Report of 30 of July
Report by Karin and Simon

The Model T is repaired, a last picture before we leave and off we go.

departure 

We drive over a magnificent plateau on 12,000 ft, with sometimes a pass of 12,000 ft. In the distance we see snow on the mountaintops. Dirk enjoys his ride and feels fine. It is hard work for the T-Ford, but also for these women here!

snow

Dirk

women 

In the distance we see dark clouds and Trudy and Dirk prepare for the worst. The only thing we get is whet snow, also special.

preparing 

After a long day we find a hotel with garage in Ayaviri, no hot water but WIFI is available, so Dirk can work on the website.

Report of 28 and 29 July
Report by Karin and Simon

After returning in Cusco Dirk inspects the condition of the Model T before we travel on.

inspection 

He discovers the next serious problem: the middle lining of the crank shaft bearing is broken and we definitely can’t start the next day. Dirk and Simon are working the whole day to solve the problem. The cars are on a good place to work. Fortunately the weather is nice and children are playing around us in the village, where we can stay for another night.

cars

children 

The next day the new made crank shaft bearing is put back in the car. Trudy and Karin are going to Cusco for some sight seeing, and when we return we hear that we can leave the next day! The tyres, which still lay in Lima, will be send to La Paz.

repair 1

repair 2

repair 3

Report of 27 July
Report by Karin and Simon

Today we go to Machu Picchu, the pick-up is at 5 o’clock, after a train-journey of 1.5 hour and a bus (there was a long row waiting for the bus) we reach the top. What an overwhelming view: all the houses, temples and terraces high between the mountains.

Machu Picchu 1

Machu Picchu 2

At the end of the day we go back to Ollantaytambo. There is a slight problem with our hotel, but eventually we find a place to sleep. Next morning we go back to Cusco.

Report of 25 and 26 July
Report by Karin en Simon

Before we leave the car gets some regular every day’s maintenance.

Maintenance 

After departure to Cusco it starts to rain. The cap is put on the car and going higher in the mountains there is more fog. The whole day there will be some rain and sun.

rain 

Despite of the rain it is a beautiful drive, with a lot of hair-pin bends and even snow on the mountain tops. We are crossing a few mountain-passes of more than 4000 meter, and it feels like we are “on top of the world “.

Crew on the top 

At the end of the morning we arrive at a roadblock. There is maintenance on the road, and eventually we have to wait for almost 2 hours. By change Dirk discoverers that a bolt is broken of the triangle. This has to get fixed, so we have to go looking for a garage.

Bolt 

If we drive on, the road is still bad for a while, and we drive in the dust and between a lot of busses and trucks.

road 

We won’t make Cusco today, and after asking around we find a hotel in Izouchaca- Anta, with on the opposite of the street a garage for the cars. Absolutely splendid!
After a simple meal in a kind of family restaurant we go to bed. Tomorrow we go on looking for a new bolt.
The next morning Dirk and Simon go with the owner of the garage to a shop, with no result. Than we go and after one hour we see a big factory: “Caterpillar”. Dirk goes to the entrance and after legitimating he and Simon go into the factory. After a search someone finds the wright bolt, and while everybody is looking Dirk puts the new bolt in place. End well all well!

Bolt 1

Bolt 2 

At the end of the morning we finally arrive in Cusco, where there is a lot to do on the streets.

Cusco

Market 

From Caterpiller we got an address of a shop where we can buy some spare bolts. With the Garmin we find the shop and the correct bolts.

New Bolts 

With help of a taxi we find the SOS Childrens village in Cusco and after some phone calls we speak the director. We can stay here for a few days, we get two nice rooms and even the use of a kitchen.

SOS village Cusco 

At the end of the day we go to Cusco, to arrange the trip to the Machu Picchu. It is very busy because of a national celebration day Monday, and fortunately we can arrange to go to Machu Picchu on Sunday and go back on Monday.

Report 24 July
Report by Simon and Karin

We are leaving Chinchero and continue our way to Cusco over highway 3S. First we fill up our tanks, they count in gallons and a litre is costing on average USD 0.60

Gas station 1

Gas station 2 

There are a lot of things to see on the road, photos speak for themselves.

on the road 1

on the road 2

on the road 3 

When we have our coffee break Dirk has to do some small maintenance, a Peruvian man and wife stop to admire the Model T. Spontaneously he offers us some medicinal tea leaves.

maintenance 1

maintenance 2

Tea 

We continue our trip and are amazed by the animals we see.

animals 1

animals 2

Condor

Woman 

Within short there are elections for regional presidents, the political parties paint their party symbols and names on walls.

election 1

election 2 

After many hours we arrive at the next city, Abancay, where we sleep overnight.

panorama

Report 23 July
Report by Simon and Karin

The next day we leave Ayacucho and are heading for Cusco, the cars were parked on the inner square of the hotel so it took some effort to get them to the street.
It is nice sunny weather and the first thing what strikes us is the attention the Model T attracts.
People in the street take their smart phones and try to take a photo of the car. Especially policemen find it very funny to stop Trudy and Dirk in order to take a photo of the car and themselves!

police control 1

Police control 2 

The road we are driving on leads us over mountain tops of 4300 to 4500 meters high, the view is breathtaking.

Garmin

on the road 1

on the road 2

cow ahead

Dirk

on top 

In the early evening we reach Chincero were we are lucky to find a place to rest and where the cars can be stalled behind a fence. We rent two rooms for the incredible amount of USD 4 each.

Hotel Chinchero

room chinchero

Report 22 July
Report by Simon and Karin

After a journey of 53 hours, by airplane from Amsterdam via Madrid and Lima to Cusco and from Cusco by night bus to Ayacucho, we, Karin and Simon, finally arrive at the hotel were we are warmly welcomed by Trudy and Dirk. After we refreshed ourselves we are invited to stick our names on car we will drive the coming four weeks.

Sticker

Sticker on car 

Dirk handed over the keys and asked us to take good care of the car.

Keys 

In the evening we went to see the historical centre of Ayacucho, this city has an old university which was established in 1677. Ayacucho is situated at an altitude of 2750 meters and counts 150.000 inhabitants. In the centre there are beautiful churches decorated in the European Rococo style with lots of gold plated ornaments. There is also a central square surrounded by streets with houses in the colonial Spanish style with wonderful balconies. We find a restaurant on the first floor with a nice view on the square and enjoy our first Peruvian meal after which we are glad to see our beds in the hotel.

Hotel

Report 21 July
Report by Trudy.

Today we have a day of rest in Ayacucho, waiting for our new crew Karin and Simon.
They will arrive tomorrow by bus from Cusco.

Report 20th July
Report by Trudy

After breakfast we say good bye to Benno and Thecla. They go by bus from Ayacucho to Cusco, because we have not enough time to reach Cusco by car to get their flight to Holland.

depart 

We say thanks to Benno and Thecla for the 4 wonderful weeks traveling with them.
In the mean time our new team, Simon and Karin are on their way from Holland to Peru.
They will come by bus from Cusco to Ayacucho.
Dirk has time to prepare the Model T for the next part of our tour through Peru and Bolivia.

maintenance

Report 19th July
Report by Benno en Thecla

This morning the whole surrounding is ped in fog.
That’s why it wasn’t cold last night but wet.
We slept at 12,000 ft. and it costs a lot of energy to do things at this high.
We started early and at 7.45 AM the Model T is ready to go.
After about half an hour we see a sign of Ayacucho, the place where we have to go today.
We drove the hole morning in the fog, snow or rain.

snow 1 

It is a strange world where we are diving in.

snow 2 

In the middle of know where when we are driving a long time between 12,000 and 13,000 ft. there suddenly is a busy market in the village Tucocasa.

market 

We have to drive with the cars through this chaos and that looks beautiful.
The whole day we drive without stops, to reach Ayacucho before dark.
We drive through deep valleys an go down 6,000 ft.

lower 

And than we got a desvio ( a diversion) of more than 15 miles through a special landscape of cactus’s.

good road 

At 7 PM we arrive in Ayacucho in the darkness and a motor police man brought us to our hotel.

policeman 

They cars are parked save here and we can sleep well.
Unfortunately we can not drive the car to Cusco, because we have to less time.
It is about 300 miles from Ayacucho to Cusco and that is impossible in two days on dirt roads through the Andes.
So Benno and I go tomorrow by buss to Cusco.
We have made a wonderful trip the last 3 weeks from Guayaquil in Ecuador to Ayacucho in Peru with the Land Rover, the Model T and Trudy and Dirk.
We will never forget this very special adventure.
Thanks!