FREE WHEEL
Riding High
- Published: 10 May 2012 at 00.00
- Newspaper section: Life
My husband and I are keen mountain bikers and recently when we started planning our honeymoon, we aimed to tick one item off our bucket list as well as get some epic riding in. We agreed on Machu Picchu in Peru and we booked the Inca Trail ride, operated by Sacred Rides, a Canadian company. It is an eight-day adventure that takes a one-day break from biking to visit the Machu Picchu ruins. Perfect.
Fast forward a few months and two long-haul flights and we find ourselves in Lima, the bustling capital of Peru overlooking the Pacific Ocean _ the starting point for our bike trip. We acquaint ourselves with the delicious local cuisine (ceviche) and the national drink (Pisco Sour cocktail), while counting down to our bike ride. There is, as with most group activities, a moment of nervous anticipation. Have I bitten off more than I can chew? Will I be able to keep up with the group? Will everyone else be a demon on the bike? I'll find out soon.
Day one sees us shaking hands with our eight fellow riders and our two Peruvian guides, Wayo and Miguel. After the bike assembly and a briefing, we take the van to Pachacamac outside Lima for an afternoon ride. My fears are quickly laid to rest _ as with most groups, there are various abilities and everyone's pretty laidback about waiting for each other. The ride is technical, but fun _ it follows a dry riverbed with small ups and downs and jumps. The area we ride is very different from what we're used to in Thailand. There is almost no vegetation on the upper parts and it resembles a moonscape. We're still out there when the sun sets and it results in some spectacular photos. A great day.
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