Snow on the Pass Near Los Andes, Chile

I called Jaime, a geologist I had met in Ollague and we arranged to meet in Bellavista the arty/bar area where Pablo Neruda had had a house.  We ended up drinking some Chillean ‘craft’ beer from some different parts of Chile and then went over to Bar Republica (on Calle Republica) where while listening 80′s music (with some hipster-types) we consumed a fair number of piscolas (pisco and coke – sweet but surprisingly appealing after one).  We ended the night at about 5am in some giant disco that was completely and utterly packed – somewhat fun.

On a Saturday afternoon walk all over the city I caught a glimpse of the Andes from one of the streets.

Andes from Santiago, Chile

On Sunday morning the Paso Los Libertadores had re-opened after snowfall the day before and I was able to get to it. The 5 km long line of trucks was passed on the bike fairly easily however they were only allowing one direction (not mine) through at a time. It took about 2 hours to get through including the usual procedures (check bike and me out of Chile and into Argentina).  I arrived in San Luis – very cold (it was about 3 degrees at night) and exhausted and stayed at the HI San Luis Hostal in an 18 bed dorm room with two others.

Snowy Paso Libertadores, Chile

I managed to get out of town at 9am to make the long drive across the Argentinian Pampa (grasslands where a lot of the cattle is raised).  It was quite boring and was an 800km driving day.  I drove straight to the garage (and 4 beds) at Dakar Motors where I ran into Justin (from California) and Alyssia (of MotoAdventureGal fame).  I was quite happy to run into her as she had crossed into Mexico just before I had and I was impressed that a woman was doing a long moto trip alone.

On the bridge, Buenos Aires

So I have finally arrived in Buenos Aires, the most southerly point on this trip, and it’s with a mixture of pleasure in the anticipation of returning to see people in Canada and disappointment as if this is really the end of the trip and any real adventures I might have.

Clock near the Retiro station, Buenos AIres

Buenos Aires River

Buenos Aires Pedestrian Bridge

Santiago, Chile	Terracotta Warriers Exhibit, Santiago, Chile	Santiago, Chile	Near Los Andes, Chile
Paso Libertadores, Chile	Paso Libertadores, Chile	Paso Libertadores, Chile	Buenos AIres
Buenos AIres	Buenos AIres	Buenos AIres	Buenos AIres
Buenos AIres	Buenos AIres	Dish gloves

My GPS broke again and won’t connect to my computer so I couldn’t get the GPS tracks, but they were very straightforward.

I decided to take the old route to get to the border as I was feeling a bit bored by all this perfect Argentinian pavement and wanted some time in the mountains.  It had lots of good warning signs at the beginning – mostly telling you it was unnecessary to take this route, risky, and the government wasn’t taking any responsibility for your idiotic choice of taking that road. It wasn’t really anything compared to any Bolivian (non-Pan Americana route).

Aconcagua, Old Route, Mendoza to Uspallata, Argentina

It did lead to some views of the southern and western hemispheres highest mountain – Aconcagua, as well as some interesting historical markers (e.g. original communications tower for Chile-Argentine communications).  And views of the now-ubiquitous painted rocks.

Approaching Uspallata, Argentina

After getting near the border I stopped at the so-called Inca Bridge a formation thought to have been created by ice and the mineral rich water run-off.  It’s strikingly ugly.

'Inca Bridge', Mendoza to Santiago Border

I saw two other bikers who later drove over to me and asked me to join them as we headed for the border.  We ended up taking a small detour to the Aconcagua park entrance as well as a trip up to 4,000m along the old Chilean-Argentinian border road (now replaced by a tunnel).

Los Chilenos, Cristo Redeptor, old Chile - Argentinian Border Route

Cristo Redemptor, old Chile - Argentinian Border Line

The border - Chile - Argentina

After a rather extended list of stamps, signatures, and counter-stamps from the Argentinian and Chilean officials (all sitting in a row in the same building behind windows) I managed to get my bike inspected and enter Chile for the second time.  The Chilean road descended abruptly with 26 switchbacks all crawling with trucks.

Chilean Border 26 Switchbacks

I drove through warm! avocado growing lowlands but soon found it getting foggy as I approached Valparaiso on the coast.  Valparaiso is a scandalously grubby, bohemian, and romantic place.  There are small armies of rabid packs of dogs – say a terrier, a labrador, and an oversized poodle, and four mutts accost you with vicious barking or just defecating on most available pavement space.   The narrow long staircases smell like urine and there are lots of areas the locals will tell you are muy peligroso (‘very dangerous’).

Dog in heat, Valparaiso, Chile

Graphisme, Valparaiso, Chile

Good Local Beer

But, it’s moody, poetic, and beautiful as well.  Perfect for walking around, eating in good restaurants, and mulling things over in general.  The city has a number of funiculars to move people up and down the hilly cerros that reach almost to the water. It feels like Havana without the sultry failed resignation or San Francisco without the latte-toting self-importance.  Quiet, arty, and bohemian – it’s a pleasure to visit.

I’m staying at the La Maison Du Filou Galos for 10,000 pesos (~20 USD) and I’m slightly unsettled to read two guest reviews of the place on TripAdvisor accusing the owner of thieving from them.  No such thing has happened to me and I’m quite enjoying the hotel (although guarding my bills) – it suits ‘Valpo’ very well.

Ascensor Cordillera, Valparaiso, Chile

Valparaiso, Chile

Cerro Concepción, Valparaiso, Chile

Old Route, Mendoza to Uspallata, Argentina	Old Route, Mendoza to Uspallata, Argentina	Old Route, Mendoza to Uspallata, Argentina	Old Route, Mendoza to Uspallata, Argentina
Old Route, Mendoza to Uspallata, Argentina	Aconcagua, Old Route, Mendoza to Uspallata, Argentina	Aconcagua, Old Route, Mendoza to Uspallata, Argentina	Old Route, Mendoza to Uspallata, Argentina
Approaching Uspallata, Argentina	Approaching Uspallata, Argentina	Approaching Uspallata, Argentina	Approaching Uspallata, Argentina
Approaching Uspallata, Argentina	Approaching Chile, Argentina	'Inca Bridge', Mendoza to Santiago Border	'Inca Bridge', Mendoza to Santiago Border
Aconcagua Near Paso La Liberadores, Argentina	Old Chile – Argentinian Border Route	Bikes on old Chile – Argentinian Border Route
Los Chilenos, Cristo Redeptor, old Chile – Argentinian Border Route	Cristo Redeptor, old Chile – Argentinian Border Route	The border – Chile – Argentina	The border – Chile – Argentina
The border – Chile – Argentina	Chilean Border 26 Switchbacks	Cerro Concepción, Valparaiso, Chile	Cerro Concepción, Valparaiso, Chile
La Maison Du Filou Galos, Cerro Concepción, Valparaiso, Chile	Cerro Concepción, Valparaiso, Chile	Cerro Concepción, Valparaiso, Chile	Cerro Concepción, Valparaiso, Chile
Museo	Ascensor Cordillera, Valparaiso, Chile	Ascensor Cordillera, Valparaiso, Chile	Dog in heat, Valparaiso, Chile
Towards the port, Valparaiso, Chile	Towards the port, Valparaiso, Chile	Towards Concepcion, Valparaiso, Chile	Towards Concepcion, Valparaiso, Chile
Business Center, Valparaiso, Chile	Black Cat, Valparaiso Chile	Valparaiso, Chile	Graphisme, Valparaiso, Chile
Valparaiso, Chile

My GPS power supply on the motorbike wasn’t working again, so the mapping is not complete…

Mendoza to Valparaiso Chile Distance and Altitude Profile

Mendoza, Argentina to Valparaiso, Chile

After one day of camping at the Pear’s campground in San Pedro De Atacama I went to the border in the morning to cross into Argentina hoping to make it to Salta.  To get there one needs to cross the Jama Pass.  It was closed due to snow on the pass and so after lying around at the customs office waiting for news for an hour I went back to town and set up camp again for the night.  A dutch couple was camping there as well so we passed the evening drinking wine and looking at the stars.

ALMA Observatory Atacama Desert, Chile

The Paso Jama was open the following day and I did the exit formalities with Chile and drove up over the pass. The KLR was chugging quite badly with the altitude even after adjusting the fuel/oxygen dial.   I crawled up the road until there was a fair amount of snow and ice on the hillsides and occasionally on the road.   The pass went on for a long time – about 160kms and reached about 4,820 meters at one point. It was freezing cold and I started to fall asleep – apparently pilot’s need to have oxygen about 10,000 feet – and found myself swerving into the opposing traffic’s lane.

Jama Pass, To Argentina, Chile

There were some deer-like animals drinking from a river on the pass but I was too cold and tired to stop.  After clearing Argentinian custom’s I drove a bit lower and into this valley of interesting rock structures.

Rock Valley after Paso Jama, Argentina

After a lot of driving I ended up in Salta after nightfall and checked into the Hotel Samkama (Buenos Aires Calle 44 or so) for 75 Pesos. After many weeks in the Andes / Altiplano I’m quite relieved to be closer to sea level.

Town outside Susques to Jujuy, Argentina

San Pedro De Atacama Chile to Salta Argentina Distance and Altitude Profile

ALMA Observatory Atacama Desert, Chile	Jama Pass, To Argentina, Chile	Jama Pass, To Argentina, Chile	Jama Pass, To Argentina, Chile
Rock Valley after Paso Jama, Argentina	Rock Valley after Paso Jama, Argentina	Rock Valley after Paso Jama, Argentina	Rock Valley after Paso Jama, Argentina
Rock Valley after Paso Jama, Argentina	Rock Valley after Paso Jama, Argentina	Rock Valley after Paso Jama, Argentina	Rock Valley after Paso Jama, Argentina
Rock Valley after Paso Jama, Argentina	Rock Valley after Paso Jama, Argentina	Bienvenida a Argentina	Canyon outside Susques to Jujuy, Argentina
Town outside Susques to Jujuy, Argentina

San Pedro De Atacama Chile to Salta, Argentina GPX Garmin Track

Passing Trains, Ollague, Chile

My plan was to leave for the much more tourist-friendly climes of the town of San Pedro De Atacama.  Having only $50 USD  and no bank machine for 200 kms,  I could only stay one more night before running out of money.  As the rain continued to fall through mid-morning with no break in sight, I decided to start my bike. I pressed the button and the starter turns but the engine won’t catch.  Seeing my trouble several of the, by now drunk, miners takes an interest and start yanking out cables under the fuel tank.  My anxiety increases as the belligerently ask each other where that cable came from and how it goes back in.  Finally an older, sober, competent mine surveyor tells me that one of three parts (spark plug cover, ignition control electronic switch, or connecting wires) is wet and starts to help me take off the side covers, seat, and finally fuel tank in order to get to the parts.

Bike Repair, Ollague, Chile

We dry the parts but the engine still doesn’t catch.   So we drain the fuel tank and he disassembles the fuel switch (off/on/reserve) and we discover that it doesn’t seem to allow liquid through.  I then remember that it only operates with the vacuum hose forcing the diaphragm open. So we re-attach everything and then drain the carburetor at his suggestion. It turns out water had entered it and so was blocking the fuel from being absorbed from the tank.  Now with the bike running and many miners taking an interest, they re-attach my front fender with spare wire through the bolt-holes.  Another one applies a missing washer to one of side panels – previously secured by duct tape.   I re-assemble my disabled side-stand kill switch mechanism while a few miners support my bike.

Mine Surveyor and Good Mechanic, Ollague, Chile

By this time it’s 5pm and the miners are telling me to stay another night and that I shouldn’t attempt crossing the snowy passes on the dirt road to San Pedro at this time.   Besides the meat is being cut-up for the parrilla (massive meat barbecue).   So I find myself standing around with 10 miners and 3 geologists (we four are the odd ones out) eating large hunks of meat and drinking wine from the shared bottles in the freezing cold, high in the Altiplano.   Despite one calling me ‘gringo’ (and being chastised by some others) and their initial hostility, I’ve now been accepted by miners as an odd but welcome addition.   The geologists gave me a huge bag of food and offered me a place to stay south of Santiago and wanted to give me money upon finding out I was running out of cash quickly.

When the sun began to set the landscape’s beauty became apparent.  Even the garbage and debris strewn outskirts of the settlement don’t somehow seem so hopeless and wasted as they did in the coastal Peruvian towns with the same mess.  It’s vast, cold, desolate but completely compelling.   I like the people of the settlement all the more for having seen the surroundings after the veil of clouds lifted.

Volcano Ollague, Ollague, Chile

Communication station,Volcano Ollague, Ollague, Chile

Cemetary, Ollague, Chile

Cordillera, Ollague, Chile

Ollague Station, Chile	Bike Repair, Ollague, Chile	Mine Surveyor and Good Mechanic, Ollague, Chile	Volcano Ollague, Ollague, Chile
Volcano Ollague, Ollague, Chile	Outskirts, Ollague, Chile	Ollague, Chile	Ollague, Chile
Volcano Ollague, Ollague, Chile	Volcano Ollague, Ollague, Chile	Bones, Ollague, Chile	Bones, Ollague, Chile
Cordillera, Ollague, Chile	Children Riding, Ollague, Chile	Ollague Skyline, Volcano Ollague, Ollague, Chile	Communication station,Volcano Ollague, Ollague, Chile
Train, Ollague, Chile	Road, Earth, Sand, and Mountains, Ollague, Chile	Cemetary, Ollague, Chile	Cemetary, Ollague, Chile
Cross, Ollague, Chile	Cemetary, Ollague, Chile	Cemetary, Ollague, Chile	Cemetary, Ollague, Chile
Cemetary, Ollague, Chile	Cemetary Entrance, Ollague, Chile	Church, Ollague, Chile	Passing Trains, Ollague, Chile
1 of 2 streets, Ollague, Chile	Ollague Morning, Chile	Ollague Morning, Chile	Ollague Morning, Chile
Ollague Morning, Chile	Ollague to Calama, Chile	Ollague to Calama,	Ollague to Calama,
Oasis of San Pedro De Atacama, Chile

Altiplano Sunset near Oruro, Bolivia

I then made the long, bumpy, and dusty drive to Uyuni.  The thin atmosphere was pressing on my chest and the constant jack-hammering effect of the washboard road surface grated on my nerves but I did see flamingos.

Flamingos, Oruro to Uyuni, Boliva

At about 3pm I rounded one final set of hills and quickly noticed the blindingly white salt flats in the distance.   I decided to not explore them right away as I was planning to drive across them the following day and needed to buy provisions as it’s known to be quite unforgiving and almost everyone only crosses them in 4×4 truck tours.  So I spent the afternoon checking into the rather depressing Hotel Avenida, buying a 20 L petrol container, 4 litters of waters, and putting half of my dinner into a plastic bag for breakfast the next morning.

Confident that I was planning as best I could for a trip through the remote Salar de Uyuni and the Atacama Desert I packed the bike at night and set the borrowed alarm for 5:45 am.  It rang as promised and I packed the final clothes into my cases and stuffed a 2 L bottle of petrol into the spare tire that I’ve been lugging around since Cuenca, Equador and woke the hotel matron to let me and my bike out.  The GPS starting bleating and I discovered a loose connection on the bike wiring – squishing it with my fingers seemed to quiet the Tamagochi.

When I arrived at 6:30 am under light rain at the only proper gas station within 200 kms or so, naturally it was closed. I weighed waiting for it to open but decided that I  could fill my new bright yellow 20 L container in San Juan (one of the two places in which to buy petrol by the bottle in the Salar and Atacama).   The rain had improved the road – no dust from passing vehicles – and more treacherous at the same time as the mud on the side became slippery.   Two buses passed me causing me to move closer to the edge, my back wheel slid down the embankment then as I over-compensated by turning the front wheel it jump back up on the road sliding the other way.  I held the bike upright, barely, much to the amusement of the 4×4 following close behind me.  A few kilometres later I noticed that the 2 L bottle of petrol carelessly loaded earlier had gone flying when the spare tire had turned over and was now hanging beside my side case instead of precariously on my top case.

By 7am I had negotiated which of the multitude of tracks crossing the Salar I should take and was cruising happily along – despite the threatening clouds in all directions except the one I was coming from.   It was then that I noticed that my speedometer never went beyond 55 km/h, it would reflect lower speeds but nothing higher.   Thinking that as long as the odometer was functioning I could still estimate how much fuel I had left I continued, until the speedometer quite unhappily slowly fell to 0 km/h and the odometer ceased to turn.  I gave up and took some photos of the Salt Flats.

Threatening Rain on Salt Piles, Salar De Uyuni, Bolivia

Salt Geometric, Salar De Uyuni, Bolivia

KLR650 Goes Salar (De Uyuni), Bolivia

Death Memorial, Salar De Uyuni, Bolivia

By the time the other side of the salt flat was visible, an uninviting cactus covered barren hill, it was starting to drizzle heavily and the sandwich bag was produced to cover the chirpy yet precious GPS.   As I drove the 30 or so kilometres over sharp rock, washboard bumps, thick sand, or slippery mud it continued to rain but for added pleasure began to snow at times.   I had dropped the bike twice (on the magically slippery mud) and my hands had become red and blue as I looked upon the sad collection of mud houses that constitute San Juan.   Four cups of Nescafe – Extra Fuerte and a long conversation with the fellow working at the lonely hotel revealed that the town only had electricity from 7pm-9pm daily.   He was worried about the impending arrival of 24 hour electricity along with internet and mobile phone service as these would change the village forever.   He claimed that currently without refrigeration they were able to eat as well as they wanted with Quinoa growing and Alpaca grazing the imperceptible desert foliage, that people went to bed early and rose with the sun, and that generally everyone was content.

I was pointed to the wizened old shop-woman on the corner who told me they were out of gasoline but a litre cost $0.90. Confused, I smelled it before helping her pour it out of giant barrel – which spilled down my jacket, and subsequently watched her siphon it expertly into used vegetable oil containers.   She then warned me about my plan to head to Laguna Colorada, saying it was not passable with mud and snow as the route climbs about 5,000 meters.   My fingers numb, gear soaking wet, and with a dawning realization of the remoteness and primitive state of the roads I wavered as this was just the kind of dissuasion I needed.  So instead of my original plan to see the lagoons at the southern border point my shop-woman drew me a map in the mud to the closer Bolivian-Chilean border of Avaroa – Ollague.   I tried to leave but my usually reliable KLR650 stalled each time I put it in gear.  This had happened once or twice in the past two days and I wasn’t worried when it started on the fifth try.

After one hour of slipping around in the freezing mud a strange noise came from the front of the bike and as I nervously looked down the front fender fell off and lay on the wheel.   I strapped it to the two fuel containers and spare tire and then discovered the bike wouldn’t remaining running when in gear at all this time. Figuring out that this was probably the switch that cuts off the power when the sidestand is down, I oiled the switch which didn’t work, and then disabled it entirely and was on my miserable way with the water, mud, and stones now flying up in my face from the front wheel.

Front Fender falls off in a mini-Salar, Bolivia

The scenery improved as the road conditions deteriorated into giant pools of water covering slippery mud.   Some brief moments of respite from the rain showed giant glaciated peaks of some of the highest mountains in the Americas.

Snow Peaks, Nearing Ollague, Chile

Dark Hills, Nearing Ollague, Chile

After passing through some of the water pools the motor coughed and spluttered to a stop and wouldn’t start. I began to get really worried and started looking around at the inhospitable snow dusted hills for what might be an appropriate place to camp.  As I was reading the manual and preparing to remove the fuel tank to look at the spark plug a trio of 4×4′s containing bewildered foreign tourists passed by honking and waving at me.   I waited another five minutes, wondering if I had just seen my last help for the night drive away, and tried the starter and the bike came grumbling to life. I’m not sure if it’s bad fuel, the mud and water now spraying the engine, or a myriad of other possible causes.

Fenderless KLR650 Not Starting in the Mud, San Juan, Bol

After another 40 minutes with the bike stalling occasionally I finally spotted the border and arrived like a dirty alien at the Chilean border to the amusement of the migration policeman.   The ‘short’ and eventful drive from Uyuni to Ollague ended at 5:29 pm – 10 hours and 53 minutes to cover 225 kilometres.

Bienvenida a la Frontera, Ollague, Chile

Uyuni, Bolivia to Ollague, Chile Distance and Elevation Profile

Salar De Uyuni, Bolivia	Altiplano Sunset near Oruro, Bolivia	Altiplano Sunset near Oruro, Bolivia	Oruro to Uyuni, Boliva
Oruro to Uyuni, Boliva	Oruro to Uyuni, Boliva	Flamingos, Oruro to Uyuni, Boliva	Flamingos, Oruro to Uyuni, Boliva
Red Earth, Oruro to Uyuni, Boliva	First Salt Flat View, Uyuni, Boliva	Another KLR650 Photo, Almost at Uyuni, Bolivia	First Salt Flat View, Uyuni, Boliva
Threatening Rain on Salt Piles, Salar De Uyuni, Bolivia	Salt Piles, Salar De Uyuni, Bolivia	KLR650 Goes Salar (De Uyuni), Bolivia	Death Memorial, Salar De Uyuni, Bolivia
Endless Salt, Salar De Uyuni, Bolivia	Salt Hexagons, Salar De Uyuni, Bolivia	Cactus, Near Salar De Uyuni, Bolivia	Mini-Salar en-route to Chile, Bolivia
Wet, Cold, Muddy, Scrub, Bolivia	Front Fender falls off in a mini-Salar, Bolivia	Snowy hills, Bolivia	Fenderless KLR650 Not Starting in the Mud, San Juan, Bol. to Ollague, Chile
Snow Peaks, Nearing Ollague, Chile	Snow Peaks, Nearing Ollague, Chile	Snow Peaks, Nearing Ollague, Chile	Snow Peaks, Nearing Ollague, Chile
Cold-Tired, Nearing Ollague, Chile	Bienvenida a la Frontera, Ollague, Chile

GPX track: Oruro to Salar de Uyuni to Avaroa – Ollague, Chile

Crossing the Salar De Uyuni on a motorcycle or own vehicle, useful links:

• Horizon’s Unlimited Discussion and GPS Coordinates for the Salar and Tourist Sites

• Google Map showing points on the Salar
• Most useful. Garmin GDB file from someone on the H.U. site: Salar Uyuni From HU User.gdb