Monday March 14, 2016, 112 miles (180 km) – Total so far: 15,295 miles (24,615 km)

March 12, 2016 We spent an extra day in Huanchaco to surf the morning and chill on the beach in the afternoon. This is actually the first time in my life that I have ever “rented” chairs and an umbrella on the beach from a “beachboy”. At $4 for the entire day it was well worth it and right across the street from our hostel. The $5 surfboard rental (full day) was a little up the street. What a fun day that ended with dinner at a beachside restaurant that barbequed our entire meal.

From Wikipedia:

Huanchaco is a beachside town of Mochica origin and a popular vacation spot. It is the most visited beach of Trujillo in Peru situated 12 km northwest of the city in a bay, on a terrace at the foot of Campana mountain, Huanchaco is notable for its surf breaks and its caballitos de totora, and its ceviche. Caballitos de totora are reed watercrafts used by Peruvian fishermen for the past 3,000 years, archaeologically evidenced from pottery shards.

Named for the way they are ridden, straddled ('little reed horses' in English), fishermen use them to transport their nets and collect fish in their inner cavity. The name is not the original name as horses were not introduced to South American until after the Spanish arrived in the 15th Century. They are made from the same reed, Scirpus californicus, used by the Uros in the Lake Titicaca region.

Fishermen in the port town of Huanchaco famously, but in many other locations practically, still use these vessels to this day, riding the waves back into shore, and suggesting some of the first forms of wave riding. There is currently a minor debate in the surfing world as to whether or not this constitutes the first form of surfing. Huanchaco is near the ruin of Chan Chan. Huanchaco was approved as a World Surfing Reserve by the organization Save The Waves Coalition in 2012 This historic town is part of the tourist circuit called the "Moche Route" or "Ruta Moche". Today it is still a beautiful beach that, despite its modernity, still retains its old charm.

March 13, 2016 After a nice pancake and fruit breakfast, cleaning the sand from our bikes, and resupplying food and water we were finally underway at 10am for a pretty easy ride south along the Pan-American Highway. The weather was good for camping but we spotted a hospedaje as we were riding through a town at 5:30 so checked that out. At $15 we were sold and this very nice family took us in. We moved our bikes into their living room and settled down. It was a good day.