This part of the trip is the most difficult but also the most beautiful. It took us 9 days to arrive in Nasca passing each day passes. Every day, I told myself the next day I take a truck to reach the next stage and it was never the case. In the end we were rewarded by a descent of 90km in an arid landscape.
Sunday, February 21 Cuzco Sunny and hot, cloudy and cold and rainy. All this in one day ... We talked at length with the owner of a shop-textile museum located in the Plaza de Armas, it sells to real fans or collector but it is a pleasure to explain how to distinguish between true and false in the stalls. We also explained why the problems of floods and landslides were expected. A visit informative and interesting. Walk through the city and discovered the central market, one of the most interesting we've seen, fruit, vegetables, meats, cheeses, groceries, clothing and an alley dedicated to offal. This avenue is worth the trip alone (hearted souls ...): noses of cattle and sheep, beef testicles, tripe, tongues, ears, etc., nothing is lost here! And of course, full of small booths where eats almost nothing and it did not stop private. About the meal, we researched the worst restaurant (in part) of our lives, a piece of three by four meters, two tables, the floor covered with straw. The rest of the building collapsed, no roof, just a canopy of straw, a gaping hole in the ground and a kid who scrapes water (it was raining ropes) to prevent it from entering the ' '''... restaurant Surprisingly, it is eaten and the two French couples that we've taken appreciated. I still dare not imagine the state of the kitchen ... Monday, February 22 Cuzco Fresh, Cloudy with showers. It was decided to buy a poncho for the long winter evenings by Angel. Am was called alpaca wool (it looks like a llama) and we had managed to get a good price. Arrived at the hotel, to raise the slightest doubt that we had, we did test the lighter (wool burned crumbles while the synthetic hardens) and the poncho was made fiber ... with the shop management our lighter. There they supported us it was normal until we mentioned our visit to a specialist shop-museum. It was reimbursed immediately ... 
Tuesday, February 23 Limatambo 80km Elevation: 2615m 10 ° Cloudy and rainy. 's go for a roller coaster! Departure at 3440m, 3660m one goes out to Cusco, we descend 200m rising to 3755m. Here it accelerates, we stopped at Limatambo after 27km of uninterrupted descent (not the least stroke of pedal) and it will continue tomorrow ... We had a head wind and rain. The weather today we wanted ... We spent two hours under a small awning until it passes because despite all that has endured in Patagonia, the fleet was no longer used (and the desire) to run underneath. Throughout the last 27 kilometers, we passed by: above the clouds, in cloud and below cloud. See these white masses lost between these mountains, what a sight! We thought camping but given the state of the sky (and the ridiculous price of hotels in small villages, 15sol room), we played safety. We still made our mess in the room, luxury camping to celebrate our five thousand km, which coincides with our step. Wednesday, February 24 57km 12km after Curahuasi Alt: 3017m sunny and 30 ° 26 ° Partly Cloudy, rain in the evening. What night! Sick as a dog, I spent my night between the bed and toilet. We hesitated to hit the road but I could not see myself staying for a whole day to Limatambo, we took the risk. It was hard much of the day but late in the day, when my strength returned, I helped Angela for the last 15 kilometers (using our super lead). 18km is down this morning, only hindered by the work of rehabilitating the road, parts of which have been washed away. Added to that of yesterday, it gives us a total descent of 45km! Well, obviously, these are pleasures that are paid. Down we were at an altitude of 1892m and tonight we sleep at 3000m ... The day was looongue. And it's not over, tomorrow we must go another 1000 ... They had assembled the tent in a meadow near the church of a small village. A brave lady felt that it was not safe (two passengers would have their bikes stolen in the same way last year) has opened the door of a small mud house so we spent the night there . She did well, he obviously started to rain. It's hotter here and the tongs were introduced, the problem is that they bite ... Thursday, February 25 Abancay 59km Elevation: 2459m Sunny and warm and cloudy and the rain to normal 16h ... 4002m, we did! We finished the last 22 miles to the damn climb. We just climb 2210m in two days and 55km! The climb today took us three fifteen, the descent of 37km per cons, just one hour. And what a descent! We here in Abancay, charmless city where we found a small cheap hotel (Gran Hotel) (5 €) history to take a shower and sleep in a bed right before we embark on the road to Nazca; 480km without much villages where we refuel. Friday, February 26 88km Puente Huayquipa Alt: 2448m 25 ° sunny then rain from 16h. 14 km this morning, 37 kilometers yesterday with a total 51km of uninterrupted descent! Record! It is up to 1780m down, we then entered a valley on a hilly road and climb gradually. The road is very pleasant and easy despite the sun beating down and the sticky heat. The rains in recent days have done damage and workers have passed a ford was bulldozed ... gag! We wanted to camp but as always, it started raining around four hours and since we missed a hospedaje, we decided to stay. We did well because it's pouring now. Hospedaje about this is, by far the worst we have had; partitions unalite a height of 1.80m, no gate, stoned beds (they look like hammocks), dirty sheets and no light . Of course, no bathroom (it was washed on the balcony with a pot of water). It is also a restaurant but given the state of the room where the kitchen boss, I do not even ask for hot water for tea ... Finally, it is sheltered from the rain and with a little chance there is no chips on the beds ... 
Saturday, February 27 Promesa 66km Elevation: 3477m 27 ° Sunny with cloudy periods and rain around 15h We slept two in my bed because there were too many insects who wanted to sleep with Angel ... It was good,''the room''nearby, a family slept three in a single bed ... We are tired. Yesterday it was also easy to mount gradually, but not mine, it leaves traces (not counting our ascent crazy days earlier). In addition, the sun beating down on our frail shoulders and the humidity is high. Summary of the day: 66km and over 1000m of vertical gain! Arrived at a toll booth, we were advised to stop because he was be very bad and very cold quickly. It was even instantly! We have not even had time to pitch the tent we were soaked to the bone in less than a minute! Torrents of water and then hail have hit us. The tent was also tempered because, in haste, Angelique had the good idea to break a reinforcement of the tent ... Fortunately, officials have put the toll a room at our disposal and we will sleep so dry. The tolls are installed (sometimes in the middle of nowhere) to finance road rehabilitation, which in this case it allows us to ride a new track from Abancay perfectly. Obviously, cyclists pay nothing. 
Sunday, February 28 Pampamarca 51km Elevation: 4217m 16 degrees but the sun warmed us, rain and 5 ... What a day! We started up from the start, tight switchbacks up 4202m. Nearly 800m of vertical 11km! During the climb, the view was magnificent on the narrow valley we left. We had ample opportunity during the long effort to see two pairs of condors soaring above us. When you see the size of their shadow on the ground, we are happy not to be part of their potential prey ... Our map refers a pass at 4300m. It was thought to be fairly quickly but was disillusioned; at this altitude, we saw off the road climb. Result, it passes the true neck in the rain and cold (5 °). Altitude? 4532m. It has never been higher and we even could enjoy pa with the rotten weather. For the first time I took coca leaves as a few hundred meters before the summit, my strength and let loose as it looks to work with Angel, why not? I will probably never know if it's the little break to take the coca or that fact that the end was easier. We got soaked in a small village (Pampamarca) where hospedaje is the only shabby, the room stinks, there is no light, just a candle and a stinking hole that serves as a toilet at the back of the court. All that comfort for the same price (not negotiable) that our small hotel with private bathroom in Abancay ... Finally, it is dry and it will be our night's highest. You feel physically tired but fortunately I still have enough energy to help Angela in the ribs. Despite her courage, she is also starting to get tired mentally. I still hope we can come to Nazca without stop. Monday, March 1 106km Puquio Alt: 3236m 18 ° Cloudy Cloudy. Above and Beyond! We started to climb right out of the village to meet us at 4530m. Once there, it goes down and you go back ... To get to 4550m! Then we drive for twenty miles around 4500m (we can forget about twice 4550m). Then comes the reward of all these efforts, some forty miles down to Puquio. It escapes the rain for once, but we spend in the clouds and there it is cold (8 °). As it was impossible to find bread in the two villages we passed through, we survived thanks to our reserves of Snickers. So we stopped the first restaurant in the city for us restore your health ... Angelica was very pessimistic, she thought the road would be too hard and it would not happen to Puquio. I believed it was possible by helping him, but I did not believe it happens as early (at 14h!). Tuesday, March 2 Pampa Galera 58km Elevation: 4165m sunny 20 °, 10 ° Partly Cloudy ... It is! The final pass of our trip! This was not without difficulty, 300m ascent as breakfast (3520m) and then decreased to 3111m before tackling the final climb, 25km climb anyway! We could not Also, for my part, morale was gone after our descent and the fatigue accumulated in recent days was well felt. We went through the box of coca leaves to go back a little. We arrived around 17h to the neck, in the cold and fog. We put the tent at the entrance to the Pampa Galera nature reserve inhabited by a large number of Vicuña (animal of the same family as llamas but not domesticated and protected). The temperature reminds us a little about our Patagonian nights, so it was in the mess tent and a promise of good sleep in our sleeping bags ...
Wednesday, March 3 101km Nazca Alt: 595m 36 °, Sunny. Phew, that was the last pass! It came down to Nazca and what descent of 3500m vertical drop and a descent unbroken 64km! This morning it was 8 ° to raise our (before six hours to see the sunrise) in the middle of vicuna and we arrived in Nazca, there were 36 degrees (shade). What a shock ... There is not much to do here and given the heat, the better, it allowed us to rest in a very nice small hotel before enjoying a drink (Pisco Sour obviously) well-packed. Finally, one drink was drunk ...
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