La Gira Andina - Rally de la Amistad 2012

Cartagena - Ushuaia Route Notes 3 Aug 2011.

Cars will be shipped to Cartagena on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. Founded in 1533, this city became Spain`s main port in the Caribbean. With its walled city and imposing fortress, built to deter pirates, it has now become a fashionable resort.

Our hotel inside the old city wall is a carefully converted seventeenth century convent with its original cloister . A three day stay will allow time for collection and preparation of the vehicles as well as a little sightseeing and relaxation.

Day 5. Heading East, we cross the Magdalena River before turning South in front of The Sierra Nevada Mountains. The route follows the river valley to a small town where we stay in a simple motel, in contrast to the luxury of previous nights.

Day 6.  Soon after departure, the road starts climbing into the mountains before passing through the large city of Bucaramanga. It then winds beside  the Chicamocha canyon, with its Parque Nacional, to the adventure sports centre of San Gil. A walk in river-side park here can be an other-worldly experience as the trees are festooned with glistening growths of old man’s beard. We turn off the main road here for a short climb to the beautiful small town of Barichara where we rest in a colonial mansion . For the adventurous, there is an ancient stone road to explore before trying the local delicacy, roasted ants.

Day 7.  There are two stops on the way to Bogota involving short detours from the Panamericana. The Villa de Lleyva is a beautifully preserved colonial town with a huge central square of cobbles, and later there is the opportunity to visit the Salt Cathedral, constructed in an old salt mine close to the town of Zipaquira.  With an 18 metre vaulted ceiling, it can hold a congregation of 8000. We continue to the chaotic and colourful capital of eight million inhabitants.

Day 8. The morning has been left free for a visit to the city centre where the Gold Museum is a must-see attraction. After lunch we drive down to cross the Magdalena River again before climbing back up to Ibague.

 Day 9,10. We pass through coffee country on the way to Popayan for our first rest day. The road will be busy and the first section runs over La Linea pass where a huge tunnel is under construction, but sadly will not be completed until after 2013. The colonial city of Popayan has been carefully restored after a devastating earthquake in 1983, and will appear tidy and tranquil after the capital.

Day 11-13. After another night in the mountains at Pasto, we cross the border to Ecuador. The huge local market at Otavalo may be worth a stop on the way to the capital city of Quito. At an altitude of 2850 metres, it sits in a valley surrounded by snowy peaks. It has a spring-like climate all year round and you will have had enough introduction to altitude to manage a walking tour of the old city or a trip to the statue of the virgin overlooking the metropolis.

Day 14-16.   We pass through ‘Volcano Alley’ which contains some of the World’s most active volcanoes, including Cotopaxi which has erupted on average 20 times per century, before overnighting in a hacienda. The next day, there is a break for a short visit to the historical site at Ingapirca which is sparse, but contains the most important Incan ruins in the country. We continue to Cuenca.  There is time in the morning to explore this large city, which is blessed with beautiful old buildings and cobbled streets, before we head for our last night in Ecuador at Loja.

Day 17-18.   After the border crossing into Peru the route heads for Piura, where we rest, before making our way to the coast and on to the large city of Chiclayo. Near this city archaeologists discovered the only royal burial in Peru to escape the tomb robbers. The Lord of Sipan, ruler of the Mochica civilization, was buried with 200 pieces of pottery and 100 pieces of gold, silver and copper jewellery. A half day has been allotted to investigate the original site, the artefacts now displayed in a huge new museum, or the nearby pyramids constructed of adobe bricks which are now heavily weathered. Chiclayo also has a famous ‘witchdoctors market’ selling herbal remedies.

Day 19.  We continue to Trujillo where we have a half day to visit  the vast adobe city built by the Chimu, who were eventually conquered by the Inca. The urban centre covers six square kilometres and once had 30,000 inhabitants. One royal area has been restored for visitors. There are other Chimu sites close to the city included in your Chan Chan ticket, and also near the town is an older heavily-weathered Moche pyramid built with 140 million adobe bricks.

Day 20-22.  The route heads south staying close to the Peruvian coast, with a night stop in the fashionable resort area of Miraflores in Lima before continuing on the Panamericana to Nasca for a rest day .

Flights to view the famous lines can be arranged and there will be time for some relaxation before tackling the uplands.

Day 23-27.   We have a two day climb to the former capital of the Inca Empire at Cusco. Here there are three rest days to allow plenty of time to service the vehicles and to acclimatise to the altitude (3400 m at Cusco) with coca leaf tea at an excellent hotel. The city itself has many buildings with the remains of precisely cut Inca stone walls for foundations. It is overlooked by the massive walled complex of Sacsayhuaman. Trips can be made to the pretty town of Pisac, with its own ruins, its market brightened by the colourful costumes of the indigenous population.  Other popular excursions include a trip to the small town of Ollantaytambo, with its Inca fortress, and a train ride to the remote ‘lost city’ of Machu Picchu sitting in the clouds above the Urubamba River.

Day 28-29.  The route travels over the Raya Pass (4300m) to our Puno hotel set on a headland overlooking Lake Titicaca, where the reed boats that were the inspiration for the Kon-Tiki  can still be seen. We take a leisurely drive along the lakeside and may take the tiny ferry across the narrows of the lake on the way to La Paz in Bolivia.