Union is power, that is true for cycling as well ! Since the 1^st day on the crazy road, I met Yukito et we cycled together, we met Marcos a bit later “the tall Swiss guy” who joined our international team. Medium age: (22+37+61) /3=40! The best age for this type of leisure ! Nothing resisted to us and we arrived in Cusco within 2 days: 1200 km from Lima , including 550 km of flat road.

The numerous Japanese I met were nice, smiling, shy, not experienced. Yukito is all this together except shy. Only 22 years old, always giving fun! He arrived in Equator 2 months ago with a simple back bag, he wanted to discover countries where one works to live and not the contrary!”. He purchased a bicycle 250 euros and 2 bags he put behind. He learnt Spanish in a school during one month and started to cycle without GPS, maps and any equipment! Amazing Yukito !

Our trip in the middles of Andes was quite difficult with several heights between 2000 and 4000 meters, the down hills were very tiring … but we’ve enjoyed the villages in the middle of nowhere with pigs, horses, sheep …. 2 gringos (the white) and a chino (anyone Asian is Chinese here!). At night, we’ve been caught by the night and we had to walk during 4 hours towards a city which was never there … the road was too dangerous with our weak lights. The Andes were still here huge as always. Nothing is easy in this chaos closed to the void without any protection. A few times, we passed by a few Incas ruins but we were not so interested. We were 100% living fully the present and we were more interested to meet people in the villages …

Last Saturday, I left Lima under a dark and dirty fog, since a paint manufacturing unit had been on fire since 1 am in the North of the city with flames over 100 meters high, no more GPS reception. Direction, La Oroya, 190 km further South inside Cordillera, via the climbing of "El Ticlio" pass, 4818 meters high. After a few days rest, I fear this stage is going to be difficult, I give to myself 3 days. First night at Cocachacra after 78km and 1400 meters high in the « hostal » owned by Silva Ramirez whole bended after so many years and who never stops curing her guinea pigs, chickens, vegetables. I am so exhausted that I start cleaning my bike. Second night at San Mateo, 3300 meters high, I felt better than yesterday and there is only 36 km now to the top., I leave early in the morning for the last day, it is not so bad till 4200 meters. Erwan calls me (Congratulations to Movistar!!!) to tell me he has just finished climbing ding with same speed!

Afterwards, I start feeling lack and rarity of oxygen, I am really wondering if I will be able to do it. The Oroya - Lima train has just derailed during the night (no link with my story!), some young Peruvians work in the area to load trucks with stones and run everywhere with their wheelbarrows. In a curve, I can see 23 small graves with crosses, all dead in the ravine on November 1, 1996. And suddenly, whereas I really suffer, I see 2 lamas who seem to wait for me! Salutations, pictures and they leave further up; it gives me some extra energy. I need to stop frequently to catch my breath, head is humming and I am nearly vomiting. The last hooks seem to never end, just a picture at the top because it is very cold at 4818 meters and I cover myself with lots of stuffs for 40km downhill to La Oroya.

Here I am on Cordillera’s alti-plateau, probably 20 days required to reach Cusco and Machu- Picchu riding always between 3000 and 4800 meters on roads without tarmac, if it is too difficult, I’ll see!  I am here to feel Incas’ spirit on their Land, not for a sport performance of a sixty years old guy!

Francois Leberre from Kermat en Guiclan is the 40000th visitor on the website and won a Magic made of chocolate! Congratulations!

The pigeons sing again in the parks of Lima , that is the sign that the calm has come back under earth. The birds left the city 5 hours before the seism. The condors were flying in the sky to gather before going to the Andes . There have been small tremors the 2 following days. In the South, it’s terrible. Jerome who prepares a thesis on humanitarian logistics is in Pisco. The city has been destroyed by 70%, it’s cold, not water, no means of communication, looting to survive, the police has too much to do, total disorganization. Some villages have not been rescued at all …