Day 12 Sucre to Uyuni

The journey starts well with a good tar seal road until the lads left the navigator behind and went 15k the wrong way before I could catch them. We managed to get back on course and made good time until we hit roadworks which hampered us for the rest of the journey.

The scenery was mostly was the same dry mountain terrain with occasional vegetation until we popped over the hill at Potosi - we could see the Cordillera rising in the distance to the west a dry unforgiving plain that seemed to slowly rise to the sky. We climbed this for the rest of the day.

As we came over the last set of mountains the Salar de Uyuni glowed a bright white below us as far as the eye could see. We set of to Uyuni to find accommodation at a nice orderly hour of 2pm or so. Our plan was to have a rest then head for the Salar De Uyuni for a quick photo shoot in the late afternoon. This gave us some time to prepare for the desert journey ahead filling our fuel cells, hunting for spare tyre tubes and re affirming our route and references.

We headed out to the salt lake via some cool sand tracks - with no loads on the bikes it was just like riding the easy tracks at Woodhill. about 20 km in the small vegetation gave way to the vast sea of salt as far as the eye could see. We road about 5 km in and just parked up and soaked up the late afternoon sun and the surreal white bubbly landscape - again another out of world experience.

This blog would be boring if I didn't throw in another of the "Catastrophic Quatro's" famous disasters. Brian rolls up on the salt flat where we are all parked and tells us the "f***ing Pig's" engine is about to fall out!!! A quick diagnoses by Sam C reveals that the Alloy frame has snapped where the left foot peg connects. This is disastrous for our schedule especially considering it would need some time to repair and we have only just caught up from previous mechanical issues. On closer inspection the crack has been there for some time, and has finally gone all the way. So strike 2 for the "pig" and it could well be out.

We head back from what was meant to be an awe inspiring photo shoot, all thinking about how this would end. By asking locals and generally searching all of Uyuni we find a small welding workshop that will fix the break for us in the morning - we calculate that we would need to be on the road before noon if we are to make the middle of the desert by sun down. We prepare the bike that night by stripping the back wheel and suspension ready for the weld in the morning. We still have no spare tubes - so we will be looking for those in the morning as well.

Fingers crossed - Destination Desert Hotel tommorrow.....

Day 11 Cochabamba to Sucre

Our famous early starts are proving to be our key strategey in keeping to schedule - if we hit issues we can normally pull through by the end of a day. This day was to be one of those days, it started off well enough with some amazing roads that were not gravel or tar, but cobble stoned highways. To our suprise this road surface was a compromise between gravel and tar seal, it was good to ride on.

We had to turn off at a small village and head into the Andes for about 60Km to meet highway 5 well this was awesome for us dirt bikers as it was a cross between a farm track with bits of shingle chucked in. We were just getting to a gnarley creek crossing up front when Sam C caught up and reported Sam T had another f***ing puncture. I am not sure how Sam pissed the gods of riding off - how do you get a 5 inch nail in your tyre in the middle of nowhere. This became a test for the designated mechanic team, Sam C taking the lead to get the tube out and repair it. Keeping true to our adventure all was not as simple as that - the tube was absolutley blown apart with no chance of repair, the spare that I had was melted to the panniers by the previous team, so that was out. We had one spare left, so we proceeded to get that on and pump it up with the precious supply of C02 canisters. 2 canisters later we realised the tyre was not inflating, the spare tube also had a bloody hole in it. We finally repaired that one and got the bike on the road.

We had lost an hour or two so we had to double back and take the long way around and not risk any more punctures or mishaps. Sam T was suffering as the photo below depicts.

We arrived in Sucre and were welcomed by Brians favourite hostess, Gabriela. Sam T hit the sack early and the rest of us were not far behind as we were up early for another run to Uyuni in the morning.

Day 10 Cochabamba Jungle run

*** Photos to come...

We are on our second day in Cochabamba and we have managed to source a front sprocket for the "pig". The proprieter of the "Hotel Cochabamba", Jorge. He was kind enough to take the one off his F650, otherwise we would have been pretty well stuffed as BMW would have had to ship from Germany - apparently none in the whole of South America.

Cochabamba is a thriving city and does not feel like Bolivia, although we were in one of the better parts of town.

We were able to head to the rain forest for the afternoon, which turned out to be just that. It started as a cold thick mist as we decended into the forest, then it became rain. We could only see a few meters at times, and the jungle was hidden in a shroud of cloud. A quick stop in a clear patch reveals the Jungle as somthing similar to New Zealand's own bush of the north. Puketi forest springs to mind, plenty of similar trees and ferns, however a few differences occur like snakes and spiders just to name a couple. A quick photo shoot and we were out of there to get back to the comfort of the hotel, we were quite wet considering we were in our summer riding gear. This was the only day we have met rain so far - the weather has been picture perfect.

We have a big haul tommorow and Sam T is showing signs of coming down with "the Brian bug", I think I will be in the clear tommorow except for the lingering chest and head bits.

Cochabamba to Sucre via the back country Andes - this will be challenging so we are all in bed early.

Day 9 La Paz to Cochabamba

The Landscape is similar to the Lake Titicaca region with huge dry plains and Andes on both sides. We have got into a pattern now of early morning starts and only snack during the day with heaps of fluids. We normally have a big dinner and beer seems to be the staple - however not for me at present as I am still fighting the flu today with no lay day to sleep it off - Its OK when you are on the road pumped with coldrex.

We did a couple of offroad styles for the camera up in the dry Andes between the Altiplano and the Amazon region. The photos are taken at 4500 meters, the temperature on the west side was considerably colder that the Cochabamba region (high 20's early 30's) at 2600 meters.

Sam C and Brian decided that the only green thing in this barren landscape should be made fun of. So they proceeded to mock the green moss that had been quitley growing for centuries - makeing obscene excretory jestures - the moss just sat there and took it and the boys wandered off like bored stray dogs after a good barking and chasing of the proverbial motorcyclist.

I quietly relevied myself - but them strays were back for more...

We have hit the Jackpot today in Cochabamba, Jorge, the owner of the 5 star Hotel Cochabamba saw us and asked if we wanted to stay for a discount rate (he has a BMW F650). We paid $65 US per double and we are living it up well we can. We had a buffet lunch, a swim, a spa and the boys had a beer or two while I blog with a killer head cold. I think the lads had togs on in the spa.. they look quitehappy though - gone "tropo" i think.

Brian's "pig" looks like it may need the front sprocket replaced before we get to the desert. We are going to try and source that tommorow as there is a BMW dealer in town. Fingers crossed as we want to try and make a day trip to the Jungle tomorrow. Jorge will ride with us on his F650.

Its about 7:30PM and I am going to crash and see if I can't shake this thing. The lads have gone for a beer with Jorge. Yay up to date!! ... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Day 8 Puno-La Paz

OK enough f***ing dogs already - this continent is riddled with dogs - As Sam might have mention back in day 4 I hit a big specimen at around 100kph. The dog took one step too far - I had my heel straight out and probably knocked him out before he hit the sump of the bike - I looked in the mirror and the dog was dead for sure. That's the only nasty dog I have seen where it didn't stop and run along beside the bikes - it certainly paid for its boldness.

The dogs just seem to line the highways sometimes 100 meters apart in there own little roadside territory. there seems to be more as we go south.

Brian is getting used to the BMW now and is starting to enjoy "the pig" as he calls it. The run to the border follows the Lake for a while and then we hit the small border town where locals unload trucks at each side and push 3/4 wheel rickshaws laden with produce to the other country for trade all day. We take a while to work out where the 2 official offices are to emigrate person and bike and get help from a local boy who seems to be on the take. Every official he takes us to seems to want some money... oh well at least we get everything stamped and head to the Bolivian side.

Our little friend runs across ahead of us and again talks to the immigration officer - maybe he said "these stupid gringo bikers will pay" or something because we had to shell out again in a little office.

Finally we get to what looks like a western frontier street with dust swirling down it all dirt no pavement - this is where the motorcycle import customs is done!!!. Sam T wipes the sweat off his brow and starts the communication off with the ownership papers and passport. All is well until the officer pulls up the plates for the bike on his computer - I know, a computer in the wild west and connected to the national grid!! It says someone else had this bike in Bolivia only a few weeks ago not you gringo. A drop of sweat leaves Sam's brow and he briefly explains that we purchased the NZ bikes from the previous travellers. I explain the route we will take to exit the country in 6 days. Sam's explanation and the fact we are in transit out of the country seems to appease the officer and we become legal in Bolivia Ye Ha !!!

3 hours at the border and we are keen to get to La Paz. We come into the city on a boring flat plain - then bang the plain drops off to a steep valley with a mountain backdrop. The valley is crammed with the city of La Paz 500 meters or so below us.

Bugger - during the day I have been getting flu like symptoms - looks like I am getting Brains 24 hour job. Sure enough I have to hit the sack and try to sleep through for an early morning start to Cochabamba. We decide on a safe option of Burger King - well familiar anyway. Sam C seems to be going slightly "tropo" we will see how he is over the next few days - see photo below.

Photos will be on the gallery soon as we are trying to source some more storage - Can you believe USB hard drives cannot be found in any city so far!!!

Day 7 Cusco-Puno

Wow - long straight sealed roads we leave the mere 3400 meters of Cusco region and start heading  back up to about 3800 meters on the high plains surrounding Lake Titicaca. We have been on gravel and dirt for so long we forgot what it was like to be on good roads with no traffic.

The landscape is kind of Mckenzie country -huge plains but without the alps - instead its moutain ranges similar to dry Otago highlands on each side - everything is wider and bigger its seems.

We Hit the Lake and our desitnation early afternoon and have a floating Island tour all booked and ready for late afternoon. Although kind of touristy there is some authenticity and history behind the reed communities. The beer on the reed Island was expensive, the locals must be quite well off we reckon.

Tommorow the border to Bolivia - up early and try our luck at Desquidero....

Cusco - Machu Picchu - Day 5-6

Some more catchup blogs...

We hit Cusco early afternoon and went to look for a motorcycle shop as Sam C's brakes were shot. Unfortunatley it was a Sunday - however we met a local who "Victor" who was able to point us in the right direction for getting the break pads relined on Monday. If we did this we could zip up to Machu Picchu on the train and have the bike done by Monday night ready to leave for Lake Titicaca. This was not to be as we had run out of time to book - so it was decided we would have a lay day and get a few domestic chores and maintainence out of the way. Brian then discovered the BMW's rear sprocket was absolutley nackered with teeth missing all over. This was a big issue as you can't get sprockets for this bike easily in SA. We were cursing the servicing at Lima when one of the bike shops said they could make one for us same day, problem fixed. Now just hope the front one holds out until Argentina as this is not so easy to make.

Brian Has had the 24 hour bug for the last couple of days and just coming right - Lay day just in time. We booked a full tour for Machu Picchu which turned out to be perfect - private car to Ollantaytambo, expedition train to Machu Picchu, then 1st class back with private car waiting at Ollantaytambo to take us back.

Machu Picchu is amazing on the ground, sure its all over the net and stuff, but you have to be there to experience the this. The history is amazing too - inca's were crazy and  bright.

Well we set off early the next morning to do some serious k's and make up some time. The 3 days in Cusco have been great but we have had to alter our plans for the coming week. The border must be crossed at the end of the month - and that will be our most daunting task as the paper work for the bikes is confusing - Sam T is practicing is spanish as much as possible, english is now his second language.