Whelp, I made it to Puno with no problems. There was very little evidence of the protests too -- just a few rocks and burnt-out odds and ends near the border. The police on the Peruvian side were the first in Latin America to discover that my insurance wasn't good outside of Europe, and they wanted a bribe, and the measly 20 soles I had on my barely cut the mustard. But it got me through.

Next stop: Cuzco!

Cuzco
 

Jim,

I assume you are in Cuzco. Enjoy! Say "Hi" to Jeff Powers at Norton rats for me!

Which way are you going from there? DO NOT take the route to the coast via Nazca! BOOOOOORRRIIINNNGGG!! and freezing cold over to Puquio. Go to Andahuaylas, Ayacucho and Huancayo. From Huancayo there is a great little paved road down to the coast (and see Cerro Azul famous little surfing town), then you can cruise into Lima only 130 km away.

Or better yet, drop down to Hunuco and go the back way to Huaraz (the Peruvian Swiss Alps) It's AMAZING!! I did the whole route exactly one year ago and can recommend intervals, hostels, etc...

Toby :mchappy::mchappy::mchappy:

Whoops, too late! I'm in that oasis town just west of Ica now, the one surrounded by the huge sand dunes. (I'm on my fourth pisco sour so the name escapes me.) Anyway, apart from an hour or two of dull-ass altiplano at the end there, I didn't find the Cuzco--Nazca route all that boring! In fact it was pretty damn good. And it looks like the road's *just* been completely re-paved. Great twisty-turnies most of the way.

Unfortunately I'm massively behind schedule due to a whole host of unforeseen circumstances, and now have to haul ass on the Pan-Americano all the way to Colombia. Something tells me this road's not going to be all that interesting.

JVM