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Sunday
June 26, 2016
I saw blue sky when
walking the dogs at 6am so I decided today was the day to take Toxic on my
long-awaited ride along the Paute River.
I tried to contact another fellow to come along but he never did respond
so I went by my lonesome about 8am. The air was refreshing but I was dressed for it with my new Herederos jacket.
All in all the trip was 7.5 hours and I covered about 170 kilometers to Osoyacu and back. Ever since we rode this highway last month on the trip to Sucua I have been dying to get back and enjoy the scenery at my leisure. Riding alone, I could just take it easy and not have to worry that my frequent stops would annoy someone else.
For the most part there was very little traffic once I got past Paute. There were many rockslides and mudslides along the way but always with lots of warning. A couple of slides had boulders the size of a small car.
At one juncture I even saw snow! It apparently had been dragged down from somewhere with the mudslide.... I guess a politician was killed yesterday when a mudslide pushed her vehicle off the mountain..... Conspiracy theorists will blame the CIA, no doubt.
My biggest concern was gasoline. With only a one-gallon tank, and about a 70km range, my options were limited. I had filled up at Challuabamba, just in case and I knew there were stations in Paute. After that it was white-knuckle time if I wasn't prepared. The next station is at Sevilla de Oro and I made it there easily, but the next station was apparently at Mendez, 115 kms further, so I went another 25 kms or so and turned back.
I kept dodging the rain clouds and was pretty successful during the day overall.
The worst things to contend with was some road deterioration, and washouts. In several areas part of the road was sliding off the mountain. In one particular place a waterfall of very dirty water was coming down and had formed a huge puddle on the road. Toxic managed to navigate it easily both ways. However it was on the way back that I realized that the asphalt road was almost sitting in mid-air because the water had eroded the dirt supporting the road!! Hmmm, I don't think that I will take any bus trips along there anytime soon.... It appears that they will have to either move a heckuva lot of earth to rebuild the road, or they are going to have to put up a new bridge...
I took less shots on the way back and stopped in Palmas for a bite to eat. This is the town where we stopped on our return from the Jungle Boogie trip and a group of kids became enamored with us. Today the town seemed to be having a sports celebration in the church square.
Luckily I didn't have too many crazy drivers to contend with until the return from Paute. The mentality of the drivers here is just insane at times. They will put your life in danger to save themselves 2 seconds.
So, I am quite happy with my day's work. Remember that these are all hand-held shots.
I hope you enjoy the photos. That was the day's
excitement, Cheers,
Al
© All my work is COPYRIGHT protected and may not be used in any way without
purchase, or without my permission.
NOTE that
you may click on any photo for an ENLARGED VIEW.
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| Leaving Cuenca in the sunshine |
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| The big flat mountain we call El Tablon |
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| Another shot of El Tablon |
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| Mount Cojitambo in the distance |
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| The Josefina rockslide |
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| Blue skies and good highway into Paute |
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| The Paute River flows into the Amazon |
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| Cock of the walk at one of my many stops |
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| A shot from the bridge to go to Paute |
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| Lots of greenhouses on this trip |
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| The area around Paute is very green |
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| A waterfall near Paute |
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| Greenery, mountains and sunshine |
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| So many green mountains... |
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| Rock slide with a pretty impressive boulder |
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| I have lots of shots of this church today, seen along the route. |
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| Another huge boulder with a rockslide. |
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| The Paute River stretches off into the distance |
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| I just love this stretch of road |
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| Another major slide takes up 1/2 the road |
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| Great day for a ride. Clouds come and go. |
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| Lots of vistas of green |
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| Some folks have some great views |
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| Slide area... No way I would build on this mesa.... |
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| More greenhouses along the way |
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| And more huge boulders |
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| Lots of animals tethered along the route, some got loose. |
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| I managed to avoid any major rain |
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| Country church with a view |
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| Water dragging earth with it |
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| Here is that church again from a different angle |
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| Omg, again |
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| Yup, again |
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| More great views |
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| And yes Virginia, that was snow! |
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| No wonder I had to come back to see this... |
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| View with a church in the distance |
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| Same view, just moved over a little |
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| A cascade coming to a bridge |
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| and then going further down the mountain to the Paute |
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| Green mountains of the Andes, farmed to the summits |
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| Do you blame me for going on this wonderful trip?? |
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| Another river rushing to a bridge |
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| Then winding down to the Paute too |
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| Lots of water this year |
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| Very pretty scenery |
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| Looking back to that church across the valley |
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| Another church with a view |
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| Coming into Cayguas |
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| I still love the mountains! |
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| A few buzzards riding the thermals today |
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| Framed for your entertainment pleasure |
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| House for sale with magnificent views!! |
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| Water to go under the bridge |
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| and to come out the other side. |
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| A landscape view of the same scene |
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| Interesting junction with the Paute |
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| Coming up to Palmas |
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| Same shot, shifted left |
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| The Paute seems endless |
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| I was hoping to reach the hydroelectric plant |
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| This waterslide is creating major problems |
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| Another river to a bridge |
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| This is the worst problem I had at the waterslide. More later.. |
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| Rushing water everywhere |
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| Love this candid shot... |
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| Many people walk along the roads |
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| I keep hoping the hydroelectric plant is around the next corner |
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| Time to turn around and go back |
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| My first real view of the big problem area |
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| Notice the erosion under the road! SCARY! |
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| This waterslide is not helping matters |
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| I was glad that I was riding light today |
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| A few shots on the way back |
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| What a glorious day to take this ride! |
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| High in the Andes... |
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| Back to Palmas for a bite to eat |
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| Part of this was lunch |
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| See the support has eroded away |
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| Coming back is as nice |
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| A horse with a view |
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| Bossy is lowing.. |
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| Then she gives me that baleful stare |
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| I will have to do this again! |
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| Green, green, and more green... |
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| Some threatening clouds I avoided |
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| Not ready for you today.... |
