This was supposed to be Caraz to somewhere different. Maybe Huanuco or Oyon. However to go to Huanuco involved going over a mountain pass at 15000 ft. Then I looked at the mountains I saw this

There’s already snow there and as this is the start of the rain season at this altitude it falls as snow. OK I thought maybe I could go straight to Oyon but that involved a lot of very small back roads which might not even exist.
I have been to Yungay on my first visit to Peru. I thought I would go and visit. I remember the road was steep and rough but its a lot worse. With a loaded adventure bike I ended upside down at this corner

Maybe it doesn’t look steep but it is. A wee Peruvian woman came to help and we got the bike up facing down the hill. If we had been able to get it to the side I would have walked. However stuck in the middle of the road I decided just to go back down.

Road closed again. I’m now doing as the locals do and riding up to the front. Inside or outside I don’t mind. This time the yellow lines are being painted.

Crossing the Altiplano I came across this statue of Francis de asis

He must have come this way at some time.
A decision had been made just to stay on good tarred roads and head back to the coast.

A very small part of the down. To the middle right of the picture the valley falls away. I am heading to the coast from 12000 ft. OK the curves do stop and its a gradual run down but it would be two hours of turning.
Where to stay? A lot of the towns are not much more than a few mud built houses. Nearest decent sized town was Huacho. Not desperately busy roads just slow moving lorries, beautiful fast moving buses I’m sure stagecoach would be envious of, mototaxis that seem to go anywhere and of course the speed bumps. Imagine the choas if there were speed bumps every few miles down the M90 in groups of two.
The first hotel I saw looked OK. £8 per night. It had a garage so that’s good. There is a restaurant but it doesn’t start serving til 7.30 pm so I walk into the centre. It’s just cars and mototaxis tooting horns, sirens going off and music shops blaring music into the street. And of course the policeman blowing his whistle.

They don’t really do Christmas trees though. It’s easy to find a place to eat. Main course about £2.50 but if you want a dessert and coffee £1.50 you’ll probably need to go a few doors up to another cafe. Not many places seem to do both.

Not sure what is was called but it tasted good. Of course I stand out being the only gringo as I’m not really on the main tourist places. No trouble so far.