Living in Peru : your everyday companion

(Provided by Anibal Paredes and Maria Elena Pinto)

Anibal and Maria Elena are two cycling enthusiasts who would love to share their experiences with other cyclists who would like to get to know Peru's hidden treasures on a bike.  Below, is their summary of recent trip taken to the south of Lima:

My wife and I love cycling, as we call ourselves "cicloturistas" (bicycling tourists).  We normally get out of the city to cycle along rustic roads leading to captivating towns and good old fashioned contact with nature.

Last weekend, on Friday afternoon we went to Mala by bus (90 km south of Lima) and from there we started cycling along the Mala river valley up to Calango (approximately 25 km), a picturesque and peaceful town.

We started our cycling journey at about 5:30 pm so as soon as it became dark, we continued riding with guided by our headlights along a nice unpaved road, passing by a few villages where we stopped for a while.  We rested in San Jose, Tutumo, Aymara, Correviento, among other towns along the way, and to our surprise, vehicle traffic on the road was minimal to non-existent so the night ride was very relaxing under the pleasant moonlight.

We arrived in Calango and spent the night there in a nice simple hotel (private bath), with no sign, but easy to find nonetheless.  It is located in front of the church, next door to an excellent “pollo a la brasa” restaurant (delicious french fries!!).

On the next day, Saturday, after having a nice juice made with assorted fruit at “Juguería Yamile” at the main plaza, we continued cycling up to La Capilla (approximately 6 km), a little village where we found a chappel within an interesting rock formation and the best place to eat "camarones" (shrimp), El Paraíso Restaurant, located on the banks of the river, next to the bridge.  It was incredibly delicious! The shrimp are really fresh (they are raises in a pond next to the river and cooked as soon as you order them).

After lunch, we returned back to Calango and continued our journey back down to Mala.  Along the way as it was getting dark we expected to watch the lunar eclipse after sunset, but nothing was visible because it was totally cloudy. We spent the night in Mala, a busy, crowded, noisy and boring town, but with excellent “chicharrones.”

On Sunday morning we went to Santa Cruz de Flores (4 km north of Mala) where we had an assortment of very nice local dishes.  We continued further to Azpitia, a peaceful and nice village populated by wine and pisco producers and beautiful landscapes.

The Mala valley is rich in grapes, apples and fruits production. Wine, pisco and apple vinegar are private homemade industries that are valuable in this region.

We bought a bottle of wine and pisco from every town we visited, each with its own particular taste. So, now we have a little collection.

If any of you want to join our cycletouring trips, we gladly welcome you! Lets have fun and ride together.

We would loveto share our experiences with others who share a passion for cycling and getting to know some of Peru's hidden treasures.


· Bus Lima – Mala, Soyuz S/. 13.00 (bikes S/.10.00)

Calango

o Hotel (with no sign), familia Felix Quispe, S/. 25.00 double room, private bath in front of the church next to a "Pollo a la brasa" restaurant

o Juguería Yamile, corner on the main plaza

o Home made Wine and Pisco, store owned by Mr. Guzman Camacho, blue metal door, behind the church. Wine S/. 10.00 per bottle, pisco s/. 15.00 per bottle

· La Capilla

o Restaurant El Paraíso, excellent shrimp, on the banks of the river, next to the bridge. Cebiche de camarones S/. 30.00, Pasta with lots of camarones S/. 25.00



· Mala

o Hotel Plaza, S/. 35.00 double room, private bath, basic, noisy area

· Santa Cruz de Flores

o Food, fruit and wine, little restaurant on the corner of the main plaza. Try “sopa bruta” excellent dish S/. 10.00

· Azpitia

o Fruit, pisco, wine, sodas, etc.


Photos and maps (link)

For more information on how you can upcoming trips and contacting Anibal and Maia Elena, please visit their website (link).