Day 35 – Monday, March 2, 2026
The USP (unique selling proposition) of me staying at the bungalow that night was the excellent breakfast - at least according to the owner. The issue was that the start was only at 8 am. I was pretty much ready to begin my ride at 6:30 (it was bright light already), bur decided to wait for that excellent breakfast. The previous night, the manager allowed me to start the breakfast at 7:30, so I went there a few minutes after the agreed time. Large families were already occupying tables, eagerly waiting for the magicial churn of the hour. The waiters did not know about my special arrangment and declinedd access - but I pushed and at around 7:50, I could finally take from the buffet. Then they opened it up for all and a locust plague began. Well, while it wasn´t bad, it was definitely not worth the wait. Oh well. Much ado about nothing.
Well, not exactly a locust plaque, but still long lines at 7:57 am...
So it was only around 8:30 that I left - and was soon in the town of Punta de Bombon (pompous name, eh?). I placed this small settlement somewhere between the second and third world (which is no longer a PC thing to say).i The houses were rather desolate and entire families were riding motorbikes (without helmet, what else....? It reminded me of my stay in Pakistan). Right in the center of town with a wrecked car. This was the bad part. There was a wonderful church, a large Jesus statue on a hill and a small covered market, where I had an excellent fruit shake (mango, banana, pineapple for €2).
Pretty church
Christ on the hill
Excellent fruit shake
No helmet, 3 people...
Car wreck
A pretty large river (the bridge over it is 150 meters long) is the source of the fresh water for all the lush green in the area - namely rice fields (reminiscent of Vietnam). After nearly four weeks, I was enjoying riding in a green area for over 20 km. There was even a waterfall! To spray the fields, to my surprise, drones are used!
Lots of green (with some red)
A major river
Surprising: large drones are used for spaying the fields
I stopped at a national bird sanctuary, where the entrance fee for locals was €2, but €7 for foreign visitors, I politely declined the offer. (I would have spent 5 minutes there - not worth it). I was not even allowed to enter for a quick photo. Now in Chile....you know, but then I am in Peru.
The town of Mollendo followed. Here I could either ride through town or take a major road going uphill around it. I chose the latter, which I believe was a good decision, as the town did not appear to be appealing. Next to the main road were slums.(favelas), fabricated houses out of tin. An older man used a wheelbarrow to transport water.
A main transporting water uphill
After the town, it was back to the desert^- no more green. I was saddened to see some more desolate buildings. What followed was quite a spectacle- with hardly any traffic.
Desolate buildings
I admit you have to be nuts to enjoy this. Now came 60 km through the desert - and there was absolutely no signs of settlements. After so many days, I still find the desert to be fascinating, you see sandy areas, rocky ones, other surfaces are smooth like the butt of a baby.
I found the desert absolutelty fascinating!
The white patches on the rocks is salt deposit, also called salares
What a nice area...
Mother Nature offered two wonderful spectacles within a short spam of time. The first was a sunset, with our star dropping into the sea. The second was the rise of a full moon, it illuminating my surroundings.
A wonderful sunset...
...followed by full moon
Finally, I reached the small, tidy settlement of Quilca, with quite a few restaurants, all closed.
Getting to Quilca
I found a very basic hotel for €8, with a battered outside shower - still, the water was refreshing. I took a small walk and treated myself to an ice-cream. I rode 120 km, with 1,250m of altitude gain.