At least it feels like some one has.

Before crossing from Bolivia to Chile we filled up, but not before the attendant made sure we understood that as foreigners we would be charged double the fuel price, 60p/litre, we assumed it was the equivalent price to Chile to stop people coming over and sucking the tanks dry.

It had been 170 kms since the last gas station, and as it turned out would be 230kms to the next one.

Shortly after crossing we met a Chilean biker, Rodriguez, riding the same model bike as us, much to all our delight.

After an over night stop in a small village still high in the mountains we descended to the warmth of the coast, filled the bikes and no longer felt smug over fuel prices.

From 30p/litre to 92p/litre over night.

The Atacama desert loomed large, up over plateaus and down into canyons. Gas stations did not feature.

Finally, after 251kms, with at least 60kms to the next city, my fuel light came on and we had to use the spare fuel cans we had carried unused for so long.

We always knew our tank range would be an issue, I manage around 240-270kms on main and Jean about 30-40kms more, and we bought a fuel can in Mexico.

We never needed to fill it in Mexico, you could not cross the road there without seeing a Pemex.

When we got to Guatemala we filled it. It remained unused until Panama when we needed to empty it before putting the bikes on the plane.

In Ecuador expecting Peru to be short of gas stations, we bought a second can and filled that.

But it seems the poorer the country, the more (and cheaper) gas stations are. I found I could look at the map and guess where the gas stations would be.

But in Chile, there seems to be a random factor involved. Not always at major intersections, or on the edge of towns. Which would not matter if distances where not so great.

Thankfully we found a website that locates them for us.

So, the Atacama desert, it's big, very big, it starts near the northern border and just keeps going. Some bits are flat and featureless, but others are full of colour, due to the mineral rich rocks, whites mix with reds browns and green or layers of black volcanic strata.

And just in case you get mesmerised, the intensely strong gusts of wind are always there to wake you up.

So far we have ridden it for five days and camped in it for three nights at San Pedro.

Up on another Salar, fringed by snow capped mountains and volcanoes.

Good job we like deserts, looks like a lot more to go.

Chile is also currently at the top of the award list for "Stating the Bleeding Obvious"

Chile Pictures will be added here.