The Tour de Cochas!

While arranging for the carving of the mates for the missionaries for Christmas, we stumbled upon a very recently-paved road road running along the edge of the mountains from Cochas, where they are made, to San Geronimo (see below).  It is nearly traffic-free, and runs through beautiful farmland and hills.  That same trip by car on the usual roads requires the usual death-defying driving skills.  Doing it by bike would be evidence of suicidal tendencies, and would constitute a request to be squished.

After thinking about it for a couple of months, we finally found a clear morning.  

"Clear" meant that despite the rainy season, the day started out dry, and was also clear of other things that needed doing. We parked the car and donned the Spandex, trying to blend in with the locals.

Whoa!  Someone had inconveniently put some good-sized hills (see "Andes," under "Large South American Mountains") on the route.  Despite living here, being at 11,000 feet didn't increase the speed either.

Oh, about that 'blend in with the locals.'  Several things kind of ruled that out.

1) The fact that we were on bikes that each cost more than the annual income of the local farmers, 

2) The fact that we were clearly gringos, none of whom are seen in these parts, especially these rural parts.

3) The fact that we were wearing Spandex jerseys, one of which proclaimed "North Carolina" ("¿Qué es 'North Carolina? ¿Eh?"), and either of which was bright enough to be seen across the valley.

It was just plain a great ride!  At the end, putting on other clothes over the bike stuff, we tried to ignore the stares of the little kids and the old guy walking his sheep herd past the car.

So what's in San Geronimo you ask?  Ah!  That's where a half-dozen silversmiths live, with their shops tempting the unwary.  But that's another story.

We hope that your bike rides can be as beautiful, and a bit more anonymous.

Dave & Paula