Overall Rating of Peru - 'Best of Trip Finalist'

Current Location: Copacabana, Bolivia
Distance Cycled to Date: 15,694 km
Number of different hotels stayed in in Peru: 33
Average cost of hotel room in Peru: C$4.41 pp
Distance cycled in Peru: 3,115 km
Days spent in Peru: 95 (We took a lot of days off...)
Fine for overstaying our visa in Peru: $30

After more than 3 months, we finally left Peru yesterday. It was both sad, and exciting, as we left a country that continually tried us, but we loved nonetheless. Peru was a country full of warm, welcoming people, who with every village we would pass through or farm we would pass by would call out and wave, giving us smiles and more attention than we've ever received. Children would run along beside us, (and sometimes old men as well), calling out greetings and encouragement. The scenery was everchanging and always fascinating, from the flat, empty deserts of the north, to mountains that dwarf any we've cycled in yet. With every corner the scenery would change, from the freezing cold mountain passes to the hot, dry valleys lined with cacti. We climbed and climbed, we experienced far worse roads that we knew existed, and in the end, we loved every day of it.

As we pass from Peru to Bolivia, we go from one country steeped in poverty to another. One thing we won't be able to forget is how face-to-face with poverty we come, every day. Every day we cycle wearing two pairs of gloves, and various layers made by top of the line western brands, all designed to keep us warm and active. And we wear these layers as we pass children wearing nothing more than hand-me-down sweaters, their feet hardly covered by homemade sandals, made from recycled tires, and hands that already are scarred with frostbite. We manage to start cycling every morning after letting our tent defrost, or wait for the sun to start shining before leaving our hotel - and every morning the fields are full of Peruvians, leading their oxen by hand to till their tiny plot of land, or cutting their wheat by hand, carrying it on their backs.

We've biked nearly 16,000 km, and some days we question what it is that keeps us going. But cycling through the areas we are, we can see just how easy our life is compared with so many others. We ride a bike for fun, and at the end of this adventure, we'll be returning to our warm houses in Canada, a wardrobe full of clothes we'll never need to wear, and almost anything we could ask for. We ride our bikes, while these people work from sunrise to sunset, returning to their mud-brick huts at the end of the every day.

And yet, here in Peru we've seen more smiling faces than anywhere. Old men and women, their backs permanently stooped from carrying so much weight on it every day of their lives always come and shake our hands, and welcome us to their villages. We are met with dignity, and self-respect everywhere we go. As we've moved further south, the fundraising that we've taken on with this ride is something that we think about daily. It's nearly impossible not to connect the mountainous farming region in the Dominican Republic and the mountainous farming regions that we continually pass through. And to know that we have the ability to make a difference in these peoples lives, in people living in these circumstances is something that is both intimidating, and exciting.

We're very happy to report that ride for HOPE has now raised $23,300 for the project of rebuilding irrigation systems and community greenhouses in the Dominican Republic. We are nearly halfway towards our goal of $50,000, and that is something to be excited about! Thank you - it's your support, and your dollars, that are going towards making a real and tangible difference in peoples lives. Thank you to everybody to has already donated - and we know there are a lot of you. If you haven't - when will be a better time than now? Visit our project page on our website to find out more information, and the donate page to learn how you can make a difference right now. And for all of you who are out there telling your friends, your co-workers and your family - keep it up. Your support likely means more than you'll ever know.

For us, tomorrow we'll begin our adventure in Bolivia, heading first to La Paz, and then further south. We really don't know what to expect, as this is the country that we know the least about. Every map we look at is different, towns have ceased to exist, and the roads are supposed to be the worst on the continent. And so, naturally we're quite excited about what's around the corner.

You've raised $23,300! Almost half way there! Keep it up! We'll keep on cycling, and let you know how Bolivia looks as soon as we can.