Chunchi to Ingapirca

As I write today's entry I've got to tell you, "I'm not happy Jan"! Sorry to any of my international readers, I've used an old Australian television slogan to diminish the profanity which may otherwise ensue as a result of my rooming / sleeping conditions tonight following what has been arguably one of the hardest days I've ever spent in the saddle of a bike.

Essentially today today's route which took us from Chunchi to Ingapirca involved some 2000 metres of climbing over the relatively shortish distance of 70 kilometres or thereabouts.

Whilst the map profile seemed to suggest the gradients wouldn't be too excessive, in reality there were some pretty serious climbs involved. Both in terms of the gradient, length and to top it all off the winds..... There was one point were I got really, really close to getting off and walking, the headwind being so strong that I had a hard time staying out of the gutter.

Whilst the scenery at times was breath taking, I've got to admit I didn't have a lot of breath to take given that I was gasping for air at times owing to some of the gradients. I think the last ten kilometres or so were the worst though. A few aggressive dogs, narrower roads and a climb that just never seemed to stop. Fortunately however I had an ally in Dave and we both slogged away at the last little bit together!

Once in town, a visit to the ancient Inca ruins, was called upon! At this point I should confess I would have stuck around and listened to the whole guided tour, but only being in my lycra gear once the wind struck up I made for a rather hasty exit!

Getting back to where I began, because there were insufficient beds in the original hostal that we'd been booked to stay, a number of us were transferred into some alternate accommodation and whilst some of my colleagues seemed to find themselves in reasonable (though hardly brilliant surroundings) I found myself in something more akin to a stable. 

The bathroom window was just a gap in the wall, the wall between the bathroom and the bedroom wouldn't shut (shoddy workmanship) and as a consequence I suspect I'm in for a rough night in terms of getting any sleep! Personally, I think I'd prefer it if we were camping, but whinging about it isn't going to change anything, so I'm just going to shut up now and go to bed!