Gringo Trail by Ryan Stotland

The section between Cusco and Lima is called The Gringo Trail. I questioned Randy, our trip leader, about the name and he gave me a very simple answer, “That is where all the gringos go.” Peru is the most touristy of all the countries and gringos go to Puno to see Lake Titicaca, Cusco for Machu Pichu and they also end up where we are now in Nazca to see the Nazca Lines. Gringos also go to Lima, which is where we will be in a week. While we do flock to most of the places where all the gringos go, we spend most of our time in the space between.

The six-day stretch from Cusco to Nazca is a half-day bus ride for most tourists. The extra time means that we see these parts in unusual detail. Interactions with shop owners in small towns, seeing the animals along the route, cycling up beautiful mountains and along rivers are important parts of our experience. We camp in the desert at high altitudes where temperatures are well below freezing and during the day scorching hot. Along the route we played a game of volleyball at a tollbooth and were invited to play soccer by the local kids of Negro Mayo, experiences few have while traveling.

When we pass through small towns along The Gringo Trail, the kids always yell “Gringo!” It isn’t because they are welcoming us to their section of The Gringo Trail it’s because the gringos usually pass through are hidden on a bus and we are out in the open. These are likely the only times they have ever seen white people passing on a bicycle, a mystery and a miracle to them. Sometimes I like to surprise them and yell, “Gringo!” as I pass through. They look at me upset as if I stole their one liner.

In Puno, Cusco or Nazca you aren’t going to be called a gringo. Many of the local people have set up their lives to accommodate the gringos and attract their money. So being called a gringo on The Gringo Trail means you are doing something new. I think of it as a reminder of the unusual and rewarding nature of the journey…a type of traveling few ever have done before on this trail.

Ryan Stotland is currently on a 12,000-kilometre bike ride through South America as part of a self-initiated fundraising campaign. He is raising money for two important causes that are close to his heart: Climate Change awareness and Skin Cancer research. He is a little more than halfway through his four-month trip, and has raised over $100,000 so far. Ryan’s goal is to get to $250,000 before he returns in December. Please check out his site, http://www.12000km.org/en. He is cycling with Tour Dafrique on their trip called the Vuelta Sudamericana.