Start: October 26, Uyuni, Bolivia
Finish: October 29, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
Highest Altitude Camped At: 15,600 Feet
Overnight Low: 22F
Flamingo Species Seen: 3
Colors of Lakes Photographed: Blue, Green, White and Red

There haven't been too many times on this trip where we've felt that we've been really out there. The Corcovado jungle in Costa Rica definitely rings a bell, maybe hiking the narrows in Zion National Park, or our recent overnight visit to the Uyuni Salt Flats.

One thing is certain, we've never had to carry gas on our roof to get where we've needed to go, and we've never spent more than 48 hours without our wheels touching asphalt. Maybe we've been doing it wrong, or maybe we just had our our biggest adventure yet.

There are no medical facilities or mechanics; no ready-made food or comfy hotels in this part of the world. Bolivia's southwest circuit is raw, unadulterated adventure at incredibly high elevations that a single traveler pays hundreds of dollars to experience. The three of us spent a total of $65 to enter the park, $50 on gas, $30 on food and $25 on alcohol. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: this is why we overland.

We're going to try something a bit different with this trip update and include as much information about the route, road conditions and preparations as possible. So if I'm rambling on about gasoline availability and you're looking at a picture of a fluffy bunny, don't be alarmed.

We weren't originally going to attempt to drive the Southwest Circuit, but after some deliberations and excellent advice from Pan-Am Notes' 2010 trip, and our friends at From A to B who did the drive days before us, we decided to give it a shot. If you are contemplating heading into Bolivia's wild frontier, check out Pan-Am Notes' article, and From A to B's new report, they include all of the GPS way points you will need.

Unless you are in a hurry, it's best to explore the salt flats first and then return to Uyuni to stock up on gas and supplies. It's also worth it to get the undercarriage of your car washed clean from the salt. There is a great place on the south side of Uyuni that will clean the underside and the rest of your car for Bs50. S20 28.156 W66 49.172

There is gas in Uyuni, but nowhere else between there and San Pedro de Atacama. We drove 280 miles from Uyuni to San Pedro, but we took the shortest route. Others drove 300 miles by the westerly route, and up to 400 if you want to include the salt flat as well.

There is sometimes gas in San Cristobal, but it is unreliable. The last five overlanders we spoke to going north said there was no gas available in San Cristobal.

There are three gas stations in Uyuni. The one on the east side of town, on the main road when you come in from Potosi, will sell gas to foreigners. Tell them you want it “sin factura” and insist that yesterday you paid 5 Bolivianos per liter. That should get you the best deal. Count on your fuel efficiency dropping due to a combination of high elevation and gravel roads.



The road from Uyuni to Alota (via San Cristobal) is nicely graded dirt - we were going 60mph. South from Villa Alota to Villa Mar the road is still in good shape but there are some patches of sand, and there is a small river crossing just as you leave Villa Alota, less than 6” deep. Given the state of the rainy season, this may change. We were there at the end of the dry season.

From Villa Mar we turned off to the southwest to head towards Laguna Colorado. This road is a bit bumpier then the previous, and again there are some rough spots and places where high clearance makes things easier. We still averaged 30mph up to the lake. We made it from Uyuni to Laguna Colorado in about five and a half hours.

The roads in the park are mixed, mostly rough dirt and some very bad corrugation. There are lots of tracks and usually alternate routes around patches of deep sand and soft gravel. If you were careful, you could do this route without a high clearance 4x4. But expect lots of backing up and a lots of route finding. Deep sand is the biggest problem.



There is a park office on both sides of Laguna Colorado. The park entry fee is Bs150 per person, and the ticket is valid for four days. There is another office on the southern border a few kilometers before the Bolivian immigration. They will check your tickets, so don’t overstay your four days.



We spent our first night camped in a dry canyon just off the main road leading south from Laguna Colorado. Most of this park is at very high altitude and the weather is freezing, below 0C at night, easily. On top of the frigid temperature there are very high winds that are not friendly, especially if you are sleeping in a tent. Plan your campsites to be in sheltered areas, and you’ll enjoy the park more.



Betcha didn't know rabbits could have long tails?


This is a vicuña, a wild variety of llama that lives at high elevations. We've only ever seen them licking rocks in the middle of a desert. But they must be doing something right, a kilogram of their fur sells for $500 and the right to cultivate them has sparked bloody feuds in parts of Bolivia and Peru.

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Start: October 24, Uyuni
Finish: October 26, Uyuni
Miles Driven on Salt: 120
Goofy Pictures Taken: 147
Godzilla Attacks: 3
Bottles of Rum That Are Always Gone: 2

The Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat, covering an area of over 4,000 square miles. At almost 12,000 feet, it's a bleek, desolate and absolutely beautiful place to do a bit of off-road driving.

It also happens to be one of the few places where it's possible to to take ridiculously out-of-perspective photos without the help of a green screen or photoshop. And we promise that neither of those were used in the making of this blog post...



The town of Uyuni fit our expectations after hearing about it from other travelers. A run-down dusty hole of a place with little to do or see aside from the salt flats. Luckily we were able to find a cheap hotel that looked a bit better than this crumbling public bathroom.



As if the rubble-strewn streets weren't enough, they had to go and place a few creepy metal statues along the main thoroughfare. Fortunately we only had to spend two nights in Uyuni, one before and one after we venture out into the salt. We wouldn't have lasted long in any case, there were absolutely zero wifi signals in the entirety of the town.



The white stretch just visible on the horizon was a welcome sign after driving the six-mile stretch of horribly corrugated road leading up to entrance of the salt flats. Salt is harvested in Uyuni to the tune of many thousands of tons per year. Luckily there doesn't seem to be much risk of running out in our lifetime.



After driving fifty miles into the salt flats we reach the first of several cactus-covered "islands" called Isla Incahuasi. Kobus begins the photo taking by snapping a few dozen pictures of Jessica as we head to check out he cactus forest.



Kobus posed next to this monstrous cactus. We are told they grow about one inch per year, making this guy roughly as old as the United States.



Jessica, the professional photographer, is never one to pose nicely for pictures. Things get a bit dicey when she pulls up a salt shard and makes ready to stab the next person who takes her picture.



Realizing that the salt shard stabbing business might be a bit too messy for her tastes. Also, the salt crumbles when you actually try to move it in a swift motion... Jessica retaliates by squishing Kobus who is still snapping away in the distance.



We stop for lunch and to scout out potential campsites at Isla Pescado, a much less crowded alternative to the main island. After chowing down on some quesadillas and our first can of refried beans in months, we head back into the salt to engage in a bit of goofy photography.

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Godzilla attacks!

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Buying gas in Bolivia is not only a joke, it's a pain in the butt. Recently Bolivia introduced a gas price for foreign vehicles at about 3 times the local subsidized price to keep neighboring countries from buying cheap gas and going home.

Selling gas to a foreigner involves a lot of paperwork for the attendants which in turn leads to some ridiculous excuses to from lazy attendants.

Here are some common excuses we heard over the 3 weeks spent looking for gas in Bolivia.

• Sorry we do not have international receipts. (Disculpe, pero no hay facturas internacional)
• Sorry we do not have a license to sell gas to a foreign vehicle. (Disculpe, no se vende gasohol por placas extraños)
• Sorry we are out of Gas – this might have been a legitimate excuse (Disculpe, no hay gasohol)
• You can only get a small amount. (Solo, diez litros. Nada mas.)
• The receipts are locked in the office and the person with the keys is off for the day. (Disculpe, no lo tengo facturas. La oficina esta cerrado y no tengo los claves. EL jefe tiene los claves y no esta aqui hoy.)

Our Best Advice

• Always smile and try not to get frustrated, this could prove difficult when you're on empty.
• Say hello and ask how are you before asking for the price of gas without a receipt.
• Negotiate a price before you start filling up.
• If the excuse for not selling is that the manager is there, ask when he leaves.
• Don't ever be desperate for gas. Start looking to fill up when you are a half a tank.
• Don't wait until you are leaving town to fill up. Gas stations frequently run out of gas. If you wait, the chances of being stranded increase.
• When you are desperate:
• Take a jerry can or empty coke bottle and put on your best "I'm desperate" face. Usually you can get a few liters.
• Park your car in front of the pump and tell them you have no gas left so you can't move. They'll "find" the receipts quickly, but be prepare to pay full international price.

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Start: December 12, Pucon
Finish: December 23, Puerto Montt
Grills Used For One Dinner: 5
Four-Legged Road Blocks Overcome: 2
Days With Rain: 9 of 12
Fish Caught: 0

The weather has finally caught up to us. I can count the number of times we've had more than two consecutive days of rain on one hand. Our time in the Lakes District brought us six consecutive days of rain and a lot of soggy gear. But we're from Seattle, meaning we don't believe in umbrellas, and we know how to shop for good rain jackets.

We did our best to make the most of our time in Chile's Lakes District. We started with a few days spent hanging out with friends old and new that culminated in a barbeque nearly rivaling our Thanksgiving pig roast. From Pucon we drove through the back roads to visit a handful of other lakes and rivers en route to Puerto Montt with the hopes of catching a couple world famous Patagonian trout.


Our campsite in Pucon with our friends Mark and Sarah at FromAtoB.org and their gigantic rig that's aptly named the beast. I've pitched my tent in its shadow a couple times now and can definitely say it makes for a good wind break and gives plenty of shade from that pesky morning sun.


Also in our campsite are the Pickerings at ChaseTheRace.net, a couple from England with their three children. As you can see, this 6x6 monstrocity dwarfs even The Beast and plans to follow the Dakar this year. I can't blame them for the size though. As kids Jessica and I went on an RVing trip across the US and can say from experience that you need a heck of a lot of space when there are youngin's on board.


After battling a day of rain, the weather breaks and we wake to sunny blue skies. Perfect weather for a barbeque. Above we have five grills in action, by far the most fire juggling I've ever attempted. Cornbread, potatoes, carrots, corn, peppers, onions, four racks of baby back ribs, one gigantic chunk of pork spare ribs and two whole chickens are on the menu.


To give the adults a bit of peace and quite from the kiddies' shenanigans (often involving a water gun, decided not cheeky or fun in cold weather) Kobus sets off on a mission to teach them how to fish. Small trout are seen, but nothing is brought to shore.


Joining us for our epic dinner along with the Pickerings and Mark and Sarah are two ex-overlanding friends we met in Pucon from South Africa and Australia. They started their trip driving a van but nearly ended with disaster after it caught fire and nearly burned to the ground as a result of brake failure. Luckily no one was injured and they managed to salvage most of their gear and continue the trip as backpackers.


From Pucon we take the back roads towards Lago Ranco following dirt roads through rural Chilean towns. More than once we encounter a Latin American road block, this time in the form of a couple dozen sheep.


Along the way we also stop to take a picture of this ancient steam engine sitting in a field in the middle of nowhere. Steampunk fans eat your heart out.


We camped next to another set of waterfalls called Salto del Nilahue near Lago Ranco. It was a short five minute walk down to he falls from our campsite, but it proved impossible to get any closer than we stand above due to the rain-filled river.


The river bank was coated with pummice rocks which provided a half hour of entertainment for a few bored campers. Floating rocks are fun!


Back on the road to Lago Ranco we hit yet another road block. Kobus wisely pulls over to let the gauchos steer their steers clear of our path.


At Lago Ranco we have two of the worst days of weather we've had since leaving Oregon. Above is a shot of Lago Ranco and the two-foot wind-driven waves crashing along the shore. Luckily the campground had shelters with wind breaks and we were able to hole up under cover and spend a day getting work done on our laptops.


For dinner Kobus experimented with a recipe we learned from the Pickerings during our stay in Pucon. They learned it from an Argentinian cookbook and gave us a sample of their first attempt at the recipe. Certainly not the cleanest way to cook a chicken, but the results were good enough that we knew we'd have to give it a shot.


After seasoning and safely wrapping in foil, the chicken is covered with mud and cooked for a couple hours on charcoal. The results were spectacular, as expected, although doing the dishes was decidedly less fun.


After two wet and windy days on Lago Ranco we head to Puerto Montt where we spend a day and half running errands including filling up our propane tank, checking out the ferry schedule for Chiloe and doing a bit of Christmas shopping. The weather in Puerto Montt proved to be no better than farther north, so we hunkered down under our newly purchased tarp and hoped the sun would make an appearance in time for the holidays.


Before heading to Chiloe for Christmas we drove east of Puerto Montt along the start of the Carretera Austral to a campsite on a river. We had hoped to finally catch a couple Patagonian trout. Unfortunately, the rain followed us.


The river was too blown-out to be very good fishing. It rose at least a foot and a half in the day since we arrived, and was moving way too fast for wading or fly fishing. Oh well. At least we got to thoroughly test out our rain gear.

Our last day on the river the campsite host drove by several times to check on us and make sure we were ok. He told us that the rising river was often a problem given where we had camped, and that we should move to higher ground. Eyeballing the water level, I gave us 2-3 feet more until the river was at our doorstep.

It wasn't raining hard, it was just raining frequently, so we decided to wait it out and watch the water level over the next couple hours before deciding to move. Fortunately, after our host returned for the third time and pleaded with us to move, the rain stopped. By the time we woke up in the morning the river was back to its original level.



Up next: We load Blue up on a ferry to the island of Chiloe where we spent Christmas in the rain with old and new overlanding friends.

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Hi all. We've finally decided after driving from Seattle to Ushuaia to sell our beloved 4Runner. Our vehicle will be available approximately April 15th in Buenos Aires. It is a US registered vehicle (to Washington State). We are working on writing on the logistics of the transfer of ownership. At this time we know for certain that because of the cost of import taxes the vehicle is NOT available to Argentinians. It will be very easy to re-register if you plan to drive it back to the USA. (Either in Washington or another state).

Full details are below. We are asking $10,000 USD. If interested email us at info@liferemotely.com.

For more information and photos see our full post on our website here.



1997 Toyota 4Runner SR5 Specifications

-V6 3.4 L engine
-4 speed automatic transmission
-4x4 on demand drive with over drive
-Currently 173,000 miles (Approximately 176,000 on sell date)
-Unleaded Fuel- We have averaged 18 miles to the gallon on this trip between Seattle and Ushuaia (Ask me for the spreadsheet!)

Modifications

(Click links to see our full articles on these installations)

-Dual battery system, including fridge and inverter.
-Custom built Lock box
-Storage platform
-Viper 2-way alarm system

Note on the fridge system: We removed half of the back seat in order to mount our fridge. Just behind the fridge we installed a lock box big enough to hold three 15" laptops. Both the fridge and lock box are removable. There are three comfortable seats in the vehicle. See the articles above for more photos of the platform and the lock box and fridge configuration.

Service History

We have a full service history of the work completed after October 2011 available with the car. All previous work including the full service history of the previous owner is at our home in Seattle. Electronic documents can be provided upon request.

- Full synthetic oil change (with filters) – December 2012
- Rear coil spring upgraded – October 2012
- Front brakes replaced – July 2012
- Axle seals and rear breaks replaced – February 2012
- New tires (Firestone Destination A/T) with wheel alignment – October 2011
- Upgraded to Bilstein shock absorbers – October 2011
- 120,000 mile service completed at Toyota Serivce Center in Seattle – October 2011
- Timing belt, water pump replaced by previous owner (around 100,000 miles)

Included Extras

- Edge Star 43 quart compressor driven fridge
- Cobra 800 watt power inverter powered from the secondary battery
- Hi-lift jack
- Lift-Mate
- Snatch / tow strap
- Roof rack
- 4 ratchet tie downs
- Locking cable (secures hi-lift on roof rack)
- Air compressor
- Jumper cables
- Tire repair kit
- Volt meter
- Fire extinguisher
- 2 warning triangles

Spare Parts

- Fan belt
- AC belt
- Water pump belt
- Fuses
- Gas cap

Overlander Extras

- Collapsible camp table
- 2x GSI folding camp chairs
- 3 kg propane tank
- Colman dual burner propane stove
- Gerber fold up shovel
- 2.5 gallon water jug
- Others TBD (ask for details)

For more information and photos see our full post on our website here.

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Just an update. We've posted a gallery of recent photos here: 1997 Toyota 4Runner for sale - photos | Life Remotely

And also an article on how the owner transfer process would work here: Selling a US Registered Vehicle to a Foreigner in Argentina | Life Remotely

Thanks!

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Are you heading directly to BA? Cannot believe we have missed each other after all these months of keeping an eye on your blog. We're in Chile, heading north....

Merv, of Moglander clan.