Another Punture in Columbia this time

I drive for miles along streets with mad drivers coming at me from all directions with 3 lanes of traffic and every one keeps changing lane. I am heading for El Centro and it is no good leaving a cars length in front of me as its imediately filled by another wally ( normally a yellow taxi). I find an ATM but it will not accept my card, I drive on and at a set of lights a 125cc bike rider asks me where I am from in English. England I say and ask is this correct way for El Centro Yes he say and at next lights he says follow him as he works in centre at the bank.
I follow him and a Taxi for miles and the road is full of concrete manholes, then suddenly the taxi in front of me drives over a manhole and I nearly go into a manhole with no cover. Of course the taxi wheels go each side but I miss the hole with a few mm to spare. Apparently the cast iron is worth steeling for scrap which is why most are concrete now. I find another ATM and draw 100,000 Pesos. I discover in the end that the correct excahnge rate is about 1950 Pesos to 1 US$. I find a hotel and book in and pay 90,000 pesos. The local resturant has very poor service but I don´t want to walk too far in this neighbourhood. All the small shops here and in Ecuador have steel cages and you have to ask for what you want and have the items passed out like a prison.
The roads are clean and are swept regulaly and the grass is strimmed even for miles outside towns. In fact there is lots of grass and nothing eating it unlike Peru and Bolivia where it is mostly mud and grass is carried into town to feed the animals. In Ecuador and Columbia there appears to be a school in every small town I drive though along with speed restrictions.
That night the AC and fan are so noisy I decide to go without and sweat it out.
4th March
I can not find an internet cafe and then I am allowed to use the hotels only reception computer again so check e mail and send a few quick replies. I leave the hotel by 0850 hrs after getting directions and get out of town with no problems. I will head for Yumbo, Buga, Tulua, Armenia and then Bogota. Roads are good and straight across flat arable land growing maize, rice, pineapples, bannanas etc. When I reach Armenia the roads climb again very steeply up tight switch backs to Ibague it very slow again with lots of lorries going both ways but it is easy to overtake due to their speed up hill. I never get above 3rd gear though but get good views into the valleys below until I reach near the top where the cloud cover reduces the viz to one lorry length. Overtaking now a little more difficult! Once I get to the top I see a sign showing Bogota is only 200 kms and I think I should be able to make that today. I will not have to go into Ibague. I stop to take some more photos and have to change memory cards. I carry one and one mile further down have another rear tyre punture. Oh my golly gosh I say what a punture up here 50 kms from anywhere! (some thing much worse was more to the point). I am on a tight corner going steeply down hill so walk the bike to the next corner and turn around and try again to put the bike on the side or centre stand. No chance so I lean it against the cliff face and remove all the luggage. Then a 40 ton lorry going up hill and towing a lad on a push bike stops and offers me some compressed air, I greatly accept and give the lad 2000 pesos. We block the road for most traffic while I blew up the tyre. I reload all luggage and carry on down hill as fast as possible but only make about 2 more kms before flat again. I can see a Peaje (toll booth) about 500 metres ahead so walk the bike to the barrier. I ask the security guard if I can use his hard standing at the side of the booths and it is all agreed with all the other staff. I unload all luggage again and remove the rear tyre. Problem number one is now do I break the tyre bead this time! After about an hour and the use of a huge concrete slab I manage to break both beads and get the inner tube out. I have three holes all right next to each other. If I was in Europe I would buy another but no choice here so manage to repair. The guard offers me large basin so I can check the tube again. Every one again is so helpful. While all this heavy work is taking place I have to stop and lie down a couple of times as I am dizzy from all the exercise. I give every one toffees which are well receive. The 10 army guys turn up on 5 Yamaha XT600´s and I am in their parking space. They ask me lots of questions about my trip and all are again so freindly , a couple of them help me replace the rear wheel but not before stopping a lorry so I can use their compressor to blow up the tyre as they had been watching me pump up the tyre for ages ( 1000 pumps) with my tiny hand pump. I take photos or some of the army guys and lube their chain on one of there Yamaha´s as they had shown some intrest in chain lube having not seen it before.
I finally get going again at 1530 hrs and think all that cost me 2 hrs. I continue down more switch backs and finally to Ibaque and decide to move on as now 1630 and I will have 2 hrs more light. The roads are now straight with speed limits of 60kph but every one seems to be doing 100kph. Then 6 of us (cars) are stopped by police with a radar gun on a tripod. I no Comprendi and am let go while others seem to be paying fines.
Its now 1700 hrs and at 1830 the road starts to climb again into a steep sided valley with high cliff either side. There is a large river to one side but it is getting dark and there is lots of traffic going both ways. Bogota is about 80 kms away. It is difficult to see the road with the oncoming lorry headlights in my face. At 1900 hrs I give up and put into a hotel right on the side of the road but looks clean, tidy and has a resturant next door. There is aslo an Army guard of 4 outside as we are next to a large bridge. Hotel 50,000 pesos with my own priviate army guard with automatic weapons of course. I park the bike in a compound but only with a chain across for security (1st time the Honda has not been locked away except for camp sites).

More of Columbia - Popayan and Cali

3rd March
Plan today to go to Popayan and then Cali. More twisty roads into the mountains rising high but little traffic. Lots of Army presence on the roads, at major road junctions and bridges. I was stopped by one group of about 10 soldiers who were all intrested in the bike, size , speed and where I had come from etc. Still only drinking water and Coke for energy and at one stop finally find someone to give my red rugby shirt too ( dirty lad who needs a new shirt even if a little big)
All the mountains are very steep and very green. By the side of the road locals are selling pineapples and what looks like massive green beans. hey are also drying some white powder on the road sides and on black plastic and it smells very strong but I can´t make out what it is. People are also selling cheese blocks and some green blocks of something else. Roads all steep up and down and going is very slow to Popayan. It seems ages to do 220 kms but I finally arrive in Popayan at 130 hrs.
I don´t go down into town and have another Coke before moving on, road now faster and only 140 kms to Cali, total today will be about 400 kms. more straights and faster so arrive in Cali by 1600 hrs. Huge city but still 4 times smaller than Bogota

Columbia here we come

At Riobamba the road improves and becomes a toll road and motorbikes have to pay US$ 50 cents. The altitute is still high here so not too warm but good dual carraigeway so progress is fast all the way to Quito. I pass the sign to Cotpax national park but its raining hard and the volcanco was covered in clouds. Approaching Quito I have two choices 1. the town centre or 2. Pan American north. I can´t face another large dirty city so continue along the dual carraigeway.
At 1700 hrs I see a small hotel with cafe next door on the opposite side of the road. I drop a "u" and book in and pay US$10 ( in Columbia you pay for your room at time of booking). The road is very noisy but I´m cold and its going to be dark soon. My bed is planks on two concrete block walls but is quite comfortable.
2nd March (Sunday)
I have now been ill for 4 or 5 weeks and food goes straight though me so I decide to start a course of Erythromyein. Since Dave left I have managed fine on one meal a day and Coke the rest of the time. I now also have stomach cramps. Still the good news is that I am losing weight and on the 8th March weight was 88kgs ( if the scales are to be beleived) thats 10 kgs down from the start of the trip. Supper tonight is US$2.50 but the noise here did´nt stop untill 0200 hrs.
I head north for the Ecuador monument and its a very overcast cool day, I miss any sign for the monument but have a nice drive though lush green mountains with very good fast toll roads. Bikes in Ecuador and Boliva pay tolls but in Columbia and Peru its free.
In Ecuador once you get north of Riobamba the roads are good. Its nice to get away from the cities and I arrive at the border at 1400 hrs. I get my passport exit stamp but the Aduna office(Customs) is closed for Sunday so technically no vechicles can enter or leave Ecuador.
I ask a young lad on a 125 cc Suzuki motor bike and he helps me though the procedure. I give my temporary import bike document to an Aduna officer in the street and move up the hill to the Columbia border. I get my passport entry stamp and theres no queue at all. I then go to the Aduna officer where a very nice lady ( with purple hair pieces) speaks english and she helps me with all the forms. I have to get documents photocopied so the lad takes me back to Ecuador on his 125 and we return to gain my temporary bike import document. I change some money with the street money changer as US$ not accepted in Columbia. I change my Peru currency and also change US$100 and get 1880 pesos per US$1. I have no idea at this stage wether this is good or not but have little choice at the border on a Sunday. I pay my new friend US$4 for his help.

Columbia here we come, entry has been no problem, in fact it was a pleasant experiance with a pretty girl. The lady also took a rubbing of my bike chasis number which I have never had done before. ( bit like brass rubbings in churches). I move though rolling hills/ mountains and steep valleys, very good roads and the houses have tiled roofs like the ones in Ecuador. The houses in Ecuador and Columbia are better built that Peru. In Ecuador and Columbia it is ilegal to import 2nd hand cars, so generally three cars on the road are better than Peru, Bolivia and Argentina.
Its a nice hot sunny day and I stop and take lots of photos of valleys but its difficult to stop as the road has deep gullies ( for rain) at the side and no hard shoulder.
On the way down one hill there is a huge traffic jam, a vechile has gone over, an ambulance takes patients away and a Toyota pick up loads the bodies. The traffic jam is caused by all the people parking and watching the rescue. There are about 20 cars abanonded on the side of the road and its these that are the real problem.
That evening I arrive at Pasto after a good 1st day in Columbia and find a hotel for 30,000 Pesos. I did stop in the main Plaza and within 5 mins have a crowd of about 20 people asking where am I from and what I am doing. Every one is so freindly and try to help. The crowd is a little big so I decide its time to move on. The hotel has an underground parking area. for the bike.

I walk around town for a few blocks and also find an internet cafe. I hear from James ( bike traveller from Manchester who been to Asia, India, Australia and South America in 20 months on Trumiph Tiger) who is in Bogota and give me the name of a good hostal.
During my walk around town I notice lots of millitay carrying automatic weapons and some concrete towers with solders inside. The towers tend to overlook the Plazas.

425Kgs of Honda goes flying and another punture

29th Feb
I leave te hostal by 0715 hrs and the roads in town are a mess, with huge ruts where the road has just been washed away. I get up to the main road and tarmac and all well except for a few pot holes. It´s 57 kms to the border where I arrive by 0815hrs. One office is still closed so I have to wait 15 mins. The river under the bridge to extremely full and fast flowing. I get my passport and bike documets stamped and approved in the three offices and have no hassle leaving. I had been told to expect some hassle for not having Peru bike insurance. I am the only one at the border who seems to require documents every one else is moving livestock back and forth across the border. Pigs are being hurded across and chickens also carried across. There are lots of pigs on the Peru side of the road with their 4 legs tied together and awaiting export!
It takes about 45mins to clear Peru customs and then I move across the bridge to Ecuador. The officer at the Ecuador border photocopies my passport, V5 and driving licence and then fills in a temporory import paper for the motorbike. No mention is made of bike insurance and after about another 45 mins I leave and head north for Loja. Its a wet ride as raining now but once there I don´t stop and carry on to Cuenca. The roads are tarmac but again full of deep pot holes so going is slow. I then see in front of me a fast spotted cat which crosses the road, it was the size of a medium dog. It is a nice drive but very up and down mountains so very slow going due to the pot holes. My speedo is still not working as I have been unable to buy alan keys. On the way into Cuenca the main road is detoured and we all drive though a huge muddy mess for miles as the new road is unfinished. I arrive in town and try not to go down into the centre as want to get going again tommorow early. I drive around and can´t find a hotel and in the end a huge American Ford pickup truck stops and offeres me help. I follow him back to his house and he rings his mate who has a hotel around the corner. He turns out to also have a new BMW R1200 GS. He gets his new bike out and shows me the way to the hotel. Ibook in and have ashow and then my phone rings, I think it mus tbe on the TV but no it´s my phone- who knows me here! I answer and there´s an english voice. Do I need any assistance or have any questions as the hotel owner is in reception , speaks english and drives a KTM 640. I go out to reception and we chat for about an hour. He gives ame advise on routes north to avoid the floods etc and also a route out of town for tommorrow. It thinks it will only take me 5 hours to get to Quito tommorrow ( it in fact takes me 10 hrs) The following morning I leave and pay US$ 25.62 for beb, breakfast, 3 course evening meal and mini bar.

1st March
I am allowed to use the hotel receptions computer to check my e-mails and send a few quick replies. I go to ATM as currency here US$ and draw US$200 for emergencies. The roads are tarmac but again full of pot holes and huge lumps where the land has moved or slipped due to the rain. I am driving too fast ( 80kph) and hit a huge lump in the road. The bike and me start to fly and I think I have not had bike flying lessons! As I land the suspension bottoms out and the bash plate hits the road. I think that was lucky I didn´t come off when you consider the bike, me, the full panniers, ruck sack and fuel weight 425kgs. About 10 miles further on I have a punture, but not before a white car decides to change direction when I am doing 80kph and he comes right across to my side of the road to avoid his sides pot holes. I manage to slow on the wet roads and miss him by a few millimetres. He looks at me as if he was doing nothing wrong- maybe there is some local culture that says this is normal and expected! I of course shout some abuse at him! As I arrive in the town of Zhud I stop right outside the tyre repair shop and get a young lad to help me hold the bike as I can not get it onto the side or centre stand due to the rear flat tyre. I unload the bike of all luggage and he helps me get it onto the centre stand. I remove the rear wheel and the tyre is very hot and then give it to the other young lad there running the shop. He has a pneumatic press to get break the tyre bead. I pay him US$5 to repair the inner tube and replace the tyre. I have about 6 young helpers all looking and asking questions and all below 18 years old. The inner tube has one split but is light weight and I have no spare. I leave and hope that is my last punture (fat chance) and know I need to buy a spare inner tube ( Dave has one).

The road for the next 20 kms is just terrible, no tarmac lots of holes and huge machinery digging at the hill side. It is also cloudy so viz again is down. It has been raining on and off again and is not very warm. The volcancos are hidden by the clouds.

South West Ecuador flooded

27th Feb

Roly still ill with stomach problems which has been going on for about 4 weeks now, still may mean I will lose some weight! Walk around town, along pier and generally chill out. Try to buy some Alen keys but no luck.

Meet 6 people from USA who are here surfing and a couple also live in San Diego.

I repack the bike and mange to get rid of the Gul dry bag. I enjoy a day sitting on the beach and swimming. I receive an e-mail from James about the terrible weather in southern Ecuador and that the roads are flooded, bridges are swept away and one main border may be closed. I draw up my travel plans options for Ecuador in light of this new information.

28th Feb.

Head north though lots more dessert and piles of rubbish along the sides of the roads. It appears the desert is the local rubbish dump and it smells terrible. Drive though Chiclayo annd Piura, buy some engine oil and then spend over two and a half hours trying to find my way out of town. It is hot today but overcast so no shadows for navigation. The main river bridges are closed to all traffic, in the end in frustration I use my compass to head north and take a track into open scrub land. I head north west and think it will meet the main road north but after another two hours I have to give up and go back to town. ( one of Dad´s short cuts!) I see a lizard about 800 mm long that crosses the road in front of me. I keep asking the way to the north but so many different answers, but finally I make it towards Sullana and up again into the mountains.



It is getting dark and is going to rain behind me. I make it to Los Lomos just in time before the heavens open. The town is small with a couple of small hostals, but the streets are full of ruts and holes. The local industry is coal and gold mining. I meet a guy who speaks English who shows me around town and helps me buy some tools ( can´t get Alen keys though). I manage to get a pressure gauge, 8mm spanner and a philips screw driver. It continues to rain heavily all night and my new freind tells me South West Ecuador is unpassable. Some of the sides of the bridges were missing having been washed away by the heavy rains. There are also rice paddy fields and lots of vultures ( may be condors). I am only 50 kms for the border now. The forecast is for three more days of heavy rain

The last agruement and never to be seen again

26th Feb
The previous evening Dave had booked a taxi for 0730 hrs to show us the route out of town.
Before 0700 Dave asks can we leave at 0700 hrs I agree as long as he cancels his booked taxi for 0730. I ask Dave again 3 times and then we have an almightly row and shouting match and thats the start of yet another non communication day. We leave town 0705 hrs and get clear of the town but for two and a half hours Roly spends the time chasing Dave in the distance. Dave stops in a town but Roly sees him too late so stops about 500 metres further on at the petrol station. Dave wants coffee, we fill up with fuel and Dave asks for half the local curency (200 Sols). We are still not communicating so leave ignoring each other. Roly in then lead this time, after two hours Roly stops by the side of the road in the middle of the desert for lunch and waits for Dave so we can sort our differences out. Finally Dave arrives but waves and drives past. The original plan yesterday was to head north to a beach hotel for a couple of days chil out. I spend the rest of the day looking for Dave in towns I pass though and at petrol stations but I crack on until 1800 hrs and find a nice small town called Pacasmayo. The sun is setting, there is a nice surf beach, a pier and a good 3 * hotel. 1st hotel with a basin plug! Room 80 Sols a night, I e-mail Dave and tell him where I am and then discover 5 minutes later that he has been e-mailing me.
Dave´s e-mail says he is leaving and he had enough of me and will now travel alone. He finds me annoying. To be honest it is amazing we stayed together for so long. We are so opposite in every way and want completely different things from the trip.
Today my speedo cable broke 50 kms south of Pacasmayo but I need to buy some tools now to replace it as we had been sharing some tools.
I spend the evening having a few beers overlooking the sea and considering the consequences of Daves Action.
I´m annoyed that we didn´t communicate and that it ended like this and we didn´t have the chance to say farewell to each other.

Peru Customs agent dishonest and corrupt

I visit the airport and am pointed to L&P Cargo who I am told will help me get my DHL parcel though the customs procedures.
My regulator/retifier has a declared value of US$40 plu s ashipping cost of US$50. I am asked to pay US$169 in fees and duty and also in cash. I have to have a legal document drawn up by the customs agent which takes another couple of hours and then we have to get our taxi ( which we have since 0900 hrs ) to take us to a Notaria ( solisitator) to get the document witnesses, signed and finger printed. It takes us another couple of hours to find a Notoria that´s open on a Saturday afternoon and when we get there he tells us the agents legal document is incorrect and needs to be redone. We sit and wait another hour and a half while a new document is drawn up. Many photocopies later of passports, bike registrations docs and god knows what else we leave and I pay another 65 Sols. I have to put my index finger print onto the document and of course sign it. The document made no sence and could have been my death warrenty expect for the fact words like Regulator, Honda and import were there. We finally get back to the hotel at 1700 hrs and have had our taxi for 8 hrs and it cost 160 Sols. I was told I could collect the part at 1600 hrs Monday so we had to wait the rest of the weekend in Lima.
Roly´s hopping mad by how but Dave has remained calm though out.
We go for a KFC lunch at 1700 hrs and again for supper at 2000 hrs
24th Feb
We change the tyre this morning and also repalce the inner tube which has had it after 750 miles of wobble. The Avon tyre now has a split though the inside side wall for 50% of its length on one side. We discover that I am missing the correct spacer on one side and that I had used the old wheel bearing at my last break down ( I remember my willing unwanted helper, my correct spacer will now be under a pew in the church at Paltaybamba ,220 kms for Cusco).
Lima is nice and hot today which makes a welcome change, Roly buys some new sun glasses for 5 Sols. All the resturants seem to be closing early as its Sunday so we have to eat KFC again.
25th Feb
We receive a phone call this morning saying we need to go back to the customs agent as they forgot to have my passport photocopied and certified. Roly´s ready to murder some one. Another few taxi rides, another visit to a Notoria and another wait of 24 hours to get the parcel.
The country was more advanced 500 years ago when there was no method of recording events.
Back at the customs agent we now told I have to pay a further US$ 35 to have the name changed on the documents for my Club South American Explorers to Roly.
I pay again and now expec the parcel Tuesday 1200 hrs.
I go downstairs to the DHL office and ask then to ensure the parcel does not go to Cusco. They say I have to ring the DHL number and make that request.
I decide to visit another 3 DHL offices in town until I find a guy who speaks good english. He tells me the customs agent has led me up the garden path and the DHL papaer work still needs filling in and there was a further problem and I am unlikely to receive my parcel for at least another 2 or 3 days. The invoice and contents do not exactly agree enen though the extra items have a combined value of about US$1. I need to get a signed fax from the London exporter to explain the difference. I give up go mad and we decide we will leave Lima with nothing as we just can not afford to wait any longer for this item. Dave had managed to get the spare regulator/retifier working that we had despite it having an 8th extra wire. Harrison and Jeanne had sent us by e-mail new wiring diagrams.
We visit the Honda dealeragain and try and buy another wheel spacer but no luck so buy a couple of large washers from a hardware store further down the road.
We visit the American Airlines to try and change our homeward bound tickets as we will not in at San Diego by 15th March. We are told the tickets expire on 31st March which we know is incorect but we can do nothing except contact our UK travel agent by e-mail.
We go to Starbucks for a chill out expensive coffee.

Nasca to Lima

22nd Feb
We say our goodbyes to Pablo and Mariela and leave Nasca for Lima. It is hot and sunny, no clouds and aprox 400 kms to Lima. Apart from the rear tyre problem we have a good drive along straight roads, though lots of desert, sand dunes and loads of huge battery chichen sheds.

We also pass some large walled military compounds. About 80 kms from Lima we stop for fuel and now notice Roly has a soft rear tyre. we pump up the tyre from 18psi to 38 psi and leave with dave behind keeping a eye on the tyre. 20 kms further on we stop and check again now 34psi. The wheel is now all over the palce and its difficult to drive in traffic. Every one is looking at the wobbly bike. In the town centre we get a taxi and follow it to the hostal we had be recommended. We finally make the hotel by 1800hrs. Hotel room 47 Sols per room(2 beds).
Policemans holds up the traffic for us so we can turn around on the one way street and drive the bikes up the pavement and into the hotel reception.

23rd Feb
Today we visit some motorbike shops and manage to buy a new rear tyre for Roly´s bike and also some new gloves for Dave and also some spare wheel bearings for Roly. Great Honda agent in Lima who is very helpfull and cheap. Tyre costs US$72 and bearing only US$5 each. The only thing we can not get is a HD inner tube for Roly´s bike. We then head for the Airport to find a Customs agent who can help us get our parcel though Peruvian customs ( and what a story that will be).

Avon Gripster tyre gives up after only 2850 miles

Once I reached the tarmac I decided to contunue as it was dry and a bright evening, especially considering the amount of rain we had, had all day. The concrete river crossings were higher than before so I got my feet wet. I drove up the step switch backs up towards the pass at 4300 metres and it started to get cold as I drove into the clouds. For 25 kms I had only 3 centre line dashs viz. I was cold but the viz was the main problem. The landslides were still everywhere but no problem for cars or bikes but a bit narrow for lorries and buses. As soon as I passed tehtop the cloud cover cleared and it was a pleasant drive down into Ollantaytambo were I arrived at 2230hrs. The resturant were dave had a curry was closed, in fact nearly every thing ws closed so I again decided to continue onto Urubamba. I was on reserve fuel and no fuel staions were open until I arrived in Urubamba were I managed to get 94 octaine fuel. It was now 2330 and just stating to rain so time for cover and bed. I drive up the hill and manage to pitch my tent under a shelter used to sell local stuff to tourists. I sleep well until 0530 and sun rise.
19th Feb
I drive into Cusco for 0700 hrs and have a good breakfast and then wake Dave about 0800.
We visit the DHL office to find that my part for the Honda is in Lima and we have to complete loads of legal documents and pay the duty before the parcel will be released to Cusco and even then we will have to wait a further 3 days. We are told if we go to Lima it may speed things up.
We decide to leave Cusco and head for Lima ( we have been in Cusco for 17 nights) and that morning there was another demonstration and Fred ( from Canada) arrives on his BMW R1200 GS after having to drive though fields to get into town due to the violence at the road blocks. That evening we go out and eat Guinea pig for the first time (OK)
20thFeb
We leave town by 0700 hrs with a couple from Argentina ( Pablo and Mariela) who had not been able to leave town yesterday due to the road blocks and threats against them. Three bikes and four people should have less problems. We notice lots of rubish on the roads like huge rocks, tree trunks, glass, telegraph poles and stones. The roads are a mess for miles and though most of the towns today.

I notice I now have a wheel whobble below speeds of 60 kph. The previous evening I had topped up the rear tyre to 40psi from only 20psi. Roly´s tyre is getting worse as the day progress. We stop in a dirty town for lunch and Pablo and Mariela order us the set menu for 8 Sols each. We have chichen soup for starters and Pablo´s has a whole foot in it which does slightly put us all off!
Dave has trouble eating his main chicken course after this!
After lunch Dave discovers the rear tyre on Roly´s bike has a small bulge in the side wall. This tyre ( Avon Gripster) was new only 2850 miles ago in Mendoza. We have no choice but to continue but Roly´s bike how has a permanant wobble at slow sppeds, we push on for Nasca but going around sharp corners is a little intresting and makes steering difficult. We rise up high again over more tight switch backs into the mountains and it gets colder at we reach the top at 4300 metres. At the top we had hoped to drop down again but discover the Alti plateau is huge and goes on for miles. We spend hours driving across flat open rock covered plateau like Dartmoor on a much bigger scale. The Granite boulders are huge and the rivers also. Dave in the last town drove passed Pablo, Mariela and myself so we spent the next four hours trying to catch him without any luck as he was driving like a pocessed being. The plateau was long high and cold and we eventually caught Dave doing 110 kph along a straight. He was surprised to see us from behind and he was by now on reserve fuel so was considering having to camp by the side of the road. We were not going to make Nasca today, Roly still doing 100 kph on the straights but the clouds were low thick and cold so viz ws not good and progress was very slow. As we drop down off the Alti Plateau the roads become full of pot holes and soon turn into mud and some gravel and this continues into town. The town is filthy, muddy and the worse town we have ever seen. We ask for the best hostal in town and were not impressed still we have no choice annd pay 40Sols per room. No hot water and we are all cold. dave and Roly go out to get some hot food and a beer but no beer in town so we have a bottle of red wine and some more chicken. The local ATM was broken so we were getting low on funds.
21st Feb
We manage to get black coffee in the only clean cafe in town, fill up with fuel and again rise up over more poor roads full of pot holes. Roly´s rear tyre getting worse and difficult to steer at speeds less than 60kph. By 1430 hrs the roads finally get better and as we approach Nasca it also gets warmer and sunny. We soon find a nice hotel with swimming pool and book in and imediately book our flights over the Nascxa lines on a small 6 seater plane. The hotel is a massive US$ 15 ahead and the flights US$50 each. We are advise to only have a light late lunch (1500hrs) as the flight may be a little rough. We again eat the set local menu exept Dave who has Pasta. We see an excellant BBC documentary DVD on the Nasca lines and then board the small single prop Cesna at 1700 hrs. We have a 35 min flight over the lines which as very intresting but also a bit disapointing and certainly difficult to photograph as the plane banks over to each side so we can all get a view in turn. We were the last flight of the day and also saw the sun set.