FLIGHT CONDOR THE - Rally Round › ... › 04 › Flight-of-The-Condor-Recce-Re… · Here is his...

FLIGHT OF THE CONDOR

COLOMBIA - ECUADOR - PERU

NOVEMBER 11 - DECEMBER 8 2019

11

NO

VEM

BER

- 8

DEC

EMB

ER 2

019


FLIGH

TCO

NDOR

OF

THE

A spectacular 7,200km rally exploring the wonders of the

Andes, Amazon & Inca culture

Mid-February Rally Round route designer Kim Bannister headed to South America for the final recce for this year’s Flight of the Condor Rally – a 28-day, 7,200km adventure and regularity rally exploring the wonders of the Andes.

The event will start in Colombia and head for Ecuador before reaching Peru, taking in stunning landscapes, vibrant rainforests, breath-taking coastlines, mountain peaks, and some of the most wonderous historical sites on earth.

Here is his recce report for what is shaping up to be the most amazing exploration of the Andes – an insight into what to expect for those already entered and something to whet the appetite for those still considering. Don’t miss out on this spectacular event that you will never forget…




Pre-start: Cartegena to Monteria




Despite it being Monday morning and having a breakfast meeting with the local agent, we managed to leave the hotel at 09.30 and were out of the city by 10.00am and into flat open countryside. The first day was a nice easy drive, flat with fast roads, but plenty of villages to drive through and look at. There was also a seemingly endless supply of toll booths at which the very nice local ladies smiled sweetly while taking your cash. The tolls are generally small, around $5 was the largest, but they were regular. A small supply of US dollars with you is highly recommended.

Some 25km outside Cartagena, we spent the morning with our eyes peeled, because if the road signs were true, then alligators and anteaters are in the area. Unfortunately, or fortunately we spotted neither.

Just over 40km outside Cartagena we passed an area of wetland with the most amazing bird life everywhere, a great chance to stop and take a few photos early in the day. There was a good fuel station and coffee shop around 55km from the start, maybe a little early but very welcome anyway, before the long run through the town of San Onofre and onto the first gravel roads of the event. This road was in superb condition and took us to the coast and the town of Tolu. We will lunch in a restaurant close to the beach with fresh fish on the menu, it just depends what the fishermen catch as to what you will be offered.

After the lunch break, we enjoyed a leisurely drive through the Colombian countryside, taking to back roads to avoid the traffic and also the toll booths, before heading into Monteria and our first overnight halt.

Monteria to MedellinYou often hear the phrase ‘a day of two halves’ well today was one of those. The morning was on fast flat roads but from the lunch halt onwards it was often uphill, twisty and much more interesting. The views were simply stunning. I am not a man to be poetic about the scenery but this was seriously amazing.

One thing it is always nice to do is to find somewhere different to stop for a coffee and snack, today I think we found the ideal place. Great coffee, good food from different grills and friendly staff. Lunch was originally more of a problem, there were lots of places but all too small or just not right. We persevered and finally found ‘the one’ just before the hilly road starts, a buffet you can point at, plenty of parking and clean toilets for the ladies, it even had a great view!

The toll booths continued throughout the day with the local entrepreneurs out in force selling everything from water to strange looking bean pods, I haven’t yet had the nerve to try these but I will at some point.

The local adults are not the only entrepreneurs; even the young lads are quick learners and know how to make things a bit easier for themselves. On one steep section of hill a truck had slowed to a crawl, the local lads decided to hold onto the load ropes and have a free tow to the top. Pretty dangerous but amazing at the same time.

Finally, I contributed to a charity this afternoon. It was genuinely a great cause and I was happy to hand over 50,000 Pesos, around $18, it was just the method of collection that amazed me. This all happened while we were stopped at a military checkpoint and it was the army who were collecting the donations.

Everyone we have met at military and police checkpoints have been very friendly and polite, there has been no question of them suggesting we had been speeding, as happens in many places around the world, or strange fines handed out. We have not had to pay one Peso.




We got away from Monteria meeting very little traffic, even though it was 07:45am on a working day, and in 1.5km we were heading south out of the city on the main highway. To avoid the main truck routes, we headed off into the hills to explore. We looked at one or two gravel roads but unfortunately, they weren’t in good condition, as well as being barely one car wide in some places. However, the tarmac roads are twisty and hilly with great views, so it was no hardship to drive them.

To continue south we re-joined the main road for a while and the traffic was not too bad and a little caffeine in a Parador certainly helped. It didn’t seem to matter which road you took, we always found a toll booth. There is a massive ongoing infrastructure project in Colombia and clearly the tolls help pay for this. But everyone was friendly and smiling as they took our pesos.

We found a lovely restaurant high up in the coffee growing area at Supia; this will make a nice lunch

break. The road gets a little faster and straighter after lunch until we head back into the countryside for the run in to our hotel at Armenia. The hotel is outside the city in a fabulous location that is ideal for a rest day. Nice pool, Spa and walks plus the chance to explore the beautiful town of Armenia.

One last note about the cars you will see here. Renault are a big player in the market, they sell many cars which are sold as Dacia in Europe. Because they have been the market leader for many years, there are an amazing number of Renault 4, 6 and 12 models in great condition running around. We were kept company on the final run in to Armenia by a Renault 4 GTi, complete with spoiler and hand painted matt black finish, Pepe was very impressed with the way the car left him behind on a series of bends but then we are in a Land Rover!

Medellin to Armenia




Armenia to Popayan Getting away from the hotel at Armenia was easy as we did not have a city or town to navigate just turn left onto the main road. Today was one of those frustrating days you get on recces where all of the optional loops to include some gravel roads and regularity sections came to nothing.

Nice twisty tarmac roads led to villages and then to complete the loop back to the main road you had to use local dirt roads, these were hard, stony, potholed and often just rough. Great roads for a 4x4 expedition but not so great for lovely vintage and classic cars.

As we by-passed the town of Cali the roads changed from fast and flat to single lane, twisty and hilly as the mountains start to increase in height as we head towards the foothill of the Andes.

However, there is a silver lining to the fast roads; we were early into Popayan, also known as the ‘White City’ due to the number of buildings of that colour. Our hotel is a converted monastery, very different to anything used so far and it’s in the centre of the town, so it was a chance to go out and explore and take some photographs.

For those of you who prefer to do your walking in the morning, then a later start is planned for the relatively short run to Pasto tomorrow giving you a chance to look around Popayan after breakfast.




Popayan to PastoAfter a final walk around the lovely town square we headed off on our last full day in Colombia, hoping that luck and road conditions were with us. There were just a few options to consider for today’s route as all the side loops seem to go in the wrong direction. The road was well maintained, twisty and undulating for the first 70km, there were a few trucks on the road, but the drivers were generally very helpful and indicate when you can pass them.

After 70km the road became straighter and faster until we turned off on a road that headed through the hills and ran mostly parallel to the main road. This road was great, there were many villages, both big and small, and as it was Saturday there was a lot of activity, noise and general movement of

people, fascinating to see. However, between the various villages there were lots of opportunities for some nice twisty regularity sections, not too long but interesting. The views remained wonderful throughout as the road rose and fell over 1000 metres.

The final run in to our hotel in Pasto was through the city which was busy, we tried other options but there was no other choice but to drive through the city.

Tomorrow we head to the border and cross into Ecuador.




Pasto to QuitoWe made a very early start from Pasto so avoiding any rush hour traffic and this gave us a head start for the 70km run to the border. As we headed out of Colombia, the scenery continued to impress and the road was good and interesting to drive, although there is extensive modernisation of the roads going on so we had a few short delays at traffic controls. All of this should be finished when the event gets there in November.

The border between Colombia and Ecuador at Ipiales was busy so the early start was a good idea. There were the usual formalities of passport checks at Colombia out and Ecuador in then the visit to the customs to have the Carnet stamped. One objective of any recce trip is to try and see what the border process is and how we can try and make it quicker and easier on the day, we will be talking to our agents about this and Pepe started the process with the supervisor on the Colombian side. Pepe is returning this way after the recce so will continue discussions then.

Having got across the border into Ecuador we headed for Ibarra and a race circuit I had found on Google Earth. Unfortunately, we were there on a Sunday so the circuit was in use and we couldn’t take photos, but the plan is to have the use of the track and our agents will work on this for the event.

From Ibarra we headed to Otavalo, a town famous for its Indian market and also a Condor Sanctuary before visiting the Quitsato sundial which is right on the Equator. Saturday, when the event is there is the big market day, so well worth a visit.

As it was now getting late, we headed on to our hotel in Quito, the 5* Marriott. The hotel was just lovely, and it was nice to relax in a hot bath before enjoying dinner.

Tomorrow is a non-driving day for Pepe and myself. Meetings with agents and a little sightseeing are planned before heading off to Riobamba on Tuesday.




Quito to RiobambaOur hotel in Quito is on the southern side of the city so getting away this morning and heading south was relatively easy. A few traffic jams were caused mainly by the police creating a third lane of traffic into the city and reducing our side to one lane. Once out on the open road the traffic was light.

Our first stop for the day was the Cotopaxi National Park, home to the highest peak in Ecuador. If the weather is good then crews will see the volcano from some distance away. Once inside the park the road deteriorated into a rutted, bumpy track so our plan is to have 4x4 vehicles and guides to take crews into the park and closer to the volcano. At the entrance there is a nice coffee shop, clean toilets and a large selection of local knitwear available.

We searched all over the town of Lacatunga for a local museum we had read about, only to find it hidden away behind a bank, with no parking and not

much in the way of exhibits, one we will both forget in a hurry. The internet is great isn’t it!

Continuing south we headed onto the country roads to the east and found a nice quiet tarmac road which took us to lunch at a restaurant called La Montana just outside the village of Patate. The restaurant is well known in Ecuador and the views and the setting are lovely, just a bit of a steep hill to get there. The food was superb and the owners are looking forward to welcoming the group in November.

From Patate we took a new road which went into the town of Riobamba, a lovely road with great views and little traffic. Once into Riobamba we headed north away from the town to our overnight halt in a lovely Hosteria at an altitude of 3300 metres.

Tomorrow we continue south heading to the city of Cuenca.




Riobamba to Cuenca Our hotel was outside of the town of Riobamba so the morning run was easy, a little traffic as we skirted Riobamba on our way south, but nothing much. We began exploring shortly after and found a great road through very typical Ecuadorian countryside. Clearly the earth here is very fertile as there were many houses with pieces of land where they were growing their own crops. The locals were very friendly, smiling and waving in return to Pepe’s horn blowing.

The map looked very promising as there were gravel roads aplenty but all were hard with exposed stones, rocks and potholes, very rough and damaging for normal vehicles, I think this is why the locals have old 4x4s and horses.

We found a little place to stop for coffee with menus which the owner had prepared in five languages; very enterprising as this is on a tourist route south from Quito. I am sure his little café will be a success.

Along the main road we passed the town of Alausi with its market and very impressive statue of San Pedro, from which the town takes its full name, and the wonderfully named Nariz del Diablo (the devil’s nose) a deep gorge with some great viewing points.

Next stop was the ruins at Ingapirca. An entrance fee of $2 allowed us to wander around the area and with the sun shining on our backs it was a great way to stretch our legs. Having had our fill of the ruins we had lunch in one of the many small restaurants close to the site.

After lunch, which was quite late in the day, we looked at the maps and decided it would be best to head into Cuenca, there being no obvious other exciting areas to explore, and we managed to beat the majority of the traffic as we arrived at the hotel. Crews will have a two-night stay here to enjoy the city of Cuenca, but not for us, because we head off towards Peru in the morning.




Cuenca to ZorritosWith a border crossing today, it was an early breakfast at the hotel, great omelette, and then into the car and away. Traffic in Cuenca can be heavy but the early start meant we missed most of it and were soon out of the city and heading south.

As we had a four-hour drive to the border, we stayed on the main road and what a great drive it turned out to be. As it is away from the main truck route, the traffic was mainly local vehicles and the views around us were wonderful. After starting the day at 2600m, we climbed to over 2800m before dropping gradually as we headed towards the coastal plane and the border area.

Getting close to the border we went through the last toll gate in Ecuador, but it was not yet operating so we had a free pass. Actually, the tolls in Ecuador are really good value, they were all $1 for a private car, so keep a supply of dollar coins handy to save time on the road.

Once we saw the border signs Pepe decided to stop and fill the tank, for a good reason. Fuel in Ecuador is very cheap, Gasoline is around $2 per US gallon (four litres) with diesel even less at $1 per gallon. It would be a good idea to fill up in Ecuador before you cross the border.

The border process was very straightforward. We had to stop at a checkpoint around 4km before the border post to have the vehicle inspected and to get stamped out of Ecuador, then into the main border post for passport checking and Peru entry. The

passport process was very easy, the Ecuador exit and Peru entry desks are next to each other and having visited one you wait until the next desk is free, then go there. For Peru you will have your photograph taken and fingerprints recorded, but the staff were friendly and happy and the process quick and efficient.

Getting a vehicle into Peru is a little more time consuming, the Peru customs are very strict and inspected every piece of paper, permission letter and notarised form before they started smiling and asked for the vehicle to be driven round for them to inspect.

We had to purchase the local minimum insurance at the border, $10 for one month, but the lady selling the insurance also changed money at 3 Sol to the US Dollar, not bad against an XE.com rate of 3.2, so we changed a small emergency (beer) supply for this evening.

From the border it was a 60km run to the hotel and a chance to get reacquainted with the Peruvian Tuk-Tuk, driving four abreast and stopping anywhere to collect passengers! They really are like scurrying beetles.

The hotel tonight is really nice, right on the ocean with a lovely pool which you should all have time to enjoy. There is a rumour that the hotel has a karaoke bar!

Tomorrow we head south to Chiclayo.




Zorritos to ChiclayoEating breakfast outside near the beach is always a great way to start a day. Having checked out we headed west along the coast, passing a custom check point after 50km who wanted to inspect the Carnet and make sure it was all stamped. Once away from the check point, we went through a number of small fishing villages where the local Tuk-tuks were sat at the harbour waiting for the boats to appear, and presumably take the catch to the selected restaurant for lunch and dinner that day.

At the village of El Nuro we headed onto a coast road I had spotted, and we enjoyed a great run on a decent sandy track around a headland, before running through a lovely little fishing village with a few nice coffee places to stop at. Leaving the village, the road twisted and turned uphill for 4km, so we had two sections to work with.

Having turned inland Pepe wanted to buy a local SIM card so we stopped in a village and also found a bank to change money at the proper rate, I will note the location in the road book.

The road ran through huge areas of Paddy fields before the town of Sullana, where we tried to find

a suitable lunch venue, unfortunately nothing was good enough, so we moved on another 35km to Piura. At first, we thought we would be unlucky again, but Pepe spoke to a local Tuk-tuk driver and he told us about a restaurant which turned out to be very nice and an ideal stopping point in this, the longest day of the event.

Pepe and I decided to try the food at the restaurant, so after a stop for lunch we considered our options. Because of the distance between Zorritos and Chiclayo we had little additional distance to play with but decided to try and use the coast road which went through the town of Sechura, the site of the Cathedral of St Martin de Tours, a lovely oasis in this semi-desert region. Although the visit to the cathedral added around 50km to the day, I think it was worth the added distance and as the roads were fast and straight; we covered the ground quickly.

On our way in to the overnight halt in Chiclayo we stopped at the Museo Tumbas Reales de Sipan in Lambayeque, full of local exhibits. I have decided the timing for the day will finish here, so you have time to look around before heading to the hotel.




Chiclayo to TrujilloHaving finished the previous day at a museum displaying the finds from the historical site of Sipan, I thought it would be good to visit Sipan itself to start the day and see where everything was found. The museum is east of Chiclayo and the road to it was fairly new and good tarmac, the track heading back to the main road however, was in an awful state. Pepe and I managed to average less than 20kph in a Land rover, so it was clearly not fit for classic and vintage cars to drive on; it seems to be used almost exclusively by sugar cane trucks.

So, a quick change will see us start at the museum but then have to head back through Chiclayo to pick up the road south.

When planning the route, I had thought to take the event inland to Cajamarca for lunch, but I had made a mistake somewhere in my calculations as this would have meant a day of 600km so too long on some of these roads. So, we started to look at the alternatives and we found a lovely graded road leading to a beach. Unfortunately, the return road shown on the map was too rough to use so I plan to run the road one way for all crews, stop and have a coffee on the beach, then run it the other way; should be fun.

We decided to head to the coast for lunch in search of fish and found a great little local restaurant in the village of Pacasmayo, serving anything caught on the boats that day. We also met a local with an amazing hand-built car with the engine from one of the local Daewoo taxis and rear wheel steering to help the handling. Pretty amazing.

Over lunch we again studied the maps to see what the afternoon could offer, but there are almost no other roads than the Pan-American highway in this area so we headed to the ruins of Chan to finish the day and were glad that we arrived early. Chan Chan is a UNESCO Heritage Site and the largest clay village in the world. The entrance fee of 10 Sols, around $3, was amazing value to allow us to wander around the 11 Hectare site.

The early finish also gave us chance to spend a little time in Trujillo itself, our hotel is on the main square and there is a lovely pedestrian area close by.

Tomorrow we head up into mountains for our overnight halt in Huaraz.




Trujillo to Huaraz The square on which the hotel is located was quiet as we had decided upon an early start to get ahead of the traffic.

Our first stop was to the Huaca del Sol y de la Luna, a museum just outside of town, but as seems to be the norm in Peru, it was very badly signed. We eventually found it and it will make a nice back drop to the day’s start.

A short run along the Pan American Highway took us south, this road is often the only usable route for much of the way, and also gave Pepe the chance to try his undoubted charm on the local police. The law says you must drive on dipped headlights at all times, even if many of the local cars seem not to have any lights at all, and it seemed one of our headlights was not working. This, together with our car being on UK registration plates, meant a short interview in which the ticket book appeared then went back into the officer’s pocket and we were once again on our way with no money of any sort changing hands, the old Pepe charm!

We came across a New Zealand couple who had broken down the previous evening in their old Dodge camper van. They were following their satellite navigation system to Huaraz, and we were

at least able to get them back to the tarmac road where they were able to get a tow truck to Lima.

We had to abandon our planned short cut as despite what the map suggested, the road was a dead end. We used the longer tarmac road alternative and soon headed into a completely different area than anything we had driven before in Peru. The tarmac road was in really good condition and we have wonderful views all around as we drove through the amazing Canon del Pato (Duck Canyon). This road is an engineering achievement with endless rock tunnels cut through the mountain. The road can be narrow in places and a little patience is required at times to allow other traffic to pass, but the drive is wonderful.

There is one thing missing today; somewhere decent to stop and have a coffee or lunch. This is something we can discuss with our agent and probably come up with something creative to get over the problem.

Our hotel for the evening in Huaraz is located a little outside of the town centre and was difficult to locate at first, being behind a wall in a residential area. It is very clean and basic with a good restaurant and secure parking close to the hotel, a taxi to the main square costs a couple of dollars and is well worth the pre-dinner trip.




Huaraz to Lima Waking up at altitude, Huaraz is just over 3000m above sea level, I had forgotten the air is a little thinner and wondered why I am out of breath so quickly, a lesson for everyone. Everything slows down a little at altitude.

After a quick breakfast we headed out of the town and towards Lima. There is only one route option which fits our timings and is an acceptable distance, so we headed south then south west to re-join our old friend, the Pan American Highway.

The first 200km of the day were just wonderful and a complete difference from the drive into Huaraz. The road climbs slowly through a green wooded valley with a fast-flowing river alongside giving the most amazing views of mountains in the distance. The Swiss owners of the hotel in Huaraz had told us about the road and the fact that it is kept in good condition by the mining companies in the area.

We passed through a village called Conococha where there were a number of good local cafes and restaurants to stop for a coffee, however, it is at an altitude of 4100m so if anyone is stopping just take your time doing anything.

From Conococha the road went very gradually downhill, once again through wonderful scenery, dropping to sea level as we re-joined the Pan American Highway, the only sensible route into the city of Lima.

Pepe and I headed towards the town of Barranca, as I had seen a number of restaurants along the seafront on my map and hoped that one would be good for lunch. Unfortunately, there were none that were up to standard and the toilets in most of them were not good. Thankfully Pepe has friends in Lima so he asked them where they would go if travelling to the coast at the weekend, and she gave us the name of a restaurant in Chancay. We headed that way and found a nice restaurant with a lovely terrace right on the ocean. It might be a bit of a later lunch, but then you will be able to drive into Lima at your own pace.

Lima, like any capital city, is very busy at all times and although our route stays on the main roads until the last possible moment, there will be traffic I’m afraid. This, combined with the rather macho driving style of the locals, particularly the taxis and bus drivers who have never heard of the term ‘give-way’, made for an exciting journey in to our hotel, the lovely Country Club, a real touch of luxury in this busy city.

Tomorrow Pepe and I begin the drive to the Sacred Valley, something you crews will not need to do as your cars will be taken on transporters and you will take a flight.




Colca Canyon to ArequipaFollowing a couple of minor issues Pepe and I picked up the route again at the Colca Canyon and the lodge the event will stay in.

I woke to a beautiful sunny morning, just the right weather to see the Condors fly in the Colca Canyon. An early breakfast then the one-hour drive from the lodge to the Cruz del Condor viewing area. The scenery on the drive was wonderful and even included a short trip through a village where the locals were already at their kiosks looking after the tourists on their way to the canyon.

Parking at the viewpoint was easy, with many different areas available and a short walk, very slowly as the parking area is at an altitude of 3800m, took us to a little area of local souvenirs and a chance to look down into the canyon.

Once again, the scenery was stunning and worth the visit on its own. But we had come to see the Condors and didn’t have to wait long. As the temperature rose so did the thermals these huge birds use to gain height, and soon there were a number soaring, sweeping and diving in the canyon below us. Make sure you have a decent lens on your camera to capture these amazing creatures.

After two hours, Pepe and I needed to head on to Arequipa. The road to the viewpoint from the village

of Chivay is tarmac and relatively new, the road beyond the viewpoint gradually deteriorates so there was no option but to return the way the way we have come and look for somewhere in Chivay that we could use as a re-group on the event. The parking area at the tourist entrance barrier looked ideal, so I carried on drawing my route notes from there.

The road towards Chivay from Arequipa is very quiet with only the occasional tourist mini-bus and local car, so we thought a couple of nice uphill twisty sections could be included on our route. Having measured these we carried on along a plateau that rises to well over 4000m before meeting the main Cusco/Arequipa road.

The rest of the relatively short run to Arequipa ran through nice scenery with many Llamas grazing in the fields, and the occasional one deciding a suicidal dash across the road to try the grass on the other side.

Our hotel for tonight is north of the city centre, but as Arequipa is Peru’s second largest city the traffic was quite heavy. One great thing though, Arequipa is 800m lower than Colca so breathing is much improved.

Tomorrow we head to the coast.




Arequipa to Puerto InkaWe decided to enjoy a relaxed breakfast and a later start to see what the traffic was like in Arequipa after the rush hour, and it seemed to work. We found a fairly direct route south alongside the river and experienced few delays as we drove through the city, something I can now repeat on the event.

There were a number of possible tracks to explore on the way south from Arequipa, but all turned out to be part of an enormous mining operation and very definitely closed to the public, a real shame as these looked to be among the few roads in Peru which had been graded.

We found a nice little family owned restaurant on the coast near the town of Camana and Pepe discussed with the owner the chances of our bringing the group for lunch, he was thrilled and will certainly look after everyone. The location was good with plenty of parking opposite and a PetroPeru fuel station next to the parking; food and fuel for man and machine all in one place.

Our journey for the afternoon kept close to the coast along the Pan-American Highway, with some fast and straight sections and others where the road rose and fell along the edge of the water. Good bird viewing for those interested in these things.

Our stop for the night was at Puerto Inka, a small place close to Chala which we decided to include to break up the journey from Arequipa. While the hotel was clean it was very basic, but the location was stunning being on the beach in a small inlet. Hopefully a beach BBQ can be organised for the evening and maybe even a sing-song around the camp fire.

Tomorrow we continue along the coast to Paracas.




Puerto Inka to ParacasWaking up to the sounds of waves breaking onto a beach is truly magical and the walk down to breakfast at 6am was just a delight.

After coffee and buns, we had asked for an early breakfast rather than wait for the normal eggs etc, Pepe and I got back on the road for the run to Paracas.

Once again, the choice of roads to use was limited, but we looked at two or three options before turning back to screw everything back on that had shaken off and find our fillings which had come loose, Peruvian gravel is not for the faint hearted!

Our route took us through the town of Nazca and I had been told about an archaeological site called Cahuachi just outside the town, which was well worth a visit. I found it on my maps and eventually we spotted a blue Ministry of Culture sign for Cahuachi and followed the road. I had been told that not many people visit this site, the Nazca lines being close by, but it seems it must be the road in that puts people off as it was corrugated and stony,

so we had to turn back. I will include this in the road book as I am hopeful the Ministry of Culture may grade the road for the main tourist season. I plan to check the road on the day of the event and hope we can take you to the site.

A short stop in Nazca to have some late breakfast and coffee followed, before we turned north west towards Lima and our stop for the night in the lovely Paracas Hotel.

We came across a great restaurant in Ica to stop at, with plenty of parking and its own security guard and Pepe would recommend the Ceviche here.

A short run finished the day as we arrived at Paracas and our hotel, a superb place in a lovely setting with the village of Paracas close by to walk around in the evening. Unfortunately, Pepe and I have only one night here, but you will be pampered here for two nights.

Tomorrow is our last day on the road as we complete the short run in to Lima.




Paracas to LimaWith great difficulty, Pepe and I dragged ourselves away from the impressive breakfast buffet and packed the car for the final run in to Lima.

A short run north along the coast took us into the town of Pisco and then onto the Pan-American Highway heading north. The plan was to look at one final group of dirt roads on our way, but major roadworks were underway, new bridges being built and extra lanes being added, which meant the entrance to the tracks was temporarily shut off. I will look again on the day of the event to see if they are usable then.

Continuing north we stopped at the excellent Autodromo La Chutana, about 50km south of Lima and Peru’s only permanent race track. By pure chance the General Manager was at the track supervising some improvements and spoke perfect English. We discussed the possibility of using all or

part of the circuit as a final test and then having the finish arch in the paddock area. There is an event going on the day we are due to arrive, but contact will be made with the organising club to see if we can work something out, as this will make a great finish to the event.

Our final run in to Lima was along the coast and was fairly traffic free, and as the event will be driving this route on a Sunday; I hope it will be even quieter.

Arriving at the superb Country Club was a great feeling after almost one month on the road, I hope all the crews who join us for the event will experience the same pleasure.




Looking for the ultimate vintage and classic rally experience? A sociable event designed for novices and experts alike. Your rally starts here.

E: [email protected] or T: +44 (0)1252 794100

RALLYROUND.CO.UKFollow us on

FLIGHT CONDOR THE - Rally Round › ... › 04 › Flight-of-The-Condor-Recce-Re… · Here is his...

Documents

Transcript of FLIGHT CONDOR THE - Rally Round › ... › 04 › Flight-of-The-Condor-Recce-Re… · Here is his...