With just 30 days until departure, let’s find out the team mates are getting on...
Have you got much left to do before leaving for Peru?
Chris: Far too much. I am still unsure what jabs etc to get, I haven't thought about what to take and my Spanish is at a level where I could just about order a beer (i.e. not up to reuesting a new clutch cable), so it'd be good to learn a few vital phrases! On the plus side, we now have the tickets, international drivers permits, passports ... and I hope a moto-taxi (though unconfirmed!)
Rich: Whenever I am asked about this or even think about it, I think “nah, not much left to do really”. But when I list out the “couple of logistical things still to sort out” it ends up becoming a pretty big list including; buy malaria tablets, get international driving permit, work out how I’m getting to the airport, get Peruvian currency, re-learn how to ride a motorbike, learn how to speak spanish, get maps/think about a proper route, read up about the country, see if I can sort out a quick trip up Macchu Picchu before we start, raise lots of money for charity, decid if there’s room to take a tent….it goes on. So there’s a tonne of stuff to do, but in truth we could just go tomorrow and have a good stab at it, so I’m not phased by it.
Any more thoughts about the route you’re going to take?
Chris: North. Through the hilly cold bits, jungly wet bits and flat dry bits.
Rich: not really. The wet season in Peru is pretty genuinely wet, so mother nature will have the biggest say in the route we take (with roads often impassable or washed away altogether). I am eager to make sure we stay off the beaten track and take in some good jungle and mountain passes – which is convenient since there is around 3500km of jungle and forest between where we start and where we finish! One thing I’ve learned from previous travels is that there is little point planning a route (even once you’ve got a map, which I haven’t) because things change and the interesting route is the one you end up going.
Any nerves? What’s the most daunting aspect of the trip?
Chris: Nerves and sleepless nights are yet to kick in...though they are on the way. I am most daunted by the cliff top roads, the idea of being broken down stuck at the edge of a presipice at night does not fill me joy. TV airing programmes called "the Worlds most dangerous roads" won't help! On the flip side, its for experiences like these that make the whole trip so exciting!
Rich: I’d be lying if I said I had no nerves at all. It’s a new continent and I speak only a little Spanish, so communication is going to be tricky. I’ve not ridden a motorbike since I was 10 years old, so have forgotten how the controls work. I am a useless mechanic. All that is a recipe for some challenging times ahead – and now that I’m married, I feel I have an added responsibility not to get into a monumental amount of difficulty. But, in truth, aside from the basic “try to get home in one piece” thing, I am pretty much excited about it rather than daunted. The thrill of the trip is the absurdness of it, and the fact that we will need to stretch ourselves to communicate, navigate and progress
How’s the family? Are they nervous for you?
Chris: Unsure really. Dad, my brothers and sister seem fairly nonchalant about the whole thing. Sister-in-law and of course my Mum seem the most aprehensive.
Rich: The family are fine. I think for them it is the same mixture of feelings. On the one hand they’d rather I didn’t go because it’s a bit dangerous, but on the other they totally support me, are excited for me and are looking forward to me actually going so I stop wittering on about it!
What’s the most useful item you think you’ll be taking?
Chris: It's got to be a combination of Compass and Map. As long as we are heading North we can't go too far wrong. (I must remember to pack a compass!)
Rich: Perhaps a cheesy answer…but does “Chris” count as an item? Seriously though, its teamwork with these things and without Chris I would definitely be stuck. Sharing out the problem solving, conversations, driving and having someone to bounce ideas off is just vital on these trips. In terms of actual things – I think my rucksack (supplier by Outdoorkit.co.uk) and Leatherman (supplier by Whitbyandco.co.uk) will prove invaluable. We’re also in talks with a company who might provide us a mobile phone with local sim card and credit on it – which will be handy for providing text updates.
And the most useless?
Chris: Probably my running shoes. I have just signed up for the Paris marathon (in April), so need to use the opportunity to do a spot of altitude training. This is the first Rich has heard about this!
Rich: I’ll will undoubtedly end up taking a book, in the expectation that at some point I’ll be able to sit back in the mototaxi sofa seat and just read and chill. This will be utterly pointless as I will be too busy driving/looking at amazing scenery/digging mototaxi out of mudpit/flagging down help/looking at a map and trying to work out where we are.
Anything else to say?
Chris: "nos desean suerte!" (wish us luck!)
Rich: Really just to say “thanks” to everyone who has sponsored us, donated good, spread the word or helped in any way. The trip has really started to feel real since the publicity and fundraising has got going – its very apparent now that we’ve got generous support and this makes the whole experience feel much more like a shared one (rather than just me and Chris). I hope everyone finds some time in January to track our progress and share the journey with us.
