Virtually 400 kms

Like lingerie, the more you pay, they less you get, ......seems that way with hotels, another crap breakfast from a three star establishment

We had our planned flight for 10 over the lines, but as was to be the pattern for this establishment everything then changed. After crossing the road for our flight (the reason we'd paid more in first place) we were told it would be at 11.30! Exactly what we didn’t want. It was air traffic controls fault apparently, my arse, they'd sold too many flights for the allocated slots, piss up and brewery came to mind another case of money taken, thank you very much, forget the service. Apologies for blunt language, but we were both peeved as we'd stayed here at greater cost in order to maximise our limited time, we planned to hack a few miles off our return route after the flight that afternoon.

In a rare case for either of use we complained bitterly and got moved forward, a bit. Needless to say we had to pay for the flight across the road and we'd been misquoted at the hotel (didn't mind that though as the price he'd given seemed ridiculous). It was $40 each for half an hour. It warns in the book that there are a lot of tight turns and turbulence, but I have always loved flying in any size of craft and didn't see a problem. How wrong can you be!

There were 5 of us and the pilot in a small Cessna type thing. Hardly room to move, but only half hour. He assured us we'd all see all the sights as those on left would get sight, then those on right. It was steaming in the tight confines of the plane and we were overheating before we took off. Headphones on, we were off. The first bit was a straight flight and fine if not a little hot. Then we reached the lines! Cranking over tight to the right with the buzzer wailing in background (presumably warning of imminent stall or wing snap) our pilot would wail, "the astronaut, the astronaut... can you see him" Yes you could see him, but the sweat was now pouring off us and the bile was rising. I've never felt sick like that before, guess mainly the heat. Anyway this continued for half an hour before we were blessed with the return flight of straight heading. The lines are amazing, but I was more amazed by the fact I was hardly able to enjoy the experience for the feeling I would be sick at any moment. It was more like a figure of 8 pole race than a pleasure flight.

Landing it looked like we were all glad to be back on terra firma, and released from the cramped sweat box. If they said "another round is free, hop in" I'd have said no, and that really is a surprise. Only way to see the lines, but honestly, no a pleasant experience. I’d suggest an overcast day....or ideally a balloon!

Needless to say when we landed we were charged a 10 sols airport tax (they're all the same!)

Returned (late) to hotel to shower, pack and leave, we discovered their Visa machine wouldn't work - fine for flight - so Bev had to go into town with staff to get cash, yet more delay. Frustrating. By the time we'd resolved all these issues we were near two hours later than anticipated. Bev refused point blank to pay full bill due to all the problems. Everything was expensive, accepted that to get what we wanted, but didn't get it so price was unreasonable, Bev stuck to her guns and we paid less (by a marginal amount). Perhaps we were unlucky with our experience.

So we finally left at 13.30, time we couldn't replace, left us short for time to get were we wanted - and not much between, hence the importance and willingness top pay more for hotel etc.

The first section was desert with strong headwind and intense heat, boring but only 50 miles odd so not too bad.

It was cooler at coast and more interesting, shifting sand on road a bit of a hazard, at one point there was a JCB constantly clearing it away - the strong wind didn't help.

Sand across road on Pan America by coast

At Chala it looked like a landslide with big boulders strewn across road. Checked with police and it was a demo. We could ride through, but only to further up road nearer were the demo was actually taking place. More rocks and huge numbers of vehicles, Bev counted 160. The police suggested we could go through if we pushed the bike, fortunately not too uphill. Made sure we were nice and said hello to everyone as we passed the big demo, and everyone was fine and spoke and were amazed at us pushing bike through demo. A local walked us through. Without that I guess could have been risky. Keep smiling. So that's why little traffic!

Road block(ade)

The Pan America for all its name would suggest is not heavily trafficked at all, in fact quite the opposite, you wonder at the economics of it, no Cost Benefit analysis here, or not based on any figures we'd recognise.

Stopped for a bottle of water and two pics, but nothing else - five hours solid riding. Sadly both Bev's batteries were flat so she couldn't even take any pics 'on move'. Great shame, as was lack of intercom, in worlds of our own.

This section of road has to go down as one of the best biking roads in the world. It's not without dangers, but the sinuous tarmac is something only motorcyclist would understand. Both front and rear tyres were scrubbed to the extreme edge which takes some doing with the bulk we're carrying. All this on a bike that supposedly doesn't handle that well to start with, has crap brakes (ignoring the leaking master cylinder!) and is overloaded. All that should conspire to create a Frankenstein like monster, but surprisingly doesn't.

The bends followed the curves of the cliffs and at times followed the sea at its level, and the next moment climbed high above it with little protection for overrun other than the sand, rocks, or sea below. Though lightly trafficked it only takes one truck coming towards you on wrong side of road to remind you of the hidden dangers. That along with sand and rock falls and other unusual features like the sea spray coating your visor - a new one! The tarmac is far from the best generally, but the newly surfaced sections where bliss.

Undoubtedly a STUNNING road, and amazing we are still finding them within weeks of leaving.

The other feature of the coast here was the people and what they must do. Quite unexpectedly, in what would literally be the middle of nowhere, hours and hours from any population of any size, you'd meet a group of people.
The only things that were obvious for them to have been doing would be fishing, or seaweed gathering. I say this as there were huge tracts of piled seaweed drying by the roadside obviously awaiting collection. There was even one whole processing plant. I guess the weed doesn't go for food, but fertilizer. Anyway it must be a very hard way to make a very small amount of money.

Some of the hamlets were incredibly rough looking with ramshackle houses constructed on base stonework that looked to date back to Inca times (and not the high quality stonework). Then there were houses (if you can call them that) made of raffia that were so ramshackle you wonder what protection they offer at all.

Time limitations meant we just had to ride and ride, sad not to stop on many occasions as so many amazing sights, but likelihood of riding in dark meant we had to push on. So no pics. Very sad to be short of time on this stretch, some great places to camp and enjoy two or three days on this leg alone. Stunning beaches deserted for mile upon mile in spectacular setting.

Having said all this, if we hadn't have the time restrictions the ride probably wouldn't have been so memorable.

As nearer nightfall we were back into oasis valleys like in Chile. Crops growing by sea with defenses - was it de-salinated by sand, or issuing from springs that close to sea? An odd site whatever.

Time getting on and still 100kms to go. We made Camana just as it got properly to dark. Never want to ride in dark over here as the risks increase ten fold.

We wanted a decent spot and had seen a sign Hotel turista (chain) headed for centre and asked a police lady and it was just around corner. Got here at 7 about half hour after total dark. Lots of unlit vehicles and bicycles and pedestrians on road - wouldn't want to be any later.

Nice place, good traditional food, I had Ceviche, Sea bass marinated in lemon juice with toasted corn and sweet potatoes, excellent and lots of it (though it was my downfall, see entries in couple of days!). Tried a Peruvian white wine (poor) and relaxed. What a day!

The holiday adventure isn't over yet!

Tuesday 21st March 2006

Camana - Arica

590 kms

As the pattern, another day of mileage crunching (look at a map and find Nasca, then find Buenos Aires...we're along way from our return flight! With hindsight we should have go open-ended flights and returned from say Quito. But we have a bike crate and some belongings in BA and it will be worth it just to see Sandra and Javier and friends again!

Up early (for us) the usual poor breakfast and then fuel up and off for full days riding again with no comfort breaks to mention and a border to factor in.

Sadly this stretch is a similar one to the stretch from San Pedro to Arica....utter tedium. At least in Peru we had some bendy sections to relieve the tedium. Actually it wasn't too bad, though nothing at all like yesterday. We were lucky that it was overcast as it kept the temperature down to bearable levels. What you have to remember here is from Nasca down it is all desert apart from occasional irrigated valleys. The vast part of today was sand, sand, and more bloody sand (fortunately not on the road though). We passed flat red desert sands, multicoloured valleys of sand, and more and more sand !

The latter part of the day was less interested until we got to Tacna, the last Peruvian town before the border. There was a piece of paper that the SA Handbook suggested we needed (the 'relaciones de pasajeros') and we wanted to try and get it there as we'd heard some horror stories of people leaving here without the paper finding open corruption and suggestions of the form being available in exchange for a goodly sum of money, or you have the choice of a 70kms round trip to get it.

We asked a local policeman and he suggested trying the 'tourist police'. I approached an attractive young lady in uniform and she insisted on coming and seeing the bike and hearing all about our adventures. Unfortunately she misguidedly said we didn't need the form so we left empty handed.

At the border it was obvious you do need it! They don't use this system elsewhere, but the form is used by both countries here at least.

Now obviously you can buy the form ($0.5) but the scam is the border guard (Peruvian anti drugs in this case) suggests he can provide one for a fee, and you must have it. It's obvious is a bribe as money is only mentioned when no-one else is in earshot. Anyway, he passed a form (four copies of course) across for us to fill in whilst we were playing our 'stupid' card and 'no understand'. We fully well understood, but often this gets you a long way. He asked for $10 but with our usual guile we had taken all the US money out of wallets so we had very little of anything so when we opened wallets we looked poorly provided for. To cut a long story short we paid $3, about 6 times more than official rate, but considerably less than many others have, and in fact without the form we'd have had more problems.

The border crossing was about the most disorganized of the trip really, for first time I had no idea were to go, or for what. Still, the rest of the Peruvians were fine, and it only took half an hour in total anyway. The worst part with Chile is the SAG officials. They are the ones who check for illegal import of fruit and veg etc and they are like right little Hitler’s.....definitely jumped up officials.

Anyway, with light fading we were through and on the way to Arica to the same hotel we'd stayed in before. We found it easily and knowing our way round town went straight back to the excellent eatery we had previously used before taking and early night ready for a long day ahead.

Sadly, this is when I realised I had picked up a stomach bug, the fact I was peeing through my backside was not a healthy sign. What great timing!

Wednesday 22nd March 2006

Arica - San Pedro de Atacama

700+ kms

We wanted to get off early today and usual poor breakfast we hit the road just after 8. Having taken two days to get from San Pedro to here on way up didn't want to do it again as it is so bloody boring a stretch of road.

Unfortunately all the best riding is over with in the morning as the first 200kms include some nice up and down and twisty sections. We met some more affluent Brazilians on big bikes doing a high mileage short tour but there after bugger all.

It doesn´t get much better than this..ahem..I mean it doesn´t get much worse than this for motorcycling

This section of road (after that 200kms) has to go down as one of the least inspiring roads on the planet (if not universe!). It is straight, hot, and BORRRING. There are occasional distractions by way of geogylphs, old nitrate mine ruins or 14kms of off road diversion, but otherwise it is mind numbingly boring. Image without intercom too, and then factor in the stomach upset, great!

To be honest, Bev had asked if I was up to it, I of course said yes, but in truth wasn't. The last thing you want when dehydrated and feeling totally drained, is 700kms of riding through 40-45 deg heat with no shade, and no rest.

Basically it was hell! Not big or clever, but I wanted to get here to relax, and breaking the journey wouldn't have helped (even if we could, not many opportunities). Even fuel is 200 or 300 kms apart.

Basically by the time we arrived (half hour before dark) I was a physical wreck. Definitely not the right thing to do, riding the length of France in the heat of the north Sahara when likely to be dehydrated, but there you go. Back into the same place we'd been before, a pass away from Argentina