Around the Block 2007

Weīre in PERU !!!  We are in a little town called Moho (almost like the word "wet" in Spanish) on the backside of Lake Titicaca.  Luke had 2 falls today, but is OK. Our goal was Juliaca, but let me give you an idea why we didnīt quite make it...

Decided last night that weīd better "go the back way" as we need to "sneak" the motos back into Peru as they exited without all the proper paperwork (remember "Run for the Border" ...).  We are almost on empty, but there are no gas stations at the bottom of the funnel (La Paz) so we climb our way out and take the Airport/Copacabana turn off before we get fuel.

Once full we head towards Lake Titicaca.  We are happy to find that it is "paved" almost halfway to the Peruvian border....  It is a somewhat sunny day, but the wind is coming down off the huge peaks to our right and we are struggling to stay upright and on the road....  A small on-coming bus at 60 mph swerves into my lane (either dodging the holes in the pavement, or deliberately trying to kill me)....  I have to drive off the road to avoid it as Luke watches from behind...  My first thot as I realize I just avoided death is Luke behind me....  He saw what happened and got WAY out of the bus' path!

We get fuel where the asphalt runs out (not realizing it will be our last today) and ask how far it is to the border.  "Not far, but it will take you 3 hours.." is the reply.  "Couldn't be" is our thot....

We soon find that it is more than true.  The "road" turns into the "path to the end of the world".  Beautiful scenery on this side of the lake, but by the time we reach Puerto Acosta (closest town to the border) it is almost dark and Lukeīs rack has broken AGAIN and we are REALLY cold.  We find a customs outpost entering town, but it it closed.  I bang on the door and get the watchman to at least receive the moto papers and stamp my copies...

The police in the town square know nothing about emigrations so I guess we will leave Bolivia without stamps.  They assure us that all will be well on the Peruvian side just 15 km up the road....

This is NOT a road!  Darkness comes quickly as we "fight" our way along a path over the mountains, at least we are headed west towards the failing light.  Luke with his hard saddlebag with broken rack, now tied to his seat, barely has anywhere to sit.  We reach a small town and ask if we are in Peru... not yet!  Another hour (and 2 falls in the 6 inch thick dust with rocks in it) and we THINK we are at the border.  There is a chain at the edge of this abandoned town and then a "no-manīs-land" looking area after.  No one is around so we go around the chain and head across the flat wondering if there might be land mines...

On the other side we find signs (but no people... this is really erie..) that indicate that we are in Peru.  there should be a police station soon.....  You guessed it: No police station anywhere... no immigrations... no customs.... just little andean towns at 4,000 mt beside the lake...

No police, and 2 hours of darkness later we wander into this little town square.  We have just been "holding on" and canīt go another mile.  At least there are people and they tell us we are in Moho.  Hoping to find a place to stay we run into this monstrosity 5-story hotel right on the plaza!  It seems like a dream because this just shouldn't be (talk about a white elephant!), but we are just happy to be bedded tonight in Peru!  Tomorrow we will figure out where to go from here....

NEXT DAY: day38mojotojuliaca.htm

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