Riding through the Americas

No more??

2008-09-04T20:59:00.004-05:00

The road is no more.

No more will I buckle on my boots
No more will I strap up my helmet
No more will I swing that leg over the saddle
No more will I be staring towards the horizon
With the wind and the rain as companion
With the sun to drive me on
With the mountains to distract me.
No more will I be singing those songs
Over and over again
Or the conversations that go around
in circles in my head

with no where to go

No more will I look for that elusive turn off
Or that short cut
To take me where I know not
To live each day
with wonder or trepidation
at every turn.
With the knowledge that the unknown
Is only the unknown
until you know it.

And just around the corner
Is Adventure..

With your name on it.

No more?

I don't think so.

See ya next time..

Last Days..

2008-09-04T20:00:00.005-05:00

Smithers ended up being the ‘end of the road’ for me are far as this motorcycle trip went. – and an excellent time I had there too!! After pushing it all the way from Southern Mexico I was looking forward to a bit of a rest but upon reaching here I decided that resting would be a bit of a waste of time.
I got to meet up with a lot more relatives than I knew existed up here. It was awesome after 7 months on the road to meet with people I knew or knew of. I immediately felt like one of the family and I was soon rushed away for fishing trips, hiking and extreme coffee drinking episodes..

After extending my ticket and staying for an extra week I still wasn’t really ready to leave but, as they say, all good things must come to an end. Plus I still had other things to do/ commitments to fulfil...

(Uncle) Peter and Molly were fantastic hosts and I couldn’t have asked for better attention – Thanks a lot again, you have given me some special memories that I will treasure. After travelling so long it was great to have a place that felt like home – really. Excellent food, company, conversations… and the odd rye in between..

Not only did I get to meet up with a lot of people I also managed to nip off for a couple days with a few friends – to Alaska!! Just. If you look at a map, and it has the small town of Smithers on it, you might be able to see that there is a strip of land that belongs to Alaska that gets very close – about 4 hrs drive. Too close not to go.

So it was off to Hyden to see the glaciers and the odd Grizzly bear fishing for a Salmon. The trip was done with my cousin Richard from good old Australia and Dina, from Switzerland, a friend of Carl and Jenny’s (another uncle and aunt..), who didn’t realise what she was getting into, hanging around with us, poor girl… :-)

We got to see a couple Grizzlies at Fish Creek. I was impressed by how they could move – so softly and carefully while stalking a fish and then unleashing that enormous power as they run and leap for their prey. Beautiful animals but I think I will skip on the bear hug..

A Bear Bum, as promised.....

Seeing the glaciers in the North were an excellent finish after the glaciers in the South, so many months before, tying the beginning with the end.

Good times. Even better memories…

After this trip it was a bit of a rush to get the bike crated up and ready to transport. I decided to leave the bike in Smithers, giving me more time to organise transport (plus, since I will be in Papua New Guinea for the rest of the year I won’t need it til after that anyhow..). Maybe I will just leave it there and return one day (soonish) jump in the saddle and keep travelling…. Alaska, Russia, Mongolia… hmmmmm.
Now THAT sounds like a good idea.

The Home Stretch

2008-08-23T18:32:00.006-05:00

So, here I am, sitting behind a desk at my Uncle Peter's place in Smithers, British Colombia, Canada at the very end of my trip.
It has been a long time since I have updated this blog but the last couple weeks have been a bit of a blur as I made a rushed trip up through Mexico, The States and into Canada. Upon arriving in Smithers I was planning to take a couple days just to chill out and relax but the family over here had other ideas.. not that I am complaining at all.

BUT.
I should rewind back a bit and share a few photos..

In Guatemala (yep, still way back in Central America) I went on a bit of a tour up a Volcano to see some red hot glowing lava. The top photo shows all the people spread out on the lava bed, convincing myself once again that I don't take tours as a preferemce..

The second photo shows a few red 'holes' that we had to skip around, unless we wanted a barbeque..

Mexico....

was a big country to travel through. Some 3 thousand plus kilometers. My odometer doesn't work any more so I don't really know exactly how far I have travelled since Panama...

Spending most of the time on the saddle meant I didn't get to see a lot in Mexico. It was a lot greener than I expected. Did manage to snag an arts festival and a regional fair in two of the nights which was a bonus, getting a chance to eat some great mexican food and hear a bit a of local music, even check out the local beauty pagent...:-)

12 Countries here (plus two more to come - US and Canada). Sometimes hard to believe that I actually made it..

The States..

Like Mexico I didn't have much time so it was a real bumonsaddle type trip. My bike, as reliable as it has been, gave me a spot of bother as it started to cut out for no reason during my last day in Mexico and after entering the States. The problem seemed to disappear so I expect it was a bad batch or two of fuel..

Colorado was a very pretty state. Worth a second visit I think..

Even Utah with its dry canyons and colourful sunsets..

And after a few more hard days I entered Canada. The home stretch.

The Banff and Jasper National Parks in Alberta were beautiful which I enjoyed seeing but I was on a mission...

Smithers..

Arriving at 10 oclock on a Wednesday night after dodging deer, a bear and a moose, after almost 10 thousand kms of constant travelling from Guatemala, after 6 months of travel from Buenos Aires down the southern tip of South America and then all the way North.. my uncle gets a call...

"Hey its me, Bruce...."

bike problems

2008-08-06T19:27:00.002-05:00

Hi.
Just a Qickie..
After a huge push through Mexico I have made it to the Sates. (Didn't realise how large Mexico was until I bought a map of it.)
However my bike is playing up. It is cutting out for no reason, starting easily each time. Can't work out the problem, a local shop not being of much help here in El Paso.
Sooo if you don't hear from me soon(ish) I'm probably pushing my bike through the Grand Canyon (or into it).

Guatemala - Semuc Champey

2008-08-01T21:43:00.006-05:00

I really didn´t have the time but, I admit it, I am a bit of a procrastinator and the only deadline I have to break (but really can`t) is getting to Canada on time...

So I took a detour to check out Semuc Champey. A day detour that ended up taking 3..

Semuc Champey is renowned for its blue stepped pools at the bottom of a steep valley in the Guatemalan highlands. What is unique about this place is that the river, which is murky with sediments, flows underground through a cave for some 300metres. Above the underground river water seeps from the surounding valley producing perfectly clear pools of water. One of the best swimming holes I have been in. Period.

Swimming here brought on thoughts of Paradise. Though no `Eve´ around...

I thought the ride back would take a couple hours. Took a full day and a bit more. Not having much more than a mud map doesn´t help I suppose. (Of course I didn`t take a wrong turn.) Nor does waiting for roadworks to clear a few landslides..
But it was very enjoyable nether the less.

Made it to Antigua... and met Brad and Jola who I left behind in Nicaragua!!

Copan Ruinas

2008-07-29T18:50:00.004-05:00

While in Copan I checked out the Mayan ruins there. These ruins are pretty important because of all the hieroglyphics that have been found there, helping archaeologists learn more of the life of the Mayan people. well, so i am told.. Hard to believe the size of the empire that had to be here and that just disappeared..

Honduras

2008-07-26T20:19:00.003-05:00

Starting to get into a fastish travel mode.
Yesterday I crossed the border from Nicaragua into Honduras. A guy tried to help me (for free though he wanted a donation when we were finished and he did do a lot of running around for me..) but I think I would have been better off on my own. Atleast then I would know what was going on (sort of). Anyway it ended up costing me 40 dollars (a lot of money when you think all the other borders are free...) and with no receipt I have no idea where the cash went to. I should have demanded on but once I got the paperwork done I just wanted to get going. Apart from that it was pretty straightforward.

Today I hooned up through Honduras to Copan which is very close to the border with Guatemala. Tomorrow I might check out the Mayan ruins which are near here.
Copan is a pretty town and worth the stopover.

Camera #4...

2008-07-23T19:59:00.003-05:00

I don´t know how to write this but

You know that camera I bought about a week ago?? Well, it got nicked.

Not a happy chappy here.

Though the island of Omepete here in Nicaragua has made a pleasant visit. Pretty weird being on a largish island on a lake in a small country like Nicaragua. Got to ride around a few vlocanoes, swim in a freshwater spring, check out some monkeys and donate my camera..

wet wet wet in Costa Rica

2008-07-20T18:16:00.004-05:00

Yes it is the wet season. Yes it rains here everyday. Yes, we get wet, very wet, every day.

But still I manage to forget about my passport and documents which I put in one of my coat pockets after another Police Checkpoint. The bike docs seems alright. Most of my passport seems ok, with a few smudged stamps. Unfortunately the only really unreadable one is the one I need to exit Costa Rica..

Even though it is wet we decided to punish ourselves and go to Monteverde to check out the cloud forests. Yeah, clouds usually mean rain, I know.

Typical hotel scene at the moment, trying to dry everything out. A useless gesture...

Splurged out on a Zip line canopy tour. Basically flying foxes through the forest canopy and across the valleys, the longest one being around 700m! There was also this huge tarzan style swing which was pretty exhillarating. A bit like the old tree swing we made back home as a kid but then 10 times bigger...

Into Costa Rica

2008-07-18T22:18:00.003-05:00

Enjoying some fresh Coconut after an arduous Border Crossing..

The bordercrossing from Panama to Costa Rica is supposed to be one of the better ones around here. Well after a lot toing and froing from one place to the next we managed to get it all done - in 3 hours...

Costa Rica has even more gringos than Panama. It is pretty but I don't plan to be here long. We have been following the Pacific coast at the moment with nice roads lined with rain forest and the ocean. Brad has been trying to get a new chain and sprockets for his bike which is proving very difficult. Tomorrow we are heading into the big bad capital city, San Jose, which we were trying to avoid. My Speedo stopped working after the boat trip and after taking the front wheel off tonight my suspicions were confirmed -- actually the whole sensor unit in the front wheel is completely jammed. don't know if I can fix it or will have to replace the whole unit, though don't know what I can do about it here in Central America... Maybe no Speedo (or odometer) til the States.

Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away..

2008-07-16T20:18:00.004-05:00

hi
Yesterday was one of those days that you'd love to rewind and do again. Differently.
It started fine. Got to check out the Panama Canal and on of It's locks. Pretty cool.
Then off we went (I'm travelling with Brad and Jola at the moment.). All is good. Panama has been a bit disappointing, being too westernised to what I have become used to. Then we get pulled over by the cops. They say we are speeding, blah blah, give us money etc. Eventually waved on then pulled over again 1km down the road. This cop was more grumpy and tried harder, trying to say that B&J didn't stop at the last road block and were speeding etc. Since they didn't stop it was left to me to have a bit of a yarn to him. This was all rather bothersome than being a real problem but then it started to rain. Really really rain. We soldiered on for a while to get away from these police who were phoning their friends further on and we thought the rain would deter them. BUT the rain was crazy and we had to get out of it. This was only a period of 5 to 10 minutes but it was enough time to destroy both my Camera and my Ipod which were in a pocket... You can imagine that I am not impressed. A rather expensive drenching. Thankfully I just backed up my photos onto a dvd disc the night before so it could have been worst.
So today I went and bought my 3rd camera for the trip.

For sale: One kidney..

Aboard the Stahlratte..

2008-07-14T18:13:00.007-05:00

From Barraquilla I left for Cartegena. Cartegena is a pretty city but I was there to organise transport to Panama.

Now, for those not in the know, although there is a fairly continual land mass from the tip of South America to the top of Alaska in North America there is a section that is impossible to navigate on a bike (or car) due to the fact there is no road and the wet, muddy jungle is crammed full of baddies and desperate people. This area between Colombia and Panama is called the Darien Gap. Sooo you need to fly or take a boat.

Well I arrived in Cartegena (in the rain again) and it just so happened that I stop in a hostel frequented by motorcycle travellers and it just so happened that one of the most recommended bosts was leaving the very next next day and it just so happened that there was another couple on a bike (Brad and Jola) who I bumped into in Bolivia were also taking this boat and it just so happened that there was still enough room... Well this was too many `it just so happened` and so I jumped at the opportunity.

To get the bike to the boat it was lowered into a (rubber) dinghy from the water`s edge and then hoisted aboard. Not the normal thing a sane person does with his bike but after a few times you almost get used to it...

The Stahlratte (Steel Rat in English) is an old German sailboat for the early 1900`s which, at the moment is stationed in the Caribbean Sea. The trip to Panama takes about 2 days with 2 extra days of lazing around some picture perfect islands in the warm Caribbean sun.

The trip was fairly calm and with the help of a few motionsickness pills I managed to stay pretty alright, though spent most of the time sleeping...

The San Blas Islands lived up to their reputation as an idyllic spot for swimming, snorkelling, BBQs, hermit crab racing and general lazing around in the sun. 2 days in Paradise...

(a local Kuna village)

And then the fun began again. Since Central America is in the wet season the road from San Blas was unpassable for a mbike and so after all the backpackers got off (and the captain who was going to Panama City) we continued on with the rest of the Crew to Porvineer from where we hoped to catch a cargo boat to Miramar. Well all went well til they managed to run the boat abound on a sandbar where they were stuck till evening. Thankfully it was very close to the `dock` we needed to get to so after a couple of hours it was decided that it would be better if our bikes were offloaded.

Since the rubber dinghy from the sailboat decided not to work we made use of a local craft. The flimsy fibreglass bottom was viewed suspicously by Brad and I as we envisiaged our mbikes sinking to the bottom of the sea. I graciously let Brad go first....

After haggling a price (we were in bind and they knew it) we started our 4 hour trip to Miramar which went relatively smoothly. At the other end the last obstacle was getting our bikes off the boat. There is another boat tied to dock so what do you do? Well you tie alongside and simply manhandle the bike from one boat to the next and then onto the dock. Simple..

(a few more photos when blogger works again...)

When you enter a new country on your bike not only do need to get your passport stamped (or obtain a visa) you also need to make a temporary import of your motorcycle. Since this wasn`t possible at SanBlas we had to wait till we got to Panama City. The customs office wasn`t open over the weekend so we had to wait until today. We were a bit worried since you are supposed to do it straight away and we thought they might make a problem out of it. However after finding the right place it ended up being a smooth process. If only the rest of the borders here in Central America are going to be like this...

Barraquilla

2008-07-14T17:32:00.004-05:00

One of the last places I got to visit in Colombia was Barraquilla which I really enjoyed. Not because of the city per se but for the experience I had. Nothing to do with Motorcycles but none the less still very important to me.

I went there to visit Mara´s brother Faisal and his family who belong to the Presbyterian Reformed Church (I think that is the name..) there in Barranquilla. Arriving after dark and promptly riding into another dodgy area I managed to find them with help of a local who led me through some dismal streets to get there.

So for the weekend I was given some accomodation in the Church building which is really a house. Must say this is the first time I `ve parked in a church building under the photos of John Calvin and John Knox.

Although a small Church (30 members??) I found the people to be very active and over the last 10 years of existence they have established another church in Barranquilla and have another Church/mission post further along the coast. They have started a School (John Calvin School..) which works in a poorer area and are trying to get involved in Politics, amongst other things... This, over against a sincere and continual search for the truth found in God`s Word.

Spending time on Sunday going to their Church (in Spanish..) and then meeting with Faisal, his family and the Pastor and his family was a special time for me having many discussions and sharing experiences. It was interesting to find out that this Church wasn`t started from outside influences as such (eg mission work) but as a breakaway from a Baptist church after the first minister (and some of the founding members) started learning more about the Great Reformation and reading books by authors like Calvin and Kuyper. It was exciting to hear their thoughts, also on Reformed Education, and on how much we shared in common. Their enthusiasm was genuine and infectuous and their thirst for knowledge left me humbled and excited for their future.

I hoped to return the next Sunday and, as a teacher, I was (am) interested in learning more about their School but it was not too be (as you will read in the next installment). I hope that I will be able to keep up some contact with them in the future as it is very apparent that God is working here in Colombia.

Bogotá to Barranquilla

2008-07-06T16:39:00.004-05:00

Once back on the road I was pretty keen to get moving...

But at each place I stopped I just wanted to stay longer but I kept my resolve and soldiered on..

First stop, Villa de Leyva. An intact colonial village. Cobble streets with white walled buildings.

Stopped in San Gil, a bit of a Colombian adventure capital but I didn´t stay...

Getting really rained on seems to have become another daily ritual around here. The roads are very windy, the trucks in their thousands and adding rain to the mixture just creates one crazy experience..

And I think I have left the Andes for good this time, having roughly followed them from Patagonia in the south all the up to the north coast. Felt a bit sad as I wound round the last bend. goodbye ye old friend, I shall endeavour to return...

The highlight of the trip would have to be getting to the city of Mompós. I was getting tired of sticking to the main roads in Colombia and so took a few back roads, to Mompós. The road surfaces were challenging enough without being ulcer producing passing through farms, wet lands and small villages which don´t get to entertain very many travellers on ´big´ motorcycles.. A heap of fun and definite recommendation to anyone wanting a change when travelling in the North of Colombia..

Mompós itself was a fantastic little place. I think this picture sums it up.

Had to tear myself away from this place too to make it up to Barranquilla for the Sunday...

Bogotá

2008-07-06T16:18:00.003-05:00

(my broken footpeg, for the second time...)

I´ve taken too long to get to this so I will keep it short...

In Bogotá I got to meet some friend(s) of a friend back home in Australia.

Mara, Jaymara, Manuel and Javier(who took the shot)

Unfortunately I don´t seem to have many pictures of them or of my time there but it was great hang out with a few local Colombians for a while. I enjoyed their hospitality (thanks heaps Mara) and got a bit more of an insight into life over here.. including what a priviliged working life we get back home in Australia... It was good to just chill out for a while but you can only watch so much cable TV and I was getting restless, especially with the knowledge that Canada was´t getting any closer..

One other thing I also got up to was attend a Suzuki meeting/ get together/whatchimacallit which had the unveiling of a new model to Colombia - the mighty B-King. For those that know bikes it is a `cruiser´ with the huge Hayabusa engine, (pretty insane I reckon). Anyway when they heard they had an Australian traveller in their midst I got hauled on stage and had to make an impromptu speech...

Thou shalt not covert.... :-)

Youtube

2008-06-27T23:48:00.010-05:00

Wow, I´ve made it onto Youtube!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaC7j4csuRI

This was posted by a fellow motorcyclist and Vstrom rider, Alvaro, from Imbegue (that spelling looks wrong..), Colombia. Pulled over and had a bit of a chat not long after this...

Another friendly Colombian..

Colombia

2008-06-22T19:18:00.008-05:00

Colombia has lived up to my expectations as a beautiful place filled with very friendly and helpful people.

(Stayed in this house. Randy, a local and a fellow motorcycle traveller invited me over for a couple days. A super friendly and helpful type of bloke)

Most of my time, so far, has been spent in Cali where I got some work done to my motorbike. It was great finding this slick Suzuki Store in the middle of Cali with all the lastest. Bit of a change to what I have become used to. The Vstrom (that´s the type of Bike I have..) is quite a popular bike over here (well, that´s if you have a bit of spare cash ofcourse, most bikes here are the normal 150cc jobs) so I was quite confident in getting the parts I needed, and a good service (and a good wash..).
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The workshop was one of the smartest I have ever come across and I would have quite happily have eaten my lunch off it, well maybe. So, finally, since Bolivia, I now have a complete front brake lever to use.. got a `new´ secondhand front wheel (though I don´t think it fixed the vibration problem completely..), and some TLC (the bike not me) so all is good in the life of the bike that belongs to Bruce.....

Well almost. The footpeg, which was welded up in Bolivia, decided to break off so it looks like I´ll be looking around for a new one here in Bogotá.

The trip from Calí to Bogotá was pretty interesting.. Part of the trip took me over a mountain pass. Nothing new there. But the amount of trucks on the curvy road - hundreds.. And then it started to rain, no, really pour down.. And then the mountain sides started to slip down onto the road.. Yeah, it was fun. But extremely slow.

Which made me not make it to Bogotá in one day.. So I stayed in a little town called La Mesa. Nice place with a genuine friendly feel to it. I quite liked it. I befriended a young policeman who was eager to practise his english, who also helped me find a hotel for the night. The next morning I met this guy.

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Had a good ol yarn about all sorts of things while he fed me coffee with a good tot of rum (yeah, that was my breakfast..). He used to be a proffesor at a university teaching law, atleast I think I got that right. He didn´t speak english but kindly spoke very slowly and clearly in spanish which helped a lot. Almost stayed longer but decided to move on to Bogotá.

Getting lost coming into a new city has become a bit of a hbit for me, as has finding dodgy areas. This time I managed to score a shot of scotch (hmm, that is twice in one day..) from a bunch of guys sheltering from the rain. Their directions weren´t too bad either. Dodgy, inadequate maps from the Lonely Planet Guide Book don´t really suffice a motorcyce journey..

The Equator

2008-06-19T12:28:00.002-05:00

Quite the crowning moment..

Ecuador 1

2008-06-15T19:01:00.010-05:00

Ecuador is about the same size as New Zealand and is just as interesting. Needless to say my week and a bit over here is not going to do the place justice but I don´t have much choice.

Why do people grow beards? They are way too itchy, especially in a helmet..
I forget the name of this mountain but its claim to fame is that the top of this mountain is the furthest piont from the earth´s centre - more than to the top of Mt Everest.. Figure that one out!!

Down at sea level the weather is quite warm, humid and tropical. I enjoyed the warm change but soon headed off for the cooler mountainous regions. Here the slopes are steep and patchworked with different crops and fields. I´ve seen a lot of mountains on this trip but each time I am glad to be there. The scenery is always breathtaking and the roads are always interesting..

Baños

Baños means Bathroom or Toilet in English so I thought I´d check it out...

Actually it is a bit of a tourist destination with volcanoes, deep green valleys, hot springs, water falls and close proximation to the Amazon Basin.

I stayed here for a while and the highlight for me was going Canyoning. Now I enjoy a bit of Rock Climbing back home and do mind abseiling down a rope but abseiling down these waterfalls in these lush green valleys/ravines was something else..

The Quilotoan Loop

A fantastic journey through Andean villages and valleys past the amazing Quilotoan Lake, an extinct volcanic crater.

This 150 odd kms of road consisted of all different types of surfaces from good pavement to washed out dirt tracks. The surrounding valleys were green, the locals friendly and an overall peaceful atmosphere. These two days of riding where an absolute pleasure.

A fewparting shots from Peru..

2008-06-15T18:49:00.003-05:00

Quite a few of these signs in Peru..

Some friendly Policia
The beach..

Máncora, Peru

Heading North..

2008-06-04T18:15:00.002-05:00

Right now I am in this little town called Huanchaco, just north of Trujillo. Which don´t mean much to you. Suffice to say up on the north coast of Peru. Its a bit of a surf resort and I like the feel of the place. Might even stay a bit longer.

Met a few policemen lately. Which I was sort of expecting, given some of the stories I have heard.. However they were all pretty friendly. The first one did try to get some money from me. Reckons I was speeding. Which I probably was but still going slower than most people at that point. Anyway he was quite friendly just dropping a few hints every now and then about money and banks. I didn´t admit anything or offer money but just politely refused. This went on for a while until he gave up after I started to become a bit more adamant about doing nothing wrong and that I saw no need to pay a fine. Got pulled over 5 minutes later. They just wanted to know where I was going etc. Today a policeman kept hinting about needing to buy petrol for his car.. I told him I didn´t understand..

But it wouldn´t be fair just to mention these incidents as I have met many friendly and helpful police here in Peru. I have asked and received a lot of directions and advice from many of them. Most of the police are doing a great job out here.

Well I having been pushing up the Pan-Amercian highway along the coast of Peru and it really is a doddle to ride. 200kms up in the Andies is as much effort as 600kms or more down on this road. Almost feels like cheating. But. I need to keep moving North at a faster pace for a bit so the PAmerican it is.

I expected the coastal strip of Peru to be quite green and tropical. Instead it is rather arid..

Nasca

2008-06-02T22:30:00.003-05:00

Note to self: I will never ever ever ever go for a fly in another small plane ever again.

(Well not til next time..)

On the way to Nasca...

Again I could rave about the roads. This time from Cusco to Nasca. One bit that felt a bit weird, almost eerrie was about 100kms along a valley floor. I could swear I was going down the valley but each time I checked the river it was flowing the other way and water doesn´t flow up hill... It was quite confusing.

Anyhow I have left the cold Andies Mountain passes, for a while.. For the coast.

Haven´t quite made the coast yet as I stopped in Nasca.

Nasca is famous for its mysterious lines and pictures on the desert floor. Made some 2000 years ago. The reason for the lines and pictures are not 100 percent certain but the current theory is that they held a religous significance for the ancient Nasca people. The pictures are huge and can only be seen from the air (which is fine if you are a ´god´I suppose.) or in an airplane.

Which gets me back to the beginning of this post. I got sucked into taking a joyflight over the lines. Apart from taking a long time to actually get into the air (should have known better) all went well as we taxied off and launched into the air.

How could I forget that I have a tendency for motionsickness??

This is the only photo I got.

30 seconds later I started to feel a bit off. The air was `quite´ bumpy and as we wheeled around and around going from one facinating picture on the ground to another I was fighting for sanity. Pictures of a monkey, spider, whale, fish, dog, man and more were glanced at as I tried to focus on the ever moving horizon. While I enjoyed the view and love the feeling of flying I just wanted to go back. Holding a flimsy plastic bag with the remains of your breakfast in it on your lap is not one of my favourite past times.

However after stumbling out of the plane after the 30 min rollercoaster ride I was still glad that I had actually had the opportunity of seeing these facinating pictures for myself.

But never again.

Machu Picchu

2008-06-02T21:37:00.004-05:00

What can I say?

Well, firstly, the road to Machu Picchu that I took was awesome. 200kms in 6 hours gives a little indication of the type of road it was, bearing in mind that two thirds were paved.. Absolutely brilliant scenery and a fabulous bit of civil engineering must go into putting these roads here. Even if I didn´t get to MP the roads there were worth it in itself. That is enough raving about the roads..

Do how did I get to MP? I didn´t take the train, per se, as most tourists or some form of trek but instead took the road. This route actually takes you around and past MPicchu and then you walk on the train tracks or take the short train ride (if you are lucky/slack). This is becoming the popular/ cheap way for the shoestring backpackers who take the local busses. But, ofcourse, I didn´t need to take any form of local transport as I have been taking my trusty steed with me. Everywhere.

Anyway the trip to Machu Picchu went like a clockwork, just like a preplanned tourist package. Just as I was about to begin the 10km walk to Agua CAlientes (base for MP) the one of two trains was about to leave... so I caught the train.

Machu Picchu itself was quite facinating. More amazing, for me, was not really the ruins but the unbelievable position of them. Right on top of some of the most inaccessable mountains you can imagine. Which was probably the whole point of a secret getaway... And the reason why it was hidden for so long.

Climbing the steep sided mountain of Waynu Picchu (that is the mountain in the background of a lot of MP Photos, including one here..) was definitely a highlight for me. The steep stone steps, the ruins and the view from the top create a lasting memory.

The trip back to Cusco went quite well. Sort of. I was starting to feel a bit off before I left. I got out of bed too late to catch the only morning train which was the plan anyway. However the two walk took more like 3 hours. Normally if I am unwell I won´t ride but this time I just wanted to get back to Cusco so off I went. Just ride a good steady pace as stay focussed was the plan. All was fine. Got to the top of the last pass (less cloud this time) and started the trip down. My fuel gauge went down from 2 bars to none in 10kms and then started cutting out around each hairpin band, taking longer and longer to start each time. Hmmm. Not good. Decided to roll the rest of the way down (proabably another 10kms) using the rest of the fuel to find a fuel station. Well I found one and was served by a capable 6 year old boy. He could barely get the fuel nozzle high enough to reach my tank (would have taken a photo if my camera wasn´t flat...). Filled up. But the poor boy had no change for me. hmmm. Off to the shop down the road to get change for a 50. Done and I was back on my way. The sun set as I took the last pass arriving back in Cusco in the night. Tired and fighting to focus, almost hitting a huge black cow that was being led across the road as I was coming down the mountain. Just as well I was riding with a larger margin of error than what I might have done.. Anyway got back and promptly fell into bed with a fever, chills, nusea, upset intestines and dizziness. And barely got up for the next 36hours. I was a bit worried as these symptoms point to diseases like malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever... but after a good sleep I was feeling a lot better. Thankfully. Just needed a good rest.

Anyhow back in Cusco...

Another fiesta.

Machu Picchu, not yet.

2008-05-30T10:43:00.004-05:00

Was going to write here a few days ago but I have been in bed, more or less, but now feel pretty fine. However right now I am off to Nasca, down from the Andes towards the coast so I will to update this page later...
I promise.
Thankyou to all the people who have shown a continued interest in my journeys (and to all those lurkers). It is great being able to share even in this little way.
Right now I am a bit over halfway through my motorcycle journey, some 2 and a half months left. I am in a bit of a dilemma. In a way 2.5 months seems like a long time but the problem is the destination I have chosen way back last year when I had to book my plane tickets. I have a return ticket from Canada... Sooo I really need to make a decision to ´speed up´ my trip a bit, maybe see a bit less or forget the return ticket and spend more time in South America..
Hmmm.
I´m hoping to do a week of big riding days through Peru and see how I like it. Would like to go back up into the Peruvian Andes but think I will just burn up the coast on the PanAmerican Highway.

Update:
You know how I said I was going to leave Cusco ´right now´ , well I didn´t. Ended up staying an extra day. Right now I am in the middle of nowhere between Cusco and Nasca and it is pretty pretty. Really was planning to get to the coast by the weekend... oh well.

El Camino de la Muerte

2008-05-20T09:41:00.004-05:00

Literally that means "The Road of Death" . Or, as it is also known, ¨The World´s Most Dangerous Road¨.

With names like that I couldn´t resist .

It was a facinating ride.

The road is some 50kms long and drops some 3500m. At the top there were patches of snow and ice and at the bottom nice tropical heat. It was interesting to see the changes in vegetation, the waterfalls lower down and the impossibly steep valleys that someone decided to put a road through.

The road, or track, is basically a gravel road about 4m wide. In itself it is actually quite easy to ride. However the consequences of if something goes wrong can and is fatal. Often there are steep drops right at the edge, sometimes for hundreds of metres.

On average 100 people a year loose their lives on this road. However a new road (which is equally spectacular) has been built, diverting most of the traffic so I expect that figure to be less now. That said, only last month a couple cyclists died out here. - This road has now become quite a tourist attraction and you are more likely be needing to overtake a cyclist than to get out of the way of a speeding taxi.

Rurrenabaque, Bolivia

2008-05-18T13:18:00.006-05:00

I recently took a little detour by Plane to Rurrenebaque.

Rurrenebaque is north of La Paz in Bolivia and down in the Amazonian basin. I went there to experience a bit a jungle and warm weather. Although I am above the tropic of Capricorn it isn´t that warm yet because for the last month I have been above 3500m all the time.

Well I got my warm weather and saw an amazing variety of animals. It was a very chilled out place, feeling like a different country. I joined a tour group to go check out the ´Pampas´ for a few days. I didn´t go to the jungle because I heard that you are more likely to see animals out in the Pampas (sort of wet grasslands).

Definitely a successful trip and I enjoyed the social side which you tend to miss on a solo motorcycle trip.

We saw crocs and alligators.

Turtles

Some huge guineapig thing (sorry forgot the name). -as big as a pig.

Monkeys

Caught anacondas (see, I wasn´t lying..)

They stink too. While playing cards later that night we smelt the same smell coming from under the floor boards..

Caught (and ate) Piranhas.

And, as I wrote before, swam with dolphins. They´re pretty ugly as dolphin´s go.

Back in La Paz now. There was this big fiesta on last night. Lots of parades, dancing and drinking..

I´m off to Peru by the end of the week. I have been reading more reports of crooked cops in Peru which I am not looking forward to.

LaPaz 1

2008-05-11T18:21:00.005-05:00

Well, over the last couple nights I really have experienced a wide variety of hotels. Starting with the most basic of basic to the flashest of falshest. Ranging from just over a dollar a night to one where the prices were only given in US dollars (and I payed by credit card so I wouldn´t know..). The only reason I stayed at the last one was because I arrived in La Paz in the dark. It is a big city with fairly chaotic traffic and I decided that I´d stop at the first decent hotel I could find, which I did. That is after being befriended by a few drunks and offered some ´substance´by another. I decieded it would be better to get off the streets until I had worked out the place. Needless to say the hotel was quite luxurious. I enjoyed it. Though talking with the local truckies at the cheap one was a great experience too.

Anyway, the reason I was so late getting into LaPaz was because I took a little detour. Recommended by the local HotelierI took this road to the local hot springs resort. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking. Snowy 6000m mountains and valleys plunging down below. The road down to the bottom was unbelievable.

The resort was quite alright and I spent many hours relaxing in the warm water, hoping it would help get rid of my aches and pains. Maybe, but the rough road out didn´t help.

Tried to find this Presbyterian Church today. Met the pastor in the foyer of the hotel so I thought, why not? , and went. Problem was I had an address and only a rough idea where to go - my map only showed the central part of Lapaz. But off I went. I found it. But that was after talking to over ten people (who said males never ask for directions??) and driving past it 4 or 5 times. The church was located in a house.. Yes, I was very late. Actually the service was pretty over but I got to meet a lot of friendly people.
The view from the back of the building.

GRRR fotos not uploading again.. later

STILL NOT WORKING!!!

Sucre - Repairs

2008-05-08T10:41:00.004-05:00

Well I have now been in Sucre for over a week since my accident and I am ready to leave. I´m starting to grow roots here but I must move on.

It has definitely been an interesting week. Sucre is a nice city to hang around.

The main focus has been getting my bike back on the road. As I mentioned earlier I found (or was given) an excellent mechanic and friend to help me out - Niki Stumvol. He helped me find the right people, drove me around town and straightened out the bent bits (including the front wheel) and gave the bike a bit of a service, which it needed. So now I am in possession of a nice shiny, almost new bike - just with a few more character building scars on it.

I´m feeling alright. Still sore. The ribs aren´t giving me near as much hassel and I think I can walk and ride quite fine. The arm is actually feeling worse but only in bed at night. Seems more a muscular thing I think. So probably it needs more rest but I think it is time to leave..

The lieutenant at the local Military outpost was a great help. I learnt later that he was the one who made sure all my gear that was scattered over the road was picked up. He organised a lift to the hospital for me and also got my bike to the Military School where he stored it. All because he is a nice guy and, well, yes, he rides a bike too. He rides a nice Suzuki GS850 from 1982. He also gave me a lift around town - not everyday you get a ride on a bike with a Lieutenant from Bolivia.. Great guy.

One of the biggest blessings was meeting Len and Laura Tan from Australia. They have been posted in Sucre for a year by SIM (from memory, Serving in Mission..). They are helping to run a Cafe/Centre which is aimed at helping the University students here. The aim is help with both their physical and their spiritual needs in many different ways. It has been running for quite a while and has been blessed with a lot of success. Len showed me around and I was quite impressed with the setup. It definitely has a lot of potential. Sorry, this doesn´t give you heaps of detail. I will try find an internet link later..

It was fantastic meeting up with Len and Laura and their family. They had Bible Study at their house which I went along to (after a great meal) and really enjoyed - first Biblestudy since Aus. I met a few other couples who are also working here. I borrowed a couple books from them which I feverishly read (due to lack of time) , enjoying the thought provoking book, Prodigal World by P. Jensen. It was a philosophical book (a selection of essays) about how the world, after rejecting God, has adopted a Utilitarian philosophy (whatever makes the most people happy..) which has failed miserably. It would have been interesting to read this while I was still a university student though I probably wouldn´t have appreciated it.

Thanks Len and Laura for the excellent hospitality and christian fellowship you shared with me. I wish you God´s blessings on your work here in Sucre and in the future. Hopefully we meet again sometime..

So now I am back on the bike and back onto the same road as before. Hope to reach LaPaz by Saturday...

Accident in Sucre...

2008-04-30T10:47:00.005-05:00

29th April
Sucré, Bolivia

(I wrote this before but I thought I´d copy and paste it here..
I have returned to Sucre.
Just enjoyed an `ambulance´ ride after smashing up my bike.
But don´t you worry. I let myself out of hospital and have caught up with a few friends who are helping me out. My right arm, side/back, thigh are quite sore but I think I am ok.
Mind you the drugs are making me a bit tired so I think i will have a lie down. No bones broken, i think it is just muscular..
Hope to get hold of the bike later today. Don´t know how damaged it is, the least I know is that the front tyre isn´t holding air.. hopefully the forks are ok as I hit a rather large rock..
no one else was involved. Bit embarassing really but I will tell you more later. Unless I die of internal bleeding first ,-)
That wasn´t a nice joke.
I like holding people in suspense...
thank God I was close to Sucre and thank God i was wearing all my protective clothing.

30th April

I am feeling much better. The leg is quite fine and I can walk quite well The right side and middle to upper back on the right side gives me a bit of pain - can´t pick up heavy things and bend over withut thinking how.. So, really I am very thankful for the way things have worked out.

I met up with my friend, James, who I went to School with in Buenos Aires back at the hostel I am staying in which was quite fortunate. Today we hooked up with another friend from BA who also speaks a bit more spanish than me to check out the bike...

But for those who want to know I will go back to yesterday and what happened..

I was returning back to Potosí to head up towards La Paz making use of one of the only good roads around when I had a momentary lack of concentration (the only way I can explain it as it all happened so fast) . I just went around a corner and had my eyes off the road (looking at the scenery or the car going the other way.. not sure anymore) when I realised that I had just gone off the edge of the road. Still don´t know how I did it. Problem was I couldn´t quickly turn back onto the road because right at this place the edge of the road was covered with rocks from a rock fall above.
(This photo doesn´t do it justice.. the rock at the end is a good 50cm high with a pointy bit facing this way..)
I was going too quick for this type of terrain (the road was pavement) and I couldn´t do anything about it but hold on an try and stay upright. I bounced over most of it and made to the end but I knew that once I reached the end I was going to fall off. This flashed before me eyes and I knew it. I was going to fall off. Thankfully I made it to the end and the bike took the brunt of the big rock at the end...

Lying on the ground trying to breathe and not being able to move very well wasn´t such a nice experience... Thankfully I was on a busy road and very close (10kms max) from Sucre and many people stopped to help (and stare). There was also a millitary base not far and the Millitary took over and helped. They collected all my gear that was scattered everywhere (my right pannier (bag) exploded on impact..) and got my bike upright. After getting my helmet and jacket off I managed to sit up for a while til I felt a bit faint and lay down again. The military organised a trip for me to the hospital. Lying on the stretcher I was more worried about my gear and my bike and what would happen to it than me....

Anyway in the hospital they checked me over. Didn´t end up taking xrays. Not sure exactly why but the language barrier didn´t help much. I started to feel a bit better and worked out I could stand and walk alright (sore back being the main hindrance to walking.). They gave me a couple injections and I let myself out of the hospital thinking I may as well find a hotel instead. Hospital bills are pretty cheap around here (all up less than 5 dollars..)
Bumped into my friend, James, as soon as I got to my Hotel who has been helping me out.

Which brings me back to the bike...

All is not good here.
The right side of the bike took a real thrashing. The engine bars saved major damage however the right footpeg has sheared off and cosmetically it don´t look too nice..

The forks seem alright which I am glad about but front wheel is not too good.

Two major dents and it might be buckled. I really don´t know if I can fix it (in australia I wouldn´t even bother) or if I will have to work out a way to get another one here from somewhere. It is an unusual size wheel from a bike you can´t get here in Bolivia... plus shops don´t exactly stock bike wheels very often.

So this is my next project.
Never a dull moment.

UPDATE
3 May
My wheel looks round now. Sort of. I am waiting for a new tyre from Santa Cruz. Meant to be here by Monday. I think this might be a temporary fix. Will wait until is back on the bike before i make a final a judgement..

Potosí, Bolivia

2008-04-28T11:18:00.007-05:00

Here a bunch of pics from what I have seen/done lately.
You get lots of markets like these in Bolivia where you can buy absolutely anything from a stall selling just diodorants to TVs to plastic buckets.A side street in Potosí

An electric element in the shower head... Hmmm
Not to mention the bare electrical connections..

Part of a huge machine that used to be used for flattening ingots to mint coins.. It was run by donkeys or mules.

I really liked Potosí. It is an interesting town to walk around and admire all the colonial architecture. Potosí has the honour of being the highest city in the world at 4060m. You do notice this as you walk around and your lungs try to find more air that isn´t there. Mind you on the last morning I was there I witnessed some sort of marathon with lots of people running up and down the streets and while you could see them panting away there is no way I could have done that. I enjoyed Potosí for it´s history. Next to it is a mountain which has been mined since the 1500s for silver. More silver has come from here than any other place in the world. It literally kept the Spanish economy alive for over 200 years. Millions of indigenous and african slaves worked and died in the mines in apalling conditions. Potosí was bigger and richer than London many years ago. You sort of wonder what happened to all the money (Well Spain took it all but what then??)... I took a tour down one of the mines still operating today to check it out.

The miner´s market where you buy coca leaves, cigarillos and dynamite..Coca leaves.. Popular with miners (and locals), supposedly helps combat the altitude. I chewed a few leaves for fun, don´t know if it made any difference. The present Bolivian president, Moralés, is known (among other things) for the saying Coca leaves yes, Cocaine no. Don´t know how hard it is going to be to realistically separate the two with Cocaine still being one of the biggest income earners in Bolivia.That is 96% alcohol!!! -At just over a dollar a bottle. Talk about burning the insides out. It was rotten. Smelt like White Spirits. Excluding the conditions in the mines no wonder the miner´s here don´t have a long life span..One if the many entrances into the mine. Often wet and/or dusty.Climbed down and up a couple crazy ladders. They are held in place by two bent over nails or a piece of bicycle tubing..Not even a ladder here. The workers need to climb the knotted rope you see in the bottom right corner at the end of their shift to get out.A piece of the famous silver ore. While the vein of ore is nowhere as rich as years before the price of silver keeps all worthwile.Tio, the god/devil they serve to keep them safe. Originated from the time when the Spainards made the locals and slaves work in the mine. Since the Spaiñards wouldn´t go down there themselves they spoke about a `being´ in the mountain who was checking up on them, blessing or punishing them depending on how hard they worked. The story grew from there and is still alive today..

After Potosí took the road to Sucré. For Bolivia it was a fantastic bit of tarmac. If I lived out here I´d own a sportsbike just to do this 160km long road at least once a week..

Brilliant.

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

2008-04-23T15:19:00.000-05:00

23 April

Bad experiences always seems to make the best stories.

The other day would have to be one of the best and worst days I have had on my trip. It all the started the day before after I had entered Bolivia. I ended up taking the ´pavement´ road from Chile into Bolivia ending in the frontier town of Pisiga. This is to the North of both the Salar Coipasa and Uyuni. Salar de Uyuni, by the way is the world´s largest salt lake in the world, positioned about 3600m above sea level. The locals told of a shortcut to Llica on the western bank of the Salar which cut through Salar de Coipasa which I did. It was a bit wet in places and the bike started to grow a nice covering of salt. I met an Italian tour group in the middle of nowhere who fed me lunch - even got dessert!! From there I continued onward to Llica. The tracks (can´t call them roads) ranged from floundering in sand to bashing the bottom of the bike on rocks. Just before I got to Llica I met a local who strongly recommended me to go to Salinas de Garci-Mendoza, which was really out of my way. I got the impression that there were some awesome ruins there worth seeing (he kept mentioning Machupichu). Well, in true style, I changed plans and headed to Salinas. Nice little town to the North of the Salar Uyuni. Definitely very few tourists seem to make it this way. However I don´t think it is going to stay this way for long....

The next day I went to find the Ruinas. They were close by at Alpaya. I found a Spanish Speaking guide who showed me around. The ruins were huge and I was told they dated back 3000 BC (maybe, definitely precolumbian) and some 500000 people lived in this area. I believe it. He showed me the stone houses the people lived in and how they had to crawl through a small opening halfway up. He showed all these mummified remains and opened graves, a little macabre but truly facinating. He showed me where they stored their food in cold storage, how they farmed both plants and animals. I saw plenty of pottery fragments still scattered about. I saw all the stone walls, the river running through the valley, the pathways and in the total peace and quiet tried to imagine a thriving society. And I had the whole place to myself.

But things are a changing around here. Signposts are being erected and accomodation is being built at the bottom for the tourists who will come here once the word gets out. I bet this place is going to become really popular. I wonder what it is going to do to the little towns around it??

Well that part of my day was one of my finest moments, the rest of the day turned into a bit of a nightmare. I really thought it was the end.

With my ´detailed´ map I headed off for Uyuni. I tried to take a few short cuts across part of the Salar, since the Salar is smooth and roads are not.. All was good until I hit a patch of mud and promptly fell off with the bike sliding in front of me. No major damage but I took things a little easier from there.

Well eventually I did find a sign that said Salar de Uyuni and off I went down that road. It did seem a bit strange because it was heading East not South but I kept going. And then there was the Salar before me and it looked like it was wet. What a perfect mirage (I thought). But. It was not a mirage at all as the road disappeared into salty water. There was no way I was going that way and anyway it was heading in the wrong direction. And then I made a decision. I thought I knew where I was and thought that just around ´that´ peninsular to the South was the bit I rode yesterday (all very dry). All I had to do was cross a bit of water, hug the `coast´ and find dry ground.

Well, I was wrong. Very wrong. And it almost cost me the rest of the trip. As I went I realised I had to ride in the water a bit but the water was getting deeper. I was thinking how corrosive the salt would be for my bike and decided to try head up onto the salt bank to the edge. Unfortunately the Salt bank was soft and I didn´t ride up but rather right into it. The bike was well and truly stuck. Stuck in the most corrosive enviroment I could think of. I was far away from any road or any civilisation. There was nobody to help me.
I hit the wall of despair.
I checked around the corner, just for kicks, sinking over a metre into the salt in places, and what I saw was amazing. Unfortunately it wasn´t dry at all but the water spread right to the horizon. Actually you couldn´t see the horizon but you knew it was there by the reflection of the clouds. The whole place was so painfully beautiful but I was stuck.
However, feeling sorry for yourself doesn´t get much done. It took a couple frantic hours to dig my bike out of the salt using my small 1 litre billy can. I let the tires down and rode the bike back into the water where the ground was hard and gingerly turned it around and headed back to safety.

Ended up returning to Salinas as it was too late in the day and I wouldn´t have enough fuel. Cleaned the bike and after finding the right way headed across the dry part of the Salar to Uyuni the following day.

In between dropping the bike and getting it well and truly stuck I was thinking to myself how nothing happens by chance... We are so small. We think we have everything under control. We are king. But we are not. We are in God´s hands. We need to/ I need to/ always remember my Creator, that I am His child and I need to put my trust in Him. Doesn´t mean my life will always be smooth but it does me that I can always be at rest. "That I am not my own but belong to my faithful savior, Jesus Christ, who has bought me with His precious blood......" (LD1)
Trust, not always easy but definitely the most fulfilling. May God always lead and may I always follow.

Iquique

2008-04-18T20:38:00.000-05:00

April 18th

Today I checked out the tax free zone here in Iquique. It is huge and you can buy almost anything here. I managed to pick up a new camera. I ended buying almost the same one as the one I bought before except it is the updated model so I now have a slightly ´better´ camera.

The ride to Iquique was great. The Atacama desert is all that. Very dry but more mountainous, unlike the deserts in Australia. Dropping off the plateau to the sea was a nice set of perfect curves (I´m talkn about roads here..) as was the ride up the coast to Iquique. A bit like the Great Ocean Road but then with no vegetation and hardly any cars. Perfect. It has been great to be near the ocean again too.

Tomorrow I plan to head off into the sticks and find a way into Bolivia. One map I have shows a Border Crossing that looks good but the other map I have doesn´t show it. Might just ride there and check it out...

Paso de Jama

2008-04-16T18:43:00.001-05:00

Well, I am back in Chile. Right now I am in San Pedro de Atacama. Today I went over the Jama Pass from Punamarca in Argentina. The Jama Pass is 4600m high which is now the highest I have ever been on my motorcycle (actually that is quite a bit higher than any mountain I have climbed too.) The road was stunning as I have come to expect around here. It was pretty cold up the top on the altiplanos with ice on the side of the road in some places. I didn´t really notice the thinner air but it wasn´t like I was climbing a mountain...

I passed a traffic accident on the way. A truck carrying about 10 cars must have lost its brakes as it flipped onto its side and crashed into a corner on a hairpin bend. The whole truck was well and truly crushed with a few cars flung out the back. I don´t think any other cars were involved but it looked very messy. I didn´t stop because I didn´t think I´d be much use and nosy spectators aren´t needed. Makes you remember your mortality...

I´ve a had a slight change of plans. The reason I am not too proud of...
The other day in Salta I lost my camera. Now, this is the second camera on this trip. After writing on this blog last time and uploading a few photos I got distracted after printing off a few documents and talking to a friend. The camera was still connected but out of sight - and thus out of mind. I left the internet cafe and went out for dinner with another friend and didn´t miss my camera til on my way back to my Hostal. Needless to say when I returned to the Cafe it was gone. So I lost my camera and about half my photos. Idiot. That is all I can say about that..
Soooo, I need to get another camera. The prices in Salta were too much but I have found out that there is a place in Chile at the port of Iquique that has a tax free zone - cheap(er) electrical goods. This is out of my way but on the bright side I get to see more of the Atacama desert. I am now thinking of entering Bolivia further north than I first planned but still plan to get to the Salar at Uyuni. Just need to do a bit of research on which road to take into Bolivia.

Northwest Argentina

2008-04-14T17:04:00.000-05:00

April 14 I am in Salta at the moment in Northwest Argentina, waiting. Waiting for the weather to change. It is cold and wet even though I am nearly level with the tropic of Capricorn. Salta is a bit of a base for back packers. It is ok. I have enjoyed the good restaurants but I have had enough. I just want to get away. I hope to cross back over into Chile to San Pedro de Atacama. To do this I need to cross the Andes again and this time the altitude is around 4200m. If it is cold down here I can only imagine how cold it would be up there. So there I was today just sort of moping about, treating myself to a good steak to cheer me up when in walks me mate Phil. I met Phil a few days before. He has been travelling on and off for the last ten years or so, a wealth of information and a top bloke. He decided not to ride today as well (he is going south) so we sat around and chewed the fat, drank coffee and caught a movie - basically just killed a bit of time. Phil gave me a map the other day of Bolivia and a bit of info on the road ahead. It sounds like the roads out there are the roughest in all of South America. Bike breaking roads. Phil reckons he doesn´t want to do them again...

BUT, I still want to try. Maybe if the salt flats aren´t dry enough I will go a different way. Salt and water and bikes aren´t a good combination.

Travelling north through Argentina has been anything but short of amazing. The ever changing scenery has been mind boggling time and time again. I think the North is as beautiful as the South. Maybe more beautiful. Multicoloured rocks, green valleys, dry valleys, cacti, old ruins, awesome windy bike roads through gorges, wineries, old churches, old spanish architecture, mud brick houses, huge eagles, ancient rock paintings, indigenous artesans, and many friendly people.

Some good wines (Torrentés for one) but I have been spoilt with the wines from the South West (Australia).These ruins at Quilmes predate the Incas...

If you need to walk around in the ´bush´out here at night to take a pee I think a torch would come in handy...

Finding these rock paintings was a bit of an achievement since the directions I had were wrong. I found them late in the afternoon and had the whole site to myself. It was a surreal experience lying on my back staring at the rock ceiling trying to work out the meanings of all the different pictures and symbols, trying to imagine a life so foreign to ours today. Sitting in the cave watching the sun go down was a beautiful and tranquil scene - unchanged for thousands of years, great until I realised I still needed to travel a few more hours on the bike...Humitas... derived from corn. Tasted alright. Very popular in Bolivia so I´d better get used to it..

Argentinos love to sing and dance and do it pretty well too.

Small section of roa between Cafyate and Salta. Bit shaky and poor quality once again...

Valle de la Luna...

2008-04-09T20:08:00.000-05:00

April 9th

The other day it rained on the moon and what a day it was:

April7
I go to the National Park to see the Valley of the moon. There is a 40km loop that goes through the park passing through a variety of landscapes - bizarre rock formations, eroded valleys etc. which you travel around by car or moto. A ranger guides you as you can´t do it alone. We leave and what I see is awesome but (or ´and`) the weather changes. It rarely rains out here but back at the headquaters it is hailing (hailstones up to the size of golf balls..) and the decision is made to turn back early. I want to keep going but have no choice (luckily). The dusty roads are now wet and have become the slipperiest and stickiest clay I have ever seen. I skate the bike most of the way back and then with the end in site I slide and drop it in the mud. The mud cakes up the front wheel so much that it stops turning.
Once out of the park I race north. No rain but I seem to be in a tunnel of dry with lightning flashing in the mountains nearby.
The map says that it is all pavement with about 40km of Tierra (earth). The map is right but the water has washed the road away. The sun has set and it is getting dark. I gingerly cross a number of rivers flowing over the road. I meet up with a local Fire Brigade unit who are going in the same direction. All is good until we meet a deep fast flowing river. Our way is blocked. A 300km detour is mentioned. Other people arive. The way we have come has got worse and now we seem stuck in the middle. A grader is called. We stand around and wait. It is definitely dark now. More cars join us. Now a small convoy moves towards the river. The depth is acertained and a ´safe´passage is found and we cross. The road turns into a rough riverbed but fine for the motorbike. 3 more crossings and it is over.
What the map doesn´t really show is that the earth section of road is actually a mountain pass. The track is narrow, a little rough but very enjoyable. The impossible complicated route slowly takes us up and over. My headlights illuminate huge rock faces and cacti on one side and deep ravines that reach down into the inky blackness. Occasionally I see the other sides of the ravines as they are so narrow. It is awesome. As I ride the only regret I have is that it is night and the dark has stolen the scenery.
I make it over and back onto the main road into Chilecito. I meet my Bombero (Firemen) friends again and they invite me to stay at the fire station. I am overwhelmed by their hospitality. By the time I get to bed it is 1:30am. I am tired but extremely happy.
This is what I came for....

Back in Argentina

2008-04-05T09:26:00.000-05:00

Yes, I have crossed over the Andes back into Argentia to Mendoza. The road was awesome - good pavement with lots of curves. Great way to scrub in my new tyres.
Getting new tyres in Santiago was fun. I found this address on the internet of an international supplier of a certain tyre (Continentals) from Germany which I was very interested in buying. After riding around for a while trying to follow the directions of my roughly drawn map (there was a section of no map for a lot longer than I thought..) I found the street and the address. Bingo. But. It was a residential street. Hmmm. Something must be wrong. Well, I ring the bell just in case and I find that it is the right place (mototurismo). A bit of a back yard type business. I was very surprised by the range of accessories you could buy there - especially a lot of BMW aftermarket type parts. I ended up changing my mind about the tyres and bought a set of more road orientated tyres like my last set - they should last longer... Definitely excellent on the pavement.

The same day I went in search of a local luthier who makes musical instruments. When I was in Pelarco one of the stalls I visited sold Charangos which I thought were pretty cool. After inquiring about them and learning the price I was told not to buy it there but go direct to the luthier in Santiago. So I had a business card with an address and a mission to find the place. This part of Santiago was a poorer section and definitely not on my maps but I knew the road name and roughly the direction it was in so off I went. I found it and met Luis (who knew me from Pelarco..) . An interesting guy with a real love for music and musical instruments. He showed me lots of different types of instruments that he makes, not just limited to traditional South American ones including the one they use to charm snakes in india (sorry, don´t the name) and a rain stick from Africa. Anyway I bought this Charango from him. Basically it looks like a Ukeleli (however you spell it) but it has 10 strings not 4. The Sound body, neck and head are made completly from one piece of wood. However it is tuned very unlike a guitar and I have no idea how to play it. I don´t even know how I´m going to transport it on my bike.. Some how I will work out a way. I have been in Mendoza for a day or so. It is nice but I am not going to rave about it. Doesn´t help that I have not been feeling too well so haven´t really got up to much. Haven´t even gone to visit the famous wineries around here. Maybe I will see a few as I travel north. Yeah, I think I ate some nasty food from somwhere. Should go away soon.

Today I leave for San Juan in search of the Valley of the Moon.

Pelarco... and Santiago

2008-04-01T14:29:00.000-05:00

Abril 1, martes.

Somehow I ended up at a motorcycle rally...

There I was, making my way nicely up to Santiago minding my own business when I was met by, literally, hundreds of motorclyclists going the other way. It seemed like everyone who owned a motorbike in Santiago was heading south.. I kept going North for about 60 more kms before my curiousity won out and I pulled over and asked a group who had stopped what was going on. Well, it sounded like an opportunity I didn´t want to miss so I got back on my bike and turned around and head back south..

What can I say?

Firstly, the Chilean hospitality was unbelievably welcoming. Everyone was very open, friendly and helpful. I sort of busted in on a group (the Comecaminos) and they unquestionally welcomed me with open arms, as a brother. My lasting impression will be of very friendly and generous people.

It was great looking at all the different motorcylces there and talking and sharing the passion that only a bikie would understand... What was also pleasing to see and experience was that I think all the different groups (I can´t call them gangs) were represented and I did not see one hint of `childish´ animostity amongst them (unlike what you read in the papers in Aus.). Sure, they had a few drinks but getting drunk didn´t seem to be general priority. An awesome expereience.

Here are a few shots of what happened/ some of the people I met...

A competition- how slow can you ride without puting a foot on the ground. The foreigner from Australia decided to enter for fun and made it into the finals without realising. He didn´t win but found it hard to melt into the crowds after that..

The next comp was crazy. A street lined with people, two bikes at one end racing eachother. First one to the middle wins. And then you just need to stop. Loosing control is out of the question. Needless to say I didn´t enter though once it started it did look tempting. Funnily enough Honda Goldwing beat a Yamaha R1 in the finals. That is one of those huge fat touring bikes that have two wheels instead of the 4 they seem to need beating one of the fastest road bikes around.. hmmm.

And how can you have a rally without a few burnouts?? Oh yes, the police here were very friendly and accomodating..So, where to after that? Why not the local fair? I managed try out a few local Chilean foods. (No, not the pumpkins above). I never went hungry as many people kept buying me food and drinks.After that, back to the camp grounds. More food and drinks. More talking. I met so many people, it was just great. Sleep didn´t seem to be a priority though.. Breakfast? Why not an Asado (BBQ)?Riding (back) up to Santiago ended up taking the rest of the day. On my own I probably would have covered it in a couple hours but it was a lot of fun. The bikes ranged from about 150cc and up so we sat on around 80kmh with lots of breaks.

After getting into Santiago I was given help to find a hotel for the night and parking for my bike. This actually proved to be quite a hassel. Especially the parking. After much running around and telephoning different people and waiting a couple of hours parking was found with the president of another club (thanks maxx) who happened to live close by in an apartment. I can´t say more for the Chilean hospitality I received. A memory I will keep forever.

And talking of hospitality it didn´t stop there. On the monday, in Santiago, I went to the mbike shop that was recommend to me where I bumped into Carlos. Actually I had never met him before. Well, he helped me practically all day, buying parts/oil etc for the service and taking me to a good mechanic. Went for a ride with him and his girlfriend up into the hills afterwards and then to his house for dinner. Ended up sleeping there (also solving the problem of mcycle parking). Imagine meeting someone on the street and then going out of your way and helping them all day... Selfishness doesn´t seem to be an attribute of the Chilean.

Battle scars..

2008-03-28T10:22:00.000-05:00

I must say I have decided I really like Pucón even though it is quite the tourist type town and would fit in with any westernised country. It has a very relaxed feel to it (Ok, the peak season is over and so it is fairly quiet) and the surrounding scenery is very beautiful. Being the ´adventure capital´ of Chile it has a lot to offer but it has so much more. The thought did cross my mind of owning a nice property in a quiet valley not far away...

(I like the gum tree in the corner of this photo...)
Talking of valleys I got up to my usual, yesterday, of taking some random roads without a map. The country road was perfect, as was the weather. I found out afterwards that I was very close to the Argentinean border.

But, then the powerline I was following stopped but the road kept going - so I continued. The road soon deteriorated further becoming very steep as it followed the valley. I could see a good road hundreds of meters down in the bottom of the valley. Well, the scenery was awesome and so I continued expecting the two roads to meet somewhere...

I think they did but I didn´t find out. Going down a steep section (why don´t photos show how steep it really was??) which was followed by a sharp corner I lost the front wheel on the fist sized rocks. This road was becoming beyond my limits and probably the bike´s..

After getting the bike upright and picking up the pieces a man arrives on a horse. I find out the road is VERY long and joins up with the road at the bottom in Argentina (I think, but I could be wrong here). I get the impression that the road doesn´t improve so I make the decision to turn around.Showing off her undies....

Damage? nothing major, just a broken indicator and a few scratches down the side. Atleast it looks used now...

Volcán Villarrica

2008-03-26T18:16:00.000-05:00

Today I climbed the Volcano Villarrica which is near Pucón. This volcano is about 2800m above sea level with the top permanently iced up (unless it becomes really active I suppose...). Since you are not allowed to climb this mountain without permission and to get permission you need to show you have the correct gear and experience I opted to join a tour group with a guide. It meant I climbed it with a whole bunch of others. Actually not really a mountain to climb on your own unless you really know what you are doing.

In the morning the mountain was shrouded by clouds. Since there was little wind and the weather looked promising we left anyway and climbed up through the clouds. Volcan Villarrica boasts a ski field in winter which I think would be pretty good. The last major erruption took place in 1972.

Even got to wear a full set of crampons..

The last half hour or so of climbing was interesting with many of the rocks having big icicles hanging off them.Reaching the top of the cone we were greeted with the deep crater. It was much larger and the vent was cylindrical in shape going a long, long way down. So far in fact that I couldn´t see the bottom. The fumes were choking giving me an instant Asthma attack. My asthma has been nonexistant in South America and my Ventolin Inhaler was down at the bottom of the mountain. Fortunately I noticed someone with the same problem but she was better prepared... It was very hard to breathe up there, asthma or no asthma.Since I didn´t get to see red hot glowing lava as I hoped I contemplated jumping in but then I then I thought it be a bit of a problem leaving my motorbike stranded out here..The way back down was a lot of fun with a lot of sliding down the ice on our backsides. A numb bum was the result.. The very last bit of ice was the best as we slid down this steep crevasse to the bottom (no photo of this.). It was curvy like a bobsled run and I really got up some speed, forgetting to use my iceaxe at the end to slow me down...So, yeah, another great day in paradise...

Puerto Natales a Puerto Monnt

2008-03-25T16:29:00.000-05:00

24th March

From Thursday Night to Monday morning I took the boat ´Evangelista´ from company Navimag. This is a cargo boat that has been fitted out for passengers as well. The trip took me from P. Natales to P. Monnt via the Patagonian Fiords so most of the time it was in pretty smooth water (thankfully as I don´t seem to hold up to well when the swell picks up..). Travelling at around 11 knots we covered some 2000km.

It was a very beautiful voyage. The mountains and islands plunge sharply into the water on either side with the vegetation clinging to the steep sides right to the water´s edge.

The mornings were all very still with patches of mist hugging the mountain sides and hanging above the water until the sun warmed the air.
On Sunday we were given nice blue skies and a slight wind pushing us along making it rather pleasant to hang around outside and soak it all in..

Yes, it was an interesting way to break up my motorcycle travel...

And now I am back right into it. Valdivia was a nice place to visit. It seems to be a very moist/wet area with lots of wetlands. I noticed a lot of tree plantations in the area - especially Eucalyptus trees. I read somewhere about a Papermill in the area that killed off some 5000 swans the other year - it is still running..

(Fishing village near Valdivia)

Chile seems very intent on making money but the environment seems to be taking a bit of a hammering..

Today I am in Pucón. It is a very nice place. Quite touristy though and not cheap. I am camping here for a few days and tomorrow I hope to climb the Volcano Villlarrica. It is still active...

If I don´t write anymore, maybe I fell in....

Chau.

Slight change of plans..

2008-03-20T20:21:00.000-05:00

My rather bald tyre has dictated that I can´t do the Carreta Austral without the biggish risk of being stranded somewhere along the way. So today instead of heading north back into Argentina after Tierra del Fuego I headed west back to Puerto Natales to try and get a passage on board the ferry.
It was a bit of a race against the clock with over an hour spent at customs, muddy and rain damaged roads, the odd rain storm, trucks going the other way creating clouds of mud.. it was a fun day. I arrived just after 9pm. without a ticket. Boarding time begins at 9 but the boat was late. yesss. I manage to work it out and now I´m off on a boat trip through the Patagonian Fiords up to Puerto Monnt. Can´t complain really.

Rio Grande

2008-03-18T11:53:00.000-05:00

Hotel Argentino is a great place to hang out. I stayed here on the way down to Ushuaia and even though it is only 200kms from Ushuaia I decided to it would be a good place to return. Although I am biting at the bit to start travelling north I have ended up staying here for two nights instead of one. The people here are very friendly and genuine.

Tomorrow I plan to leave for Tres Lagos or Calafate on my way to the border of Chile..
(Back in Ushuaia - It reminded me of something....)

Yeh, thanks Ash and Len... Cheap Banrock Station.. If you want cheap come over here. I paid about one aussie dollar for a bottle of wine yesterday and it tasted quite good..

Update 19 March
I am still here at Hotel Argentino (maybe it is becoming a hotel california..). The weather has turned rather foul. Cold, wet and windy. Much like a cold winter´s day back home and not conducive for riding motorcycles. Well not when you don´t need to anyway. Sooo, I stay another day. I could think of much, much worser places.

Maybe I will leave tomorrow...

At Hotel Argentino I met Manuela. She is 10 years old and we had a great time together. She taught me some Spanish and a card game and I taught her a bit of English and a game called `squares´ which I often teach the children in my class back at school. It was fun interacting in both Castillano (latin spanish) and English with a child rather than an adult. Manuela is the same age as the students I usually teach back home and I have to admit it made me miss my job...

and to think this was only after one day holed up inside.... imagine...

Ushuaia - Fin del Mundo - The End of the World

2008-03-16T07:45:00.000-05:00

Ushuaia - Fin del Mundo - The End of the World.

Well, that is what they like to tell you around here and, yes, Ushuaia can boast to be the southern most city/town in the world. The end of the road. For many travellers it is just that - the destination/ the goal which they are trying to reach. And it is not such a bad place to visit either. For me it is neither the beginning nor the end of my trip but still a definite milestone. From here I turn my bike around and slowly make my way North. My initial plan (before I left Australia) was to make a quick dash (3000km) to Ushuaia and then slowly make my way North. Hmm, it took me a month to get here and I covered over 6000kms.. At this rate I´m not sure how far North I am going to get but it really doesn´t matter. This trip is not about how far I travel but about the trip itself. It is good to have a goal to reach for but not to measure success only by the acheivement or non-acheivement of that goal.

To reach Ushuaia you need to cross the Strait of Magellan to reach the island, Tierra del Fuego.

I crossed at its narrowest point at 4kms. It is often wind swept (like the rest of this area) and quite rough. As a matter of fact the last couple days of travel I had the wonderful opportunity of experiencing the famous Patagonian winds. Getting blown across the road and not having to lean around (some) corners was interesting...

Oh yes, just before you cross the channel you pass by this mine field... Unfortunately I have no idea on the history behind this. And then you need to cross the border back into Argentina.

I have been in Ushuaia for a few days now. Checked out a few museums which focus on various topics- the penal colony, maritime history, and Antartica. - Being only 1000km from Antartica I checked out trying to get there, but two problems - still a bit too expensive (upwards of 4000USD) and the season to visit has just finished.

I went into the National Park here. More mountains and lakes but every place I visit is special.

Where to from Here?

Well I plan to head up through Chile to start with. I will need to retrace about 1000kms to get to the first road crossing back into Chile on the mainland (I was there about 3weeks ago I think). Once in Chile I will ride on the Carretal Austral up tp Peuto Monnt which has been highly recommended. This highway is almost all gravel, about 1200kms long and quite remote, cutting through dense forests, mountains and lakes. The alternative is to take a ferry all the way to Puerto Monnt (2000kms) which passes through the Patagonian Fiordlands and saves me some time. Both look interesting and I will probably end up making my decision on the spur of the moment.

While in Puerton Natales I had this idea to find a boat to take me from there to Tortel, which is near the beginning of the Caretal Austral Highway. Tortel is an old fishing village that has no roads, just kms of boardwalks or so I am told. Anyway I asked around. Went down to the docks but couldn´t find a way. This would have been the ultimate way to include both the fiordlands and the highway but now I will have to leave something for next time..

The smell of the sea,wood, paint and deisel, the slapping of the water against the hulls. Peaceful but with a definite air of adventure about it. I loved the place - maybe it was a link with my ancestral roots in the fishing industry...

Torres del Painé

2008-03-10T17:58:00.000-05:00

Well, ofcourse, I loved Torres del Painé. It truly is a beautiful part of God´s Creation. You can only marvel at His handiworks. While it is never easy to choose what photos to upload onto this blog, after perusing the photos for this place, I found it extremely hard...

(I found out that this lake is actually green in the daytime..)

I completed the Classic ´W´circuit over 4 days. What I loved about this area was not only the beautiful mountains but also the variations in the vegetation, the colours, the rocks, the skies.. Looking back over my photos I realised how much I had seen.

I hooked up with a group doing the same walk on the first day - Rachel, Ilana and Chris from the ´States and John from the UK - which was an added bonus. It is always a lot more enjoyable walking and sharing with others and these four were great value - thanks guys. Torres del Painé is a very popular place and I can see why. What spun me out were the Refugios along the path, something I am not used to at all. Imagine doing a full day´s walk and then being able to sit in a dry, warm place and buy a beer - in the middle of nowhere. While sounding a bit ´soft´ we still took advantage of the situation.

Bruce, Rachel, Chris, John and Ilana

Las Torres. It was hard to make a photo to do them justice. (this was the clearest day we had as well, not that we let that get in the way)

Yes, the water was VERY cold..

The Refugio at Los Cuernos

Vallé Francés

Looking back down Valle Francés..
A Freindly Guanco

Glacier Grey
A favourite amongst all of us

I always think of the sky as God´s Easel. Beautiful and ever changing paintings.

The boat trip back to the beginning of the walk

I return to my bike and find two. Rather bizare..

Spot the differences..

Chile

2008-03-05T16:22:00.000-05:00

Yep.
I am in Chile. Crossed the border this afternoon which was a first for me with a motorcycle. Actually the process went quite smoothly with my fabulous spanish (hah). Basically you hand in your paperwork for your bike which they process and keep, you get your passport stamped (like normal). Then you hop back on your bike and ride into Chile. Then, after a couple kms you get to the Chilean customs (so for a few kms you are an illegal immigrant on an illegally imported mbike - ok, sort of. More like no mans land) where you get your passport stamped and new import papers for your bike. I checked them though I don´t really know what i´m looking for but it all looked alright - I expect it is.

Anyhow that´s it from me. I am heading out north to Torres del Paine now for a bit of hiking/ site seeing. It is about 160kms away and the reason why I have entered Chile in the first place. Did a bit of shopping. It cost me 13000 pesos... Not sure on the exchange rate here but I think it is around 500 to 1. Probably should find out.

Perito Merino

2008-03-04T19:48:00.000-05:00

I am in El Calafaté at the moment. Today I went to see the Perito Merino Glacier. The hype is big for this glacier and bus load after bus load of tourists make their way everyday to see it.

Is it really worth it? Does it live up to expectations?

It is big. Really big. Some 5kms across and 50 to 55m high, 13 odd km long fed by the Patagonian Ice Field I was writing about earlier. What is special about this glacier is the spectacular ice falls as the edge of the glacier is continuously calving.

To hear the ice cracking and to see big chunks of ice falling into the water creating big waves and a thunderous noise was a great experience. I was there for a few hours waiting for a really big piece to break off - you need to be patient, or lucky...

Can you see the ice boat with the two figures (and maybe a dog) taking a closer look at the face of the glacier???

To Paso del Viento

2008-03-03T17:49:00.000-05:00

This walk has to be up there with my favourite walks.

A good mix of physical challenge, route finding and awesome scenery.

The walk (about 6 hours) to the campsite at Laguna Toro was fine where I spent the night. (Shared with the mice who gnawed a hole in my tent..). I met a few others (a german couple and a crazy belgium) who had the same idea as me so we left together the following morning.

The morning sun on the river from the lake from the glacier, near our campsite.

The walk/climb up to Paso del Viento took us all a bit by surprise. The map did say about 6.5hrs but we were sure it would be much less. Well it took us about 5 hrs, I think - still way longer than we thought.

What was involved:
Crossing a river using a tyrolean (like a flying fox). Just as well I had managed to borrow a harness other wise we would have been stuck.

Crossing the edge of a glacier.

Walking on the edge of a loose mountain side of rocks (when we were on the path..)

On the way there were a number of glaciers reaching up to mountains on our right.

On reaching the pass we were rewarded with awesome views of the Ice Field. Permanent ice streching in all directions as far as you can see. Our views were a little `obscured´ by the mountain to our left but the immensity of all that ice was mind boggling. This ice field (Hielo Campo) feeds all the major glaciers around here. (I read today that it is some 13000 square kilometres in area..)

From here we walked back to camp. I decided to pack up and leave for El Chatén which I did arriving back at around 11pm. A little late and very tired. It was a huge day. I wanted to be back because I had informed the rangers I would be back that day and I had left my bike with a bag locked to it out in the open and didn´t really want it out there for another night and I kind of like my helmet and riding clothes..

My last view of El Chaltén.

To Chalten, Patagonia.

2008-02-29T15:30:00.000-05:00

As I wrote elsewhere I am in El Chalten at the moment. I am planning to stay here for a few more days. This place is known as the Trekking Capital and I can understand why. The weather has been a little up and down, so a day like today I am lying low waiting for a break before heading out. It is great not having a tight schedule to stick to. I watched a short movie today about climbing Mt Fitzroy and another on climbing a mountain in the Patagonian Ice Fields. I didn´t realise that the ice fields are really so close to where I am now. For this reason I plan to stay longer as I have found a way to go see them. It is a bit off the beaten tourist track and maybe a bit remote but it sounds like a plan if the weather turns good tomorrow.. Paso de Viento it is called - Windy Pass, hmmm. Actually the wind here can be pretty extreme.

Anyhow back to last week.

A few high lights.

Ruta 40.

Don´t know if this will work. The quality is very poor. The scenery average. The camera shaky as I had to ride one handed. (actually I am guessing that this is the right video..) I have another I took on Pavement but this is taking too long to upload here..

YES! I love(d) it. A bit rough in places, a bit remote and quite beautiful. A spiritual experience?

Well, yes you could say that. It really felt at times like God was leading me by the hand and showing me what He has made: ¨Check out that Canyon, Bruce; Look at all the colours I used; You like that, wait til you get around the corner..¨ To be able to look through the eyes of faith is indeed a rich experience.

I didn´t make to Calefate or El Chalten for Sunday as I originally planned because I took another detour to Lago Posadas. I was expecting snow capped mountains but I got a barren, dry area. Actually it was really beautiful. The eroded mountains and canyons were spectactular and the lake where I camped was a very special place. I stayed here two nights. A nice, tranquil place to spend my Sunday.

Hmmm. Yes, I used to be a model but I got too fat.

I am doing a lot more camping than I thought - my home from home.

A Sunday arvo cruise andI find this...

On Monday I continued South on Ruta 40. I went a bit faster and as a result (I think) I managed to get a puncture. So out with the puncture repair kit. This was the first time I have ever plugged a tubeless tyre and it worked. I was pretty impressed - A really good sense of satisfaction. Makes me think why I never used to carry a repair kit on my bike...

However, my tyre kept going down.. I had two punctures. Since it was quite a slow one I fixed it when I reached El Chaten.

El Chaten.

What an awesome place. I can understand why this place has become a bit of a tourist magnet. It is still a bit rough and ready but the road is almost completely paved and times are a changing.. The views are spectacular. Mount Fitzroy and Cerro Torres really have to be seen in real life. Some of the most extreme rock climbing is done out here and as a rock climber I can appreciate the allure and the passion. The tall rock spires just call out to be climbed. But it is not without danger and risk. There is an interesting history surrounding Cerro Tores. An Italian named Maestri claimed to climb it in 1959. His partner died and the camera was lost and the route has never been repeated... Even with today´s equipment. There is more to the story. Google it.
Mt Fizroy..

View from Lagos de los Tres.

I think I have walked some 80kms of trails since I have been here..

Chau.

Two Hands One Glove

2008-02-22T20:43:00.000-05:00

Lost one of my gloves yesterday. I was not very happy.

You know the way it goes: Gloves on the back seat, mind elsewhere, take off, then - hang on something is not right, oh- no gloves, turn around and return to starting point to pick up gloves fallen on the ground. Except this time when I return less than a minute later the glove (the other stayed on my seat..) is gone. Gone. I looked extremely hard for a long time. Nobody felt guilty and came out and gave it back... I don´t know what someone is going to do with one glove except keep it as a memento of some poor ´rich´ tourist.

Any on my day off guess what I did?

I rode my bike.

Some 200k of rough dirt.

I was pretty knackered after that but the national park was beautiful. I was thinking, why can´t Argentina share some of its mountains and lakes with Australia so I can have a few in my Backyard?.

Anyway, today I gave my bike a bit of a birthday. Well not too much, can´t make ´er become used to too much attention. I cleaned the air filter out. Had to take the tank off to do it, but atleast now I´m not worried about the motor being clogged up with dust.

I met a rider (Rodreguez, not sure how to spell this name but I know I will by the end of this trip...) going south today and road with him for some 300kms. I left him to continue down Ruta 40.

Ruta 40. So far it has been mainly pavement (sort of sometimes). The next couple sections are gravel/earth/rocks known to swallow many a rider. Rough and isolated. Sounds like fun. I don´t need to go this way but it almost seems like a right of passage for the motorcycle traveller....

Big bike, little man...

Oh yes, picked up some new gloves today. Had to settle for some moutain bike gloves.

Lago Faulkner a Esquel

2008-02-20T16:42:00.000-05:00

A couple nights ago I camped at a place called Lake Faulkner. It is in between Junin and San Martin de los Andes on the 7 Lakes Road (as it is often called). This is area (the lakes district) is truly beautiful. I have been blessed with fantastic weather.

Campsite right on the banks of Lago Faulkner.

Lake Faulkner

Oscar recommended Lake Faulkner as a nice place to stop and I´m glad he did (muchas gracias amigo!) . I only stayed one night but it was very beautiful, very tranquil. An awesome place for some time out- another place I´d like to return to someday. Actually the whole area is spectacular.

A view on the 7 Lakes Road to San Martin.

(I am waiting for money from CocaCola for this advert... A fuel stop)

Met some people on the way to Esquel who convinced me (not hard) that El Boson was worth visiting. El Boson is a bit of a hippie town (think Denmark and more all you west aussies..) amongst some jagged mountain peaks. The reason I stopped was because I was told that El Boson brew some really good beer. It is true! I sampled a couple ales from Otto Tipp and they were really, really good. Dare I say better than ´Little Creatures´ or our own homebrew?? Hmmm. Well, maybe. I don´t really know why but I left El Boson before dabbling into any other brews (Yes, I did spend the night there and no I didn´t drink, drive. Thankyou...).

(Actually I bet it had similar hops to what we use in our brew but it was less syrupy - crisper)

So now I am in Esquel some 200k further south. I am staying here for a few days since I have found a great camping ground (a bit like a big backyard and seems to have a good atmosphere) and the area was recommended to me by another traveller I met near Junin. I will explore tomorrow.

Chau.

Ps
Did you know that Argentina (maybe the rest of S America..) operate on the Siesta?? Don´t expect to get much done (well shopping anyway) between about 12 and 6.. It is light here til 10 though.

On my own again

2008-02-17T20:07:00.000-05:00

After leaving Oscar and Sylvia I headed for Neuquen. I don´t have much to say about this place. I didn´t like it. A dirty city after all the wide open spaces. Sorry, probably not doing the place justice but I was happy to leave the next morning. Probably didn´t help arriving late with no place booked.. Did meet a couple friendly people in the morning though.

From Neuquen I left for Junin de los Andes, where I am now. I went via El Chocon (something like that). This area has been big for dinosaur sitings. Ok, ok, bones then. The biggest dinosaur ever found was found here.

The highlight of this day would have to be the ´shortcut´I took. (about 50kms) It was marked on my tourist map, really it was...

The road had no sign post and was the right distance out of town so I took it after waiting for a couple wild horses to get out the way. The road was more of a track and I loved it. It ended up at a station in the middle of no where. I needed to go between some buildings and open a gate to keep going (this took some working out talking with a local...). I was told the road wasn´t so good but fine for a motorbike. I was fine. The stones a bit sharp but fine. And the views. Amazing. I cannot describe the feeling of being way out in the sticks, no one around for miles, riding through some pretty barren landscape (small mountain range with canyons) and then cresting a hill and below and way out in front - The Andes!!! A view I had been dreaming about for years and here it was and here I was, on my bike. (I am rambling so I will stop.) Plus snaking through the valley below was Ruta 40, another legend I had come to see and ride..

Junin is a great little town. Went for a bit of a Sunday ride to get away from the masses (there is some festival on here and EVERYONE is here) to a near by national park. The road was a bit rough and if Ruta 40 is going to be like this in the unpaved sections it is going to rattle my bike to pieces but the views were magnificent. Reading from the book of Job (38,39) fitted in very well with the grandeur of the place..

I´m not even in Patagonia yet. Surely it can´t get bettter..
(my new favourite moutain...)
But it is getting colder..

A donde va?

2008-02-17T19:24:00.000-05:00

A week has passed since I wrote and it has really been one amazing week.

I have finally begun my motorcycle trip from Buenos Aires to Ushuia (for want of a place) and then North, north, north. So much has been packed into this one week that I don´t know how this can continue... I don´t even know how much to write. I have been keeping a bit of a diary as well so I will try and keep the waffle short, if I can.

To start with I left Dakar Motos on Monday morning. A great place to start for me. Finally a place to meet other sane people who have the same interests as me and don´t think me absolutely crazy - oh yeah, I´m talking motorbikes and travel. A place filled with bikes, people (when I was there) and dreams (completed or in the process of).

From here I went to Azul to visit Pollo at La Posta. Pollo is a motorbike fanatic and one very, very friendly person. He doesn´t have pots of money and can´t travel much himself but he has opened his house for the motorbike traveller. As a matter of fact it seems to have become a bit of a shrine for motorcycle travel. Almost anybody who is somebody in terms of mbike travel has been here and left a message on the wall. It was cool to be there. I didn´t write on the wall..

At La Posta I met an Argentine Couple, Oscar and Sylvia who were travelling in the same direction as me, sort of. Since I don´t really have any fixed plans I was able to modify mine and join them for a few days. We went and camped at Sierra de Ventana (I think, this is memory and mine aint that good..) near Tornquist. Meeting Oscar and Silvia was a definite highlight. Seeing beautiful scenery is great and that is why I am here but getting to meet and make friends with the people from over here tops it all. Oscar and Silvia spoke little English and with my little spanish we had a grand old time.

We drank mate, had asados, camped, drank the odd bit of red wine, made jokes, and all under the shade of Gum trees. Yep, there seem to be heaps of Eucalyptus trees around here. So, yes, I was sad to leave but I had places to go...

(I seem to only be able to put 5 photos per post so I´ll start a new one)

2008-02-07T15:43:00.001-05:00

The photo says it all.

A rather successful day.
yeeehah!!!!

overandout

¡¡ Iguazu !!

2008-02-06T16:53:00.000-05:00

These falls stretch out some 3 kms....

I promised to share a bit about my trip to Iguazu and since I have some time before heading for dinner I will tell you now.I went to Iguazu with a group from the place where I was studying Spanish (Xpanish). It is some 1000kms north of Buenos Aires right near the border of Paraguay and Brazil. We by bus over night - think double story, roomy seats that recline a long way, food, wine, champange.. - yes quite the luxury for a bus. I am not sure if the trip takes 12hours or 18. Probably somewhere in between. Any it is a long way but well worth it.
153 160 174 180 183 145 186 192 190 (these numbers are for my reference for photos - blogger or this computer is playing up..)
Every one who goes to Iguazu will go and see the Falls. They are amazing, awe inspiring and inspirational. I am glad that I had the opportunity to witness this part of God´s creation. Coming from Australia I have hardly seen a ´large´waterfall so you can imagine that Iguazu blew my mind. The power of the water strips you back to nothing and makes you realise how small you are and how powerful our creator is and how comforting it is to know that he can be our Father...
No picture can truly capture the sheer immensity, power and majesty of this place. I could have stayed there much longer. This is one place I would love to visit again.

I was going to add a few more photos but it is taking way to long to upload...

overandout.

nearly...

2008-02-06T16:35:00.000-05:00

Often when things don´t go to plan you find opportunity to meet many helpful people...

No I don´t have the bike in my pocession but I have seen it! It exists! It is hard to describe the feeling as we made our way through the cargo storage yard towards the shed which held the reason for all these headaches - my motorbike. I know it is an inanimate object made of steel and plastic but I was ready to give it a big hug.

Sandra is amazing. All major obstacles have been cleared. Almost all the paperwork is complete. The only reason that I couldn´t take it out the crate, put it back together and ride off is because I didn´t have insurance.. While, ofcourse, insurance is a wise idea it is not normally required in order to get your importation papers. So tomorrow, when the insurance office opens at 12 I will go there, buy some insurance and then head back to the Cargo yard (whatever it is called) to finish it all off.

So, mañana it might be....

2008-02-05T17:37:00.000-05:00

No, I do not have my bike yet.
I don´t know.
This day has just been very frustrating and very confusing. I have lost track of the problems and obstacles that have arrisen. My lack of Spanish has often left me in the dark as to what exactly is going on - though at times this could be a good thing...
Well, to start the day we (Sandra Kapìer is helping me out which I am eternally grateful for - she has helped out other travellers before though my case seems rather more difficult than normal) - we went down to Customs office at the port. The previous day we had purchaced the Bill of Lading document needed from our Shipping Agent mentioned before which cost me an arm and leg. Well to start with the computers were down. We waited. Then once we started we found the Bill of Lading to be a photocopy - not the original. A no no. Bugger. Not happy. Without the Document it would be impossible to get the bike at all or atleast an extremely lengthy process. So catch a taxi back to the Agent after talking to someone a bit higher up the ladder to exert a bit more pressure. We were joined by the boss at the shipping agent who was more helpful. He wasn´t to happy with what had happened yesterday. So he tells us that he will get hold of the original. hmmm. I think he just made something up. We get the new papers. About to catch another cab and I notice that they forgot to add the document number so back to square one. Fixed that and then back to the port. Continued with the process and then found out that in the last copy of the `original`they had omitted that I was importing a motorbike.. Well we filled out as much as we could with the plan to return back to the shipping agent. Then we hit another hurdle which I can´t work out what is all about yet. Actually noone seems to know and we used a lot different contacts but the bike seems to be held back by the Customs Police or something. I have no idea why and nor does anyone else. So we left around then. Some helpful people at the port were going to follow it up and Sandra was going to organise the final copy of the orginal bill of lading document when I left. Not everyone is out to make life difficult.
So, yes, maybe tomorrow. I have no expectations anymore. From now on I will be charged storage fees on top of any other fee I am given...

anyway enough of that. I need to leave now and catch up with a few friends.

chau

Bike update

2008-02-04T08:16:00.000-05:00

I have recently returned from a quick trip to Iguazu and am feeling muy consado.
The Iguazu Falls were/are phenominal but I will write about them later.

I don´t have my bike yet. The agent over here doesn´t seem too helpful and is rather confusing. At the moment he is still waiting for a ´Number´ from the customs authority so that the bike can then be processed. This number should be here already. I also seem to be being charged double than normal - supposedly there are two companies responsible for my bike. We only have the phone number of one and no addresses for either... hmmm. Something is not right.

The other problem being the longer it takes for me to get the bike the more it costs me in port fees. I am expecting to have to pay a bit to get the bike but I don´t enjoy getting screwed over. I´m glad Sandra from Dakarmotos is helping me out..

YES YES YES!!!!

2008-01-29T10:26:00.000-05:00

I have just received an email telling me that the boat has arrived here in Buenos Aires.
Yee hah.
Now just to get the bike...

Carnaval de Gualeguaychu...

2008-01-28T11:40:00.000-05:00

It is raining here in Buenos Aires. The first real rain I've seen here.

I've finished my Spanish Classes for the day and have a bit of time to write...

I'm trying to think of how to describe what has been happening over here and am having a bit of a mind blank but definitely never a dull moment. Every day always seems to be full to over flowing. I am not complaining and 'enjoying the ride' - although the 'ride' so far still doesn't include a bike.. :-(

I have been spending quite a lot of time with a number of friends from Xpanish (my Spanish school) - city tours (BA certainly has an interesting history), going out for a lunch/ dinner/ a few drinks - any excuse. We are a bit of an international (well English speaking anywy) bunch with Australians, English, Americans and even a Canadian.

This 'fellowship' culminated with a weekend in Gualeguachu. 'Crazy' is the first word that comes to mind. Carnaval de Gualeguaychu was mentioned on Thursday and an impulsive decision was made to go, leaving on Friday afternoon for the Saturday night carnaval. Four of us decided to hire a car while the three girls arrived on Saturday by bus.

Mike, Elaine, Me, Christina, Steve, Jessica

James Jess Errr..

Guealeguachu is a city of around 70000 people with up to around 30000 extra people on weekends during Carnaval season. It is about 200kms north of BA near the border of Uruguay. I loved the feel of the place and enjoyed being the only English speaking tourists there (I'm sure there were some but we never met any).

The Carnaval itself didn't really get started til late at night (nothing new there..) and didn't finish until the wee hours of the morning (nothing new there either..). Very hard to describe but a ton of fun. Loud, bizzare, crazy. Ofcourse I have read about Carnavals before but it was great to experience one first hand.

Sunday was spent resting and returning back to Buenos Aires...

So now I'm back here. My bike is supposed to be here from Australia but it still hasn't arrived - well I haven't heard anything. I plan to give the company in Perth a ring tonight since they didn't respond to my last email. I'm not really too worried yet but I am starting to get itchy feet and just want to get out and start riding through some open country - just me, my bike, Gods wonderful creation and the local people...

Anyway, gotta go.

Got people to meet for coffee..

View from home in Buenos Aires

2008-01-21T20:24:00.001-05:00

Colonia and Montevideo, Uruguay

2008-01-21T19:59:00.000-05:00

Colonia...

is an old town - nice atmostphere

Very interesting to see if you can avoid the tourists

In Monte Video

Lunch

Not a great photo but, well, I needed to add some people shots..
Yes, I am eating well and meeting some great people..

(part of the group from my Spanish classes)

I wont write any more as this keyboard is not being nice.

Chau

Uruguay

2008-01-21T19:52:00.000-05:00

Scooters in Uruguay.....

Week One

2008-01-15T17:51:00.000-05:00

I have now been in Buenos Aires for one week and it has definitely been one rollercoaster of a week. Buenos Aires is one interesting city to visit. It has everything - glitz, glamour, dirty streets, beggars all live not far apart. It is quite a busy place (much busier than what I am used to anyway) and doesnt seem to sleep. Having dinner at 9 or 10 is the norm and you dont go out at night before 12... Over all I think the city has a positive and exciting vibe - you dont always know what it is going to happen next.. The people I have met have all been very friendly and helpful.

Spanish - yes. hmmm. Definitely has made for some interesting times. My homestay is with a woman (Bianca) who has been really great. She is about 60 and ever so helpful (I think she was trying to tell me the other day that she has adopted me as her son..). However when I arrived (last Saturday) She knew no English and I no Spanish. You can imagine.. Needless to say lots of handsignals have taken place, pictures drawn, phrase books perused - lots of fun. So yes, a rather steep learning curve. The course is going well. I think learning and understanding how to use the verbs is going to be an important key in learning this language. What has become apparent, though, is that it seems very unusual for someone (especially one who has attended university) never to have learnt a foreign language..

Health: yeah barely a day here and I was already feeling off. Put it down to Jet lag etc. however my stomach bowels still are not 100 per cent (I wont go into too many details...) after 6 days. Dont know. Trying to make sure to stay hydrated.. It hasnt stopped me from doing too much though it hasnt helped my appetite. It will improve.

My camera. I wasnt sure if I was going to share this but, yes, after just 3 days into my travel of 1 year I have managed to loose my camera. There was only a 5 minute envelope between using it and then noticing it gone. Either I put it down (not likely) or it was deftly pilfered from my pocket. I was not impressed - this happens to others not me. Apart from being angry at myself for not being more careful there wasnt much more to do about it. Hopefully I have learnt something. After looking around BA for a new camera I have realised that someone now has a rather good camera in their possession - I couldnt even find it in the shops. Too expensive. Ellectrical good are very expensive here - especially imported. So Im not sure what I will do now. Will have to down grade a bit though I will try to stick to Olympus - I have spare cards and a battery suited for this camera. This really limits me so I am not sure. Might try the local version of ebay here - if I trust it.. (save over a 100 AUD)

Well I think I will stop there. It is 9.20 and time for dinner. Dont think I will eat too much though.
(if you picked up the lack of apostrophes in this blog, welldone. They dont work on this keyboard..)

Chau

another short post

2008-01-13T19:04:00.001-05:00

I have a lot I would like to share but frankly I am too tired and feeling a bit off so it will have to wait.
And there is a reason why I have NOT uploaded any photos yet....
more to follow.
stay tuned
wateva

i am going to bed
ps yes i am having a really really great time.

Arrived..

2008-01-09T06:46:00.000-05:00

Hola
Well, I've made it! Found a place to stay an just chilling out for a bit. I arrived yesterday afternoon to a rather warm day/night, staying at a hostel close to the city centre. Went for a bit of a walk promptly getting lost - well ok I wasn´t trying not to get lost either and I was carrying a map, so technically that doesn´t make me lost does it??

Today I plan to check out a few well known sites starting with the ´Obelisk´.

Hello

2008-01-03T22:50:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my blog.

The aim of this blog is to be able to share with my family, friends and anyone who is interested a little bit of what I am doing this year as I plan (DV) to travel from Buenos Aires, Argentina all the way north through to Canada on my motorbike.

Today is Friday and I fly out Monday so right now I am busy with those last minute preparations and starting to get rather nervous.

I don't know how often I'll be able to give updates but my intention is to keep it fairly regular (I'll leave it as ambiguous as that...).

Feel free to leave a comment or email me.