It's me again, I know things have been a bit quiet on the Tiffany's Travels front, but my Dad was unwell over the last year and so I spent some time with him and my mum to remind them what a peaceful life they lead the rest of the time!
I'm pleased to report that he is making a good recovery and so once more I could look to far horizons.

First step was leaving Lands End




Yep, it's long distance travel with full bike gear and not a bike in sight as I took ferry, train and bus to get to Heathrow and flew out...my final destination being Antofagasta, Northern Chile (that's South America for the geographically challenged)

Hmm, Antofagasta, what can I say about it except that it's like Newcastle-Upon-Tyne with palm trees



and train loads of copper running through the city centre




It felt so wrong to be flying over the Equator, ever since I started this bike travel lark, I've only ever ridden across it, but needs must, I was heading out on a mission for World of BMW
The clues were there..nice riding gear and no Thelma (my R80GS who goes everywhere with me) instead a posh bike parked outside a nice hotel...



as I get transformed into...Tiffany Coates - Motorcycle Tour Guide




(As opposed to Tiff, the scruffy overlander on a battered machine)


I'm here in South America for World of BMW, riding the BMW R1200GS to lead a group of 10 riders through northern Chile and Peru.
The bike has just over 9,000 miles on it, and not a spot of rust anywhere. I had 48 hours to get my bearings, sort out my paperwork and then await the group.
and here are some of my lovely group









The bloke on the truck is Thomas, from Germany originally but living and working in Chile as a motorbike guide and mechanic for Motoaventura Chile.

And why is this trip entitled Los Exonerados (the exonerated or excused)?? Because of our manners on the roads we travelled- my apologies to those we came across, especially the toll booth staff attempting to do their jobs on the toll roads of Peru and who did NOT want bikes coming through. I'd ride through after the group and find people shaking their heads at the fact that these ignorant foreigners just don't know what the bike etiquette is in this part of the world.

__________________
Tiffany
On the road from...I'm not sure any more
http://www.tiffanystravels.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAUhV1r-kUo

Have really enjoyed your photo's on facebook,looks like you have a little catching up to do here.I have to admit to never hearing of the city either.Regards Noel.

WARNING This post could seriously change your life as you look at the pictures and dream of far of places that look as beautiful as this....

A somewhat jet-lagged group set off that first morning, following the straight roads that headed east under a clear blue sky




We're in the Atacama Desert, the driest spot on the planet and without a hint of greenery, I've crossed a lot of deserts in my time and it's often surprising how much grows there, but not at the Atacama - a dry, grey landscape stretched away in all directions.

breaks to enjoy the view and to grab some snacks,



and for me to change my hairstyle to summer riding (some people change their jackets, mine is my hair).
We're mostly on the BMW 1200GS with a couple of smaller bikes thrown in for good measure




our destination, San Pedro de Atacama a town in the foothills of the Andes, but first we had the Salar de Atacama to cross- a huge expanse of salt flat, not as well-known as its near neighbour the Salar de Uyuni but just as stunning.

To our relief, after over 100 miles of dead straight tarmac, the road started to get a few curves in it



and there was the Salar in front of us




bloody great lumps of salt mixed with hardened clay!


Luckily they've made a sort of road across the Salar, not surprisingly it's made of salt, and actually it's quite a good surface to ride on



The landscape and scenery is just spectacular




The rest of the group arrive and we all get busy with our cameras









it's not as easy to walk on as it looks


I look around at this amazing environment with its breathtaking views...or maybe that's the lack of oxygen, and I just think to myself how bloody lucky I am



The urge to travel and having a bike really can take you anywhere.

__________________
Tiffany
On the road from...I'm not sure any more
http://www.tiffanystravels.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAUhV1r-kUo

Good grief Noel, my whole life has a lot of catching up to do, never mind blogging for others to follow!!

__________________
Tiffany
On the road from...I'm not sure any more
http://www.tiffanystravels.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAUhV1r-kUo

Having arrived at San Pedro de Atacama after a great day of riding, we set our alarm clocks for the unearthly hour of 4.00am. It's going to be a special day if a rather long one...
We’re going to see one of the Andes Mountains’ best kept secrets, sunrise at the world’s highest geyser fields.
The Tatio Geysers








As a side issue, I am also testing out the new BMW GS Dry suit, so it was a bit ironic that my initial ride with it was across teh driest desert in the world. however the geysers gave me a chance to try them in the wet as I wandered through






We’re up at 4250 metres, and feeling the effects of the lack of oxygen, it doesn't stop us fooling around a bit



We pose for pictures as the beams of light cut through the steam, giving an eerie look.
The Bolt somehow becomes our team look for the rest of the trip as you'll see.

There's some movement and we spot El Zorro...The Fox





I hear splashing and spot some pools



And although it's a bit chilly in the early morning and and we're at altitude, it doesn't take me long to get in the water as well



Followed by a few of my group...



The water temperature is like a warm bath with a hot end where the boiling springs enter and a cold end where the freezing snow melt seeps in.

__________________
Tiffany
On the road from...I'm not sure any more
http://www.tiffanystravels.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAUhV1r-kUo

Having seen the sunrise at the Tatio Geysers, we headed west of town in the afternoon to enjoy the sunset at La Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley)



Some gorge riding to get there







Sure enough the landscape started to resemble something you'd see...well not on the moon, maybe on Mars



It might look like snow which would make for more drama, but actually it's salty deposits

Weird rock formations, definitely a lunar feel or maybe Mars










There are four other women in the group with me, it's always good to have female company in what tends to be a male dominated world.





The valley is an incredible looking place





Lots of volcanoes in this area, though the locals assured me that they're almost all extinct



We lingered a bit too long in the Valley, taking photos which meant that by the time we made our way back to our hotel, it was rapidly darkening and so we took a short-cut, which turned into a motorbike obstacle course...in the dark

__________________
Tiffany
On the road from...I'm not sure any more
http://www.tiffanystravels.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAUhV1r-kUo

Discussing routes, whilst eating crisps.



My meat-eating customers had no problems with tucking into llama kebabs



I have to confess this was the first llama we saw..

Roads were tarmac once more



No, it's NOT a sign for a brothel but one that indicates the location of the nearest Ladies' Loo.


Negotiating with Customs




Later keeping an eye on the customers whilst having a break from riding


the ghost town of Humberstone, first settled in the 1860's then abandoned virtually overnight 100 years later, the place is spooky to walk around, but fascinating.



The new Word of BMW Support Vehicle


There's so much to see in South America, not least the unusual wildlife, these are vicuna- wild cousins of the llama and alpaca and rarely seen, we were lucky to spot them.

__________________
Tiffany
On the road from...I'm not sure any more
http://www.tiffanystravels.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAUhV1r-kUo

Our route was taking us northwards, the coast is fairly desolate with the occasional oceanside shanty towns, the fog made me feel at home




The road was undergoing construction and the bikes managed to get to the front of the queue of vehicles waiting to pass, a clear ride through for us without having to overtake lorries in the dust



The first fuel stop in Peru...pulling into the garage for petrol, I discovered that this one provides fuel for bikes and people



Half an hour later and the cold s seemed like a good idea as we rode through a dry and desert-like landscape,



It was an environment devoid of any sign of life except the occasional small settlement of shacks like this one, which seem to have no source of water



The sign reads "Slow, Dangerous Bends"



This guy obviously hadn't paid it any attention


It looked fairly recent, so I'd stopped to check if anyone needed help, one of my group stopped as well.

Leaving the plateau behind, we started climbing, my GPS Sat Nav, showing the altitude as 4637 metres (over 15,000ft if you're not metric). I can feel the effects, a thumping headache kicks in as my brain is slowly being starved of oxygen.


At the higher altitudes we started to see llama flocks alongside the road



Usually guarded by dogs


It seems that the dogs are not always as vicious as they might be, this one looked like he'd come straight off the set of a Disney film


He had guts though as he stood his ground in the middle of the road barking at us on our bikes.

Another peril on the roads - you don't need to be fluent in Spanish to understand what's in this tanker



More hot springs, but no time to stop for a dip, we've got quite a distance to go today.


My entry in the competition to find a picture of the prettiest alpaca award



We reached Lake Titicaca, the end of our day's journey, it had been a challenging ride but with so many great sights that we'd enjoyed it.



The town of Puno which is nestled between the mountains and the lakeside, our GPS led us through the maze of streets.



The beautiful view from my window as the sun set.

__________________
Tiffany
On the road from...I'm not sure any more
http://www.tiffanystravels.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAUhV1r-kUo

A day off the bikes, we're at high altitude, 4500m (nearly 15,000ft) we need some time to acclimatise and to take in our surroundings.The group head out to the Uros islands - incredible floating reed islands on Lake Titicaca, legend has it that the tribes on them chose to move to islands that float so that they could escape from their war-like neighbours hundreds of years ago.

I wave them off from the bank


Everything is made of reeds including furniture, houses and of course boats



I visited the islands myself several years ago, they really are an incredible place, this is one of the scenes that I missed out on! They're up to no good on the islands



One of many great meals we had

__________________
Tiffany
On the road from...I'm not sure any more
http://www.tiffanystravels.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAUhV1r-kUo

Time to leave the Lake behind, we're now crossing the Altiplano, it's a high altitude plateau that covers a vast area in South America.

We left town as a group and a few miles further on as I look over my shoulder, this is my view of them riding behind me


Ahead, the traffic is light including this guy who is perilously weaving around with a bicycle on the back of his scooter



He was esasier to overtake than these guys, four trucks in convoy. all with giant tyres on them



As she rides behind me, Simona takes a pic- it's one of those photos that goes in the category of "Don't tell my Mum" as I'm riding one handed taking the photos



We're well and truly in the Andean Highlands, where people are in traditional clothing and llamas are everywhere, even harrassing motorbikes.



I preferred the look of this little one




Some people get closer to them than others



A short break for an empanada - South America's answer to the pasty



At the garage as I was getting petrol, these two came over for a closer look at the bike



with the shorter one asking if he could sit on it



To my relief he was unable to get it off the side-stand. And then they left, without asking for a single bribe- my first ever encounter with Peruvian police where no money was demanded.

Soon after the garage, we caught up with THOSE lorries again, no chance of getting past as they managed to gridlock a whole town whilst each lorry negotiated its way through the narrow streets.



Our destination for the day - Cusco, party central for South America and an amazing town in itself, and a place I consider my home from home in this part of the world.

__________________
Tiffany
On the road from...I'm not sure any more
http://www.tiffanystravels.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAUhV1r-kUo

Cusco is a city with the most incredible history, the Incas called it the navel of the world as it was so central to their whole civilisation. History is evident even where the walls are crumbling



One of my favourite signs on this trip



Sotheby's selling in the Peruvian Highlands??

Processions are everywhere


Even coming out of the Irish pub



Random images from Cusco



plenty of ancient looking stuff.




Doesn't it put you off your bacon?



The group strike a pose



There's a lot to do in Cusco,

shopping is a bit different from home



And then in the evenings there's often more choice, I was pleased to see Mama Africa's was still going strong (notorious Cusco night spot) though looking at other venues, a night like the one promised on this poster maybe takes a braver person than me



A United Nations of bars and restaurants are on offer, obviously as a bike traveller there's ony one place I CAN go and drink...

Norton Rats Tavern



It's a pub dedicated to motorbike travellers and one I always go to when I'm in town, since first getting to know the owner Jeff, on my first visit some time ago. Jeff was out of town (he's creating an incredible hotel for bike travellers in the north of Peru) but his wife and the staff made us welcome, it's been quite a few years since my last visit so to catch up I browsed through the Visitors' Book, I came across a veritable Who's Who in the World of bike travellers, amongst them, Lois Pryce's entry. I remember that date whilst she was in the Bar I was on the other side of the continent in Brazil



Friends' stickers cover the door- and here is Savas's sticker- the guy I met in LA and two days later was crossing Mexico with him on his KLR, having put it in my name at the DMV (long story involving the police but nothing illegal) and on a purely friends basis.



Dining options are numerous, I was disappointed to discover that the Hare Krishna Govinda restaurant wasn't there any more, but luckily I managed to track it down on a different side street- one of Peru's very few veggie restaurants outside of the major cities. While I tucked into tofu and veggies, my group were elsewhere enjoying delicacies such as this dish... guinea pig legs



To prove we were taking in some of the culture while in the historic city of Cusco, we dd some sight-seeing



Tempting though life in Cusco is, time to move on, the mountains and my bike are calling to me

__________________
Tiffany
On the road from...I'm not sure any more
http://www.tiffanystravels.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAUhV1r-kUo

Dragging ourselves away from the myriad of delights that Cusco has to offer, we loaded up the bikes and headed off,


the bridge to Pisac has been washed out so we took a different route which actually turned out to be even better (or at least, more fun!)


I met these kids whilst on a minor track, they're guarding the sheep



Inevitably this happened...



tucking into some street food



But you're never alone for long when you eat in public in Peru



lots of smiles wherever we went



I got some plait tips from her friends


Guinea pigs enjoying the luxury of life in a maisonette



However, it's not a happy ending for them, their des res is actually located in the kitchen, rather handily placed right next to the cooker

__________________
Tiffany
On the road from...I'm not sure any more
http://www.tiffanystravels.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAUhV1r-kUo

Hi Tiffany,

Always enjoy your travel tale writing style. Heading that way in 2014 so noting your tips with interest. Good to hear your dad is in a better way.

Cheers
Paul

Thanks Paul, I always appreciate the feedback and glad to hear that you'll be heading that way - you'll have a ball.

__________________
Tiffany
On the road from...I'm not sure any more
http://www.tiffanystravels.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAUhV1r-kUo

The Sacred Valley (Valle Sagrado) covers a huge area with a lot of great riding possibilities, it's been a while since my last visit, but I can always find some good off-roading, this time though, I've got to ensure my group can handle it. While they're not around I do a bit of scouting, using my usual system of camera on self-time mode, propped up on my helmet which is perched on a rock



Checking out the gravel roads



In the distance I see something that looks like lots of guano on the mountainside



Naturally I go closer to check it out



it turns out to be a load of salt pans on the steep-sided mountain, apparently they've been collecting salt in this way for centuries since pre-Inca times



A mineral-laden spring comes out of the mountain and the locals have directed the flow over a series of terraced salt pans, as each pan dries out the salt residue is left and they scrape it up.


I now decide to get really close

__________________
Tiffany
On the road from...I'm not sure any more
http://www.tiffanystravels.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAUhV1r-kUo