Day 63/164: Paracas to Santiago Ica – 93 kilometres

900 meters climbing, and 900 meters down.

It was very cold this morning, 8 degrees, I was wearing warm gear.

The ride was pretty much rolling hills with long stretches, with a slight gradient, but with a head wind. The kind of riding I do really well. I was riding in a peloton with Shirley and Dan.

All of a sudden I heard a really weird noise from the back of my bike, and stopped to look. I had a screw stuck from one side to the other. In the time that I stopped the tyre went flat. Dan helped change it, he is really fast at changing tyres.

While we were there a bunch of riders going the other way stopped for a chat. A group of youngish guys (late 20’s?) from USA, UK, Italy and France. The one from Italy had been riding for two years. They were all self-supporting and heading to Pisco, and enjoying the tail wind.

Tyre changed, we set off again and soon came to the lunch stop.

After lunch I rode with Michelle and Tony from lunch to camp. At only 93 kilometres and no real climbing it was like a day off. We were at camp by midday. We are saying at Santiago Ica Camp.

After setting up the tents we sat around the pool chatting, and having a couple of cold beers.

I packed about 11 pairs of reading glasses to take on this trip – not expensive ones, just the two dollar shop ones, and would you believe I have none left? The arm fell off one yesterday, and could not be fixed, and today I knelt on my last good pair in my tent. Now I have one lens and sticking tape in the middle. Fingers crossed I can buy some in Nazca on our next rest day!

Dinner tonight was chicken, rice and asparagus.