THE INCA TRAIL
the big South American adventure rally
Day 11: La Paz Puno (270 km)
Boat race, Titicaca-style |
The 4 cylinder hot bulb Bolinder engine with its restorer, who worked in situ |
Today's competitive action for the classics came at La Paz's Pucarani race circuit. Access to the circuit was via the narrow roads of a small village. They had let the primary school children out of class to watch the cars coming through, and the Head Teacher came out to tell Peter Rushforth in the Course Opening Car how happy he was to see the event coming to their village. Better be careful not to squash any excited children, then.
The non-sporting highlight of the day was the ferry crossing in specially constructed punts of a short stretch of water across Lake Titicaca. In an unofficial race, the punt carrying Paul Merryweather/Sandra Deacon's Mercedes beat the Deputy Clerk of the Course's Mitsubishi hands down. But it was reckoned that Merryweather cheated by adding his Mercedes' engine as an auxiliary motor.
After crossing into Peru (and having each vehicle treated to a thorough disinfectant spray), the final control of the day was at the fascinating historic vessel ss Yavari (you can see more about her at www.yavari.org) She has quite a colourful history: built at a British shipyard in 1862, she was immediately knocked down into 1,383 component parts, shipped to Brazil, and then conveyed across the Andes on muleback a journey which took six years to complete. By then, she was too late for her original purpose, as a defensive gunboat in a disagreement with Chile, so she was put to good use as a passenger ferry across Lake Titicaca. She is now owned by a Trust established to restore her to her former glory, having been found and bought by an English woman, Meriel Larkin.
Circuit Antics
Name for name...
We don't know if any of the corners on the Pucarani race circuit have names. But one does now. Peter Rushforth, running the course opening car, wanted to check something out before leaving. 'Just take me down to Surtees' corner, will you?' He asked event medic Greg Williams, who was driving the course car at the time. Peter was of course referring to colleague Phil 'Fingers' Surtees, again responsible for checking cars onto the circuit. Peter probably hadn't realised the double-entendre with the world champion of the same name. So now Circuito Pucarani has its very own Surtees Corner.
Woolly spectators
There can't be too many circuits with sheep grazing on them. Circuito Pucarani has them by the dozen. Fortunately, most are tethered: good safety move, that. But not all. Unfortunately this is the lambing season and it was noticeable that some of the youngest beasts were untethered. The likely reason? Could they have been born since the farmer last went out to check his tethers?
Think before you ....
Greg Williams felt a need to relieve himself while Peter Rushforth was discussing a few points of detail with fellow Deputy Clerk of the Course Mark Appleton on the start/finish line. In time-honoured fashion, Greg headed for the shelter of the pit garages. They are made of the mud bricks found all over Bolivia. 'Don't do it,' he said as he came back. 'The bricks started to melt away before my eyes.' A good thing they don't have much rain in Bolivia, then.