a self-supported bicycle tour through South America

24th - 27th September

Potosi - Challapata 178km (bus) - Quillacas (54km) -Castilluma 57km - Salinas de Garcia Mendoza 15km

Quick Note: Due to Bolivian internet speeds being so slow we haven´t been able to get all the photos uploaded which is a real shame! We will get them posted as soon as we get into Argentina…

Update: New photos added now we´re in Argentina

After 4 days of taking it easy and loaded up with anti-inflamatories for the “one dodgy knee”, we bussed out of Potosi back en-route to Challapata. It was rather demoralizing being back on a Bolivian bus with the baby chickens, BO, and badly dubbed Clint Eastwood Westerns, but at least we were back on the road.

With a storm brewing, we hightailed it out of Challapata after having “discussions” with the bus driver over our ticket as he seemed to want us to pay again. Although frustrating most of the time, the language barrier can often carry the tag “ignorance is bliss”!

On the way out of town, I ran into a low lying wall (trying to avoid sandy patches in the road) and as a result scraped a hole into my back pannier. Terse words were muttered over the now lack of water resistance my pannier would have (especially as we were about to experience our first downpour of the trip) as the Mountain Goat made a quick gaffa tape repair - McGyver eat your heart out!

The wind from the storm, however, made for rapid speed down the road to Huari where we stocked up on Chizitos (similar to Wotsits - cheese flavored crispy things that have a cardboard texture) before heading onto our route for the Salar de Uyuni, a 4 day cycle to the west.

Before I go on, I must let you know a little interesting fact: 95% of roads in Bolivia are unpaved. Simon and I had already used up our “phone a friend”, “50/50″, or “ask the audience” in the bitumen stakes, but we were optimistic. Did I say optimistic? Naive more like it!

The first road after Huari was pretty much still under construction and we managed to wrestle our way through the roadwork’s to set up camp just off the road after about 40km. Just as the tent was raised and all the gear stored safely inside, a sand storm enveloped us and covered everything that wasn’t zipped up with a fine dust, including us! Our two minute noodles had an extra crunch for taste that night, but the storm passed as quickly as it came and we were left in windless silence for the rest of the night. Very strange.

The following day, after pushing our bikes up the hill to the tiny dustbowl village of Quillacas we came across another cyclist, Jurdo from Spain. The three of us shared bad road sagas over soup and deep fried mashed potato, and Simon checked out his bike with some alarm before we all headed off down the track together. It was nice having another companion to share the scenery with and chat idly with as we trundled along. Jurdo pushed on that afternoon and we didn’t see him again until Salinas

For the three days following, the Mountain Goat and I bitched and moaned as we traversed across washboard roads to sandy ditches to bolder tracks. All this into strong wind with the “one dodgy knee” rearing its ugly head just for fun. Needless to say the going was slow and painful, but we were enjoying the immensity of the landscape and were constantly amazed at the vastness and harshness of the environment. But my goodness the roads were bad.

On our third afternoon, we found ourselves pushing for Salinas de Garci Mendoza after being told at 1600hrs that it was only another 10km down the road. By 1830, a wrong turn, sunset and several kilometers of pushing through sandy fields, we met a farmer who said the town was still another 15km and 3 hours away! I think he then took pity and so offered us a place to stay the night in a building on his property. It was warm and windless, and the full moon rising bright orange in the sky made the setting very much like the cover of a dirty Mills and Boon novel.

We rolled into Salinas after 15km and 3 hours the following day having experienced our first feel of riding on the salt. It was hard and fast and we loved it, but it didn’t last for long as we had to push the bikes through sand and uphill - AGAIN! Such joy as I love to push my 45kilogram bike through sand. Not!

We spent the afternoon relaxing, eating and studying the maps. We enjoyed catching up with Jurdo again, who had made it to Salinas the night before. He pushed on that afternoon for Jurira with a quickly repaired broken pannier rack, and our good luck wishes.

[Jen]