Caracas to Cusco in 7 days

[Tucan viajero]

Caracas to Cusco in 7 days. Day 4

Tuesday December 06, 2,011
From Castanho to S 05° 08’ 56,1’’ W61° 45’ 40,4’’ (Aristóteles, BR-319)
Distance: 233 miles (375 Km.)
Total Time: 15 hours and 35 minutes
Average Speed: 14.9 mph (24 Km/h)
Top Speed: 64.7 mph (104,1 Km/h)

The town of Castanho is the doorway to the famous BR-319. At least for those approaching from the north.

Sunrise in Castanho.

This is the first barge crossing once on the BR-319, about 45 miles away from Castanho. Here the skipper warned them that a few miles ahead, the road was interrupted by a large hole, and that there was no way to pass. Nevertheless, they had to cross the river and see the actual situation by themselves.

This is the “buraco” (hole in Portuguese), the barge captain had warned them about. The Tupana River had swept the road, and the people traveling in the Mercedes truck you can see in this photo, had already been here waiting for three days for the road to be repaired. Coordinates: S 04° 15’ 20,1’’ W60° 50’ 13,4"

It isn’t nice at all to arrive here, so early in the morning and pleased of the progress made to this point, and be greeted by this obstacle that threatens the success of the trip.

After asking and talking to everyone they saw (this small part of the world is not known for its high population density), including an Embratel work squad about the situation, they concluded that most likely, the road could be repaired by that afternoon. They decided to return to Castanho, in order to reinforce their food and water supplies (you never know if another “buraco” can stop your progress for several days) and to inform the rest of the group about the setback.

Back in Castanho, they could appreciate this specimen of an endangered species, since this time, compared with previous visits to Brazil, there were far fewer of them in sight.

This is how the BR-319 starts from Castanho. Perhaps with the intention to fool the unwary

When they returned to the buraco, the works to provide an alternate path were already well advanced.

Late in the afternoon they could finally get through. This is where the real BR-319 starts a few miles south, but considering all the lost time (almost one day) it would be necessary to continue advancing during the night, despite how inconvenient that can be.

Driving at night during these trips is very inconvenient primarily for two reasons. Firstly, there are safety issues to consider. When undertaking a trip of this magnitude, and you are so far from everything that is familiar and known, it is necessary to take many additional precautions, which include taking utmost care of your vehicle. Under no circumstance we want to risk ruining a trip that cost so much to achieve because of some silly mistake.

Second, it doesn’t make any sense to organize an outing that will take you so far from home, and be unable to enjoy the views just because you are driving at night. The ideal thing to do, in order to be able to know and enjoy as much as possible the new places and scenery you’ll find on these trips, is to hit the road early in the morning and to stop a little before sunset.

The second barge found in the BR-319, serves to cross the Igapó Açú River (Yes, the Land Cruiser in on the barge in this picture). Here they met a young Embratel worker traveling by bike to one of the company’s antennas, where he planned to spend the night. After talking for a few minutes, they decided that if they were to continue together, they could very well go a little further, until the next antenna named Aristotle.

The BR319 linked Manaus (Amazonas) and Porto Velho (Rondonia) until it was declared impassable in 1,988. It was built between 1,972 and 1,973, and covers a total of 550 miles. When 4x4 aficionados talk about this road, they refer to a 290 mile stretch that starts about 55 miles south of Castanho and ends in the vicinity of Humaitá. This section is characterized by broken asphalt, which brutally punishes vehicles, great amounts of mud, and particularly for a large number of wooden bridges in varying conditions of conservation.

It seems that this playground will not last much longer. A few years ago, the Brazilian government began this road’s recovery works, which have been delayed by protests and other actions put forward by pro-environment supporters. But more likely, because of the need of a means of communication that is faster and more efficient than the river, this project will prove to be unstoppable. In fact, during this trip, the road work progress was evident.

They arrived to Aristotle shortly after 2300hrs. The young biker went to sleep immediately, but not before leaving the antenna facilities gates open as a courtesy. Therefore, our travelers could spend the night over firm, clean ground, rather than on the muddy road. Dinner that night consisted of tuna sandwiches with “batatas fritas” (fries).

For additional photos of this day, please click here.

 

[DiploStrat]

Thanks for the kind comments.

DiploStrat, if those two years you lived in Baruta were a short time ago, you can understand how hard things have become here, so thanks for your good wishes.

2001 - 2003 Turbulent enough for you? :Wow1:

I still have friends in Venezuela and love the country.

 

[Tucan viajero]

This post somehow repeated itself...

 

[Tucan viajero]

Caracas to Cusco in 7 days. Day 5

Wednesday December 7, 2,011
From S 05° 08’ 56,1’’ W61° 45’ 40,4’’ (Aristóteles BR-319) to Porto Velho
Distance: 361 miles (581 Km.)
Total Time: 16 hours and 17 minutes
Average Speed: 22.2 mph (35,7 Km/h)
Top Speed: 89.1 mph (143,3 Km/h)

Sunrise in Aristotle.

Another night of sleeping anyway they could, and trying to leave as early as posible.

The road ahead.

“Danger of life”

And the interesting bridges start to appear. At least those they could see, because the condition of those crossed the night before wasn’t clear. This is the first one that game our travelers a hard time deciding whether it was wise to cross.

Some of the characteristic mud found along this road. Fortunately, it had not rained recently. Our friends didn’t have the time to deal with a mired BR-319.

Crossing this bridge was one of the toughest decisions they faced on this trip. Luckily, out of nowhere, the workers seen in the background appeared. They assured them that the bridge had been crossed by a camionzinho (little truck) a few hours earlier.

Another view of the “bridge of fear”. After giving this serious matter some careful thought, they crossed the bridge in 1st, Low Range, engine idling, right foot very close to the throttle pedal, ready to stomp it at the first sign of bridge failure.

This bridge replaces the one that gave some of the Araucanía Expedition members a good scare ten years ago.

The same crossing ten years ago. This photo shows clearly how the bridge gave while it was being crossed by a FZJ80. The stumps near the center indicate how much the bridge descended under the weight of the truck.

Their concerned faces tell the story. You can read more about this predicament (Spanish only) here: http://tucanviajero.blogspot.com/2009/07/una-vueltica-por-suramerica-6ta-parte.html

What’s left of the old bridge.

More old bridge remains. When comparing with the old photos, it becomes readily apparent that this was part of the old structure.

The slow progress on the BR-319 continues. The plan is to reach Porto Velho today, and to accomplish this, it will be necessary to move on, stopping as little as possible.

Leaving the thick of the jungle.

At times, the road seems endless, mostly because the broken asphalt forces them to move very slowly. When you want to reach your destination, finding these straights that stretch so far, one after another, can make you yield to the temptation to go faster..

However, even in the parts where the road seems to be in good condition, the BR-319 can betray with large potholes and depressions that can surely cause damage if given the chance. In this photo, the damage a moment of neglect caused to the ARB bumper skid plate, deforming it, and tearing apart the two center bolts. The speed at the time of this incident shouldn’t have been more than 12 or 18 mph..

“Desmatamentos” or deforestation in the Amazon Jungle.

Once out of hard part of the BR-319, the first thing they had to do was to fill the almost empty gas tank.

The barge to Porto Velho.

Judging by how advanced the construction work of the bridge is, there will soon be a bridge here, and the barge crossing to reach Porto Velho will be a thing of the past.

Pedestrians and bicycles go free. The service is available 24/7.

The flag of the real Venezuelans. Those who oppose the surrender of the country to Cuba and do not support its destruction by a sick egomaniac only have one flag, and it only has 7 stars. Not one more.

So close. This is Bolivia, just a few meters away. In this photo you can even see a Bolivian flag amidst the vegetation. It’s a pity that on this occasion, this country is not part of the route.

Porto Velho, Capital of Rondonia State, proved to be a much smaller city tan expected. Having arrived late in the afternoon, and needing to leave early in the morning, they only had time for dinner and sleep, so it was little what they could see. However, they took notice of how hard it was to fulfill those two simple needs.

When looking for accommodations in this type of trip, finding where to park is the priority. You travel with almost your whole life in your car. Therefore the last thing you want is to be a victim of theft. For this reason, when arriving to any hotel or inn, the first thing to inquire about are the parking facilities, and confirming personally if they are safe enough to warrant a good night sleep. If not, continue searching until you find one that is.

For more, and lots of additional photos of this day, please click here and here.

 

[Tucan viajero]

2001 - 2003 Turbulent enough for you? :Wow1:

I still have friends in Venezuela and love the country.

Yes. I see what you mean. And we are still living interesting times down here, like in the chinese curse!

The hardest part is that many friends have left the country because of the difficult situation.

You should let me know if you ever return.

 

[Tucan viajero]

Caracas to Cusco in 7 days. Day 6

Thursday, December 8, 2,011
From Porto Velho to Iñapari
Distance: 571 miles (854 Km.)
Total Time: 12 hours and 58 minutes
Average Speed: 41 mph (65,9 Km/h)
Top Speed: 110.3 mph (177,5 Km/h)

After spending the night at the Aquarius Hotel, a bit expensive for what it really was, and having breakfast there, they left early in the morning toward the border with Peru.

On this road, they had to face frequent delays because of various repairs and road expansion work.

Another barge crossing. This one was a surprise, since it was not expected in this part of the trip.

During their transit through Brazil, they were surprised by the large number of religious, evangelic to be precise, radio programs, notable for the intensity of the speech. There were also a lot of mentions to the problem of “desmatamentos” or deforestation in the Amazon region.

Cusco, the key destination of this trip, looks within easy reach. Now only 460 miles away.

Today was a difficult and quite agitated day. All the information gathered before the departure and later confirmed at Porto Velho, indicated that the customs paperwork to take the vehicle out of Brazil, had to be sorted out in the city of Brasiléia, some 70 miles before arriving the to the town of Assis Brasil, were the actual border crossing to Peru would take place.

Therefore, upon arriving to Brasiléia, they began the search for the office where these formalities had to be completed. Everywhere, even in the customs post in the boreder to Bolivia, the answer was the same: “If you are traveling to Peru, you have to go through customs in Assis Brasil”. After losing more than two hours asking here and there, they concluded that they had no other choice but to go to Assis Brasil, even though they risked having to come back if this wasn’t true.

Finally, they found that the customs and immigration formalities really had to be handled at Assis Brasil. Unfortunately, due to the time lost in Brasiléia, the customs office at the Brazilian side was closed by the time they arrived. As the immigration staff was still working, they decided to go ahead with the immigration proceedings then, and save some time tomorrow. This was a decision that would cause some difficulties the next day.

(Sign: “Native flora garden”). ¡? Of course it is native. For starters, there is no evidence that anyone has brought plants from elsewhere. This sounded as a really naïve joke to them, which is why, from this point on, the word native, would be repeated very often during the rest of the trip.

(Sign: “Square”) If it weren’t for the sign, nobody World have realized what this place was.

The bridge shown in these photos did not exist when in 2,002, the Araucanía Expedition had to cross it on their way home. As it was usually fordable, there was no barge, but unfortunately, due to the heavy rains that hit the area at that time, attempting to cross the river in the vehicles was not an option.

They had to hire two small canoe style boats, and show their owners how to join them with planks, to be able to use them to transport the expedition Land Cruisers to the other side of the river.

The means used to cross the river at that time proved to be very poor.

“Frontera House” Hotel facilities weren’t the best, but resulted consonant with the location. Bear in mind that until recently, this was a very remote site, where access, even in 4x4 vehicles was very difficult.

After solving the accommodation issue, they went downtown, where they decided to have dinner at a pizzeria located at the main Square. Seeing that the menu displayed four different pizza sizes, they asked the waitress to de scribe them. They learned that a small pizza is the smallest of them all, that the medium pizza is a little larger than the small one and smaller than a large pizza, which in turn, is smaller than the giant size. Once this was understood, they set out to dinner.

For more, and additional photos of this day, please click here.

 

[4x4x4doors]

I'm thoroughly enjoying this. Thank you for sharing. I am also enjoying the side comments regarding reactions of the locals and your perspective on the hotels and cafes and the beautiful pictures. Keep it going.

 

[hks3sgte]

This means that $1 gets you 26.32 gallons of 95 octane unleaded

:Wow1:

BTW, that 200 looks GREAT! ... and seems to be at home on the dirt

 

[Tucan viajero]

Thanks for the kind comments.

Yes . Gasoline is really cheap down here, but don't think that's necessarily a good thing.

As for the way the 200 series looks, I'll be the first to admit it's quite weird, but in a small country where almost 20,000 people were murdered last year, and living in a city where around 6 express kidnappings take place every week (not to mention the standard kind) one hopes an attention grabbing somewhat battered look in an otherwise quite attractive and expensive vehicle, might just help keep criminals away... Hopefully...

 

[Tucan viajero]

Caracas to Cusco in 7 days. Day 7

Friday December 09, 2,011
From Iñapari to Cusco
Distance: 445 miles (716 Km.)
Total Time: 10 hours y 48 minutes
Average Speed: 19,3 mph (31 Km/h)
Top Speed: 84.5 mph (136 Km/h)

The front of the Frontera House Hotel, where they spent the night in Iñapari.

Iñapari’s Main Square.

Arriving to the Brazilian Customs and Immigration facilities in Assis Brasil, on the Braziliian-Peruvian border.

Despite the clear prohibition (to have dark tinted windows) our travelers had no problem during the thousands of kilometers driven in Peru. Surely this was because they were tourists driving a vehicle with foreign license plates.

The Peruvian customs and immigration facilities.

Here they had to face a completely unexpected problem. Having completed the immigration formalities for exiting Brazil the day before, our friends started the day by handling the necessary customs arrangements to take the car out of Brazil, in order to be able to start all the paperwork to enter Peru.

When the Peruvian immigration officer noticed that the passports had been stamped the day before, he immediately expressed his disapproval, and asked where they had spent the night. According to him, having officially left Brazil the day before, and by not entering Peru, they had seemingly spent the night in some sort of stateless limbo. He explained that they would have to go back to Brazil, and request to have the passports stamped again with today’s date. After a few tense minutes in silence, the officer finally agreed to stamp the passports with a warning: “Don't you ever do this again”

A word of advice to travelers: never argue. Keeping quiet and waiting patiently is usually the best tactic to deal with any difference with the local authorities. Discussing or arguing can only bring confrontation, which is about the last thing a traveler wants when passing through foreign territory. Furthermore, it goes without saying who has everything to lose.

In these precarious buildings they saw everything. Grocery and hardware stores, workshops, lathe shops, restaurants. These people obviously are here to stay.

More than once, the Mad Max style motorcycle hordes were a cause of concerns to the travelers.

These images show what was identified as the birth of the city of New Arequipa. After the front row of poor constructions, the appreciated what appeared to be acres and acres of deforested jungle.

As Venezuelans, our friends immediately related what they saw with the increasingly frequent invasions they are seeing in their country. The great number of motorcycles moving in hordes, in the purest Mad Max style, came to be disturbing at times.

One can only wonder if this is the prelude to a Bolivarian revolution government style in Peru, after Humala’s triumph.

When wit makes up for needs. Moto-crane at work.

Lots of rain accompanied them to Puerto Maldonado, where the downpour was brutal, Moreover, the existence of many road improvement works made the information contained in the GPS devices useless, as there were many detours to avoid them, which took plenty of time to avoid or surround.

Stopping to snap this picture snapped the police curiosity.

Taking a Picture of a bridge, may be the most natural thing for those who have the fortune to grow up in a country without terrorism.. However, ina a country like Peru, where for many years the terrorist threat of groups like Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) was faced, the situation can be quite different.

When stopping their truck at a side of the road to take this photo, our travelers must have triggered enough alarms to be stopped by some heavily armed soldiers who wore “Special Forces” identification patches in their uniforms. It is hard to explain their reaction when they learned that they were foreign tourists. After repeatedly thanking our friends for visiting Peru, and shaking hands between tokens of affection and joy, they bid them farewell, adding the phrase “God Bless You” to their goodbyes. What a contrast with the stories we have heard of travelers who have visited Venezuela, where police, national guards and other so called authorities usually harass and threaten tourists seeking some bribe or worse. Nauseating!

The winding road is a gift to the eyes of those who enjoy driving.

A lame reference to a ridiculous South American TV show that shouldn’t have been included here. Sorry, but it’s impossible to translate.
¿Las famosas polleras a que hacen referencia en el conocido programa? “Yo estaba en la pollera, Srta. Laura, cuando él llegó con otra, Srta. Laura” “¡Que pase el sinvergüenza ese!”

They found many of these road signs along the road in this area. In each case, they indicated the location of an “Intangible Archeological Monument”

We understand that the intangible heritage may consist of the invisible or incorporeal things we have inherited from other cultures. Things like traditions, music, dance, myths, legends, food and dietary habits, religious beliefs and folklore, languages, idiomatic turns, science and religion, are part of what we may consider as intangible heritage of a culture.

On the other hand, when we normally use the word monument, we tend to describe works, objects and constructions that are visible and easy to touch, so to speak, of certain magnitude or size.

Which is why we didn´t find the phrase “Intangible Archeological Monument”, which our friends saw in countless signs along this road stretch, easy to understand. We googled the expression and looked for related Peruvian laws and decrees, but couldn’t find an exact definition. We ended up concluding that it would be best to replace the word monument for the words "heritage area" and leave it at that.

These gasoline trucks, with their tanks truncated to create a flat surface where cargo, livestock and/or passengers can be transported, as seen in this photo, were very common when this road was just a trail in the jungle.

The highest point reached during this trip, 15492 feet above sea level.

There was some sort of event or meeting at one side of the road. Of note is the colorful traditional attire of women.

And the first llama they saw on this trip made its appearance.

Upon arrival to Cusco, it looked like all the streets were in the process of being improved, repaired or embellished. Of course, the aspect was terrible and the traffic atrocious. But as they approached the city center, the scene began to change, and they realized that they were in a special, almost magical place.

And yes, they made it in just 7 days, as planned!


For more, and additional photos of this day (lots of them), please click here, here, here and here...

 

[UK4X4]

"As for the way the 200 series looks, I'll be the first to admit it's quite weird, but in a small country where almost 20,000 people were murdered last year, and living in a city where around 6 express kidnappings take place every week (not to mention the standard kind) one hopes an attention grabbing somewhat battered look in an otherwise quite attractive and expensive vehicle, might just help keep criminals away... Hopefully... "

Thats funny when I lived in Maturin I did the same thing - I had the dirtiest truck in the whole town ! the only time I washed it was when I took it to the mechanics as he refused to work on it unless I cleaned it -

 

[Tucan viajero]

Thats funny when I lived in Maturin I did the same thing - I had the dirtiest truck in the whole town ! the only time I washed it was when I took it to the mechanics as he refused to work on it unless I cleaned it -

So you lived in Maturin, and now are in Bogota. Interesting, to say the least. Right now, people in Maturin are having a hard time since an oil spill seems to have contaminated the Guarapiche River, which is the main source of drinking water to the city. The government states that this is just a political move from its adversaries, and that the water is ok. Meanwhile, as I’m sure you can imagine, faucets down there have been dry for quite a long time.

 

[Tucan viajero]

Caracas to Cusco in 7 days. Day 8

Saturday December 10, 2,011
One day stay in Cusco
Distance: 0 miles (0 Km.)
Total Time: 0 hours and 0 minutes
Average Speed: 0 mph (0 Km/h)
Top Speed: 0 mph (0 Km/h)

Having arrived to Cusco on schedule, and fascinated by what they saw the night before when they entered the city, our friends decided it would be nice to take a day off.

Even though they had decided to stay in Cusco today in order to know a little more about this fantastic city, the time was right to take care of the truck’s scheduled maintenance at the local Toyota dealer. Perhaps because it was Saturday, the dealer was bustling with activity. The workshop was crammed with cars. As they had no appointment, they had to ask the shop foreman to please consider their situation as tourists in transit that needed to continue their trip the next day. This request was gladly acknowledged, and in a little over an hour, the Land Cruiser had fresh oil and filter in its engine and its five tires rotated.

It was interesting to watch all the activity at the sales floor while they were at the dealership. They witnessed the delivery of a dozen new cars, mainly Hilux and Yaris sedans. In a free economy, people are entitled to do or buy whatever they want with the money they earn with their effort. This marks an interesting contrast with the restrictions and exchange controls imposed by the inept, corrupt and dictatorial banana government that is destroying our country.

Cusco is a city in southeastern Peru. It’s the capital of the Department of Cusco, and appears in the Peruvian constitution as the country’s historic capital. It was the capital of the Inka Empire, and one of the most important cities in the Viceroyalty of Peru. In 1,983 it was declared an UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Inka legends indicate that it was founded by Manco Capac, and until today, the center of the city retains many buildings, plazas and streets of the pre-Columbian era, as well as colonial buildings.

So much for the formal description of this amazing city. It’s almost impossible to describe the atmosphere that can be felt and breathed here. A city like so many others with a lot of old buildings, but that doesn’t have the stench of old stuff.

In Cusco, the old only serves as a setting for a place full of life. Many young people from all over the world converge here to walk the Inka Trail, sharing their vitality and energy with the city.

In Cusco, life on the streets, shops, restaurants, people, vibrates with a dynamism that contrasts, without clashing, with the ancient remains of past civilizations. Simply put, it’s a fantastic city that everyone should visit.

Cusco’s main square.

None of these photographs manages to convey the atmosphere that transpires in this beautiful city.

When taking a stroll downtown and around the Main Square, you’ll find many people offering massages (euphemism used in some of our countries for engaging in the exchange of sexual activities for money). But in this case, this is nothing like that. It’s common for people to return with bruises and sore after the Inka Trail journey, any other of the many excursions available in the area, or just walking all day in the city. Massages are supposed to help relax muscles and aid recovery after these activities.

They realized that in Cusco, no matter where you look, you can see more than one church. Is it because the conquerors wanted to be absolutely sure that not a single native remained unconverted to their faith?

Cusco’s flag.

For the ailments that can be produced by the high altitude of Cusco and its surroundings, it’s common to find these two solutions. Coca candies, which because of their content of this plant’s extract and honey, promise to alleviate “soroche” or altitude sickness and to provide energy and vitality to those who eat them. Also found in stores in Cusco, these cans of oxygen have caps that double as breathing masks to administer the gas.

The narrow streets of the city are meant to be explored. Many of them hide interesting shops to see, restaurants in which the delicious Peruvian food can be tasted, inner yards of great beauty and endless things to discover.

What to do in Cusco? In Cusco there are major architectural attractions, churches, old houses, museums, art, fine restaurants, walking, hiking, extreme sports, shopping, and lots of people willing to treat you with warm cordiality.

Cusco is also the city of bargaining. Here, you should learn the art of haggling and never pay the price you’ll be initially asked for anything you want to buy. People here are used to it, and our guess is that the prices of many things you’ll find on the streets are inflated in anticipation of the bargaining they expect from customers.

Cusco also serves as departing point for excursions to Machu Pichu, and many other attractions that surround it. Taking a short stroll in the city is enough to find many agencies and tour operators that offer tours and excursions to all those places.

Being tired and able to get away from it all, is always the best sleeping aid.


For more about Cusco, and many more additional photos of this day, and I mean many, please click here, here, here and here.

 

[boozewz]

Hey Tucan, fantastic adventure:smiley_drive:

Thanks for taking the time to share this (and massive kudos for translating it!)

Question: How did the 71 shortie manage all those great distances between fuel stops on only 90L fuel capacity? Was a larger tank installed, or fuel stops were not an issue?

 

[gr1910]

"As for the way the 200 series looks, I’ll be the first to admit it’s quite weird, but in a small country where almost 20,000 people were murdered last year, and living in a city where around 6 express kidnappings take place every week (not to mention the standard kind) one hopes an attention grabbing somewhat battered look in an otherwise quite attractive and expensive vehicle, might just help keep criminals away... Hopefully... "

I think the numbers you got there are quite wrong... at least with the kidnappings... I at least have 5 close friends that had been "express kidnapped".... hopefully we can have a change in the upcoming elections...

Personally I have a 90 series cruiser (not very expensive) and I still dont use it as my daily driver... Just want to avoid bad situations for my family / friends if something happens to me..

in the next week (semana santa) i will be traveling to the Gran Sabana... I will try to make a thread for you guys to see that there are also good things about Venezuela

If someone wants to stop by the country just make sure to have someone local to show you around... there is plenty of forums that you could find people that will help you... so nothing happens to you..!