bikes view in Arica

David needs food after the border crossing to Peru

coast line parking at the Pazific of Peru

coast line riding

Kurt is more then happy riding in Peru

fun at the grifo (gas station) next to Puerto Inca In Peru

sun set at the Pazific

salt water pool at the Hotel in Puerto Inca

Nazca lines from the watch tower

Schuberth helmet in Nazca

more lines !! great !!

up the road to higher pieks

photo stop in the mountains

next to the road - Guanacos

amazing flora

next stop Chaluhanca

morning fill up in Abancay

local little sales man at a view point

yes, its full again...Ollantaytambo is waiting for us - Micheal enjoys the ride

Ollantaytambo off the beaten track

train to...

....right!!! Machu Picchu

boarding the train

last stop of train: town of Machu Picchu also known as Aguas Calientes

speachless!!

tempel in Machu Picchu

doorway - finest stone working

amazing Inca city

Quipu - Inca communication

candle ligth dinner in Cusco

Cusco local market - wunderfull

all you need can be find here

fresh from the fields

until the exit the offer goes

handycrafts at the market

ceremonial pottery

coca leafs for fresh mate de coca

old doorway next time Inca wall

fountain next to our hotel in Cusco

all together for te night drink

Wall of Sacsayhuaman ruines

Sacsayhuaman

big blocks at Sacsayhuaman

zig-zag wall at Sacsayhuaman

Glen at the watch tower

traditional street parade in Cusco

"Abra la Raya" - Pass on the way from Cusco to Puno

tour guide Mirko on the pass

lake titicaca

boat trip to the floating islands

reed islands in the Lake Titicaca

group sets food in the reed island

traditional reed boat waiting for a ride

reed boat trip

b/w photos for imaging the old days

tour guide Milan climbing the watch tower

bizarre stone formations on the way from Puno to Arequipa

one if the hight altitude lakes 4444m !!!!

4812m - higher point of our trip

Condors in the Colca Canyon

one if the biggers birds worldwide - Andean Condor

Arequipa is only the short from of the real name:

"Villa de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción del Valle Hermoso de Arequipa"

sun set in Arequipa city center

some drinks at the hotel with Linda , Richard and Glen

Martin with our local mechanic Victor

happy after the day ride - Franz

night is comming in Arequipa

so nice...the night is comming

famous church entrance Arequipa

architecture style call: "Arequipa Schoole"

beautiful ornaments

local handycraft market

Incas vs. Conquistadors

last option for gifts made in Peru

even in autumn time it is beautifil here

backyard impression

banner of Peru

street life in Arequipa

working in the street

"Escarabajo" the famous beetle

Placa de Armas - City Center of Arequipa

Colonial style house in Arequipa

it seams that 80% of all cars are Taxis !!!

off road bike of the local police

Linda and Richard

group parking at a view point

handycraft shopping at the road side

22nd, May: Last riding day from Arequipa to Arica.

Back to where we started from. We have to leave early in the morning - today's agenda contains border crossing from Peru to Chile. But before there are some hundreds km to do. Leaving Arequipa at dawn is easy. Straight out of the city we climb a pass named Cerro Verde to join with the Panamericana South. Here the land scape is mainly desert. Sand and rocks until the horizon. Only some river valleys are cutting the aridness with it's agriculture plantations, small towns and water streams. Fast we make progress and after lunch we arrive on the last City before the Border - Tacna. Yes, we had his border before so it's always vise to come early. This time the Peru side with again stamps, officials and bureaucracy is fast ongoing. But when we reached the border to Peru - surprise, surprise - we face a customs strike! Busloads of people are waiting for the luggage check. Only a slight movement of the queues can be noticed. Victor, our local mechanic and doing its best to talk to the customs officer to find a way to speed up our crossing. "Siempre hay un camino" - there is always a way! Finally, all 15min five riders can pass and go in to Chile!! Good to have someone speaking the right language!!!

At about 18.00p.m. we arrive at the Hotel in Arica. All are very happy and liked the trip much!! Handover of the motorcycles are not nun of a deal - luckily we have no accidents!

At 08:30h we meet for the last dinner. Long lasting talks of what we saw, reached and liked take place. Also we prepared a small "birthday party" for one of our clients had been prepared by the guides! Surprisingly for the guest too - we made a traditional Piñata filled with sweets.

After a long night sitting together we called it a night.

Good trip back home and we hope we see you guys back on an other ride with Edelweiss.

21st, May: Free Day in Arequipa

Today everyone is happy to walk around the city on his own. Here are lot of sites to explore: Monastery Santa Catalina, Mundo Alpaca (Museum of Alpacas), Piso Museum, Cathedral, local food market, handicraft stores,...as this is our last day in Peru it's a good place to find gifts to bring home.

20th, May: Condors and Cayons - Chivay to Arequipa

Yes, yesterday we talk about the early birds...today we want to see them! in the morning half the group ride to the view point "Mirador de Condor" others us a private bus shuttle. At 07:30h the air head up the canyon and the gigantic Condors use the upstream to gain altitude. Fist one and two....four...finally almost everywhere in the sky we see them...unforgettable how easy they move in the air...

After the Condors we get bet Chivay to climb again the same pass as yesterday to head for Arequipa - "The white city". Her name based on the fact that she was founded by the Spanish Conquistadors and the population was in light tanned than the Incas. Arequipa has three mountains in sight. One of it is a perfect shield vulcan named Misti. From hundred kilometer distance we can watch him coming closer and closer.

The ride from the suburbs to city center is again a good example of South American traffic....but we had that before and by 25 degrees and sunny shy we arrive in our hotel next to the main square of Arequipa.

19th, May: Floating Island and Puno to Chivay

You know about the early birds, right? Today we wake them up! 6:30a.m. We meet to get on the boat to visit the Floating Islands in Lake Titicaca. An old tribe living hundreds of years, even before the Incas occupied the area, lived on islands made of reed. Some of the island have 50m in diameter, containing various houses for its inhabitants and are towed together with island of other families. Daily live seams to be very hard for us but in the national park the families can find most of their needs: food, basically fish, ducks, other birds and the fresh reed trunks...only once by a while they buy provisions in the city. Community islands offer school and medical service. Income is mainly gained from tourism. After a ride on one of the Rees boats we return to our hotel to get dressed for our trip from Puno to Chivay.

Leaving Puno on a bumpy side road to avoid again passing Juliaca we ride the main road towards Arequipa. Fantastic scenery, winding roads and pass-like ups and downs through the high lands of south Peru results in smiling faces of all our guests. Highlight of the day is the Hughes point of our trip: almost 4900m altitude with an unforgettable view of an smoking vulcan!! and it's like every time after the arrival at our hotel: "this was the best day of the trip!"

...bust there is alway more to come!!!

18th, May: Lago Titicaca - here we come!

Best thing on leaving Cusco in morning traffic is that you know you do right! Going in seams to be impossible! Three laines occupied by 2 cars, 1 bus and an uncountable number of "Moto-Taxis" - know as "tuc-tucs" from India - are tapping the streets like cork a good bottle of wine. Young police officers try to get the mass sorted out - not way.

After fueling the bikes we start ride though the nice vellay and high land area next to the Cordillera Vilcanota. This is mail Inca territory. Here and there old ruines and the town we pass still have there Quechua names. Perfect winding road lead to our daily highlight: the pass Abra de Raya 4312m altitude! Surrounded by glacier and snow topped mountains as well as from Peruvian handicraft sellers we do our goup pic...hopefully South American Internet speed will give me the chance to upload some photos.

2nd highlight of the day is to cross the city of Juliaca! Dust, dirt, pot holes and unpredictable drivers are the best way to describe how it is to pass it. That's Peru too!!

An hour later we arrive in Puno, the biggest city at the Lake Titicaca.

17th, May: day trip to surrounding pats of Cusco

Let's face it: Cusco is worth staying for days! Buts not only the city. The outer parts are to be visited to. Unspeakable ruin complexes are waiting for us. A private bus will take us to the sides Sacsaywaman, Quenko, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay. All can be reached on an 3h excursion and have to part of a trip to these area.

Later the day the holy place of the Coricancha is only a walk away. It's the main temple of the Inca religion, overbuild by a church, as most of the Inca structures, inside its still as it was when the conquistadores came here 500 years ago.

16th, May: Ollantaytambo - Cusco

This ride is a short one so we set the daily briefing to 10:00a.m. Much appreciate by the guest!!!

Half an hour later we start the engines. The scenery along the Rio Urubamba and Rio Vilcanota is spectacular. Left and ride the mountains rise up hundreds of meters. Up to their pikes you can still imagine the farming terraces, the lower parts well maintained and "in use", higher parts show only the rotten stone lines. On the side of the street the local farmers dry the corncobs. It's harvest time and the special maize growing here is light yellow in the size of thumbnails.

We make a siting stop at Pisac. Another old Inca empire city. We'll know for its local silver and handicraft market. Got place for shopping. Crossing the bridge the over the river the winding streets brings us to Cusco. Good bye Sacred Valley! We head for the old Inca capitol.

Arriving early to our hotel everyone has the chance to walk the city on their own. Cisco is amazing. The mixture of Inca walls overbuild by Spanish houses, historic places and modern shops as well as upper class restaurant next to local food stores can only be seen here: The heard of the Inca Empire! If you ever com to Peru Cusco is a must seen place.

15th, May: Train ride and trip to Machu Picchu

Early in the morning we need to walk to the train station of Ollantaytambo. The Inca train is waiting for us and we are following the river to Aguas Calientes where we take the bus up to the ruins of Machu Picchu.

They speak for themselves:

14th, May: Chalhuanca - Ollataytambo

Wake up call at 5.00a.m. As we had to pass the city of Abancay before a local protest starts. We reached at 7:15a.m. after a nice valley ride and found out that the locals very still busy to bring their children to school

Therefore we head on to the direction of Cusco. Perfect winding roads with amazing views from top points make everyone happy and smiling when we stop. Some 30km before Cuzco we take the exit to the mountain route to the Urubamba vellay. Last stop at a great view point some 100 meters above the river we can imagine how live in the Inca times was: all mountains ranges are full of agriculture terraces some reach up to the top.

As we heard the the locals a doing steer protest as well here, we were not surprised that the street was covered with sand, stones, plants and what every they could find to break the traffic. No problem to pass the blocking with the bike, but as we wanted to pass a bridge blocked with two heavy stone some locales helped us pulling them by the side to make way for our support can...

Finally we arrived in the city of Ollantaytambo. It's the end of the street as well as the starting point of our train ride to Machu Picchu tomorrow.

13th, May: Nasca - Chaluanca

Today we have to leave the coast area behind and use the inland "highway" to the direction of Cuzco. As we have to climb up 3 passes over 4300m when have to do it step by step. The land side in the mountain are spectacular and the road have never ending curves!!!!

12th, May: Puerto Inca - Nasca

As today is a short ride we have time to visit the inca ruins next to our hotel. The distance to Nasca is about 170km short, but in the evening we have the flight prepared to the the Nasca Lines. Oír hotel is locales un the middle of the city. As we have some time to kill we went on with the bikes to the view tower some 25km away. More closer you can't get to the Lines!

Returning to the hotel it's time to find something light to eat for lunch. Those who fear the bumpy plain ride later can jump in the hotel pool.

Picked up by a private bus we went to the airport and jump in the small plains. 30-40min flying above the Nasca Lines are impressive and we got an ideal if how much work it took to construct them.

11th, May: Moquegua - Puerto Inca

From Moquegua the Panamerican takes us in an spectacular inland road to the direction of Arequipa. Up and down the river valley we pass by the olive plantations.

Turning at the town Reparticion back to the to cost we found why we are here: curves, curves and more curves!! One side the the ocean cliffs other side the sand dunes. Itching you need more when riding your bike!!! Spectacular!!

Arriving at the our Hotel in an old Inca port everyone is happy to reach this just just by sun set.

Meeting day and hand over of the bikes - that's how we prepare them

Bikes of the Peru Tour a well sorted out and ready for our guests!

09th, May 2015: Arrivel Day in Chile...

better know as: "I am here, where is my bike and where are the KEYS - let's ride NOW!!!"

Arica, northern Chile is our staring point for this phantastic Edelweiss motorcycle tour to explore one of the nicest countries in South America: Peru. It's hard to never have heared about it: Nasca, Cuzco, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, The Floting Island, Arequipa....you name it!!! Riding your bike through Peru is hard to beat: wunderful mountain roads, curves, from sea level to high altitude passes, 15000 years human history, Andean food style and more...checkmate!!

I like to welcome our tour guest personally as they are here to make this great tour happen:

Micheal Ben-Yair, Hana Ben-Yair, Julie Bergman, Carl Bergman, David Bowman, Franziska-Xaver Bücker, Angela Bücker-Hoorn, Linda Dufour, Roland Grott, Susanne Grott, Richard Lafleur, Glen McLeod, Metthias Pelz, Andrea Pelz, Martin Shipman and Kurt Wagner.

We from Edelweiss Bike Travel wish you great experience and good riding!!

Cheers from your Tourguide,

Mirko Heilhecker