Self Rescue the long (slow) way round

The bus travels a maxium speed of 30 mph and I get a front seat which has a little more leg room and is below the roof vent. It gets dark at about 1930 hrs and then every one closes their windows and the driver replaces the roof vent which had fallen off earlier. Now the bus is more like a prision, I think I now suffer from Claustraphobia, must be getting old! After what seems a life time of hell we arrive at Cusco bus station at 2345 hrs. We stopped once during the trip for a loo and drinks break and this was in the jungle by the side of the road. Not sure this experiance needs repeating. I catch a Taxi to the hostal and wake Dave to let me into the room as he has locked himself in and closed all the windows.
18th Feb
We manage to get the wheel bearings replaced with some help from our friendly local bike shop, and then arrange for a taxi to take me, my ruck sack, bike jacket and wheel to Ollantaytambo. The starting price is US$60 but we end up on agreeing to 60 Sols (GBP10). The Taxi picks me up at 1030 hrs and we arrive at Ollantaytambo by 1135 hrs. I have an early lunch on the Plaza and then arrange for another Taxi which costs 150 Sols (GBP25) or US$70 ( I opt for the 150 Sols) to take me to Chaullay. We leave by 1230 hrs. The driver goes like a mad think and is certainly in a hurry and we make good time up the tarmac switch backs, half way up he buys some flowers for 1 Sol from a stall outside a house and further up he tells me his Inca farther was killed in an accident in this pass. We then pick up a local Inca who is walking up the pass with a heavy load and we give him alift to his house further up, he is dressed in very colourfull clothes ( more like you would expect to assume the tourist in Cusco). His children welcome him home and are also dressed well and also in bright colourful clothes made by the family. The Adobe hut however is anoher thing. I wonder how they keep their clothes so clean. At the top of the pass at 4300 metres is a little church where we stop for the driver to light a candle and place his flowers and say a little pray. We then move on down the other side (after the driver gives the 3 hail mary´s sign of the cross) where it is raining hard and also very misty. The river crossings in the road are higher than before and theland slides seem worse. In a little time we come across a huge front loader JCB trying to clear a huge land slide which nearly fills the whole road, lorries and buses are waiting to pass from the other side but the width is too narrow. We are waved though with much concern from the work man ( still looking up at the moving land slip) and my driver who gives another 3 hail mary´s. The taxi driver then puts his foot down and speeds though the narrow gap and give a big sigh of releif having got though. The rain is heavy now and there are more smaller land slides all along the route. On the roads in South America there are generally three ways to cross rivers: 1. a bridge 2. a concrete slab laid in a dip to channel the water over the road and 3. nothing at all but the river bed which moves depending on the the amount of water in the river.

Most of todays rivers/roads have concrete slabs which my driver seems to think are best attacked in 3rd gear at speed regardless of the water depth. We finally arrive at Chaullay after a fast journey across gravel, mud, pot holes etc ( last 60 kms is not tarmac) and how his car remained in one piece is amazing. I expect we wanted to get back to the pass before it got dark.
I am dropped off at the bridge just below the town heading up into the jungle and we say out goodbyes.
I walk about 500 metres to the next road juntion ( I have my ruck sack as I may need to sleep at the side of the road tonight). Within 5 minutes a minibus arrives and picks me up, I load my rear wheel and ruck sack onto the roof and tie them down next to loads of other luggage including live chickens.
I climb into the Nissan minibus ( in Europe we may call this a 9 seater) and luckly get the seat next to the sliding door with a open window. I count the number of passengers as they all stare at me, we have 17 adults and 5 children aboard! At each village along the way we stop and drop of pasengers and bags and each time I get out to make sure I am the last one back on to get my window seat.
We finally arrive at Paltaybamba which was about 16 kms from Chaullay and 220 kms from Cusco. My bike had been blessed overnight and it was now 1705 hrs ( the journey to Cusco had been 11 hrs and my return 7 and 1/2). I go to the shop and find little old lady is away but todays shopkeeper is her daughter, she gives me the keys to the little church and by 1805 hrs I have the wheel back on and luggage tied down. I give the shop keeper 50 Sols (GBP8) and thank her very much for looking after my bike. The Daughter tries to refuse the money but I insist and then I leave with much waving from the whole village. In the next village I am also waved at by those who I helped with their logs and also those who gave me some Chicha. I feel like a local celebrity. My plan was to check out the road to Santa Teresa (south of Chaullay) and the Hydroelectric power station and hope fully find the road to Macchu Picchu but it was getting late and I reckoned I had 1 and half hours of day light left. I drove though the muddy and gravel jungle tracks as quickly as possible as I would like to get back to the tarmac before it got dark. In the end this was not possible, but as the head lights on the Africa Twin are so good I had no problem seeing my way so decided to keep going and had little problems seeing all the pot holes ahead. In the dark ( by 1930 hrs) there were many new strange noises but I finally reached the tarmac road by 2030 hrs.

Trip to Jungle and another breakdown

Roly up at sunrise, Mike ( Canadian with BMW 1150GS) was meant to have left Cusco, but there may be another demonstration in the streets blocking access to the city. Roly visits South American Explorers (Club member) and finds out about a small road into the jungle north west of Cusco to a town called Huancacalle. We decide to visit there tommorow to fill in another day while waiting for parts for the Honda from DHL. Dave bleeds the brakes on the Yamaha. We do some research on getting to Panama and all does not seem that easy even though only a month ago other bikers had managed to fly for between US$ 425 and 480 per bike. Dave wants to be home by end of March and Roly is running another Hyperbaric course in Great Yarmouth on the 14th April so it looks like we will be back the 1st week of April if we can get out flights sorted on Monday in Lima. We both would like to fly direct to Guatemala to save a little time, but this seems to be impossible. Another UK couple arrive on a Susuki V Storm. The bike was Texas registered and they flew there from Liverpool and bought the bike at the start of their trip. Tey tell us all about Equador and Columbia and alos the best Mayan temples in Central America.

We tonight pack the bikes without panniers and only a tank bag and a Gul drybag for our trip into the jungle tommorow. I think we have both had enough of Cusco and may be of each other so will be good to get out of the city again. We are having another of our non communication days!
Tonight as special treat we have a couple of Gin and tonics each at 15 sols each (6:1) ( like water).

16th Feb
Up 0550 hrs and we are ready to leave by 0700 hrs, we fill up with 84 octane petrol ( best we can get) and Roly on bike receives a nudge by a blind driver of a Nissan mini bus so gives the driver a bit of this mind and then we leave and head towards the Sacred Valley. The fill of Roly´s bike only is 51 sols. We pass though Urubamba and then Ollantaytambo where we get American breakfast for 8 sols each. After breakfast at 0915 we head north to Chaullay up very steep switch backs in the mountains and up to 4300 metres, the road is all good tarmac for 160 kms and then suddenley becomes gravel and pot holes. We buy our first petrol from a petrol station which uses a jug and old cotton rag to filter it. Measures are aprox ( they use gallons in Peru) and we pay 78 Sols for about 30 litres. We think we are at Ipal. We arrive at Chaullay and turn left over a bridge and proceed along a small track though the jungle, there are banana plantations. The track is very rough but OK for trucks and motorbikes ( and Nissan minibuses). After about another 60 kms we arrive at Huancacalle and find the only hostal (Sixpac Manco). Dave doesn´t like the look of it so we move on to the next vilage to find an alternative. Ther next vilage is caled Vilcabamba ( this was the last city of the Incas). Vilcabamba was even higher than Huancacalle and the track even narrower and rougher but still usuable by a 4 x 4 or small truck. It turns out there is no hostal in the town and the large building turns out to be a mission. We return to Huancacalle and book into the only hostal. There is no electricity tonight in the whole village and we are feed a set menu by candle light. The meal is soup for starters followed by Fish, omlete, chips and rice and all for 16 Sols which was good. Roly cleaned his plate dry ( Dave had some trouble with some bones). Tonight Dave was concerened about the unwanted creapy crawlies in our room so he had the candle by his bed until it expired in the early hours. The hotel was comfy and dispite its initial appearance was very good, the people were very friendly and feed us well and although nthey spoke no English we all made ourselves under stood. (One of the guests lived in Lima and had worked in Canada so spoke some English).
17th Feb
We have decided to spend the day doing our own thing. Roly will visit the local Inca ruins and explore the area today and Dave will return to Cusco.
Roly leaves the hotel 0600 hrs and walks to the top of the local hill where there is a Inca town called Vitcos and then down the other side to Rosapata and Nusta Espana. At Nusta Espana there is a huge single Granite block that has been carved with old shapes and seats cut into blocks all around.
I return to the hostal (0915) and have a good breakfast of omlete with rice plus coffee. I settle the bill which is 46 Sols for us both including all meals.
Dave left for Cusco at 0800 hrs. I decide to carry on again so drive up to Vilcabamba and over the other side of the mountain where there is a deep, wide fast moving stream. I drive through the stream with my feet down in the water helping to keep the bike upright. and then head up again into the next mountain.
I carry on along the track for a long way ( which according to the map does not exist, it should be a foot path only). I pass farms and finally drop down into a lost valley, there appears to be more of the same as far as I could see so I decide to turn around ( I am the only traffic and going down into a remote valley may not be too wise) at Mollipunka and head back to the gravel road where there is a turning South to Santa Teresa ( may be back route to Machu Picchu). I notice that my chain needs adjusting again as its making as hell of a noise but I decide to leave it after stopping several times to check it and it doesn´t seem that bad. I finally find a good spot on the narrow track, in the shade where I can get the bike onto the centre stand and the back whel off the ground. I soon discover the chain is fine, but the rear wheel bearing one side has collapsed. I have a spare but we left the panneirs behind to reduce weight and that means they are now 220 kms away. I manage to drive the bike another 4 kms to the next village called Paltaybamba. The brake pad is wearing a small groove in the inner wheel rim. I can not continue so stop for a drink or 2 of Inca Kola at the local shop and after much sign laungauge the lady who owns the shop tells me she is also the church key keeper. She lets me put the bike into the church ( corragated iron roof) after offering to put it in her shop and deciding it would not fit or get up the huge steps or even though the small entrance door. I put the bike in the church and removed the rear wheel ( with some willing unwanted help which later proved to be a slight problem). The church was locked and I agreed to return within the next 2 days to collect the bike (Today was Sunday). I catch a lorry to the next village ( no buses out here). The lorries move bananas, rice, fire wood, people, dogs, chickens etc. between the villages and every one stands or sits in the back wherever thay can hold on. Best to stand though as little suspention. Its now 1330 hrs and I end up catching three lorries to just above the town of Maranura which is the wrong way. I then catch a Nissan minbus to Santa Maria which is just passed Chaullay. Each lorry ride would normally be 1 Sol or less and the minibus about 2 sols. I gave about each 5 Sols and was at one stop given a large mug of Chicha ( maize drink) after helping an old man off load his fire wood. At Santa Maria I manage to catch the night bus to Cusco as my minibus driver stops in front of the large 50 seater bus as he is about to leave. I buy a ticket in the local shop for 15 sols and am given a front seat, but 3 or 4 people have to stand for the 11 hour journey. (I had put my wheel in the cargo area and boarded the bus before I knew I had to buy the ticket in the shop so had a lot of trouble getting off the bus while every one was trying to board).
The bus was horrible dirty and smelly, with a wall behind the driver and small door which ws locked once we left town.

Machu Picchu and Honda better

This evening we finally meet up withe guy from Norton Rats, Dave not well so goes to bed early and a few od us go for drinks ( Ausi, Swiss and UK guys on other bikes).Norton Rats bar closed for two months while he moves and does up the new place. The advice we recieve is it is much quicker to get the part we need from the UK via DHL and certianly not UPS. Food tonight is another Apacha burger.

10th Feb
Roly gets up hours before Dave so goes to breakfast on his own and looks around town and then finds the South America Explorers Club house (SAE). I am a member here so we can get local info and also use their address for DHL parcel. We decide finally on prices for our bikes if we can sell them when we finish the trip in San Diego. We hope to put the bikes details on the Horrizons Unlimited web site (with Tim´s help of course as we are both so useless on computers).

11th Feb
Dave and Mike get their bikes pressure washed for 5 Sols and then Dave services his Yamaha.
In the pub today we discover some web sites for the " road of death bolivia" and discover it is 65 kms long so our 16kms is very disapointing. We had thought we had done half.

12th Feb
We set off for Machu Picchu at 0620 hrs and have to queue at the train station to board the train. We have reserved seats and the return trip of about 100 kms cost US$ 96. By Peru standard this must be the most expensive train per Km in all of South America.The train sets off on time but twice has to return nearly to the station as the points appear to have been set wrong. On the third time he head off in the correct direction, ( it turns out that the points are set and reset by the train drivers assistant jumping out changing the points allowing the train to pass and then resetting before runing back to the engine ( all quite time consumming, but safe but then the train only travels at about 30 mph and has quite a narrow guage. The train follows the river with very nice scenery of high mountains terraces and good white water rafting. We arrive at the final train station below Machu Picchu 4 hours later. The town is another modern tourist dump full of markets selling the usual stuff ( hats , sweaters, dolls, silver, paintings etc.) Ther are loads of people pushing and shoving to get somewhere and we have to walk the gaunltet though the market to the hotel where we are told what is happening for the rest of the day. The trip is expensive train US$ 96,Guide 8, 15 min Bus trip 12 and entrance ticket 42, agent commission 11 Total US$ 170 each.This we are infoirmed is the cheapest way to see Machu Picture in one day.If you say up their for two nights in a hostal you can do the trip for US$155 plus food etc. In hind site we should have done this as gives you loads more time on the site and we are not short of time while we are in Cusco. I wonder how all these large buses get here as they are too big for the train and the tunnels. On the train there are loads of Japaninese tourists and some wrapped in space blankets wearing arm warmers and dust masks!It is not cold. Meals today are 100% ham and cheese rolls which taste of nothing.. The bus trip up the mountain is only 15 mins but up steep very twisty sandy and muddy roads.
Machu Picchu is about 1000 metres lower than Cusco. We join a group who are on a package holiday with Comos and we get a two and a half guided tour ofthe site which was very intresting. After the tour we have one and a half hours to ourselves, we climb up to the Inca gate in about 30 mins along a steep narrow cliff path and then Roly decides there is just time to go up to the sun gate which is a steep climb along a path, Dave decides to stay on site and we argree to meet back at the bus at 1630 hrs. Roly sets off and gets some good pictures but it is hot and a steep climb and then has to run back down and we board the bus at 1630. The bus then waits until it is full and finally sets off the end result is that it takes over 30 mins to get to the train station and we miss out return train which is also the last train to Cusco today. Roly gets mad and we have to buy a train ticket to Ollantaytambo where we can catch a bus or taxi to Cusco. In the end it was good as we got the front seats on a better train and Roly checked out the train line. We decided that if there was another demonstration and the railway line was closed with the aid of a 4 foot wooden plank ( to cross some water ducts and points in the railway line) it would be quite possible to drive to Machu Picchu by motor bike providing you could put up with some (lots) hassle. ( Greg you wanted to know).
Once we arrived at Ollantaytambo we got a Taxi for 50 Sols ( Dave didn´t want to go by bus for 5 Sols) back to Cusco in one and a quarter hours which was much quicker than the train and also cheaper had we not already bought the return ticket. In the end the whole extras between us costs us 120 Sols (GBP20).

In Peru and Bolivia motorbikes are the lowest life form on the roads. It is a matter of size, the bigger you are the more right of way you have. When it is dark you don´t use your lights, when it rains you don´t use your wipers, when the fron windscreen mists up you don´t use your fanand if you do then only for few secondsor better still wipe the glass with an old rag. Maybe this makes every thing last longer, but there are certainly plenty of accidents to suggest htere may be a better way forward. There is however one item that all car, bus, lorry and train drivers know how to use and that is the horn, at every corner, overtaking, sight of a hazzard, friend, bike, dog, animal or in fact just about anything you can think off. All this makes driving in any built up area quite stressfuland certianly not ast all peacefull.

Machu Picchu was very impressive even though a lot of it had been rebuilt since it was re discovered in 1911..The very top section is closed by 1300 hrse very day so we missed this bit.

All buildings and paths are granite and the reglious building have very finely cut stone work, the whole day was very enjoyable and not too crowed one we got up onto the site. The Inca trail is closed for all of Feb to allow for maintenance and cleaning and that means 500 people less a day on site. Feb is also the wettest month in the Andes so walking is usually a bit muddy going.
The River Urubamba flows though to the Amazon in the east and then the Atlantic and was considered by the Incas to be the most important river in the Andes. It is also considered to mirror the Milky way in shape.
We arrive back at Cusco by 2015 hrs which is at least 3/4 hour before the train and we left 25 mins after the train and had a 15 mins wait at Ollantaytambo.

13th Feb
Roly up 0550 hrs woken by noisy neighbours gettting ready for their Machu Picchu trip. It seems no one here is intrested in others and noise from every one what ever the time of day is normal. Roly goes on sight seeing walk around town and returns to the hostal at 0920 to collect Mike and Dave and we then go the motorbike shop to collect the new battery fro Roly´s bike plus a few other bits. It seems it is impossible to buy electrical connections in all Peru.
Dave and Roly have another non communication day and so we both do our own things. Roly goes to do the Blog and Dave tries to fix Roly´s bike. End result Blog is updated and Dave manages to fix Roly´s bike.. The problem was that the spare regulator/ rectifier we had, had an extra 8th wire and we had no wring diagram for this model and in the end Dave decided to connect this 8th wire to a positive feed from the ingition, this power supply then we think excites the electronics to function correctly. Dave also pressure washes Roly´s bike.

14th Feb
Roly up 0400 hrs, Dave snoring as had cold now for 4 days,Roly on walk about and breakfast again. Dave today services the Honda this morning and then at 1500 hrs Mike, Roly and Dave all go for a ride up into the mountains overlooking Cusco. We go the wrong way so come back to Cusco and start again.We visit three historical sites ( Qénqo, Saqsaywaman and Tambomachay)as we still have valid tickets from a previous trip and we then drive over the ridge into the next valley and down a rough farmers track over the hills and get good view of the other end of Cusco. The track then goes down steeply and becomes very loose and Roly´s the only one down there as he´s voluntered to check it out, with difficulity he turns around ( puffing a bit due to altitude maybe 4200 metres). We all drive back to Cusco ( we have done about 60 kms and we again test the output on the Honda batterry at 5000 rpm and we are still geting 13.8 volts which is great). We go for food at The Real Mc Coy where we are meet by about 8 Cupids in fairy wings. (its Valentine´s evening) The Pub is very much every thing English and of course full of the English.

The approach to Machu Picchu on the bike

At the railway station we are met by a small group who tell us we may continue along the railway line if we can get passed the railway lines and rocks placed across the railway bridge and the points. We soon clear a path which surprises them ( railway lines are bloody heavy) and then the railway guard changes his mind after we have one bike over three sets of lines in the station and just at the start of the official Inca trail. The guard radios his head office in Cusco we think and calls for reinforcements, more bodies arrive and say they are going to call the police, the take our pictures, so Roly takes pictures of them all and then Greg starts to talk/ bribe the guard to let us pass. Disappointed we turn back and return to a wire/wood suspension bridge and take photos of the bikes crossing the river Urubamba ( considered to be the most important river in the Andes and that flows out to the Amazon and then the Atlantic Ocean). We then drive right though the Sacred Valley to the east ( the log way) and return to Cusco for 1828 hrs.
Roly has to drive flat out at 7000 rpm to keep up with Greg and Dave brings up the rear ( Roly´s speedo doesn´t work) Roly returns the bike for the agreed return time of 1830 hrs ( 2 mins to spare!) The whole day was good fun and great to have no traffic, lots of sun plus a little cloud cover in the high mountains.
After the return of the hire bike we all settle for an Indian where we can also check out e-mails on a fast computer. We still have no replies from Thunderoad Motorcycles, David Silver Spares or Dakar Motors so feel very isolated and let down. We all go for a full body Massage for 30 Sols each for one hour. We are all in the same room seperated by sheet walls, we agree it was excellant value. I have managed to get all 4 memory cards from our two cameras copied onto a DVD dics ( 2 copies) and Special Agent Greg has agreed to send one via US mail to Jeanne ( via diplomatic post) and the 2nd copy Dave will post to Vicky. Can´t say any more about Greg other wise we would have to kill you. Just like CSI and NSCI or what ever those US programs that are always on TV at home.

8th Feb
0530 hrs Greg leaves Cusco for La Paz and thinks he will do the trip in one day and be there this afternoon ( never queues at borders and has diplomatic passport and registered bike- lucky bugger). Roly looks around the cathedrals in the main Plaza as the doors are open for prayers from 0600 - 1000 hrs. Tourists are meant to pay 24 Sols after 1000 hrs to look around. Buildings quite impressive, but full of Gold guilt and dark oil paintings including the last supper with roast guinia pig.
At 0830 a guide collects us to go on a two day white water rafting trip (US$70 each) we walk across the main plaza and meet the rest of the group then walk about 10 blocks to the waiting bus. The bus journey takes one and half hours and we arrive at Cusipata where the company has a camp site along the edge of the river. We are all issued Wetsuits, jackets, helmets and lifejackets and then get a quick lesson on white water rafting. We are on the water by midday in blue Hypalon rafts made in the USA. There are 7 in each raft ( one instructor steering/ centre back) and we are going to go down a grade 2/3 river for about 2 and half hours with a quick stop at a thermal pool. The day was good fun but a little cold as little sun, we came back for a late lunch of roast chichen pieces cooked in a 44 gal drum as a oven over a fire. Dave and I are the only ones in the group staying on for a 2nd day. The Guide ( Daniel) and assistant/cook ( Daniella) then walk us up along the river to the local town to the pub to try the local drink Chicha ( made of maize in 24 hrs). Chicha (5% proof unless they add 96% achacol, which they do some times) is very sticky,the colour of white coffee but sweet and I think more like gone off cider. The pub is dark but quite a few are drinking plenty of Chicha which cost about 1 Sol (6:1) for 5 pints. We are shown back into the rear kitchen ( a black hole with no windows) where two large pots of the drink are being made over an open fire. We also see the maize and corn in other pots and none look very apertising. We later discover Chicha gives you excessive gas in the stomach! ( good job we have seperate tents tonight). The town streets are full of trenches, pigs, chichens, bulls, dogs and sheep. Two days a month all the community come togehter to carry out a comminity project and this month they are installing a new water and drainage system. The street and alleys are a filthy big mud pie but where else in the world could you get a full turn out of the village to dig trenches in the rain. We return to the camp site via the town streets and market and then check out the home made sauna, a building of rocks, cement and ply with a large welded steel pipe wood burner in one corner. We sit around chatting and then eat at 2000 hrs great meal of soup and sweet and sour chicken with rice and chips. No beer or wine tonight!

9th Feb
Roly up again before any one else, so write and read and then we all have breakfast at 0930. Pancakes, butter, jam, porriage, bread and coffee ( a real feast). We then lie around in the sun or shade until the 2nd group arrives at 1100 hrs. Every one gets ready and today two rafts, 2 kayaks and 1 ducky are going up river to a grade 4 section. It is a nice hot sunny day and Dave and Roly are asked to take front row raft positions ( best place) Roly in blue helment when you see the pictures). Great rapids but latter gets a little cold as the sun goes in. we are all cold so all rush for the sauna where we all squash in before lunch of Oil drum chicken ( very good though).
Aout 1600 hrs we all catch the bus back to Cusco and we notice there have been heavy rains, mud slides, car crashes and even snow on the hills around Cusco. In Cusco itself it had been hailing. Check e-mail still no replies so send emergency text to about 4 people requesting help.
We get three replies from Michael (brother) Steve Leach (Plymouth bike service guy) and Tim Orsman ( Transalp man). Back at the hostal we discover that the man from Norton Rats is coming around at 2000 hrs. We go out and collect two CD´s ( 10 Sols each) of the Rafting photos which we think are very good ( in post to Jeanne and Vicky).

Three day demonstration

6th Feb
Back on bus to Chinchero another Inca site and tourist market but high up this time so cool and getting late (1800 hrs) nice site with lots of Spanish building and church. Bus trip back to Cusco where we arrive 1930 hrs. Go to Moto hire shop and book a 400cc Honda Falcon for a trip tommorow cost US$60. Need to leave passport as deposit and show copy driving licence which they seem unintrested in. We have three home made copy driving licences as are told to use them if stopped by Peru poilce as they usually want "fines" for some thing they make up at the time. We hear stories from fellow bikers and it seems worse near Lima.
7th Feb
Today is the 1st day of a three day demonstration against the goverment as a new law has just been passed to allow large international companies to build huge hotels right next to Peru´s antient monuments. I have trouble getting back to my hotel on my hire bike as the road ahead is closed and Police don´t want me to go any further, in the end they alow me though to my Hotel which is just inside the police line where riot sheilds and tear gas are being used. There are burning tyres in the street ahead. The demonstrators have blocked all roads into and out of the city with rocks, telegraph poles, pipes, glass, concrete, buring tyres or in fact any thing to hand.

We get ready to leave town on three bikes ( Greg on BMW R1200 GS Adv , Dave on Yamaha XT 600 and me on little 400 cc Falcon which feels like a moped after the Africa Twin) . We head NW out of town back to the Sacred Valley and are soon meet by our 1st road block, there are loads of people demonstaighting and we get though all the blockages with minium resistance but at one place Dave is nearly pulled off his bike by women and children. Once we are clear of the city there is no traffic so we dicide to so to the Sacred Valley of the Incas again and see some other sites. 1st stop will be Moray but on the way be decide to explore a mountain track so we can get higher for some photos. We drive up a rough little track between crops but in the end have to turn back due to a lack of trackson in Greg´s bike ( he has a multipurpose tyre). Roly´s bike has knobbles and also very light so can go just about anywhere. We proceed along small rough roads in the mountains and though small villages until we find Moray. The site consists of 4 large bowls of terraces built into the natural landscape. These bowls are thought to have beenused to cultiviate crops at diffrent temperatures as the temperature range can vary by over 5 degrees C between the top and bottom terraces. It is believed the site was an Inca research station fro crop development. There is also a good system to deliver water to every terrace. There are over 500 species of potato (maybe 4000). Yhe main crops locally are maize and potato.

We leave for Uruvamba and then Ollantaytambo, on the way we stop for lunch at a little resturant and all have local trout (yellow) which was very good. We arrive at Ollantaytambo, Inca site which is closed there are no cabs, buses etc. and the market is closed. Its a nice village with no tourists. We speak to the local resturant owner who tells us it should be possible to drive today to Machu Picchu along the railway line about 3kms further on as no trains are running for three days. We take up the challenge and soon find the dirt track and after about 10kms follwing the railway line we come across a broken bridge down into the river. A local on the other river bank throws across a matick and Roly digs up the gravel to make a smooth ramp down to the river bed. Another local then suggests it is easier to drive up onto the rialway line and cross the railway bridge, we opt for the latter and manage to get all three bikes over the railway lines and back off a 100 metres further on. Only the BMW 1200 is difficult to manage due to its sheer weight. We travel on along the dirt track beside the railway line and eventually arrive at a railway station.

Cusco

4th Jan
We go in search of a pub called Norton Rats as the owner is a keen biker who came to South America in the 80´s. He is a wealth of knowledge and may know who can help us. In the end we discover Norton Rats has closed and may reopen some time in the future in a new location but location unknown by any locally. Dave telephones Thunderroad Motorcycles in Bridgeend, Wales where jointly we had spent nearly 3000GBP and they had agreed to supply parts if necessary, anyway after 5 days they had not even replied to our urgent request. Roly had also e-mailed David Silver Spares who also never replied. Our E-mail to Dakar motors in BA did receive a reply but not for over 7 days. In the mean time an emergency round robin text was sent to about 6 people in the UK and Roly´s brother, Tim Orsman and Steve Leach replied.
We finally felt we may have some chance of getting the parts we so desperately needed to move on. We find a taxi and get a lift to the motorcyle shop street where we order a new battery (US$96) which needs to come from Lima. The bike shop guy speaks English, we order oil, fuses, wire connectors, bulbs and a new regulator/rectifier. We return later and are told he can help with the regulator, it can not be rebuild as 1st suggested and he can not get from USA as also suggested. We visit the Inca musuem which is very intresting and then go for an Indian meal. We stay at the same hotel for a 2nd night but will move tommorow to cheap accommadation away from the main Plaza. We met another biker on a new BMW R1200 GS adventure called Greg, he works for the US embasy in La Paz. We all three go to the Irish pub and discover a hostal for 40 Sols a night for a twin room and we all book in for tommorrow. The new hostal also has a coutyard where we can store and service the bikes.
5th Jan
Dave moves his bike to the new hostal and then returns with his battery so Roly can drive the 200 metres. The hostal has about 4 other bikes in the coutyard ( BMW R100, BMW 1150 GS, BMW 650 GS, Trumiph Tiger). We go to Nick´s place for an unhealthy breakfast ( American) plus Tetley tea. We book a one day tour for the three of us ( Greg) by bus of Sarced Valley(25 Sols each) for tommorrow and also a Machi Picchu (MP) trip for US$170 each for the 12th as there is a three day demonstration which means all roads and train lines will be blocked. Due to the demo we decide to also book a 2 day white water rafting trip for US$70 each. We could have gone to MP for US$155 if we went on a 2 day trip and stayed away up there for 2 nights ( cheaper trains and in hind sight would have been better but too late now)

Those wanting to see the road of death in Boliva go to Google and type in "road of death bolivia" you will see some intresting pictures and details.

6th Jan
All three of us up and ready for bus trip to Sacred Valley, leave 0830 hrs and buy breakfast in the plaza on the way to the bus. Dave has his boots polished for 5 Sols Bus leaves with the three us occupying the back row ( Bad boys row). We drive up out of Cusco and within 30 mins see the 1st Inca site but drive right passed, in about 1 hour we arrive at Chinchero plus the local market. Roly buys a nice piece for Silver (have to wait to see Jeanne!). Greg wants to go back to Cusco by Taxi as dislikes buses ( Bus full with 31 people on board and we are treated like cattle/ sheep) and all do the same trip by bike ( with Roly on hire bike). We decide to stick it out and do the trip. We move on to Ollantaytambo a large Inca terrace site built into a cliff. All the best buildings were religious and built of the best cut stone with perfect joints not requiring any mortor. The next best stone was for living quarters and the worse stone was for agricultual use. At the top of the site we saw 4 huge granite blocks weighting about 30 tonnes each joined by thin wedges of granite that allow the blocks to move during earthquakes. All Inca and Pre Inca buildings had a lean on the external walsl of between 6 and 13 degrees so that all walls support each other during earthquakes and therefore remain standing many years later. The Granite for this site came from the next valley 8 kms away and all blocks are thought to have been moved on wood rollers or sand depending on weather going up or down hill. The grain stores for the town were high up in the mountains overlooking the town where they received cool winds and were dryer. The Incas could store 5 years of food for the town in these stores so if there was one bad harvest it didn't matter.

Floating Islands and Honda breakdown

2nd Feb
We are up early and are collected by a minibus (15 seats). we go down to the dock side and board a small boat ( 25 passengers). Our trip today is to 2 sites and cost 25 Sols (6:1GBP). In one and a half hours we reach the 1st floating reed island where people live and seem to survive off the tourists. The islands aremade entirely of local reed and are several metres thick and usually last about 12/13 years before being abandoned for new ones. We were shown all around and then offered a trip in a reed canoe across to the next island for an extra 10 Sols. On this island there were reed huts for rent at 10 Sols a night and a resturant. We again boarded our boat and set off towards the island of Taquire in the middle of lake Titicaca or two and a half hours out from the floating islands (1 and half from Puno). At Taquire 1000 indian people live with no electric and again appear to live off visiting tourist boats. We were all offered a local fish (kingfish) lunch for 12 Sols plus a great veg soup. We were also given a colourful dance display in the main square and was told it was a special feista this week, but expect it was for your benefit. Little girls sold small knitted braclets items for1 Sol and Dave bought 10 and a blanket from the floating reed island for 50 Sols. By the end of the trip Dave´s bike and luggage will be heavier than Roly´s solely due to buying local toursit stuff. We return to Puno and sit up on the upper deck, there is no sun and lots of cloud cover however at 3822 metres we get sun burnt during the 4 hour trip. Tonight Roly eats Alpacha, chips and rice plus a beer of course.

3rd Jan
We leave Puno by 0930 hrs and the hotel door man has cleaned our bikes with a damp rag, remving most of the caked on thick mud and probabilly scrathing all the trim in the process. About 10 kms out of Puno the Africa Twin loses all electrics and dies by the side of the road. We discover the main 30 amp fuse is blow, we replace with a spare and continue for another 10 kms and break down again. We discover the rectifier/regulator is fryed. We replace this with a spare Roly bought 2nd hand prior to the trip unchecked on E-bay along with a CDI unit ( which we did check). We continue to the Pre Inca burial towers at Sillustani ( 14 kms west of our route) and pay 5.60 Sols each for entry. A quick tour around and we are on our way again after loads of photos of our 1st Inca site. Heading north for Cusco Roly stops and we notice a whistle sound, the battery has been over charged and is also fryed. The bike will not start, so Dave removes one of the charging wires from the alternator and Dave push starts Roly, which nearly kills him at this alititude, Roly drives off with Dave trying to catch some breaths. Finally at Ayaviri after another short hop the bike gives up for good. The spare regulator/rectifier we had fitted did not seem to be working, ( it had an extra 8th wire) the battery was fryed and there was no hope for the bike. It was about 1630 hrs and Cusco was 244 kms, it ws tipping down with rain, we were cold and managed to find some shelter in an old garage which we shared with a huge 1960´s America pick up truck. We notice the power is too high as all dash lights are too bright and we blow both light bulbs when we switch then on. We had prevoiusly agreed ( under protest) not to sleep on the side of the road so Dave went in search of a pick up or lorry to get a lift to Cusco. After some considerable time he could only find one driver who wanted a massive US$250 and could come at 1730 hrs. We reluctantly agreed and loaded the bike onto a Toyota 4 x 4 crew cab pick up with the rear wheel of the Africa Twin sitting on the tail gate. All tired down we set of for Cusco about 1830 hrs, it was raining hard but Roly was in the front of the Toyota with Dave following behind ( had Roly´s winter glovers though). The windscreen of the Toyota was covered with candle wax which made seeing where we were going a little difficult ( result of today fiesta). Once it was dark we could no longer see the road, so with a little petrol from the Honda we managed to clean the screen, The heating or windscreen fans also did not work, so Roly needed to keep wiping the windscreen to enable the driver to see the road, although it didn´t seem to make much difference as we were often in either the middle of the road or the ditch. We finally arrived at main central Plaza of Cusco at 2200 hrs and find three steps (18th Century) where we can unload the bike at nearly the same level as the truck bed as we had no plank dispite repeataly asking for one prior to loading. The local Police stop us and after a little time agree to let us unload if we are quick. We pay the driver and book in to a hostal next to the steps (US$40 per room). We push the bike into a old Spanish colonial coutyard and are warned by the police not to leave anything unattended as the children will steal it. The Plaza is very nice and clean with very smart colonial buildings all all four sides. We are offered two rooms - one with a genuine Inca wall downstairs with no TV or a room upstairs with TV. Guess which we accepted! Roly´s choice. We go for a chineese at 2300 hrs for 79 Sols and then bed by midnight.

Lake Titicaca

31st Jan
Leave hotel by 0930 hrs and then spend the next 2 hours trying to find our way north out of town. Its raining we get mad with each other, we keep going up and down the same routes and seem to be getting knowhere fast. There are no signs but to cut a long story short we finally head north towards the east side of Lake Titicaca, we are both cold and wet and Dave stops to warm his hand several times. We catch a small ferry across a narrow section of the lake for 30 BS (GBP2) for both. We have to be pushed off the ferry backwards as only narrow planks on the deck, this is a bit unnerving as you have no control. We drive up a hill and stop for a late lunch (1500 hrs) overlooking the village and ferry crossing which reminds us of Fowey, Cornwall. We then drive 38kms to Copacabana on good twisty roads along the side of the lake. Copacabana is a nice clean place catering for tourists (mostly backpackers), lots of resturants. We find a hotel for US$11 and move the bikes into the garden behind locked gates. We are nearly out of BS and so go to a resturant with a open fire that will also aceept US$. Hamburgers and beer for US$10 plus 10BS. Just as we finish eating thunder storm starts and we have to run to hotel but we still can´t breath due to the alitude so we get soaked again. Roly´s chest OK as 1000 metre lower here.
1st Feb
At 0430 hrs locals start testing fireworks for their impending fiesta in a few days time! We pack and meet 2 guys from USA who are also travelling on motorbikes ( both retired) from Alaska to the far south. We talk for a while swap e-mail addresses and then head West for the Peru border. There are no queues and we are the only ones there and every one is very helpful so we pass though in 30 minutes after Roly has to pay a fine of 20BS for losing his Bolivia entry slip. We move onto the Peru border and again every one is very helpfull and in 20 minutes we are on our way. We have just lost another hour with the clock change and so are now 5 hours behind the UK. We head for Puno along the side of the lake and stop for lunch (pasta and tuna like fish from tin) We have difficulty overtaking a bus driving on the wrong side of the road due to pot holes. In Puno we find smart hotel for 80 Sols ( 14GBP) we park the bikes behind the main entrance gates which will be locked at night and head of to the local market where Dave buys a painting for US$25. We check out the local cathredal, coffee and cheese cake. It is warm in the sun but cold in the shadows. We also check out the local tourist tours and finally decide on a one day tour too two sites on Lake Titicaca and also stay in Puno an extra day. We try and buy chain oil and Silkaflex without luck ( both needed for bike maintenance). Guinea pig and lama on menus now. Very touristy here but with lots of street selling going on. Silver seems very cheap.

We book tommorow tour to the floating islands and the island of Taquire which is 2 and 1/2 hours out into the middle of the lake, where 1000 indians live in their own comunity. At resturant tonight we try local fish and alpaca for starters and both are very good. In bed by 2130 as need to be up by 0645 tommorrow

30th Jan
Up pack and leave by 0930 hrs and Roly naviagte NNE to Ruta 3 to "The most dangerous road in the world". We get out of the city with no problems and rise even higher to a pass at 4725 metres where we start looking for "the road". We find an old track which rises high into the snow line and up another 500 metres to 5200 metres. The Africa Twin needs reving like hell in 1st gear at this height on 84 octane fuel. We push though 200mm of wet fresh snow with Roly taking the lead. It is very difficult, hard work and its hard to breath after exercise, let alone talk.

Dave follows and we head down into a steep valley and Roly decides it is too dangerous to continue as this just can not be the corect route it is too samll and dangerous. Dave keen to continue down the track which is not wide enough for a car. The clouds obsure the view and all vision behond 10 metres. We then meet a couple of locals with 10 donkeys comming up the track. They tell us it is impossible on motorbike to continue down, we turn around and head back to the pass on the main road. We decide to continue down into the next valley and are soon overtaken by 2 trail bikes ( Honda XL250 anf XR 650). Both have no number plates and in time we catch them up while they are stopped for a drink. We ask them the way and they say they will show us, but can´t beleive we will do the road with the heavy bikes and all the luggage we carry. They show us to the start and then rush off at speed after a quick photo stop. The Road of Death is quite fantastic, all gravel with fantastic views down into a valley, huge drop offs, no barriers and the road is washed away in places. There is little sign of people except for road side memorials for those who went over the edge. The jungle is thick and the tops of the trees are below us. There are water falls verywhere including over the road and some times we have to drive though or if we are lucky we can get behind them. At 16 kms in we are met by three huge land slides across the road. It is raining hard and there is small shelter overlooking the landslide. We stop for lunch ( Soup, Olives and Sardines). The total route is 35kms long and in recent years a new road has replaced this dangerous road. The old road is now offically only used by walkers, bikes and motorbikes and all traffic is meant to go down only but occasionally a small local bus goes this way to save time as this route is shorter than the new road. They also go up and down and some time over the side! Bodies and vechiles are generally apparently not collected after accidents. After a good walk over the still moving landslides we decide to turn around, the lighter bikes had made it over but rocks were still comming down along with large quanties of water. It is raining so hard now it is no longer amusing and by the time we get back to the main raod we are soaked though. We head back up the mountain but again the bikes are struggling in the alitude and thick cold clouds. We slowly freeze and Dave needs to keep stopping to warm his hands on his cylinder head. We finally make it back up to 4725 metres and are in thick cold cloud cover.. We head back down towards La Paz as we have decided not to head for anywhere else today. At the city limits Police check Roly stops to wait 20 minutes for Dave. The Africa Twin is blown over by a passing lorry and Roly has to pick up on his own while all local people just watch. By taking off one pannier the task is acomplished. We finally both get back into La Paz and decide to go back to the same hotel.

More Bolivia to La Paz

27th Jan

Discover ketchup bottle has leaked into rack sack and sheep skin that got soaked and was in a plastic bag now stinks. wash both and sheep skin falls apart so thow out. It was meant to make the seat more comfortable but I think made no difference. Went back to one of only two good resturants in Potosi call El Fogin and had a good meal for 2 with beer for 100BS ( 15 to GBP). We decide not to go to Secre but head for Oruro (1/2 way to La Paz)

28th Jan. We leave Potosi by 0900 hrs and pay US$ 100 plus 305 BS for hotel. They told us the credit card machine had losts its connection! We head out on Ruta 1 and pay some more tolls (about 6th now) and have a nice drive on tarmac though the mountains and up onto a high plateau ( Roly pain in chest). We stop for soup and are surrounded by Larmas and mountains.



More tolls after lunch and lots of Adobe mud huts in the villages and we drive along Lake Popo. We turn off the main road into a dual carraigeway into Oruro. The road is still being constructed but is full of demonstrators of some kind. All the lanes are blocked by road graders, buses, vans, bikes, rocks people, banners etc. The people are stopping all the traffic moving into the town of Oruro. We manage to weave in and out of parked vehicles and over pipes liad across the road and finally into town. Out 1st stop at a hotel proved useless as it was unfinished but our 2nd hotel was OK and had a bike lock up only one block away. We fix a fuel leak on Roly´s bike with 3 new jubille clips and then off course have a beer. The town is being set up for a feista in a few days time. The local resturants were all very disappointing to put it mildly. The 1st resturant we leave soon after entering after Dave sees 1/2 a goat or sheep head being carried though on a plate to a table. We end up settlling for steak, chips and coke and the meat was a bit over ripe, the chips raw and the coke OK. The whole town was dusty and very dirty.

29th Jan
We leave town by 0930 North heading for La Paz. We have to drive though all the clossed off roads and though a mud field to get to the main dual carraigeway out of town. Boring drive across high Plateau and bikes not going too well we thing due to the high alitude. Very good road though to El Altro which was a horrible filithy place which leads immediately into La Paz. More tolls to pay to go down the Autopiste into the bowl of La Paz. It is just like a massive Volcano bowl which is filled with a modern city to the brim. Roly´s turn to navigate and soon find tourist office. Coeelct detials for good resturants, hotels and location of The Road of Death. Hotel Pan American at US$40 for room, find chinesse resturant and do some sight seeing. Dave changes some cash and Roly buys an unbrella for GBP 67 pence! as its tipping down now.

In Potosi the churches were nicely decorated outside and were constructed with dressed stone and brick and mostly built around the 1700 to 1800´s. After 4 days of Roly not eating he is back on the food again but being a little careful. Perhaps he will become a LMSM after all. In the afternoon we went on a conducted tour of the silver mine, we had to dress up in miners kits and also visited the miners market where they buy their tools. We all climbed into a Bedford Rascal van one driver and six of us and proceded up the mountain to 5066 metres in 1st gear over very rough roads full of trenches and pot holes. it was a wonder we ever made it. In the miners markets we were offered a bag containing a stick of Dynamite, a bag of Amonium Nitrate, 300mm of cordite and a detenator for 10 BS about 67 pence all quite legally too. We were also offered a large bag coca leaves for the same price or a litre of 96% proof Achocol. The coca leaves are chewed to starve offf hunger as they numb the mouth, throat and stomach. The Achocol is drunk on Fridays either neat of mixed with juice of some kind. We wonder if we could cook with it as the local meths smells horrible. The work of a miner is hard and a 3rd class miner earns 50 BS a day, we saw them moving bags of ore weighting 60Kgs each. We went to five different levels which was more like pot holing, about 50 miners a year are killed though accidents and tunnel collapses. The top of the mountain is no longer mined as it is too danegerous but thre are no regulations as to what miners can or can not do. Buy the way lunch today for 2 cost 45BS.
A Canadain company will start open cast mining here with the next couple of years. 50 BS a day is accepted as a good wage here in Potosi are therefore there are many who still wish to be miners. During the Spanish times Africain slaves were imported to work in the mines but they could not cope with the alitude so local Indians were used, many died as they were forced to work, sleep and eat within the mine. Thge Spanish even indroduced a local mine god to place fear into the local indians and increase productivity.

We meeet some people who had come from Uyuni by bus and it took well over 8 hours and at many rivers all passengers had to debus and walk though the rivers. The train was fully booked due to the floods with a wait of 3 to 6 days for a place. The offical tour of the salt flats at 3650 metres was no longer possible due to the floods either. All a big disappointment but never mind there still lots more to see n Peru. The Alitude here in Potisi is over 4600 metres and just walking up the streets makes us feel like old men. We decide to stay here for three nights and repair the bikes. The town is very noisy as at every junction all vechicles use their horn to tell you they are comming day or night, they also do not use their head lights when dark or wipers when it rains so may be they know something I don´t. The pavement are also tiny with lamp post in the middle so you have to walk on the road which is often awash with rain water and rubbish. Roly is considering buying a bag of Dynamite to throw at dogs which like to attack motorbikes. Its just like Plastercine with 70% being vegtibile matter and 30% Nitro Gysirine.
27th Jan. woken again by car horns at about 0500 hrs Dave start work on Africa twin and Roly to Internet cafe. Fit new fuel pump which I was carrying and new sprockets and chain set which we also carried. We still seem unable to download photos or carry out a UK spell check. One panel on the Africa twin is cracked from the last fall and the present kms stands at 64379.6 kms

It turns out that Butch Casidy and the Sundance kid ´s last stand was not in Tupiza after all so we leave north and are soon told that the road to Uyuni is unpassable due to the height of the rivers. Roads out here some times don´t have bridges and you have to drive though the river bed. We can drive on the road to Potosi and turn off west much further north to get to Uyuni. The road to Potosi is about 8 hours by bus which is a good guide for us as if you ask a local the time they look at your speedo and tell you you can do it in 3 hours. At Uynui we can go on a 4 day 4x4 trip around the area including seeing the largest salt flats in the world which are 3 metres thick and we can stay in a hotel built entirely of salt. Dave and Roly have a disagrement over our destitation but in the end it is not a problem as we can not find the road to Uyuni which would have been closer than Potosi. The road is compacted mud and it has rained for the last two days, there is a little gravel but only where lorries and buses have been stuck or in the river beds. There are many river crossings and at one wide rivr there are long queues on both sides. The river is at least 400mm deep and fast flowing, lorries and buses seem to make the crossing OK but many cars get flooded and have to be pushed back. We stop and make a cup of tea and watch others for an hour after which a 3rd bike arrives. Together we push each bike though one at a time with the engine running to help and we are now wet though to the crutch. There are many more smaller river crossings which we drive though but at one Roly falls off at the edge and drives up into a pile of mud. Some local road side workers help me lift the bike back upright as Dave still crossing the river in a shallower section.
Progress is very slow and it seems unlikely we will make Potosi before dark and driving in the dark is the 1st rule we try not to break. The fuel pump on the Africa twin packs up and so we make a temp repair and feed the carb by gravity which is fine as long as I have more than half a tank of fuel. We also adjust the chain on Roly´s bike as it looks like the chain set has finally had it and needs changing. Roly just makes it to the next fuel station with the last one kms down to a missing 20kms per hour. The good news is that the road is now either tarmac or concrete but it will be dark soon and it is also cold. We have 37 kms to get to Potosi and we are rising into the cloud line. Potosi is at 5066 metres, the bikes are not running well due to the altitude and lack of fuel pump in Roly´s case and the best we can manage is 60kmph, it finally gets pitch black, wet in the clouds and foggy with very low viz and so speed is reduced to 40 kmph own into Potosi where we arrive at 2000 hrs. We chat to some locals and find a good 3 star hotel for US$45 a night which includes underground parking. We are now both tired, wet, cold and dirty as we have not stopped for over ten hours and have not eaten and Roly on his 4th day of water only. We shower and both go for a meal in a good resturant and eat too much. During the day we had another arguement about travel time periods, stress, accomadation standards, budgets etc.
26th Jan. Potosi is the highest city in the world and estabilished by the Spanish in the 1500´s due to the silver in the local mountain at about 5000 metres. The Inca´s found the silver and the city became the richest city in all of South America. There are some nice colonial buildings, churches and cobbled streets. The streets are very narrow with many flee markets selling very thing yu would nornally buy in the supermarket. The only Industry is still mining and tourists.
The meat market was an eye openner with oval of cow, bull, goat and sheep hanging including intestines, full headsand lungs all on display, with flys and customers handling the meat and sellers handling it along with the moeney given in exchange. Dave had to leave quickly.

Bolivia

Dave finishes fitting his new sprockets and chain and we drive up though the mountains and along huge river beds and a few police checks pasted huge red sandy pillars and catus. We stop in Tilcara for fuel and lunch and see our 1st beggers at the petrol station. Now 136kms to Abra Pampa where we are heading for tonight. Roly still on water and Dialolite. The area is now much poorer than the rest of Argentina with many mud brick houses, we finally arrive in Abra Pampa at 1930 and find what looks like a terrible hostal but it turns out to be OK and we both eat chicken and Chips 'Roly regrets this latter' Heavy rain during the night.
24th Jan. We leave for the Bolivia border on good tarmac roads rising to 3780 metres and arrive at 1045 hrs to terrible long queues, Roly is feeling terrible but we queue at Imigration to discover we have to clear the bikes 1st here. we queue three more times and finally leave the Argentina border by 1500 hours. The border was terrible, smelly with lots of people pushing. we did however meet a nice couple who helped with the Bolivia bike temporary import documents. The Customs wanted a Carne de passage as US citizins use but we managed to get a temp import document. We drive over the bridge to gain Bolivian enty stamps for our passports and of course queue again. Once clear we drive up though town which is just full of people taking no notice of the traffic, we weave in and out of people and trollies trying to sell us something and decide not to stop to buy currency or anything else for that matter. As soon as we reach the outskirts of town we are stopped at a toll both for 3BS but we have no Bolivian currency he accepts 10 Ar$ and we proceed to drive 80 kms to Tupiza. terrible dirt roads with some gravel and very corrigated, Dave manages 40 kmph and Roly 80kmph. The area is dry with little scrub and villiages made up of mud brick huts, but the locals all smile, wave and seem very happy. We stop just outside a tiny tunnel cut though the rock face as we are met by a huge lorry which can just squeese though with its tarpaulin touching the roof of the tunnel. On the other side of the tunnel we are met by another toll staition who will not accept Chile money so we have to pay 20Ar$. We drive into Tupiza and Dave finds a hotel quickly as Roly still not well and wants a loo and a bed. Dave latter finds a better hotel but Roly refuses to move. The clocks have gone back so we have lost another 2 hours. Tupiza is a dump dirty and extremely wetas has been raining now for some time. We manage to put the bikes into a garage opposite the hotel for the night. Roly self perscribes some Antibotics and we go in search of a bank which is closed but will open 0800 tommorrow. We find a resturant that accepts US$ and also the local train station as we believe we may be able to put the bikes on the train to Uyuni where the salt lakes are. Roly keen to see the largest salt lakes in the world but they are 200 kms out of our way to Potosi.