Posts
RobT: We have beautiful sunshine this morning. It looked like it was going to be a decent riding day - sure! Not with that little black cloud hanging over my head. An hour down the road we were into rain ... again ... and hail, up at 4,000 meters (13,500 feet). But the good news is that it cleared up at a little later when we hit the altiplano - high plains.
RobC riding the dirt on the altiplano at about 13,000 feet.
RobC: Vicuñas, a protected species of the smallest of the three Peruvian camelids: llamas, alpacas, vicuñas. The Peruvian government used to guard and protect the remaining vicuña herds in the altiplano, but the natives continued to poach them for meat, until the government came up with the idea to have the natives guard and care for the animals in return for the profits from their annual wool sheering. Problem solved.
RobT: The road on the altiplano was one of the most scenic rides yet, which lead down into the valley through 20 km (13 miles) of switch backs and hairpin curves. Amazing!!
RobC admiring the scenery ... once again.
A house along the road. Typical of what we have seen.
Looking into the valley below.
RobC lost his mind for a second thinking he was a mountain goat or something ... using some pampas grass as a perch, trying to get a different angle for a photo.
Riding on the twisty gravel road.
Mountain village along the route to Andahuaylas.
We had lunch here, soup with a chicken foot in it. Interesting building with a very uneven dirt floor, plastic sheeting covering the ceiling (I suppose it leaked), a generator inside and farm animals running around inside the restaurant. Those are the bathrooms behind RobC ... the kind he likes [to avoid] so much.
Arrived in Andahuaylas in the rain and cold, after having driving many miles on slippery pre-paving road construction. Seems like a recurring theme lately. Man, were we cold and wet. It was one of those rains that was not heavy but persistent and nasty. We found the hotel RobC stayed at with his son Miguel last summer when they did a ride here. We even got the same room. Everything was wet with only a faint hope that some of the moisture would evaporate by morning. Nothing like starting a day in wet gear.
RobC: Today's ride was 256 km (165 miles) and took at least 10 hours. We have now done a total of 10,500 miles (16,300 km) in 8 weeks.
Familiar pictures!! And no wrong turns! All that rain, I guess you might be happy if you get to a desert.... We remember that gas station, do they remember us?? haha
ReplyDeleteHola dear friends,
ReplyDeleteI'am papá Gil the father of 29 children of the home casa hogar Los Gorriones,that we,my wife and I ,have open (founded)on 05/03/002,here in Ayacucho-Peru.
Ayacucho is the second poorest town of Peru,
and there are so many children abandonaded,who lives in the streets or under the ground in holes...using drugs and alcohol...
Our home exist now more than 8 years.
Here,there is so much to do for these children who comes from nowhere,who don't know what means love.Children who comes from nowhere...
who had no chance!
By this way,I will thank you all,and for sure our friendsRob and Rob,for the interesses you all have for the pain of the children...
I'am always touched by people like you,people who want to share with them who have nothing.
Like you know,we must share in the futur,we must see the misery of all our brothers and sisters who have no life at all.
So I will thank you and all for the helping hand you give to these children in need.
Maybe you know also that we are the onlyones who takes handicap children in Ayacucho-Peru,
we take the children that nobody wants,like very weak children,children who are ill,chil-dren in danger,children with social problems,
children with problems...To keep all these children we have high costs for medicine and for sure now that we are soon in wintertime over here.
Yes we realy need help...help us helping,more help we receive,more help we can do over here,it's as simple as this.
We are a non profit charety organisation and we've more projects we do here...
We have the project to bild our own home...
Some architects were bussy to make the plans for the construction,that we want to start in 2011 when we have the money we need.
It will be the construction of 2 casas hogares (homes),each for 25 children for each home,and a center for rehabilitation exercices for eve-ry house and a center for the poor handicap children from outside. (Carmen Alto and Vista Alegre)
There will be a library also for the children from outside,a place where we can show them good films...a place for the visiters that they can rent for a few days,to know better the project casa hogar Los Gorriones...and much more.
For the moment we live in a renthouse who is not made to live with a lot of children...and for sure not with handicap children.This pro-ject of construction is a combination of seve-rals projects together...there is a place to give meetings and so much more.
So we need help in many ways,and all help is welcome
Thank you all to be interested in what we are doing here,may God bless you and yours.
And we,little sparrows thank you again for all.
All help is welcome.
Greetings from papá Gil ,many kisses from the children !
Hasta pronto,
For more informations,you can always contact me on :
gil.54fr@gmail.com
I hope to hear of you soon.
Sin amor,nada soy!
Gil Van den Bergh,founder and director of the home :Los Gorriones
Av. Victor Fajardo nr 350
Vista Alegre/Carmen Alto
Huamanga-Ayacucho-Peru
Tel.: (066)31.97.50