Category: Endurorally

This morning we got up to prepare for a flight over the world famous Nazca lines. Picked up by a bus at 7:15 am then to the airport and a plane to take us up.

Very hard to see but a nice flight.

I’ll take more notice with my son Brooke, who has helped set up the website and posted all the daily reports, when we will hang out and explore in some more detail, the Peruvian treasures together. Thanks from us both Brooke.

At midday, the rally recommenced and our start was at 12:18 hours. A short day of 218 kms across the desert and some hills to our first Regularity at Rio Grande. Just a few miles out of the blocks we were asked by police to pull over. We did. He started to speak in Spanish of course which went completely over our heads. He was saying that we should have our headlights on and we didn’t. We advised that we will turn them on whilst he was saying that we would get a ticket for not having had them on. It would cost us 370 Sol’s. Quick as a flash Steve uttered some gibberish and reached for his wallet from his back pocket. Of course there was a minimal amount of money in it and he pleaded poor that there was only enough for a feed for us both. The cop smiled widely and asked us to move along.

A short Regularity was a 5.9 km event up a seldom used unkempt sealed public road. There were few problems but some bends on an incline. The average speed 60 kms per hour. We found the finish was not too distant from the beginning and we finished in 3 minutes 17 seconds, 17 seconds too slow!  Still, better than over the one minute threshold which would have cost us maximum points. Good fun too as Denise was pushed along strongly.

Then on towards Paracas along a good straight two way road that carried the daily traffic of many lorries in both directions.

The desert winds were blowing quite well and as the trucks passed the vacuum created caused our car to pull into them and then back outwards when they had passed. Really difficult to drive. Then without notice a blowout on what seemed to be the front right wheel. After fighting this problem to maintain motion in a straight line on the road, before pulling to the side of the road the problem was in fact the right rear wheel which had blown due to a cut or rupture of the tyre.  We were quick to make good and all went well when a lorry passed us and blew the boot lid back onto the car breaking the left hinge. Damn! A quick tie down with a stretchy cord secured the lid down for the rest of the journey. Good thing that the rally is nearly at an end. It’ll hold out for the next and final day into Lima. Due to this problem however, put us behind in time to meet our time control in Ica.

Pushing the car hard past the trucks that we had previously overtaken and hooting and gesturing to get others on the road to move over we drove through red lights (carefully) and got to the control on time to check out for the last leg of the journey. The organisers of the event know how long it should take to get to each control point in a particular time so in peak traffic you can be assured that the trip will not be an easy ride. Accordingly, we approached this section with aggression to ensure that we got in on time to the final stop. This required the same approach as the last leg with many toots and honks and getting through the lights at the last of moments before they changed colour.

You will be aware that Denise is a right side drive car so whilst driving on the right hand side of the road, the driver can’t see what’s on coming. He relies on the navigator to confirm safety in passing. But he needs the car to move over to the centre line to see if it’s clear to pass. A terse NO. Means don’t pass. And a GO, means just that. It works ok.

So we got in on time at a hotel resort set on the Pacific Ocean. Had a shower and will have a beer this afternoon. Believe it or not, the consumption of alcohol has been hampered by these establishments not having sufficient beer supplies on board. Ironically this has meant less intake even though we have not had a beer now for a day or two. Otherwise all is well and we will look forward to our last day tomorrow, a 260 km section. Buenas tardes.

On arrival at the monastery

Standard of the rooms

Back to the departure from Puno on the lake edge of Titicaca, we left on our required  time of 8:26 am retracing the entry route back to the main road and onto the town of Juliaca.

Leaving lake accommodation

There had been some route changes advised in the morning which directed us around the centre of the town as this was market day here. Sunday. 
Then there was a last minute change to the previous amendment. This read that we were to avoid the market area and to follow the arrows placed by ERA to direct us. 
Ominous. 
All went well until we got to the first instruction in the township and as we got closer to the centre, the slower the traffic.
The market day was in full swing. Everyone was out in town. Cars, rickshaws, trucks, tuktuks, pedestrians the lot. Street sellers everywhere. 
It was slow going and due to the trucks there was no way to identify the signs that were to direct us. Denise was getting hot and the fear was boiling over. Hot and slow. 
As we crawled to the area that was a “round about”, remembering that the roads here are dirt and cobble in very poor condition, worse than some of the gravel roads on our travels, Denise was about to blow. We were at a standstill blocked by traffic coming in from five directions two lanes each with articulated trucks in all directions. 
It was bedlam!
Then I saw through this mess an ERA arrow on this “roundabout” stuck onto a power pole pointing left. 
I didn’t know where we were relative to the revised route book but asked Steve to take the left instruction through this quagmire. 
Hands and arms out of the windows and horn tooting away, bumper to bumper whilst moving over we found a hole in the traffic and scooted through with huge relief. 
Not knowing where to next, the navigator suggested moving forward on this road until we were out of this traffic mess and pulled to the side of the road for a breather and to reconsolidate our position. 
Turning to the GPS we noted we were not too distant from the next tulip in the revised route, so moving on this info we found the designated Passage Control where it was supposed to be. Whew! What relief after all the drama in this little township. 
So on to a 34 km leg to the first and only Regularity of the day. 
This consisted of a 19 km run on seal reaching an altitude of 4100 meters above sea level. However the road was windy and uphill with numerous hairpin bends that really didn’t suit Denise’s design but we went as fast as we could positioning over the finish 33 seconds late. Not bad really. Better than some days. 
Then on to our time control in Pucara. Checked out in time and a relatively free run to Feliphon. Again a time control that we managed in time.

 People and scenery along the way

The last leg of 128 kms into Cusco was almost incidence free with the exception of a fuel pump giving us some trouble. Easily fixed though, stop, switch one pump to the other, switch on button and away. Preplanned for such an event and we got in within the time schedule. 
The area to park the cars in Cusco was an old Mercedes Benz store garage some distance from the hotel and we packed the cars into this facility quite tightly.

We were loaded into shuttle buses to our hotel, a beautifully restored building not far from the square in Cusco. 
This accommodation is difficult to describe but the photos will give an idea. It’s magnificent!
Because of the vehicles being so tightly stacked it’s almost impossible to carry out serious maintenance. Denise doesn’t need much attention but Steve is out this morning to check out the fuel pumps.  
Yesterday, we visited Machiu Pichiu.
Bus rides, train rides, more bus rides. Big day. Started @ 5.30am back in hotel at 8.30pm.

Machu Picchu

Steve at his desk attending to postcards to his friends and loved ones surrounded by a 330 year old Andean Cedar tree

Today, day 17, is our lay day so attending to Denise is a priority Seeing that she did some hard work yesterday and in previous days without attention to some of the more hard to get to places. Steve had an inkling about the brakes, a slight steering shake and a rattle under or in the engine bay.
More about that later.
It was raining so the beginning of day 16 was a little dreary and planning the day meant filling up with fuel for a long day without fuel availability almost over the the entire 510 km trip.
All went well with leaving the city, this normally being the most complex navigating exercise. Short distance manoeuvres requiring exact distances to ensure that we don’t get it wrong.
It was a 32 km distance to the only competitive event for the day.
This event is over 22 kms of gravel public highway twisting through a gorge with lots of twists and hills and armour railing.
We commenced our start just after having a large buss and a couple of cars up front.
Bad omen. We need to pass these en-route to the end of the road. The average speed is 70 kms.
We set off as fast as we could, the navigator forgets to push the stopwatch so could follow the speed/distance chart. Stupid!
Still Steve put Denise through her paces hardly ever getting up to the average, so no love lost for not setting the watch. Getting caught behind the public vehicles then passing in tricky situations but without giving in, pushed on. Good run but just too tough for the “girl”.
Stopping astride the finish line some minutes late, so loss of all points.
Then on through this gorge for 110 kms to a little township called De Los Cobbres where there was a fuel station and where we had time control.
This stretch of road was just awesome. The strangest wild geological formations that looked so new as if they happened last year. So fantastic!

Then onto the Argentina/Chile border@ 3800 meters above sea level on gravel roads for 233 kms. Dusty rough corrugated roads that went on and on. Bone shakers.
A tiny border post that usually sees five or six cars per day. We arrived with 55 cars so put the cat among the pigeons the altitude affecting some becoming light headed and short of breath.
We got through the bureaucracy relatively quickly with the paperwork having been pre done.
The road through no mans land was wildly rough. Neither side wants to do the maintenance.

At the border post

We drove on dirt with what seems to be down hill. It was uphill rising quite steeply on and on in clear skies and a cold wind blowing. 30kms on we were at 4575 meters above sea level. We may have been affected by the altitude.
Denise the Morris didn’t baulk. She just went on like a Trojan.
Didn’t miss a beat. Took many scalps who were struggling with fuel problems.
Steve spent some time at home in Mt Maunganui preparing for this event and installed equipment for the fuel system that would alleviate fuel starvation. It worked. Not one problem.
The effects on us humans was minimal although Steve did feel a little dizzy at times and we both had some “internal gas issues”. The air inside us expands as the atmosphere gets lighter and needs escape.
No problem. Some quickies, job done.
Back on Tarmac for the final leg of 90 kms to San Pedro De Atacama.
Coming down from the mountains and seeing the vast expanses of a salt marsh in the distance we queried what on earth could lie ahead in the desert distance. It was arid desert on which nothing grew.

And yet as we got closer to our destination the land became greener, more trees but it still looked like there was no habitation.
Then suddenly a small township exposed itself out of the red muddy coloured surrounds with the roughest of arterial roads into the centre of “town”.
The houses all looked ramshackle and we wondered what we had come to. It looked really rough. No highrise to be had.
In behind the red rough mud brick fences there were the most amazing desert lodges and spas. The contrast of the entry roads and this popular exquisite accommodation cannot be emphasised. It’s extraordinary.

Just beautiful with large rooms as an Eco theme. No tv just fans for aircon. But just great. Two nights here. It’s apparently a place where many young folk aspire to be due to the lenient drug limits. It was just full of young tourists. The lodge we’re staying at even have coca leaves in the bar here for those who wish to partake.
This accommodation includes every meal and any drinks as many you may want included in the price. All paid in advance by us. The high altitude limits the alcohol intake though so consumption by competitors is self limiting.
So back to Denise. Today Steve commenced by replacing the rear right wheel brake line which had been severely compressed somehow and had limited brake fluid flow.
Having done this, laying on a gravel surface, he noticed that the rear spring rubbers had been seriously compressed and he replaced these on both sides. Easy to say but time consuming in methodology, doing it with the springs in-situ using jacks to exact the position for the removal of the rubbers and bolts.
This done checking the front right wheel bearing noting it was a little loose and decided to replace the whole front hub.

That was little time consuming but he then noticed that the brake cylinder was bleeding fluid and decided to replace that too. Very time consuming bleeding the brakes etc.
Under the car the rattle we heard was the guard plate under the engine that had two bolts rattle loose and had fallen out just two bolts remaining holding it loosely in place.
So half the day gone and everything in order it was time for lunch and a well deserved rest.
As I’ve been writing this it’s now 5 in the afternoon and I’m signing off.
Thanks for taking the interest in reading our blog and your much appreciated comments.

Some more pics from yesterday of our progress though the pass and some scenery..

Waiting to cross a ford and Steve checking things out..

We’ve been to so many hotels that I forget where we’ve last stayed and what it’s like.
It was a good accommodation in that Steve and I both had our own rooms. This overcomes the snoring problem we both apparently have.

Today’s program includes 453kms of paved and rough gravel roads. Steve has seen that there is excess oil coming out through the oil breather filter and is concerned that there may be a problem, but he says that so long as he knows where it’s coming from and can be controlled, it’s ok. We’re not loosing oil from anywhere else.

The first Regularity is 38kms from the hotel and the last few kms are ROUGH.
The average speed that we are to achieve is 60kms per hour.
We are positive about making good with these tests so we really want to redeem ourselves.
On the drop of the flag, Steve gets Denise under way with the intention to get ahead of the time quickly so pushes her hard, but caring and she responds. This is a public road, not closed to other traffic so we are aware of other road users. The road is narrow and winding, making it really interesting with a few tail shakes and much gravel throwing up from the rear wheels.
We’re going great guns, then up front a ute is stuck across the road blocking our progress!
He’s stuck with his rear wheels in the drain at the side of the road.  We had to almost stop and the damage regarding good regulation time had evaporated.
We passed this ute by forcing our way through in the drain on the other side of the road and then just pushed on like a bat out of hell. Great fun but our chances were eliminated.
The rest of the road for 18kms was rough. Then another 39kms on seal into our time control at Malipueco.
What a welcome! The entire town had hundreds of people turn out to greet us blocking off the main road with Chilean traditional dancing and music blaring in the street. Fabulous!

The reception and us photographed with the Mayor of the town

We checked in and moved on to some more bone shaking gravel roads that took us to a national park in which we could drive around an active volcano.

The active volcano and the lava rocks along the way

These roads were almost only 4 wheel drive roads and although the area was fascinating it was rough and dusty. Hot too as the temperature had gotten up to about 40 degrees C.
Driving past small lakes and magnificent ancient forests.

More lava rock, the volcano and the formed lakes one with petrified tree stems

Then onto another time control , check in and 170kms to our next Regularity test. Long roads and dirty gravel roads. Better than not but rough.
This Regularity was again one to get under control and commenced with aggression.
Full foot down all the way from the start on a fantastically narrow, winding hilly road with loose deep stones surface, slipping and sliding across the track. Neat driving almost loosing it on many of the corners. Great ride as fast as was possible whilst staying upright.
With all the will, we were still 11 seconds too slow!!! We couldn’t go any faster. Disappointing.
We carry on then to our final day time control in Conception within the given time schedule. As we get closer to the city the traffic intensifies and things grind to a crawl. Tensions rise and with the clock ticking we make the time control with two minutes to spare. Whew. Great to be back and stopped for a while.
A 634km run tomorrow to Vina Del Mar. good spot apparently.
Chiao.

Morning sunrise and hotel surrounds

Today we cross the border from Argentina into Chile for the first time. It’s a relatively short route of approx 400kms.
Our overall positions have changed. We are now placed 24 due to some bad Regularity results yesterday.
Our starting order has changed also to 27 minutes after official start time.
We’ve not got the hang of the regularity at all. We’ll try and do better today.
We leave Llao Llao and the beautiful hotel to Paso Del Corona on a sealed highway then onto very, very rough gravel roads to start today’s only Regularity.

There has been an amendment to the route today which cuts out a scenic section, due to the increase of tourist use of the road past a lookout post which could endanger both tourists and competitors.
We get to the Regularity at Passo Del Córdoba ready to roll.
We’ve passed a few cars already to start the Regularity before them but this does not give us any point benefits. The lake and mountain scenery is breathtaking but we need eyes on the road as the course is an open public road.
The average required speed for this run is 40kms per hour which should have given a clue for what was to come as we set off at starters orders. It’s suddenly become a steep winding rough corrugated road and before long realised our power disadvantages. Then a public motorcar appeared going in the same direction and we couldn’t pass due to the road configuration and dust limiting vision. When we did get past we had caught up to a previous starter who had stopped in the middle of the road for unknown reasons. It was then just too much for us to catch up any way of averaging 40kms so we just gave it our all and went as fast as we could. A bad run again finishing astride the line somewhere 1 minute 40 seconds slower than the course set time. Damn!
So, we continued for the next 40 or so kms to the final MTC for the day at San Martin De Las Andes, a placid lake township akin to Queenstown in NZ, for lunch. A really neat little place that looked like it had only been built about 20 years ago it was so neat and tidy. Lots of tourists, green and spring wild flowers everywhere.  It was abuzz.

Lakeside at San Martin De Las Andes and general scenery in Argentina en route to Chile

We were a free of competition now and are to make our way towards the Argentina/Chile border about 110 kms away the last part of it gravel. You’d never think that you were to come to an international border post here.
Parking where directed we headed inside to do the paperwork on the Argentina side very quickly then over no-man’s-land onto the Chilean side to immigration, customs and bag checking  for fruit etc. No issues, just time standing in lines.
84 more kms on Tarmac roads to our accommodation Vallarica Lake Park Hotel. A serene spot on lakeside similar to what you would find at lake Taupo, NZ.
A tiring day for what was achieved but Denise didn’t falter so we just locked her up and checked into the hotel, had a few drinks, had dinner and, bed.
Tomorrow 453kms.
Buenos noches..

Some photos..

Denise parked up ready to go

Scenery around Llao Llao

Beautiful hotel surroundings

If only you could hear the bird songs in the morning..

It’s getting better…
The run today was 692kms with 140kms of it on gravel. What a difference! Denise was in her element Doing what she was designed for. Hit the road running and just kept going taking a few scalps on the way. We got back into contention as we got past cars that were highway designed and left us for dead on the freeway.
The country is vast and scenery fantastic but on the regularity gravel section we had little time to sight see. The dust coming from cars in front made vision almost obscured with the exception of a large stone thrown up into the windscreen and leaving a crazed break. Thank goodness for the laminated glass screen. It didn’t break up like a tempered glass would have.
At mid morning we stopped for tea at a small Welsh village called Ty Gwyn Casa De Te.

A nice break and with Welsh food being served. Wonderful fresh food. They also put on a children’s folk song and some local “Welsh” dancing. Nice.

We had a track race at a place called Mar y Valle, a long circuit and we did two rounds then off. A great run for Denise but there was no way we could beat the “bogey” time.
Still, good fun and we enjoyed.
We had to plan our fuel carefully today as the availability of fuel was inconsistent. There was one fuel station closed on route that we had planned on using. Luckily we had sufficient fuel until the next available stop.

Otherwise a good day including the things that we like to do so let’s hope the off-road sections increase and we can earn some points.

Some pics of the scenery

Short day tomorrow of 374kms.
Must add that we appreciate all the good work from those that helped to get Denise up to such a high standard before she was shipped. It has paid off and the car just hums along at speeds in excess of 110 when required but she cruises easily at 105kms mile after mile.
Will keep you all informed..

We were anxious about today with the high mileage to be covered. Nothing we could do about it so we clocked in and got underway. Denise started up fine. No problems here.
The route for the day included about 4 “fruit checks” by authorities to prevent the spread of some sort of fruit fly. So we’re advised not to take any fruit or ham.
A waste of time as the agents just looked at the cars and waved us through.
The first activity was based 261kms away at the Autodromo Viedma.
Quite a large sealed track which was set up for two separate circuits, and we could do them both at as fast as we could.
Really great. Denise continued to perform so well.
Then a 127km trek to the regularity of the day, 35kms of which were on “gravel”.
The Regularity is named Moby Dick? Don’t know why but it was on gravel and was 53kms in duration.

Scenes from the regularity section on gravel, what we had been looking forward to.

There was only one time check and we had to average speed to 80 kms per hour. We were checked 20kms on and covered the distance in 15 min and 11 seconds, 11 seconds slower than the required time. Not bad.  The rest of the gravel road could be traversed at any speed so we did. The area was close to the beach and the surroundings were really nice.

Then back to the reality of driving the last 270kms of distance to the final destination of the day.
Straight long Tarmac roads that disappeared into the distance, shimmying with the heat mirage.
On and on, the wind becoming cold and increasing in intensity to the degree that driving became hazardous. We were all over the road and passing vehicles was dangerous.
We arrived at our accommodation well within the required time schedule so we were not unhappy.
Weary, we showered and headed off for some refreshments and dinner. I don’t think that many will have a late night.
The next two days are rest days to attend to what may be needing attention on our cars.
The area is in a bay right on the sea and apparently whales are the tourist entertainment. So I guess that will be in the order too for the next days. Otherwise I don’t think there will be much to do.
Will report again when back on the road.
Adios for now.

Day one results have elevated Denise and her crew to 21 in the Classic car section. So far so good.
518 kms to cover today and we have to include lunch, a visit to the Fangio museum and a race around the Juan Manuel Fangio race track.
We commence a little earlier today at 8.00am and fuelled up at the first fuel station and headed south through the early morning traffic to get clear of the city and travel 77kms to the Fangio museum. The countryside is verdant and the little townships along the way reek of real poverty. There are incomplete multi-story buildings and houses from which the owner has just walked away. They must have had a serious economic storm here and it shows.
Further along towards the museum the poverty disappeared and very prosperous regions appear with beautiful buildings and homes became more abundant. These are farming regions where arable crops are growing in what can only be described as gigantic farm operations consisting of thousands of hectare ranches. Wheat, corn grains etc as far as the eye can see.
The sizes of these operations would leave NZ farmers for dead; I hope they don’t start growing Kiwifruit or putting up dairy farms.
At the museum the tale of the famous racing driver Juan Manuel Fangio is told and the car collection of so many race cars are displayed. A most valuable visit.

Car art made from mechanical scrap.

We then drove to the Juan Manuel Fangio Autodrome where we were tested for speed on two tracks, one quite compact and the other like an International raceway. We don’t know how we got on points wise but we went as fast as Denise could go. Neat!

Then onto the highway again for the next 98kms to a small cafe on the beach for lunch called Sotavento Mar Del at Necochea on the coast.
Hereafter the highway of 239 kms opened up before us in a seemingly endless straight road that just didn’t end.
The wind became stronger and stronger and the temperature increased so open windows were in the order of the day but uncomfortable in the incessant trade like winds.
Denise was purring and she performed magnificently. Cruising on the highway at 110 easily with few  competitor cars passing or catching up. A good ride but really monotonous. Tedious.
We had to be in at the time control station at 1840 hours but due to the planed extra speed in anticipation of heavy traffic in the city at this time of day that didn’t eventuate. Got in at 1741 hours.
Good hard day. Fades into insignificance though with 769kms to be covered on day 3!