Greetings from Lima

It's Day 2 of the trip, 12 midnight and all's well. Our group arrived safe and sound last night - one from Boulder and 11 from Vancouver. All the bikes arrived and all our bags. From Vancouver we flew to Toronto, 4.5 hours, then onto Lima which was 8.5 hours - all in all a smooth day. We were met by Wayo, our host and Big Mountain guide. Wayo is a very kind person and a great guide - we are so lucky to be shown around Peru with him.
This morning we woke up here in our Lima hotel, built our bikes in the hot sun and headed out for lunch in the city. There was a peaceful protest on the streets and thousands of people walked past the restaurant chanting something. The portions were massive and we all ate way way too much. By mid-afternoon we were driving out of the city to a very very arid and mountainous area and then to an oasis-like valley for the start of our ride. What a great opener to riding in Peru! The trail started in a dry river bed that snaked along the valley floor with a smooth surface and natural hits everwhere. Then we rode up onto the side of the valley for several epic kilometers of super sweet singletrack with stunning views as the sun set. After a few cervezas we got back in the van and drove back to Lima for a superb dinner - an all you can eat buffet with everything from steak to pasta to sushi to pizza and more. It was unreal. OK, time for bed now, we're getting up at 5 AM and driving to 3500 meters of so for a 56 km downhill that ends on the Atlantic. Yea, that's right - the biggest downhill that i've ever ridden by a long stretch. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow...


Last light in a beautiful valley.


Brent Martin from Vancouver, owner of Ryders Eyewear...all smiles.