The roads , mountains and rivers are constants when travelling in Peru but what is unique to each location are its people . The personal encounters are what make travel experiences unique for each individual who chooses to hop on their motorcycle and hit the open road . The Northern Andean region of Peru is filled with roads to explore and towns to discover . We decided to take four weeks aboard our two 200cc Keeway motorcycles to ride deeper into Northern Peru than most adventure travelers en route to Ushuaia in Argentina .
Arriving in the northern town of Cascas , located in La Libertad region and known for it ’ s wine , we navigated our way to the Plaza de Armas in search of a hotel for the night . It was getting dark and we didn ’ t know what was waiting on the road ahead so we needed to make arrangements for the evening . While parked in the Plaza I enjoyed watching some local children playing with trompo . A local game similar to a spinning top . Fascinated with our bikes a group of them came over to talk to us . They asked if we were racing in the Dakar , and while that was a mighty compliment for our little Keeway motorcycles we had to confess that we were just travellers out to explore the beauty of Peru . It is amazing how hosting the Dakar has raised the awareness of motorcycles within the country . We cheerily told the children that we were from Canada , handing out stickers of the canadian flag we started to gather a crowd . Cascas was a friendly town uniquely perched on a steep hill , with the outlying countryside filled with grape vines and lush hillsides .
The dirt road that connects Cascas to Contumazá is a unique treat . Riding through the lush wine growing valley the road climbs from Cascas into the mountains . At the top the road travels along the ridge and is very narrow due to the restrictions of the rocky terrain . The road drops off steeply on the outside edge , with spectacular views of the valley down below . Eucalyptus grows at these higher elevations and the air is filled with the tree ’ s distinctive smell .
Cascas
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