Tunnels in the Andes
I leave the Peruvian coast together with two French guys on bikes. The sun is so sweet and it heats up all of my frozen memories from rainy mountain rides. I am returning to the Andes and the landscape is changing shape as the sand dunes are replaced by rock formations. The sun stays with us however, and it is lovely to have a road side snack in the shade of a cliff, let the sun dry my skin after a river wash and to sleep in a warm tent on dry ground. I wish the weather could stay beautiful, but I am reaching higher altitudes where rainclouds threaten to lay their shadows over all the views and warmth.
We continue to cycle between two mountain ranges where the dirt roads are winding their way through carved out tunnels. The sun is shining down on us in the canyon, until we enter the black holes in the rock and leave daylight behind. We are cycling blind in the long tunnels, navigating in darkness towards a bright and growing light ahead. On the other side, we arrive in yet another beautiful place of stone and sand. We eventually leave the base of the mountains and are starting to gaze up at their pretty peaks.
We stop cycling and start climbing to get closer to those mountain tops. During one bright day hike we reach a fairytale lake with magic mountains. During another, the clouds of rain and hail are killing most of the view. I am wet and I am cold. The rainy season has turned into a dark tunnel on my path and I want to reach the daylight on the other side. I can either wait out the rain here in Huaraz and continue the journey in the dry season. Or, I could put on a brave face, on a cold body, and charge through this long tunnel of rain. I do not know what do.
Peace
HOLA HANNA, from Palomar’ Santiago, Baja California Sur.Mexico
SERGIO GOMEZ
Hola Sergio, espero que todo este bien en Mexico. Extraño el desierto y las playas de Baja California pero me encanta de las montañas aquí en Peru tambien.