Day 05- Ole’

No good bull ring should stand idle.  Nor should any red bath towel go unused.  There was unfinished business here and it had to be addressed before we left.

A quick scavenger hunt yielded enough material to make a BMW resemble a bull, at least regarding the important points.  Tim agreed to drive the bull for a few laps in the ring and many of us took a few passes before dispatching the bull (but only back to motorcycle status).  Julio joined in to encourage us and teach us a few things, donning his retired cape and offering it’s use (probably only to preserve his bath towels).  Ben, at first, considered this to be a hare-brained idea but he later saw its value after noticing my authentic apparel.

We filled the morning quota of messing around, removed the “horns” from Tim’s bike and headed off to Puerto Inka, near Chala.   We made good use of the Pan American Highway as it dipped down from the desert to the coast.  Breathing seemed almost too easy at sea level.  The ocean views were outstanding, the road was excellent and other traffic was almost nonexistent.  A lunch stop in Camana allowed our paths to cross with our Swedish friends.  More Peruvian coastal twisties, more ocean views, again and again.  That’s how Tuesday unfolded.

The 230 mile day ended with our arrival at Puerto Inka.  At first glance, I expected to find Hemingway lounging about in this desert-meets-ocean paradisaical cove.  I knew that this place would be difficult to leave.  A large Cusquena and an hour alone, sitting beneath a cove-view palapa and I was hooked.  Archaeological ruins to my left, open-air dining behind me, a desolate cove and Superdog running about, pretty much sealed the deal.  Oh, and the rooms were nice, too.