03/27 Another hot one (max 105 F). Not too much in the way of tranquil desert scenery thanks to oil pumps dotting the landscape. There was a big climb a couple miles after Mancora that caught me off guard. I’m glad there was a service station at the top so I could chug down some Inca Colas. In a couple places there was a good view of the Pacific ocean and the waves crashing up on shore could be heard from miles away. After today I might not be seeing it again for a long time now that my eastward journey into the mountains begins. I didn’t ride down to see it but there’s a place called Cabo Blanco which is supposedly where Ernest Hemingway was inspired to write The Old Man and the Sea. I’m also going to miss the place just south of here that is the furthest westerly point on the South American continent.
Talara, home to the largest oil refinery in the Peru, ended up being more out of my way than I expected. The population of the city is over 100,000 so I was kind of hoping there’d be a little hostel or something at the turnoff. There was nothing and when I asked a couple guys if the little town I could see in the distance had a hostel they said no (and they’d end up being right). I’m not ready for solo camping in Peru just yet. It could be done but I don’t think it’s the safest thing to do, especially in this area. I grabbed the first place I could find but it’s about a mile from any kind of restaurant. I ended up walking to the central area, having some Chinese food and then taking a moto-taxi back. Tore my shorts getting in which sucked.
On a happy note, my knee doesn’t hurt any more than yesterday.
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