Saturday, January 23, 2010

Dakar to Trevelin Argentina

When we left The Dakar in La Serana, Chile, we basicly screemed down to Santiago and then on to Osorno in the south of Chile and sometimes you just dont take any pictures, so be it. However leaving Osorno, a medium sized town where some people thought I looked like Sting!!!! of all people, no amount of convincing would change there minds so they took their took picture of me with them and whatever, Sting in Osorno, I dont think so.From there to Bariloche in Argentina was a great ride, scenic, curvy and really fast. Now I am starting to see more and more bikers on the road doing the same sort of thing, the more the merrier.I had to stop for this one, the famous Ruta 40 in Argentina, only did about 50 kms on Tarmac, but later will do about 1000kms on nasty gravel with 100kph cross winds, the real challenge.Now this is what I hunt for, I hit those corners like Im riding my CRF450, sidewys.Like my bad hair day?My new buddy Jerry in Trevelin, He rides a XR650, and took me on a little ride into the mountains,for some reason, Big Betty wanted to keep going to sleep, maybe she was tired of being treated like a 650, the truth, wet, wet clay, deap ruts and a steep hill, altogether I went down 5 times, now there is a differnce between dropping the bike and crashing. The first is when you know its going to happen and you get out of the way, something I am very good at doing. Now crashing I dont do very often, but this next pic, Oh yea I went flyingThe front wheel went into a deep hole hidden by the water, Yes I know, why go through the water, there might be a deep hole in it you cant see. I was doing about 10kph and the bike came to an abrupt stop and sent me flying. I laughed my ass off afterwards.



I actually filled my water bottle up in this lake. I could very easy spend alot of time in this place, just absolutely stunning. I dont know the name of the lake, dont care really, I just know how to get there. With a bit of luck Ill go back there one day.
If I keep posting like this, I might actually catch up, this was 3 days ago.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Uyuni to San Pedro de Atacama part 2

The sunsets and the colors of the sun on the mountains and rocks were jaw dropping. A very difficult road to ride because you have every type of terrain and you are a long way from help, so you cant take unessessary chances.We were so high up that all the plants, animals and landscape was like a differnt planet and then thousands of Flamingos on this lake.One day I will take a bunch of camping gear and go spend some real time here.Its official, I have now taken my bike higher than 5000 meters above sea level and in true BMW fashion, it didnt miss a beat.And after 2 days of hard riding, we reached the border of Chile and back onto tarmac.This is us crossing the Tropic of Capricorn. Right now we are on 35,000 kilometers, another 10,000 to go.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Potosi to Uyuni Salar


These are a couple of pics of Potosi and you alreadt know what this place is all about.



On the way to Sucre we passed this bridge in the middle of nowhere for no reason other than the obvious, to cross the river, but why the masive castle on each side. They always have a reason and we didnt stop to find out.
Sucre is a town that looks like it has a bunch of cash, but alas, it just looks like it. This is a pic from our balcony, a nice clean Bolivian town (oxymoron).
Next was a 160km dirt road through rivers, rain and nasty gravel to get to Uyuni. My riding talents got tested when we hidt a river crossing and halfway through I lost my balance, so I hit the gas in the low gear I was in and fully loaded, did a 180 degree turn on the spot and ended up going back the way we came, how we didnt fall beats me, second time was an easy shot.
Uyuni is an amazing place, not the dusty, dirty little town but the Salar, salt flats. These tables and chairs, made out of salt (good for my BP). The hotel, made out of salt, even the salt in the salt shaker was salt, unbelievable
Melissa is always down my throat about something. You know what they say about guys with big feet ha ha.
I am just a tiny little man next to Melissa.
Why did the Cockerell jump over the Dinosour?
With enough time and toys anyone could spend months here going nuts with ther imagination.
Nowe are off on a 2 day journey from Uyuini to San Pedro de Atecama in Chile. The boys on the bikes and the ladies in a rented 4x4 with a guide.
The average height here is about 4500 meters above sea level and the scenery is lunar, a photographers dream world, I plan to go back with food and a tent and zen out, absolutely amazing up here.
More on the second half of this trip soon.