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Hey Chris,
nice photos you have there. Many places look very familiar as we're currently on a similar route and... ...I think we met your Chlamydia with her new owner at the fuel station in Cachi, if I remember correctly, in Northern Argentina in January! :w00t: Oh I love those chance meetings! http://www.aufumwegen.ch/wp-content/...1010996_LR.jpg |
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Glad you like the pictures. Enjoy the rest of your trip. South America is awesome! |
History repeats itself: Another shocking tale…
After returning to Uyuni town, stocking up on food and (expensive, over-priced) fuel (Gringos get charged twice what the locals pay) and spending the night I head off across the Salar with the intention of riding the Lagunas route south-westwards towards Chile and San Pedro de Atacama. I don’t get that far. After coming off the super smooth Salar, about 12km before the hamlet of San Juan, after 80 or so seriously bone-jarring washboard track I slow down to stop to admire the view (actually I’m knackered and need a breather). There’s smoke coming out from under the seat! http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...k.jpg~original I was about to jump off the bike and run as I was expecting flames. Having a 27 litre Molotov cocktail explode next to my bollocks didn’t seem such a good idea. Conveniently there were no flames and I dismounted in a more relaxed fashion, but did back away a little distance to consider my predicament. The stock Kawasaki shock that I had rebuilt in Brasil had well and truly expired! I have form when it comes to blowing shockers. Here’s a pic from early 2001 of my Beemer shock lashed together with a tyre-lever and webbing near Gobernador Gregores in the Argentinian Patagonia: http://www.thebrightstuff.com/picsFo...3_Hardtail.jpg http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...l.jpg~original What to do? Try to retrace my route or limp on to the next town on the map. The last 2 places I had ridden though were virtual ghost towns… I rode on towards San Juan. I think I even saw Raymon’s bicycle tracks in the sand. They were definitely from a pushbike and and pogo-ing along at marginally faster than walking pace I had plenty of opportunity to look closely at the dirt and sand just in front of my front tyre. As the shock was shagged the bike wouldn’t sit on its stand properly: so, lean it against a wall. I found a guest house and asked the owner if she knew anyone with a truck. Her husband beckons me to follow him. http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...g.jpg~original We agreed (an admittedly generous) price, but he did have the only truck in the village and was willing to set off virtually immediately back to Uyuni town, about 200km away http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...n.jpg~original Despite having no personal or professional connection to the South American road haulage business, I’ve probably spent more time than most people in the back of trucks in the lands south of the Panama Canal. Here’s a pic from ’01 when hitchhiking with a new shock back to my bricked up Beemer: http://www.thebrightstuff.com/picsFo...ejoin_bike.jpg http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...s.jpg~original Truckin’ with the man and his wife… Making it into a shopping trip? Fine by me. http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...b.jpg~original …and their very cute puppy. |
Extracting myself from a pickle: With the help of good people
Having gotten the KLR back to Uyuni town I now had to make a plan. 15 years previously I sourced a new shocker for my BMW from Germany. My parents who live in Germany ordered it from the Dutch Ohlins dealer (cheaper), drove there to pick it up and posted it to a friend in England who was flying to Puntas Arenas in Chile in order to go trekking in Torres del Paine. Wifi didn’t really exist in those days, so I had written a draft on the library computer in Gobernador Gregores, saved it onto a USB stick, hitchhiked for 3 days and emailed it from an internet café in Puerto Natales. The email to my English friend went something like: There’s a shock absorber already on its way from Germany to your address in England. Can you please bring it to Chile? PS. I don’t have a Plan B. This time with wifi/ skype and cell phones, things can be much easier. The hotel in Uyuni had strong wifi, not the usual for Uyuni, nor Bolivia. I fired off some messages to the Horizonsunlimited Communities in Bolivia asking for a delivery address as my previous experience of parts shipping with DH-Hell to South America wasn’t so good, to put it mildly: Chapter 17 The Big Trip I also posted my predicament on the HU Facebook group and a chap suggested a tour company in Arequipa might have one kicking around. I used the Skype app on my cell phone in order to call Arequipa https://www.perumotors.com/ He said, yes he had a new shock I could have, but it was for a Gen 2 bike. Then I got an email reply from Robin of the La Paz HU Community. The paraphrased email chat went something like this (remember: he’s neither met, nor ever heard of me previously…) Robin: Yes, you can use my address for a delivery, but I’m just at the airport and will be away for a week. Me: Where are you flying to? Robin: Miami, USA Me: How do you feel about me having a shock absorber delivered to your hotel in Miami and bringing it to Bolivia for me? Robin: Sure, no problem Me: Thank you very very much!! (Robin had also offered me the shock off his bike –different make and model, so not compatible- Also his mate Oscar had offered to lend me the shock off his Gen 2 KLR) Modern communications technology is great when good people use it! I had a shocker sent from Texas to Miami and despite Thanksgiving, Black Friday and the weekend coming up, it made its Monday afternoon plane-ride from Florida to Bolivia. While waiting, I took various buses to Potosi to do some tourism and Samaipata to visit an old friend. Here’s a picture to start. That’s dynamite with a fuse in my mouth! http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...i.jpg~original More tourist pictures to follow. |
You’re either on the bus, or off the bus (Borrowing a line from Tom Wolf’s “Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test”)
While waiting for the shocker to wing its way from the US, I stayed busy. It was time to see how the other half lived. In my younger days I had been a bus tourist/ backpacker, until the bus I was in Namibia in 1992 was overtaken by a German on a Honda XL500 with alli boxes. Buses ain’t bad, in fact for just vegetating from place to place, they’re perfectly fine. On a bike I enjoy the journey, not just the destination. I travelled to Potosi, then Sucre, then Samaipata before heading for La Paz to collect the shock. Then another bus back to Uyuni where I had parked the bike in Mr Hotelman’s furniture storeroom. http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...y.jpg~original Potosi was one of the principle reasons for the Spanish to invade/colonise South America. The Cerro Rico mountain that overlooks Potosi generated substantial amounts of silver. Today the mountain is a half or third of its previous size and mining still goes on. Following 100s year old ways of working. A popular tourist/backpacker activity is to take a tour into the mines to see what goes on. Everyone takes gifts for the miners: dynamite, fuses, weedkiller (propellant), cigarettes, alcohol, coca leaves How about this as a Tinder profile picture? Do you think I’d get many right swipes? http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...k.jpg~original The blue face scarf I bought on the tour :innocent: Or this as a Tinder picture? Says a 1000 words, no? :helpsmilie: http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...1.jpg~original The miners work bloody hard! http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...2.jpg~original Ditto http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...3.jpg~original Ditto ditto I took this picture the last time I was in Potosi 15 years ago. There’s a good chance this miner is dead today as the life expectancy down the mine is 17 years. Go down the mine at 14 ish, dead by 30ish. Asbestos hangs off the tunnel roofs… industrial accidents… Work 12 hours a day, 6 days a week in these conditions. http://www.thebrightstuff.com/picsFo...ewing_coca.jpg http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...e.jpg~original Checking the ore quality. With a lump hammer http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...g.jpg~original Refining the ore. Some nasty chemicals involved http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...3.jpg~original 18th century type factory? http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...S.jpg~original Health and Safety has arrived in Bolivia. What use it is, I don’t know http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...e.jpg~original Welcome to The National Mint of Bolivia http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...e.jpg~original The shoe shine business a bit slow today? In 2001 the portrait photo business a bit quiet too: http://www.thebrightstuff.com/picsFo...are_Potosi.jpg http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...s.jpg~original Knitting, waiting for the bus with Cerro Rico in the background |
Heel kicking, bus riding, bench sleeping, good people meeting. Sucre, Samaipata and La Paz
http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...o.jpg~original Sucre was a fun town to visit. Here there’s some sort of protest. The campesinos (peasants) are often striking. As part of their civil unrest, roads get closed. I never encountered anything like that in Bolivia. In Colombia I did though http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...g.jpg~original Whitewashed government building http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...a.jpg~original Mika is an old biking buddy who has been around the world and in some pretty unusual places, including most recently into and out of China with his own bike, all without a guide http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...na-i-did-82852 He now resides in the beautiful town of Samaipata. The bus dropped me off at 4am, so I slept on a park bench in the main plaza for a couple of hours. At 6.30am I was welcomed by the lovely purr of a less than silenced DR650 motor :D Shortly there’ll be a Bolivia HU meeting that he is helping to organise. The ride there is well worth it and the destination is awesome: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/events/bolivia-2017 http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...z.jpg~original Back in La Paz I got to meet Robin, the shock mule, and Oscar. Both top blokes. http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...d.jpg~original The offending article… Looks shiney, doesn’t it? Worked well until it started self-dismantling itself after 3 months. The only thing worse than a Progressive shock is the Progressive customer service department handling of a warranty claim. Progressive and “Customer Service” in the same sentence is an oxymoron, but more of that later |
It's been a little while since the last installment. Apologies. Things are a bit hectic and now that the weather is improving, bikes need riding...
On the road (of the Lagunas Route across the Altiplano) again http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...1.jpg~original It's great to be riding again. Especially with (for now) working suspension. I rode most of this route in 2001. Some journeys are definitely worth repeating! Breathtaking views. Literally and figuratively. http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...y.jpg~original Last rays of sun at my wild camp. It got cold, but the sleeping bag did it's thing. And the stove failed again, so it was cold tuna and bread for supper http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...t.jpg~original Nice morning for it http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...t.jpg~original Room with a view http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...s.jpg~original Twisters that headed my way http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...2.jpg~original Not much pollution here http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...y.jpg~original Undulating terrain http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...e.jpg~original Navigation wasn't so difficult. It was knackering riding, so every so often in order to take a breather I took a picture http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...2.jpg~original The famous Árbol de Piedra http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...1.jpg~original And again in 2015 Now with the Wife in 2001: http://www.thebrightstuff.com/picsFo...d_to_Uyuni.jpg Similarities and differences? Answers on a postcard please. http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...a.jpg~original Bloody flamingos! They're everywhere, turning up here and taking all our jobs. Laguna Colorada http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...b.jpg~original Hot tub in 2015, including entry fee with changing rooms and a restaurant. And in 2001 with Lars and Tini from Germany on their Trans-Americas 2001 trip. No entry fee, no changing room, nor restaurant. But because of Health and Safety considerations in both cases it's important to wear protective head attire... : http://www.thebrightstuff.com/picsFo..._Altiplano.jpg http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...n.jpg~original Didn't encounter any pedestrians in 2001. In 2015, this (British) chap. Barkin' mad pal! Also came across a bicyclist from North America. He seemed utterly knackered, and in the spirit of helping fellow travelers I felt he needed a packet of cookies and 2 liters of bottled water more than I did... http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...e.jpg~original Similar location to this pic from 2001?: http://www.thebrightstuff.com/picsFo..._Altiplano.jpg Laguna Verde 2001. 43 litre Acerbis gas tank and 2 x 4 litre oil cans strapped to it when I set off from San Pedro de Atacama towards Uyuni. 51 liters of gas for over 600km. With the altitude and the hard going my fuel economy went through the floor, but I made it. In 2015 on Chlamydia I set off from Uyuni towards SPdA with 27 in the tank and 6 or 8 liters in cola bottles on the back. After the fun stuff, when you hit the pavement on the Argentina to Chile road it's down hill for about 60km if I remember right. Just as well, as I free wheeled with the motor off most of the way and arrived in SPdA on fumes. I think the 2015 route was longer (and in ways more difficult and scenic) because it followed more high-Altiplano lakes than 2001. http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...e.jpg~original Does this picture look like it was taken at the same place as the front cover of the 2002 BMW R1150GSA brochure, see http://www.barrierobsonbmw.co.uk/dow...Adventdata.pdf Funny you should mention that Mr Bright!.... http://www.thebrightstuff.com/picsFo...Brochure02.jpg Right place, wrong time? In 2001 I stumbled upon and into the photo shoot for the 2002 R1150GSA brochure http://www.thebrightstuff.com/picsFo...Brochure03.jpg Init. In the clothing section (page 30) and on both sides of the pullout poster. The same picture 3 times. Subliminal message: You can either ride a shiney GSA and wear a shiney BMW jacket or ride an old scabby shed and wear second hand stuff bought at the BMF rally at Peterborough. The choice is yours. Make the right decision! http://www.thebrightstuff.com/picsFo...Brochure04.jpg No joke... When I got home after my 99 to 02 trip I spammed all the BMW headquarters I could think of. I now have said brochure in 10 languages! "You probably think the song is about you". http://www.thebrightstuff.com/picsFo...Brochure05.jpg What the brochure sezz... ;-) There's a bloke on the HUBB who likes trolling me: Lots of pointless stuff that probably makes his chest swell with indignation. He even wrote in the guestbook on my website at www.bravenet.com - A Bravenet.com Guestbook Interestingly enough, it's possible to edit others' words to make them very different, even positively sycophantic :-) Does he not realise I have wool in my flies and shouldn't be messed with? Another 2001 picture I like: http://www.thebrightstuff.com/picsFo...road_Uyuni.jpg And from 2015 http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...d.jpg~original Highest Customs office in the world? http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...t.jpg~original In no mans land between Bolivia, Argentina and Chile 2001 trip words are at Chapter 22 The Big Trip |
Great share and read thanks
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Update of local map (Leg 3)
Here’s a map(ish) (actually screenshot of track log in Garmin Mapsource) of my route (clockwise) from Uyuni to San Pedro de Atacama in northern Chile, to Arica, then on to Arequipa and the Colca Canyon in southern Peru, to Lago Titcaca, and back into Bolivia to La Paz, the bicycle tour marketing ploy of the "Road of Death" and on to Samaipata for Christmas 2015 http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...n.jpg~original |
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At least he is reading my stuff. Every click counts :D Loud pipes save lives, toot toot! |
Down the Hill to Chile and then north to southern Peru
After a brief attempt by the Chilean border officials at San Pedro de Atacama to justifying their existence (attempt to persuade me to remove all my luggage and carry it indoors to shove it through their xray machine… I explained it was too hot for me to do it and that the aduana man should unbolt everything and carry it to his machine himself or not at all… it was agreed that he could use his fancy machine to look in my small rucksack only), I entered muy muy caro Chile. European prices rule here, which if you’re a tight-arsed descendant of a Jock isn’t so good. http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...8.jpg~original San Pedro de Atacama is rather quaint with its desert setting and colonial architecture. Here’s also a pic from 2001.: http://www.thebrightstuff.com/picsFo...de_Atacama.jpg http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...7.jpg~original South America is full of younger backpacking types, from North America, Europe and other far flung countries as well as local ones, in particular from Argentina. SPDA attracts more than its fair share, justifiably so. It's a pretty place and tourism central. A large (certainly visual) amount try to make money at traffic lights and other public places as what would loosely be described as “entertainers”, usually jugglers at traffic junctions. They were there in 2001 too, but haven’t, sadly, become more talented in the intervening one and a half decades! This guy was good though: Juggling 3 batons while standing on one leg on a heavy duty bit of webbing strung between 2 trees! http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...0.jpg~original The border crossing from Arica into Peru is straight forward as long as the name in the passport matches that on the vehicle registration document. My paperwork was conveniently in order :-) The Pan-American Highway along the coast is 1000s of km in a straight line. Why would anyone just ride that when inland up in the Andes there are great roads, views, culture and history? I rode it a short way before turning off towards Arequipa, a city I hadn’t visited before http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...4.jpg~original When stopped under a tree for a comfort break (it was bloody hot!), spotted this chap refilling the drinking troughs for his cattle http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...2.jpg~original Arequipa is very pleasant. Great views around the Plaza des Armas. What a backdrop too! http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...5.jpg~original The Cathedral http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...8.jpg~original And again http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...0.jpg~original Again again http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...1.jpg~original I recall this still is a convent, as it has been for centuries. None of the resident ladies were available for a chat (up)… Probably already tucked up in bed, in order to be prepared for another dawn session of genuflection and flatulation |
Colca Canyon
Along with Arequipa I had also not visited the Colca Canyon on my last trip. I'd heard great things about it and it didn't disappoint. A superb place to visit and, dare I say it, I didn't see too many gringos as on the bike, I was able to dodge the tour buses. Bonus! http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...2.jpg~original Leaving Arequipa. The Misti volcanos overlooking the city. http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...a.jpg~original The same recipe for the past 600 or so years... ;-) http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...5.jpg~original Yanque is a pleasant little town and a good base to explore from. A lot less touristy than Chivay http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...7.jpg~original This is wrong in so many ways :-) http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...4.jpg~original The Ampato volcano bubbling along nicely http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...9.jpg~original A more pleasant depiction of rural Peruvian life http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...5.jpg~original The walk home from work http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...9.jpg~original Smithing pots and pans in the street http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...6.jpg~original The Colca Canyon is famous for the Andean condor. They kept their distance and with only an 18 to 105mm lens they weren't so easy to capture on film http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...5.jpg~original How high? How far? The turn off down to the canyon bottom. 800m horizontal distance to my right, 2000m drop in altitude and 29km to ride! http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...8.jpg~original Some hardcore civil engineering http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...7.jpg~original Pleasant views http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...0.jpg~original A leisurely ride down begins http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...9.jpg~original More turns http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...3.jpg~original Taking a rest, mindful of rockfalls http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...2.jpg~original Reached the river. Now the only way is up again! |
Just a quick update should anyone be interested. Been out of touch in terms of RR updates for a little while.
In early June I had a great time watching the TT on the Isle of Man. I want to find the time to post a few pics here. Last week following and accident in my house I was operated on my back and have some nice new pins there to set off airport metal detectors. Hope to make a close to full recovery, but no bike riding for me this year :-( As you've also seen by the image place holders above, the fcuker from Photobucket are partaking in some very sharp business practices. There's a thread at Photobucket have started to charge for third party posting. | Adventure Rider So I'll have to spend many hours sorting this situation to make the images reappear on this RR and my other RRs. Won't be giving those sh!ts any money. I won't be blackmailed! So, wishing everyone a fun summer! And beware of gravity! Chris |
Just an update. After a little birdy whispered me a workaround to the extortion attempts of the fcukers at the image hosting "service" Photobucket, I think I've got the images to display again.
I'm on a Windows 7 PC running Chrome. They also appear on my Samsung cell phone (Android and Chrome). If you can't see them (i.e. only see placeholders demanding money...), please let me know. The workaround in adding ~original immediately after the .jpg in the IMG code. I've downloaded all my images from photofcukem and will self-host all digital content in future. |
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