constructed by the Incas. Seeing this stonework and knowing that it was constructed hundreds of years ago by an indigenous culture with no metal tools or large draft animals adds a sense of wonder to the whole affair. Seeing how precise it is and how shabby the Spanish colonial stonework looks in comparison makes at the more incredible. Just look at this wall:



I can't believe how perfectly everything is joined. The Incans didn't use any mortar; instead they cut every stone so precise that they fit in an intricate jigsaw puzzle that could withstand earthquakes and the test of time. Much of the Spanish Colonial stonework that was done after the conquest of the Inca has been destroyed in various earthquakes though out the years. Most of the Incan stonework that predates the Spanish by hundreds of years still survives intact.



These wall are everywhere in old town Cusco. You can't walk down an alley way without seeing Incan stonework. Many of the buildings were simply co-opted by the Spanish. The bottom half is all Incan, the top half is colonial Spanish.

Walking down one of the alleyways that purportedly contained the oldest Incan wall in Cusco, I was surprised to find that Starbucks had already taken over:




This is one of the frightening dichotomies of Cusco: it's an amazing, beautiful, and ancient historical city that is completely overrun by tourism. You can't take two steps without running into a gringo. You are also constantly being accosted by street hawkers and touts vying for your business. I don't like to be rude to people who are just trying to make their living, but some of these guys (and gals) were so persistent and aggressive that my normal "no thanks" didn't work and I had to tell them to get lost. I was also asked a few times if I wanted to buy cocaine and weed. This isn't the first time that this has happened on this trip, but it was definitely the most frequent in one spot. I guess that's kind of the sad side to all of this tourism. The nice side is that it makes lots of money for the Peruvians.

Another interesting thing about Cusco is the contrast. Take for instance this picture:



A perfect Incan wall that is hundreds of years old, topped by modern sheet glass windows. The stark contrast between modern and ancient is almost dumbfounding.

I returned this evening to a spot overlooking the Plaza and looked out at the city.



This is a beautiful place.

Mike and the Canadians showed up later in the afternoon and we all caught up on each other's adventures. I also did some research today on the "back door" into Machu Picchu; with the help of huzar and some locals, I think we've found a way to ride the motorcycles fairly close and avoid paying hundreds of dollars to ride the train. Tomorrow we are going to finalize plans and make a decision on how we are going to crack this nut.

[Novice Adv]

Looking forward to further posts in your RR. Good luck with the back door into Machu Pichu!

[max384]

Awesome! Keep it coming! I'm only following two ride reports right now, and only yours is real-time... yet you seem to be updating more frequently! The excitement of a ride report is much better when it's written as it happens, thus the ending is unknown.

Originally Posted by Ulyses

Max384,

Thanks for the dough man! Here's your slice of the tank:

I hope that was a small slice, considering what the guy before me donated!

[ONandOFF]

Originally Posted by Ulyses

...I made it in one piece. I'm exhausted. I'm going to have to take a mulligan on tonight's post. I'll do it in the morning. Cheers, Bryce

Well, sometimes we have to take a mulligan on keeping up with your posts too... Its wonderful that you are posting real time on adv for all of us interested and doing it daily while it's all still fresh helps with accuracy of details... But unless you took this trip for the purpose of writing about it, no one should expect you to even write much less keep up every day! Take care of yourself and enjoy what you set out to do.

[ONandOFF]

Originally Posted by 96ssportsp

You really have no idea! They have been my neighbors, and friends for over ten years. What a fine job they have done raising both of these young men. These guys just need to stay away from "hardleys' and they will be alright! . Ride safe, Scott.

Right on - on the importance of attentive and dedicated parenting you guys! Its a complex issue few truly appreciate. +1 on the hardleys as well :-)