Cusco is now within easy striking distance, 124 kilometers away or roughly 3 hours of riding twists and turns through mountains and valleys. Once near the city center, my first goal is to find where I stayed for a few nights 10 years ago. The name is long forgotten; my only option is a block-by-block game of hide-and-seek. A few blocks east of the Plaza de Armas the neighborhood starts returning familiar places. With a little backtracking, I found it. Sadly at midday, there was a heavy roll-down gate covering the entrance and no one responded to persistent knocking. Either the hotel is out of business or they are closed. So much for going down memory lane.

I like the neighborhood and the proximity to the central square. There must be lodging nearby. The first hotel was out of my price range. A few doors away something like an Airbnb, but no one came to the door. A man named Patricio Exebio Muñoz was passing by and I asked if he knew if the building. We chatted, I learned he was a drummer and soon I asked if I could take a quick portrait. I’ve been a photographer since I was a teenager, so I’m not shy. After showing a few photos on my Instagram account, most of people agree to pose for me. People start to feel uncomfortable in seconds; being quick to compose the photo and make minor adjustments to exposure helps. 

A short distance away I found a simple hotel and started washing my clothes in the shower by hand. During the 5-month trip commercial laundry services were used only a handful of times. Why? Services take too long to wash, dry, and fold. The prices can be reasonable to stupid high. I only have a few changes of clothes, which all dry overnight, and I’m never waiting for my clothes. There was space in the hotel to hang clothes, but drying was slow; packing damp cloth is a huge big mistake. A few blocks away a laundry service agreed to run the small stack through the drier. Done. 

Ten years earlier I heard there was a motorcycle bar in Cusco. The name of the place could not be dredged from the recesses of my dim brain. What to do? Post on the Horizons Unlimited group on Facebook! In a short time, several replies appeared, the name was Norton’s Rat Tavern. Sadly the once busy moto watering hole was now dark. The owner died in a crash years ago. His widow kept it open until COVID forced the doors to close. The name has changed to Norton's Pub while the location is under renovation. Using "Rat" in the name was frowned on by the powers that be in Cusco. 

Enter Glen Short, an extraordinary adventure motorcyclist, a deep history buff, and an all-around great guy. Glen had replied to my post and lives in Cusco! We agreed to meet up at Paddy’s Irish Pub that night, and the day after I moved to his hostel. Glen has traveled to all of South America’s corners and met legends like Che Guevara's traveling companion, Alberto Granado, renowned world traveler Ted Simon, and many more. He is chockfull of historical knowledge and experiences on the road. Hanging out with him we couldn’t talk fast enough sharing stories. What fun. Glen Short, aka "Gringo Loco", traveled for 8 years and 86,457 km (53,721 miles) to every country in South America, on an overloaded Chinese enduro 250cc. See the maps of Glen's travel below and his Youtube channel: tinyurl.com/4khjpbfj It's chock full of his travel clips. Entertaining and informative.

Checking a Peruvian government website I learned ownership of the Honda XRE 300 was transferred to my name! The wait is over, I can now leave Peru with the motorcycle. 

Miscellaneous:

• None of the locksmiths at the enormous Mercado Wanchaq had a blank for a Honda lock. The good folks at Camporep (Av. Huayruropata) had a spare key made.
• Bought a thin blow-up camping mattress at Tatoo Adventure Gear Cusco (C. Espinar 144.)
• Picked up a personal package sent from Huanuco at OLVA COURIER.  My package was delivered in two days for $5.00 USD!