events of note.

i have so much more to say about my peruvian "vacation". it seems silly to relate my adventures in any order but chronological; however, there is one segment of my journey which i must account for before describing what i think are only minor details of the trip.

now, i was having a lot of issues with my ex-boyfriend-who joined me on this trip. we decided to go to the bar at our hostel in cusco in order to forget some of these problems. somewhere between being frustrated with him and tipsy from the pisco, i decided we would embark on the four-day bicycle excursion that i had seen advertised in the downstairs reception area.

i spoke with the bartender about my decision, and she seemed a great supporter. she didn't think it would be too difficult on the body. she also mentioned the it was actually only one day of biking, and three of trekking. this seemed potentially exhilarating; potentially frightening to me...so i decided to go ahead and do it.

the next morning i was handing $180 of american money to a man who claimed to be the tour operator. the route was explained to us three separate times by three different people...once in spanish, once in english and once in spanglish.

the next morning twelve people from five different countries woke up at 6am and gathered for a desayuna of dry bread and instant coffee. then we piled into a van and rode to a bus. the bus ride lasted 4 hours and nauseated the hell out of me. the roads were windy and steep...and scary. there are no gaurdrails and the altitude in that area reaches 12,000 feet above sea level.

when we got to our destination--the top of some mountain area--most of us were carsick and enthusiastic to begin our biking tour. we paid a little girl .50 soles for toilet paper and the use of her family's outdoor bathroom. the trek would be solely downhill, we were told. after an hour or so of reassembling a dozen old mountain bikes, our guide gave us permission to take off.

i was a bit apprehensive. after all, we have to ride downhill and in the road. i was shaky at first, but the breathtaking views of mountains and valleys soon allayed my fears. of course, i was still riding the brakes--for fear of loosing control and going to fast. after a few minutes i fell behind some of the other rides and cruised alone. this solitude was much appreciated, despite my former boyfriends pleas for me to ride alongside himself.

i soon came across several dogs in the road who decided to chase me. so, i had three small dogs chasing frantically after me and jumping in front of my bike. i was scared shitless that i would fall in an attempt to veer away from them. i was also afraid to stop, as they may have attacked. after a few hundred feet, though, they were winded and i was successfully able to avert any actual contact with the mangy creatures.

the first time i saw an impending car, i almost lost control. i panicked and swiveled my handlebars as i tried to move as deeply into the shoulder of the road as possible. flustered and grateful that i didn't fall, i lowered my head as the truckload of men laughed at my idiocy. i was careful to maintain greater composure as i can across more vehicles throughout the rest of my descent.

after about 20 or 30 minutes of smooth cruising, the conditions of the road took a turn for the worst. the beautifully paved asphalt turned into rocks. lots of rocks.

more to come.