Solo Y Loco

the celt

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...my country is Kiltartan Cross, My countrymen Ki
Hola Lads& Ladies,
Well heres me wee report, I have just arrived at a place called Tilcara which is about 60 miles from the Bolivian border. I had spent two days at San Lorenzo which is just outside Salta, San Lorenzo is the Argentine answer to Beverly Hills. It was like being in a movie, I have never seen so many beautiful women and I was in the middle of them all with my poor spainish which is a bit like "me Tarzan you Jane" but it seems to work:D :D
But only 15km down the road you have the slums of Salta, at traffic lights you have kids cleaning car windows for pence some as young as six or seven. There was this kid the other day, he was no more than seven wearing an Argentine football shirt with more holes in it than the Argentine defense. He came to me and offered to clean whats left of my headlight I said no thanks the lights changed and I was off and he returned to the kerb waiting for the lights to change again. I felt like a right bastard, theres me on a bike that would feed his family for a year or more so I turned around and gave him a peso, I know its not going to help but it made me feel better....
The reason I have not travelled too far in the last few days is because it is rainy season here at the moment and to be honest I have felt fear for the first time in tackling roads, about a week ago the road to my campsite was completely washed away it took hours to clear the road and cross. So I dont know which way to head next, but I am sure it will be eventful which ever road I take to Bolivia:D
I was sitting in me tent the other night and it was pissing down and I started to get cabin fear..redrum, redrum, redrum, redrum, redrum, redrum, redrum.......
if its not the sun its the bloody rain
on the road
sure ya ave to
jose goin loco
 
Don Jose:

Do not despair, amigo. We all went trough the same at one time or another "what the feck I'm doing here, I want home..."

You are certainly a modest person: not many miles? So how you got from Patagonia to Salta in north Argentina? By helicopter?

If you are in Salta, and you liked route 40, then there is a certain road used in the past by animals smuglers that goes from Salta across the Andes and drop into Antofagasta in the Pacific coast.
You'll see the Laguna Parinacota (flamingos) with about 2 millions birds having a leisure time. Amazing sight.
From there, make your way north to Tarapaca and the driest desert anywere in the world. You won't regret the experience.

Just a suggestion, that's all.

Keep it up (the spirit and the bike) and mucha suerte...




PD Should have told you: Those Argentinian girls are actually fluent in English. They just don't like grubby Irishmen in a dirty bashed motorcycle...

Uncle Yosi
 
the worlds a small place

Hola all,
well today I set out at 07:30 to try and get into Chile and then Bolivia but the road was a nightmare, heavy rain the night before had turned it into a mud bath. I got within 100km of the Chile border when I had to turn back, the front wheel was jam packed with mud every 30m or less, had to stop remove the clay and move on, took me hours to complete a mile, in the end I turned back, the first road I have done this with..
So there was me well pissed off with myself for not getting the job done and riding back to find a campsite when this happens.............


I arrive back at a place called Purmamarca this place has ten streets if that and this guy pulls up on a moto and in spainish asks me to follow him so I have nothing to loss so off I go......
The next thing is I am in the middle of a film shoot cameras pointing at me from all directions, the guy asks me to turn around and go back to face the cameras again, the next thing, the film crew are all around the bike asking questions and the like they see that I have touratech bits&bobs and ask where I got them, I said from Nick Plumb at Tourartech....... and they go you mean this Nick Plumb and there in front off me was Nick...He is over here shooting a Tv advert of some sort, I swear to God the director wanted to buy me moto there on the spot to use in the advert and if you dont believe me ask Nick... They where well impressed with the moto and how well used it was, so lads and ladies in the not to distance future you will see a wee advert on TV with a GS in it and believe me it was me.........
on the road
sure ya ave to
jose
 
Hi all again,
Well the weather still has not changed still pissing down at night which turns the roads into mud baths, and the mud is like clay it just sticks to the front wheel and then sticks to the mudguard so ever few metres I have to stop and clear the mudguard which is a pain in the arse when your up in the clouds at 4000+metres, and the pressure is that great that it pushs the front brake pads apart so you have to pump the brakes to get them to work again. But to be honest I am glad I did not make it yesterday otherwise I would not have met Nick, how many people can say that they ran into a real Dakar hero in a small village in the back end of nowhere. So my plan is now this, I will give it two days to maybe clear up and if the sol comes out then I will try "the Jama pas" again if not then I might head east and do the "Foz do Iguazu" then Brazil, Paraguay and then Uruguay. I have about enought money left for about eight weeks so that will give me plenty of time for explore which ever way I go. :D :D
on the road
sure ya ave to
jose

ps Spanish Bob thanks for your kind words
 
What a really great story Celt. I'm sitting in a cube in a large building working for a large bank and wondering what exactly I do this for? I'm enjoying reading about your adventures. :cool:
 
Hope you managed to get an advance from the producer for your appearence on his advert Jose!!!

You din't???


Ah Boooger.


Keep yer chin up bud.......and keep posting the good stuff!!!
 
the celt said:
"Foz do Iguazu"
Do it!

It’s not be the biggest waterfall in the world, it’s not the highest waterfall in the world, but after Iguazu, any waterfall is something of an anti-climax.

If the weather on the altiplano is getting you down, head down to Foz for a bit, you will not be disappointed.

Having said that, Bolivia is stunning and definitely not to be missed either.

Keep your chin up, and keep it safe.

… and as for jnrobert
jnrobert said:
What a really great story Celt. … and wondering what exactly I do this for? I'm enjoying reading about your adventures. :cool:
You and me both mate, you and me both.

:beerjug:
 


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