World Run II / Reports

The map shows the position of which the pictures for the day are taken (if any). The start and finish markers are placed at the first and last valid registered position. This is not nessesary the actual start and finish position, if GSM or GPS signals was not available.

Goto: 2011-06-30 2011-07-02 Peru

2011-07-01:

46
Distance today: 20.0 km (Accumulated: 26785.0 km)
Elapsed time: 01:53:24
Country: Peru

Start 12:08am., 26c, half cloudy and l.wind, at white km-marker "1266" on hwy.5. Finish 15:08pm., 29c and same, at white km-marker "1246" on hwy.5.

Finally positives :-)))

A very short stage. But still filled with impressions: if you look at the picture serie from todays run you will see something which has been abscent the last many months: Green ! Field beeing developed, crops beeing growed. A pleasure to see. Not least since its still desert; but apparently Peru is making a remarkable effort in artificially watering wast areas of the desert, in some other parts planting trees (Ive never seen that done in a desert in large scale - or small !). Further puzzeling, since Chile is economically much stronger than Peru, and as you have been able to follow the last 2000km of running: its bare desert on their side of the border. But the difference could be explained by Chiles emphasis on mine-industry, which though has about the opposite effect on nature: very destructive not least in these fragile areas.

While running through the green patches of the Atacama Desert here in Peru, I looked forward to what would come once the little stage was done - a drive over a 4700m. mountainpass - to Lake Titicaca, where I tomorrow will celebrate my 40. year birthday.

Its a place I have look much forward to during the last couple of months and from what I have alredy seen on the scenic drive up there is as stunning as I had hoped. A place which makes a deep impression even when having seen 5 continents literally step by step across them and taken in all the beauty of nature which is to be appreciated in each of them. But the silence here, the thin air at 3800m. at the worlds highest lake - an "adventure like" ambience :-)

It already by now, arriving late in the evening after a 7hour drive across the Andes Mountains (wich some severe/interesting altitude effects due to the swift ascend), begun to brush away the nightmarish' last 10days - where all that shouldnt happen happened; from the supportcar not beeing allowed to go across the border, beeing stuck for 6days, to my father dying.

My girlfriend Sarah from Australia (ultrarunners will be familiar with her name; winning her fair share of international multiday races - Im not risking meeting her in a race anymore ;-)) was due to arrive here too - but as a last part of the avalanche of unluch, her fligh out of Australia was cancelled and she had to return home.

But, in spirit she will be here, celebrating together and thinking of adventures shared in races and running through contries !