Peru and the sand
I cross a border, reach the coast and find the sand landscape of northern Peru. First there are long stretches of beach. After a while there are long sections of desert. I love these open landscapes and it´s horizons. The land is flat and so is the road I am traveling on. There are many spots to stop at and simply be. I camp at a quiet beach in Zorritos, rest in a hammock in popular Mancóra and sleep in the isolated Sechura desert.
All this sand however, does not only provide comfort. When I follow the trails along the ocean I remember how hard it is to pedal and steer on ground made out of grains. Those grains of sand also sting my eyes as I cycle through the desert and against the wind. Sand finds the way into all small parts of my bike and a scorpion finds the way out of the sand to a part of my tent. The days are burning and I pour water into my body at the same time as sweat pours out of it. I arrive in the afternoons with red eyes and red skin. Some parts turn even redder as I scratch my bug bitten body.
But even if this landscape of sand sometimes sting, burn and itch, I find it wonderful to travel through. Everything feels real. Maybe that is why I decided to travel this way, because I can truly feel my surroundings. On the bike I get to experience as well as endure nature and it´s elements. In northern Peru, fire is the prevailing element. But there are also water, air and earth here. The water at the end of a sandy beach gives me refreshing rest in the sea, the air sometimes turns the sandy wind to give me a push and the earth mostly stays firm and continues to carry me in this true world of sand.
Peace
“…the earth mostly stays firm and continues to carry me in this true world of sand.” = Så fint! Du är en poet!
Tack Anna, det är en bra jord vi har.