Getting ready - my journey continues, basically alone.

Riding down into the Amazonas basin

Tingo Maria at an early hour

The jungle has got many special faces.

Coca leaves drying along the road

Boquerón del Padre Abad - the last narrow passage ahead of ...

... the flat wide jungle

Peru live: always a bunch of motortaxis around you

I was inspired, jumped in too and spent a night here

Jungle soccer

Meeting up with Cebero by coincidence in Pucallpa

Exploring the surroundings of Pucallpa

Sewing machine - old school but independent from electricity

Pucallpa's market: Turtles illegally hunted, eggs and meat for sale

All the wild animals are sold illegally...

... the pure wild west

The monkey does not belong here.

Macabre visit to the zoo: Chicks waiting to be eaten by a hungry anaconda at the back

The harbour: pure manpower

Planning to visit Contamana by boat but this was too much for me...

... I went by airplane.

Contamana

Sunny, hot and humid - shade is all you want

Riding out to Aguas Calientes, a natural reserve

Hut to sleep for free - this pearl in the jungle has not been made known yet:

Butterfly - I could not take a photo of the shining blue on the inside of the wings.

Cold waterfalls further up

Hot springs further down

The perfect rivers: >30°C, you can chill out for hours.

Next to the river:

About 400 macaw parrots normally land and drink mineral water...

... here - but did not during my stop

Cycling back up into the mountains to Huánuco

Pass beside Cerro de Pasco, almost 4400m

Entering the small Altiplano beside Junin...

... along a nice lake...

... on straight and flat roads but on 4100m.

My bed of chairs behind a restaurant in Cullhuas

Alto de Imperial - heading South

Nice colours in town square of Izcuchaca

The longer the ride the higher the motivation

Is this a road?

Camping in a lucuma fruit yard

Rio Mantaro breaking through the rocks...

... the lower the more desert

The streets of Mayoc

"Hmmm, what does this Gringito on that strange bike do here?"

Stay on the road!

The countryside can change within short distances:

20km further along, towards Huanta

Nice to ride here

Ayacucho, another colonial town

Getting to know some locals I just met

Catching up with Françoise from France

On the first of five passes towards Cusco

Vicuñas

Camping on 4200m

Cold but adventurous

Natural carpet

The disastrous descent where I fell in the dust.

Once again: the steering broke - (@Challenge: please improve this part!!!)

Repairing work

Rio Pampas ahead of Chincheros

Pass number two: from Chincheros to Andahuaylas, 4200m

Andahuaylas

Biggest dormitory ever, municipal in San Jerónimo

Pass number three: from Andahuaylas to Abancay, 4200m

It is a spectacular countryside out here:

Brown, green and blue.

A long downhill with Abancay at the back

Pass number four: Abancay to Curahuasi, 4000m

I loved the contrasts.

Finally, I crossed the fifth pass (3600m) with Cusco at the back.

Meeting Romel and his friend by coincidence again

My arrival at the Hostal Estrellita, coming home to the cycling family

The streets of Cusco: below Inka above Spanish

Our visit to Machu Picchu...

... absolutely worthwhile:

How were they able to build that?

The 28km hike along the rail road from Aguas Calientes back to Ollantaytambo...

... along plenty of other ruins

Read the comment below!

The hike revealed many small treasures: Cactus flowers, ...

... a butterfly with transparent wings, ...

... a parrot not shy at all...

... and the Peruvian development of a selfclosing door.

Back to Cusco:

A great city to rest - I enjoyed the time with the two Matts.