RTW 2009/2010

[Oisin]

A day on Mars

<table><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxRDWYKNrrI/AAAAAAABZac/9GcvsZFwkjY/s640/IMG_8738.JPG"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxRD5axYrVI/AAAAAAABZcM/-vFM4FkZomc/s640/IMG_8751.JPG"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxREaSDSeBI/AAAAAAABZdE/h9OgjQS1tHg/s640/IMG_8758.JPG"></tr></td>
<tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxRElh3IAVI/AAAAAAABZdo/CCh5H4_yphA/s640/IMG_8762.JPG"/></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxRF37S1ogI/AAAAAAABZhY/Y8f2ZVJqXZo/s640/IMG_8787.JPG"></td></tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxRH_o-f0QI/AAAAAAABZms/iIpME4MzuOI/s640/IMG_8825.JPG"/></tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxRIF8KvDhI/AAAAAAABZnA/3Vdmzbp2wrk/s640/IMG_8827.JPG"/></tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxRIrQU5kdI/AAAAAAABZpI/itmS0gWsVNI/s640/IMG_8842.JPG"/></tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxRJwWzxM4I/AAAAAAABZsI/ws4lsZf72NU/s640/IMG_8865.JPG"/></tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxRLFq1LXGI/AAAAAAABZwk/IETe7rIDC1I/s640/IMG_8898.JPG"/></tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxRLIr66AfI/AAAAAAABZws/l5KEerL7UAU/s640/IMG_8899.JPG"/></tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxRM_skK4cI/AAAAAAABZ1k/fIlweP6P-SI/s640/IMG_8936.JPG"/>
</tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxRLsg4kzDI/AAAAAAABZyA/u6IJGYy9KxM/s640/IMG_8909.JPG"/></tr></tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxRLihNz42I/AAAAAAABZxk/NAjZgWjdZPk/s640/IMG_8906.JPG"/></tr></tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxROQFXmC5I/AAAAAAABZ5g/dvjeqzlfCoI/s640/IMG_8966.JPG"/></tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxRO1CDOYUI/AAAAAAABZ8E/7A7gAwc3BUk/s640/IMG_8985.JPG"/></tr></table>

If man ever makes it to Mars, they'll disappointed. someone will say...mmmmmm...or make that "Nyeah" noise .....looks just like South Peru! This is about as alien a landscape as exists in the world. Nothing lives here, grows here or could survive here for that matter.

I left Arequipa and headed for Tanca, the most southerly main town in Peru. Along the way I was scratching like a dog with fleas, I'd been eaten alive my Mosquitoes all night, I had heard that they only like humid conditions, and you dont get many in the desert, well if thats the case..... no one told the mosquitoes!

Along the way I got a puncture, and badly need a new back tire, hoping to find one in Arica in Northern Chile with a bit of luck. Of all the places to get one right in the middle of the desert, I had it sorted pretty quickly but I'd a mouth as dry as a Camel's heel with the heat.

The road today ranks up there with my best ever day, this part of Peru is spectacular. Mountains, Canyons, Volcanoes, vast terracotta plains, dust storms, it has to be some of the best riding anywhere in the world.

As soon as you know you've a bad tire, that's all you can think about, man...gotta get a new tire...and every tiny little wobble becomes suddenly.... "was that the tire!"..... if I was in a more populated area I wouldn't be concerned but these are the "roads less traveled" and if you break down in the middle of the desert...your FUBAR.

Here's hoping they've a tire in Arica, if not..gotta go a lot further south...like a thousand kilometers and I'm not sure I've the rubber to make it.

Ah well, if there were no problems there would be no stories!
take care...and if your in Peru...you gotta come to this place

Oisin

Click the pic below to see all the pictures i took today...

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<tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/Oisin.m.Hughes/Peru?feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">Peru</a></td></tr>
</table>

 

[Oisin]

More from Mars (Just Pictures)

<table><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxRCfLVB4_I/AAAAAAABZYY/hYtvT3uMqAo/s640/IMG_8722.JPG"></tr></td>
<tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxRCrO0vgGI/AAAAAAABZYo/EYhpk-FkA8Y/s640/IMG_8724.JPG"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxRC75JDO7I/AAAAAAABZZU/QMghBWu9-os/s640/IMG_8729.JPG"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxRDzNPj1yI/AAAAAAABZb8/X4bvcAExkOM/s640/IMG_8749.JPG"/></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxRFpvIXYSI/AAAAAAABZgo/d__1EvMOgK0/s640/IMG_8781.JPG"></td></tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxRGHCZ5API/AAAAAAABZiI/Loehv4uc6Cs/s640/IMG_8791.JPG"/></tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxRHpCKL84I/AAAAAAABZmE/RXU1EjTpyUo/s640/IMG_8820.JPG"/></tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxRIY2e3R5I/AAAAAAABZn4/XKKy6Co3GTc/s640/IMG_8834.JPG"/></tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxRIkB3xTCI/AAAAAAABZow/jSfcgS-PHUc/s640/IMG_8839.JPG"/></tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxRKJbIoj2I/AAAAAAABZtc/apEokBQO57c/s640/IMG_8875.JPG"/></tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxRK9ifKwsI/AAAAAAABZwU/d_QTs0uj_lw/s640/IMG_8896.JPG"/></tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxRN_1cW0cI/AAAAAAABZ4w/WU33_AZA1RU/s640/IMG_8958.JPG"/>
</tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxROMn_2QXI/AAAAAAABZ5Y/kgoe6xko8iY/s640/IMG_8965.JPG"/></tr></tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxRPKRNc6VI/AAAAAAABaEA/6oxHzGjO3M4/s640/IMG_8995.JPG"/></tr></tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxRPlYBNZlI/AAAAAAABZ_A/vf-lRW1oZ70/s640/IMG_9008.JPG"/></tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxRPxZHRs4I/AAAAAAABaD0/FLE_D8n39qo/s640/IMG_9014.JPG"/></tr></table>



Click the pic below to see all the pictures i took today...

<table style="width:194px;">
<tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/Oisin.m.Hughes/Peru?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/Sw8VUtgE4sE/AAAAAAABWuk/qHIEVAGvLrg/s160-c/Peru.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/Oisin.m.Hughes/Peru?feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">Peru</a></td></tr>
</table>

 

[Big Nick]

This is a great RR

You are living the dream my friend

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Brilliant ride report big fella

Keep it coming....

 

[Oisin]

A day Arseing around Tacna, southern Peru

<table><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxVHGQ6smkI/AAAAAAABaiY/ZdfGYpvE80E/s640/IMG_9066.JPG"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxVGWLocvqI/AAAAAAABagI/Kg4oxlUSHgw/s640/IMG_9048.JPG"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxVGD40uZ8I/AAAAAAABafk/MqH9i7e9UV8/s512/IMG_9044.JPG"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxVGu_CaW7I/AAAAAAABahA/_LgaiZ8DJm0/s640/IMG_9057.JPG"/></tr></td>tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxVG3Z1SNQI/AAAAAAABaho/RzYF5YNTqSs/s512/IMG_9060.JPG"></td></tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxVG5Az-EEI/AAAAAAABahw/HGRAvpQgflE/s640/IMG_9061.JPG"/></tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxVHCE8gXDI/AAAAAAABaiI/8cvv_AWZE6A/s640/IMG_9064.JPG"/></tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxVHEUmEZDI/AAAAAAABaiQ/eLHLr_a0_Rw/s640/IMG_9065.JPG"/></tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxVHV5ZWGGI/AAAAAAABai4/IZFHnYXkWRI/s640/IMG_9070.JPG"/></tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxVHn7A9K0I/AAAAAAABamE/EBvb779NrnU/s512/IMG_9077.JPG"/></tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxVHvc-yzSI/AAAAAAABamQ/jPGYf_Ts_Lw/s640/IMG_9079.JPG"/></tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxVHxmorL-I/AAAAAAABamc/ST5bs_2xb60/s640/IMG_9080.JPG"/>
</tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxVH6m6XW9I/AAAAAAABakU/e_XlQT5LH7U/s640/IMG_9082.JPG"/></tr></tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxVIFTJzR0I/AAAAAAABakg/uh0PKU2Kuxw/s512/IMG_9085.JPG"/></tr></tr><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxVIVZzmnLI/AAAAAAABalE/2xH-8G32B40/s640/IMG_9088.JPG"/></tr>
<tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SxVIfVQ-GGI/AAAAAAABalc/lUuENg6ZuJA/s640/IMG_9092.JPG"/></tr></table>

Well things are coming to a head a bit. I've worked out a way to get tires to Iquique, which is in Northern Chile, and about 200 miles south of where I am now. The rubber I've on the bike should last that long, the big question is how long the tires will take to get there. I knew it was going to take at least two days so I took a day off in Tacna to see what it had to offer.

The town itself is as modern and easy to hang around in as any I've been in since crossing into Mexico. It's one of very few Oasis's in the Atacama desert and its like it was just plonked out here in the middle of nowhere. The whole place is building up for Christmas and I just can't get my head round Santa in the sunshine. I guess kids in the part of the world have their mothers pestered with "Mammy...if its like 2 Gajillion Bajillion Zillion Degrees outside, how come santy has a big red coat on him?"

I went out to the war museum outside of town, the outer part is really cool with silver statues on top of white pillars all accentuated by the blue sky and brown desert, a magic place to pass some time. The inside of the museum is naff, couple of old muskets and coats, but the outside more than made up for it. The statue of the top is of a silver girl....with a fairly hefty set of jugs on her.... I said to myself... "I'd do her"


From there I headed off the war cemetery, nice, again really set off by the desert. Me and my Taxi driver were the only people there, The amount of times that this has been the case on this trip is unnatural, whether its because of the world wide recession or that people just don't make it this far off the beaten track...well your guess is as good as mine.

I peddelled off to get some badly needed laundry done, gave the girl the bag who weighted it at 4kg...(me pie hole) I wanted to say to her.."You'll find it weighs less if you don't pull down on the end of the bag" but it was only 5 bucks anyway so no need to get into a fuss about it.

This is a lovely town to pass a day, nice streets for walking in, lots of cafe's, really tranquil, if your heading this way....well worth a night. So, its Chile tomorrow, hopefully tires the next day, and then Argentina the following day to start the Ruta 40..... lets hope the rubber holds till Iquique or I'll be stuck out in the Atacama!

Over and out
The big fella

Click the pic below to see all the pictures i took today...

<table style="width:194px;">
<tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/Oisin.m.Hughes/Peru?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/Sw8VUtgE4sE/AAAAAAABWuk/qHIEVAGvLrg/s160-c/Peru.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/Oisin.m.Hughes/Peru?feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">Peru</a></td></tr>
</table>

 

[Bengaz]

This should be on the BMW website!

Well done

 

[Stewart H]

I am really enjoying this, keep it going big feller
Stewart

 

[Oisin]

Random shots from the desert

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format came out a bit crappy but I think the message comes across...

 

[Oisin]

Quick post from 2008 (Best Story from Canada)

I sat down in a diner dripping wet and completely freezing and ordered two of the biggest mugs of steaming hot coffee in the world with some hot sandwiches to try and heat up. The lady behind the counter obviously took pity on me and was quick to refill the quickly emptying mugs of coffee.
Just then the whole room darkened when the biggest man I’ve ever seen walked into the room, comfortably six feet eight inches and built like a brick shit house with a massive frame. He nodded to the woman behind the counter who said to him "were pretty busy Frenchy, you can sit down with that guy over there (that’s me) if he doesn’t mind", not at all I replied.

I was sitting in a booth where you'd normally sit 4 people me with my motorbike gear on one side and Frenchy sat down opposite me taking pretty much the entire booth opposite; he barely had room just for himself. He stretched out his legs and I quickly moved mine out of the way apologising as you do. (Especially when a white version of Shaquille o’ Neil sits down opposite)
The dimensions of Frenchy were something to behold, his shoulders were gigantic and had a set of hands which were like a bunch of bananas. His rib cage was like a barrel and he looked like the incredible hulk (except not green obviously) sitting opposite me. Anyway you get the picture he was a massive dude, I reckoned he had about fifty five years on the clock but that would be a guess.
"Usual Frenchy?" said the lady behind the counter to which he just nodded twice. With that I put my hand out to shake his and said "Hi I'm Oisin”, he shook my hand, mine looked like a little girls in his, and his skin had the texture of tree bark. One shake had me wanting to grab a tube of moisturiser! He didn’t say anything, I guess he'd figured out I already knew his name.
Somewhat awestruck I said to him "dude if you don’t mind me saying so, you are the biggest bastard I've ever seen", to which he didn’t say anything. Thinking the bastard remark might have offended him I quickly back peddled, saying "no offence on the bastard thing, it’s just a turn of phrase.... in Ireland... that’s where I’m from”, I was dying on the vine.
He still didn’t say anything but at least he didn’t look offended. Just then Doris showed up with the coffee saying "How are you today Frenchy?", to which he just replied; "Doing good Doris" to which she smiled and walked off leaving me with the behemoth.
I started to try and make conversation with him and I’m not bad at this sort of thing normally, shy and retiring are not attributes which feature anywhere on my resume but this guy was a piece of work. I was also anxious that Doris bring him his breakfast just in case he started to butter me and eat me.
The rest of the conversation went on:
Oisin: "So I’m over doing this big motorbike trip...y'know shipped the bike in from Ireland to Toronto...went to nova Scotia..and then over to here..heading for Alaska"
Frenchy: uh huh
Oisin: "yep and from there I'm going to Argentina...will be 30000 miles total...."
Frenchy: nothing
Oisin: "Cold out today huh?"
Frenchy: "Guess so"
(Think what he really meant was... you wouldn’t know cold from a cabbage ya big Irish dumb ass... as it gets to -40 here in the winter)
Oisin: "So are you from here?"..."like Canada? I mean ".."or...."(was desperate that he'd latch onto that "or")
Frenchy: "I’m from here"
Oisin: "So Alberta..? or this town...or "
(Was pushing my luck with the "or's")
Frenchy: "here"
(Jaysus this was tough going...talkative oul bollix aren’t ya I wanted to say to him if I wasn’t in absolute fear of my life that he'd either eat me or punch me in the head for yakking so much)
Doris arrived thankfully with the grub for Frenchy which was really a trough of food poured onto a serving plate where one might expect to find the carcass of a roasted pig at a banquet.
Oisin:"Holy fuck!!...that’s some amount of nose bag!!!"(It was a nervous knee jerk answer)
Frenchy:"nose bag?"
Oisin: "yeah like a horse's nose bag... know what I mean?" and then made a motion like a horse emptying nose bag into itself and through in a neeaahhhh for good measure, Frenchy smiled and said..."you’re a bit crazy y’know that!"
Seeing my opening and not that I needed any invitation, I just kept blabbing on and Frenchy sat their listening at least I think he was listening. He asked me why I was doing the trip, I told him, to which he just said "hmmmm ok"
I asked him did he ever do any travelling, to which he just replied no.
Now that we were getting along just dandy, although it wasn’t so much a conversation as a monologue I did a Hughes classic and looking at the size of his hands I just blurted out: "dude with fingers like that who needs a dick!", "although you'd want to get the oul oil of Olay on the go before any birds would let ya near them." Frenchy roared laughing; one of those laughs that was so deep, almost like he'd been holding onto it for years.
After he'd finished laughing he took up his cup of coffee which looked like a play cup in his hand and said "Irish man.... your ok in my book"
Oisin: "glad to hear it... I thought you were gonna fuckin eat me there for a while"(more laughing)
Frenchy sat there eating the rest of his breakfast shovelling fist sized pieces of scrambled eggs and ham into his mouth seldom looking up from the plate, although his eye level was still above the top of my head; like I said the dude was massive!!!
Frenchy: "so looks like you got pretty wet huh?
Oisin: "right through to the crack" after a delay of about 3 seconds Frenchy roared laughing again; no way was anyone going to tell him to quieten down.
We got talking then about all sorts of stuff, me desperate for a reason not to go back on the road because of the rain and cold, and him, well because I was yakking his ear off. We got talking about willow herb, a plant which dominates the side of the roads here; I told him we have it in Ireland too. It was left there by the last ice age, probably didn’t need to add the last part
I asked him was he married, he wasn’t wearing a wedding ring but that wouldn’t have mattered, it would have required a kilo of gold to round one of his fingers so unless he was really a masquerading Saudi prince there’s no way he would have been able to afford it.
When I did finish the question he just looked forlornly out the window into the vast expanse of forest; "nope" he replied after a time, I didn’t pry any further.
He went on to tell me he'd worked in the woods all his life as a lumber jack and that he loved the mountains and could never leave them. I remarked that he didn’t need a saw for the trees all he'd need to do was lean against them, to which he smiled.
We walked out together to the car park and I showed him the bike. I asked him to jump aboard and try it out; he did and made the bike (one of the biggest motorbikes anywhere) look like a scooter. I told him about the blog and that if he was ever online to check it out; he replied that "don’t have much call for computers... wouldn’t have a clue about the internet, too old to learn now"
We shook hands and said goodbye. I watched him get into his truck really testing the suspension as he sat in and started her up, "watch out for bears" he said as he smiled and drove off. I stood there for a while thinking, oh my god I forgot about the fuckin bears!!!
Frenchy in my memory was the biggest dude in the whole world but also one of the most gentle. One of the downsides of the trip is that you only ever meet people once and then you move on most likely never to see them again. In some peoples case that’s great, but Frenchy I still think about. I reminded myself of one of things I’d read, that it’s not the places you visit, it’s the people you meet

 

[Sgt Bilco]

One of the downsides of the trip is that you only ever meet people once and then you move on most likely never to see them again. In some peoples case that’s great, but Frenchy I still think about. I reminded myself of one of things I’d read, that it’s not the places you visit, it’s the people you meet

Brilliant post and I can only agree that it's the people......... I've met some great people on my travels and you've just reminded me of some of them

 

[Oisin]

What a shit day Part 1

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Today was a complete and utter fuckstory. I totally miscalculated how much rubber I had on my rear tire, and when I did a little bit of offroading near a canyon the back tire shreaded, it was worn right through to the Canvas, and there was no way I could plug it.

I had crossed into Chile from Peru only an hour earlier and was already pissed off because the laundry crowd had robbed my hold all bag, the third one that's been robbed on me so far.

I pushed it back to the pan american highway, about a mile, in the heat of the Atacama desert and tried to flag down some help. The road was deserted and any thing that did pass was a bus or a truck who wasn't for stopping.

I had my mobile phone and got out the lonely planet to try and figure out how you make a call in Chile, couldn't get it done, kept getting an error message. I was trying to figure out if I do figure out how to make a call...who the fuck am I going to call?

I knew the name of the guy who I was going to get a new tire with in Iquique, and what I decided to do was to keep flagging down vehicles till I got someone who was going to Iquique, once I found someone I'd tell them to go to this guy and tell him to come and get me. It was a wild chance, but I guessed that seeing as he did tires he must have to pick up some broken down fuckers every now and then as well.

The guy had fuck all english, and i'd fuck all spanish but I thought I got the message through. It was 90 minutes to Iquique, and 90 mins back, so even if this guy scrambled i'd be out in the desert for 4 hours with the bike, I'd already pushed it a mile on the dirt so had used up most of my water so I just laid down in the shade of the bike and waited....and waited...and waited...

As I was lying there I did the usual torture yourself to death routine, "Its your own bloody fault", "Why didn't you get that tire sorted in blah blah blah", "Why didn't you bring more water, you knew you'd a fucked back tire" "Its not the first time you've ran the tire down too low"... I told myself to shut the fuck up and just tried to go asleep.

I knew one thing for sure, it would be dark by the time help arrived, I'd lost two hours at the border, again I scalded international time zone keeping... "How the fuck can you go +2 hours in two steps..."

Part II tomorrow...

 

[Oisin]

What a shit day Part 2

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The sun was just about to set behind the hills and more than three hours had passed since I’d talked to the guy on the road who was going to get help. I was beginning to despair when the police showed up. In Chile, thankfully there’s no corruption with the police so I didn’t have to worry on that front.

I told the guys what had happened, they had a look at the tire, and I think started to say what the fuck were doing running with a tire that bald, so I did the whole “No pavimento routine”, I doubt they bought it but had taken pity on me so set about helping me.

Every single truck that passed over the course of the next hour and by this stage it was getting dark they stopped and asked / told them to take me to Huaro, the nearest town about 30km from where I was stuck. Truck after truck passed but they were all too high off the ground and didn’t have ramps to roll the bike up into.

Then a truck which is used for transporting large excavation equipment showed up, driven by a lovely helpful chap from Bolivia. We wrestled the bike up, not the ramp it has is designed for earth movers to go up so was more like a set of steps but we managed to get the bike up. I had some straps, no where near enough but at least the bike looked like it might stay in position till we got it Huarez.

With that, the guy who I’d sent for earlier had send a guy in a small trailer to come and get me, again no ramp. What we decided to do was take the bike as it was to Huaro and then transfer it under the city lights.

You can see hopefully from the pictures above, this was so dangerous I was shitting bricks not only for the bike but for my safety as I rolled it from the truck sitting about a foot higher down to the flimsy looking trailer. We managed to take care of that, then get the bike strapped into the trailer and set of for Iquique.

At this stage I was just overwhelmed with how much these people had helped me. Two police officers, a bolivian truck driver, 2 more truck drivers who the police had stopped and told to help me get the bike up the ramp, the lads who came to get me with the trailer from Iquique, the guy who sent them and the guy who went and told the guys in Iquique that I was broken down. All of these people had other things to do today than help my fat hole, I thanked them from the bottom of my heart.

The big problem happened when we got to the garage, we’d the bike in a trailer with no ramp and now way of getting it off it, and the bike fell over with one of our attempts to back it into the garage. What we decided to do as it was past 11pm at this stage was to just roll the trailer into the garage and ramp it off in the morning. Dawn is ever the hope of man!

The guy brought me to a hotel close to the garage which is comfortably the biggest shithole I’ve ever stayed in ever, but it was a door between me and the night, and it was a 2% improvement on sleeping out on the auto pista on Ruta 5 in the middle of the Atacama.
What a day!..... tomorrow has to be better.
The big fella

 

[Aidan1150]

Jaysus Oisin, but if your're not coming out of a handlin' your're heading into one. A firece unfortunate hoor altogether.

 

[Oisin]

Iquique still.... Yawn!

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I went down to the bike shop at opening time to see how long I’d be waiting on Sam. Today was Friday and I’d ordered the tires on Tuesday morning, would they have arrived? No was the answer, so it meant a day of kicking my heels in Iquique. I asked the guys to do a service on the bike while we waited until the tires arrived, with a bit of luck first thing in the morning, which might give me a shot of being on the road by midday Saturday. From here the plan is to head to San Pedro the Atacama, and then cross into Argentina, looping up to the Bolivian border to start the Ruta 40. I’ll be heading south for over 5000km once I start it…..if I ever get to start it!
For those of you who don’t know, the Ruta 40 is one of the toughest and longest roads in the world. Huge sections of it are gravel, and for large tracts you get the shit kicked out of by neck breaking winds, lovely way to spend the run up to Christmas.

I took off today to see what Iquique had to offer, and first thing I checked out of my shithole abode and set off to find myself a nicer place. A taxi came and we drove round and round and round and checked over ten hotels and hostals but they were all either full or over $150, so I ended up back in the same place, the owner had a face on them something along the lines of a “I told you so” mixed with “Ah here’s the dumb fucking Gringo back, now were good enough for ya are we”. I didn’t have my light saber with me to take a limb off him but it was a moment to utter the line from Lethal weapon 4, “In Hong Kong you’d already be dead”

I then just walked and walked and walked trying to figure out was there any virtue in the place at all. It’s a town on the beach so there’s plenty of surfers out trying to catch a break, and unfortunately nowhere near enough Great white sharks to rid us of that particular infestation. I was out all day so went for breakfast in one spot, lunch in another and the whole place is obsessed with soap operas, no matter where you stop everyone’s glued to them.

It doesn’t matter what soap it is in the whole wide world, there’s a couple of types of characters and here is no different, the JR Ewing guy (Some evil bastard who shags everything that moves), The Alexis Carrington (An evil bitch who’d suck the sheets up your arse), and then two opposites of these characters, with the guy normally wearing a shirt buttoned down to the navel, down south that guy is normally called Don Diego. Fair enough that women like them, sure they have to do something while were out hunting with naught but bone arrows and lion cloth, but here the guys like em just as much from what I can tell.

Only two days into Chile, and what smacks you in the face like a wet fish is the price. It’s more expensive than the US and at least three times as expensive as Peru, there’s good value out there but you have to look for it, and it’s not in places where motorcycle overlanders typically interact, gas, lodging, grub, etc.

I was struggling to find anything l liked about the place at all really, apart from some decent graffiti there seemed to be little to recommend, but I’m pretty sure that’s because with the bike in the shop it feels like a prison more that it does a place to visit. Later on I saw a heap of women on the beach wearing all showering together in the beach showers, things were picking up, If only I'd a roll of 1's

Please fuck the bike is ready tomorrow… If I’ve to stay another day here I’ll eat me mickey.

Over and out
The big fella.

 

[Bigboy]

Stick in there ....

Hi Big Fellow from Bigboy

As the title says " Stick in there " ..... it can only get better, if what your doing could.

This is a great read, and you have many supporters in cyber space hanging on your reports, We are with you all the way.

Hope you get out of that shit hole and move on, if not have a beer and remember it as a grreat talking point later on.

Ride safe Bigboy

 

[jc_bromley]

What does "eat me mickey" mean?

Have a beer on me while your waiting

 

[BeemerBaz]

Lets hope them tyres arrive soon, it will seem like Christmas has come early early when they do. Keep the reports and photos coming

 

[Oisin]

eat me mickey

What does "eat me mickey" mean?

Have a beer on me while your waiting

eat my john thomas
mickey is irish for lad

 

[Oisin]

Pics of Desert in Northern Chile (Pics I took when not broke down! )

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The bike is supposed to ready in two hours and forty minutes. Just time for quick hand shandy, then off to get some breakfast (after i wash the hands), and then I'll ride the bike till till the sun goes down!

Tick tock Tick Tock tick tock

 

[Stewart H]

You could get to like the look of those bikes with a couple of spare tyres strapped on the back
I hope the tyres come soon, you couldnt get stuck somewhere really nice could you

Stewart