Hey guys..

Just been talking to a few guys who said the RTA40 is a dream compared to all the roads in Bolivia and Peru... They said the roads are just sand, boulders and gravel all the way..

Now my bike is held together with bunjee cords and black tape as it is, and I have no shame that im worried about crashing alone on some miserable dirt road and being stranded with my bike in pieces !

So, what are the roads like and what kind of fuel range do I need ???

Im still going to do it, just after a "heads up"

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Ted:
Sitting in Fuetalefue with Sebastian. Caught up on your escapades on Ruta 40. We both had to laugh, after groaning through your tale of woe, knowing you'd persevere after all.

So to answer your question, skip Uyuni. The road there up from the border crossing of Argentina, and the road from the north are dreadful. The best way to get there is from Potosi, but then you'd eventually have to step into shit to get out, unless you really wanted to go back to Uyuni.

For the most part, Bolivia and Peru aren't as difficult as that stretch of Ruta 40 you did. There's some places where it ain't easy, but it ain't Ruta 40.

My advice to you - go into survival mode. Dial it back a knotch.

But remember, have fun. And think of the stories you and Maria have when you're back in England. I have no stories - yet!

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quastdog
Chiang Mai, Thailand

Don´t go jinxing yourself by saying that amigo !!

Cheers for the advice though, ill be sure to take it onboard...

P.S. Im glad my escapades are a source of amusment, id hate to dissapoint

Ride safe dudes !!

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Haven't quite gotten to Bolivia yet, but I'm in a 30 year old van and haven't seen any really bad roads in Peru, though I certainly did in Ecuador and Colombia.
Don't listen to them, they're just trying to wind you up!
Loraine

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Chuck! I wish my trip was a bit more boring!!!! Don´t wish for an interesting stuff to happen to you! Few days before that canadian twat on his giant KTM destroyed half my bike I was thinking

"-hmm funny lots of people from Viedma have crashed, So lucky I haven´t" - Then BANG!!!!!

I think Grant should create a price for the unlukiest Overlander of the year. I am still ahead of Ted but only a bit! He´s got potential!

Ted I read your blog. I couldn´t help to laugh! You keep your sense of humour that´s the most important!! Now I´m off to see a lawyer! KTM boy insurance is not worth a penny. Time to get serious!

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Maria

www.franglais-riders.com

Some more advice Ted:

think bicycle!

I'll bet you can get an even up trade for that beat up thing you're riding with some fully-loaded bicycle traveler...you don't see their gear laying all over the roads.

I heard the bookies in the UK have started tracking your travels. Right now, the odds are heavily against you, so you may want to plunk some money down, pay off that Antarctic cruise if you can beat them at their game.

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quastdog
Chiang Mai, Thailand

Don't think so; the pedal bike forum is showing that a good cycle, fully kitted out, costs more than a "beat up" XT.

Ted would have to put cash with the deal to do a swop!

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Dave

Hola folks,

Maria and Ted, I´m really sorry for your accidents!!!!!!

I thought together with Ra I´m the queen of accidents and misery. But there are others wich overtook me.

At the moment my inside-tent doesn`t close, my mattress is flat every morning (I dipped it for hours in a lake, sunburn was the only result), the coating of my visier comes down in stripes and my boots have a hole...

But Ted, I´m a bit afraid of the roads further north as well. I was told the road to Uyuni must be horrible.
This also dependes in the person how to find it. For me up to now a part of the Carreterra was horrible , the 40 anyway. But others had possibly fun there. So we all have to make our own experiences...

Ted don´t swop your bike with a bicycle!! (I had thoughts like this a well)

Everything is going to be allright

Saludos to everyone

Uschi from the Carreterra

As usual, all good ideas there from Chuck !! hahaha I would consider it, if it didnt involve waking up before ´" O´clock" and actually having to use physical effort to get anywhere .

My beat up XT is actually still mainly holding up pretty well. Most of the bolts have rattled loose (with loctite), my handle bars of 30 degrees off centre and my right pannier is somewhere under the rear wheel with the lid held down with a bunjee and water kept out with my gortex jacket lol..

Maria, who else has crashed from Viedma apart from the maple syrup gang ???

Remember Duncan the Geordie who stayed in the apartment with us ? (also at Rio pipo), well he crashed on the 40 while doing 70mph plus and broke his arm, rib and collar bone.. I bumped into him at a cafe in Puerto Madryn (small world huh) and his bike is in an estancia on the 40 waiting for him to collect it when he heals...

Uschi, you make me laugh so much... Your cow probably has BSE and is just moments away from a foaming mouth death at the side of the road...

Has Ra been crashing allot too ?? She should more time looking at the road instead of checking her lipstick in her mirrors

BUT................................ GOOD NEWS EVERYONE...

While at La posta, I was explaining my woes to Monicas brother and the next day he phoned around the whole of the Calafate area and actually located my bag in el Chalten... The police there have my documents, passport and my camera (no cash but i didnt expect it)
WHOOOOO WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !! Im trying not to get too excited and i wont relax until they are actually in one piece and back with me. They have to battle the Argentian postal service next !!! Looks like its a 5-6 day wait at La posta for my bag... Hard life isnt it !!

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Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Fantastic news about someone finding your document bag Ted! You will be rather relieved at that no doubt??

Re your query about Bolivia, the ride from San Pedro De Atecama to Uyuni was actually one of the highlights of my trip. The scenery was really stunning- yeah the 'road' is crap, lots of deep gravel etc but you really do feel like you're in the middle of nowhere. As for navigation, the Garmin Worldmap I had showed a surprising amount of the tracks out there so we didn't get lost. There are lots of tourist 4x4's using that route anyway so you can always ask them for directions and fuel (you'll need to carry extra). And if I can take a lardy 1150GS through that, you'll have nae trouble with that XT of yours as long as you keep it in one piece!!

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Mike


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Hi TEd, I´m very happy to hear that! Motorcycle travelling require a lot of luck and so far we all have been lucky one way or another! Well, we have to see the bright side!

YEs I heard of Duncan crash, we bumped into Sebastian and Chuck 3 days ago and they told us. WE also bumped into USchi yesterday in the supermarket, and I can confirm her cow is not foaming yet!
Other crashes (not involving yours and USchi and Mapple sirup crowds) that I can remember: Dela (from Viedma) had to fly back home after bad crash and Duncan.... and now me! Some sort of curse going round?

Last time we met Duncan (in torres del PAine) he was mixing with the wrong crowd! One guy in particular spent his time talking about his speeding offences and riding at 150mph and being banned for a year etc... back in the UK. They must have been going really fast, which is never a good idea on Ripio .

At least they did kill or destroyed someone else bike like KTM "Paris-Dakar" boy did with mine!!!!

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Maria

www.franglais-riders.com

Excellent news on recovering passport etc!!!!!!Yeeha!!!!!!!!!!!!

I also am someone who seems to get myself into 'fixes.' I think it's part of being a risk-taker. The key is, when something goes wrong, to remain calm, or if everything begins spinning, heart beats faster etc, notice that in fact, all is still fine in the world, and you just need to take the next step. For the past month, 'incidences' continue, but my attitude about them has shifted. They just happen... Ommmmmm. ;-)

Lorraine

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Ted, you charming boy, are you cuddeling to much with Quilmes?

My calf runs well up to now, it doesn´t have any foam.
Some argentine Rockers shortend the chain with a hammer and a rock.

Hi, I just got back to La Paz to find that roads have been washed out all over the place. There are no links from Cochabamba- Santa Cruz, La Paz -Rurrenabaque, Trinidad. I haven't heared how La Paz- Uyuni and Uyuni -Villazon are yet, but, it is a bad rainy season and they usually get effected pretty bad.

I think the rainy season is November to March ?????????????

I wont be there until late march or early april so maybe it will be better ?????????

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.