Hi there,

I am planing to go to Uyuni and watch a little bit of the Dakar Rallye 2018 here in Bolivia.

My idea is to arrive on the 13.01. and camp somewhere outside the town. Then on the 14.01. try to find a good spot to watch the participants somewhere near Uyuni. And on the 15.01. ride to Tupiza.

If you want to meet up, lets meet on the 13.01. between 4-5pm at the clocktower (no I dont have a gps).

Or on the 14.01. between 4-5pm at the same clocktower.

Or on the 15.01. around 10am at the clocktower.

The clocktower is in the center and maybe we cant get to it with the bikes, but you will recognise a smelly biker (me), sitting somewhere with his cheek full of coca. I am riding a black DR650.

Send me a pm and I send you my phone number (sms only).

See you there.

mika

Hey Mika. My wife and I are I San Pedro de Atacama right now. We were thinking of watching in Uyuni, but we were told the vehicles just fly through and it's better to watch in Tupiza. However, if we are in Uyuni, we will reach out to you.

Bruce and Jessie

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Hi Bruce and Jessie,

as its the first time for me to go and see the Dakar here in Bolivia, I dont know if there are better places to watch in Tupiza.

As I said, I dont want to watch them in Uyuni itself, but somewhere outside, dont know if they cross the Salar.

And maybe leave early in the morning on the 15.01. to Tupiza.

Lets see, I am flexible.

Looking forward to meet you.
Saludos
mika

Great. We head towards Uyuni on Wednesday and should be there this Friday. If you arrive in the area sooner, let us know...

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In 2016 I watched the Dakar at Uyuni and Turpiza. Luckily after watching the race on the edge of the Salar (Day 6), me and a friend headed straight for Turpiza and camped the night and saw the race the next morning (Day 7).

Luckily we did, because the next morning (day 7) the liaison route for the competitors towards Turpiza was the only road, so it was closed to all other traffic. In fact the road was closed at sunset the night before. They were pretty much closing the road behind us as we passed on day 6.

Pictures at from post #78 onwards at The Wife takes on Chlamydia. A South American Retrospective | Page 4 | Adventure Rider

Enjoy! I'm not jealous, honest!

__________________

Brighty's website: TheBrightStuffDotCom

CURRENT RR WITH REGULAR UPDATES: The Wife Takes on Chlamydia: A South American Retrospective

Thanks Chris, very good advise. So this means leaving Uyuni 14th in the afternoon ...

mika

Just for info for the Uyuni section and everywhere else over the Dakar fortnight:

Uyuni town will be really busy and lots of streets closed in the centre. There's a huge Dakar bivouac (part of an army base?) on the edge of town. In 2016 the race went around the edge of the Salar anti clockwise. We camped the night before in the middle of the Salar.

Either on the Dakar app or on the website they tell you where "official" spectator points are with gps coordinates and when they pass by. Often the first bikes are ahead of "schedule".

Just be aware that often the only access (dirt) road is the liason or race track. You can only leave the view location after all competitors and the sweeper trucks have passed and the route is open by the police again. What was an easy graded dirt road then looks very different The race trucks and cars especially, carve it up very badly. Fine if you know how to ride, but maybe less so if you're a dirt novice on a faux adventure heavy bomber with road tyres and the kitchen sink bolted on the back

Also consider long delays at borders if all the competitors/ backup crews / organisors are crossing before you.

I followed the race in 2016 from Uyuni to the podium in Rosario. Pictures and videos in my RR in the link in the signature below (page 4 onwards).

__________________

Brighty's website: TheBrightStuffDotCom

CURRENT RR WITH REGULAR UPDATES: The Wife Takes on Chlamydia: A South American Retrospective

My experience in Argentina 2013, Fambila and Tucaman stages.

Tucaman - Once the course was released we rode into the desert the night before and camped next to the course. I got photos like this one, standing just off the course.



Fiambala - I parked my bike and walked a mile or more into the desert, far from the "spectator view area." The spectator zone had police that keep you back from the course. Screw that.

Check out my short clip on YouTube it's worth watching)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpVgavYlU-s



I was so close to the racers I had to have my camera cleaned a few weeks later to remove the dirt and dust that was jamming up leaf lens cover. =)

Pick your spot thoughtfully
1) Don't position yourself in a potential "impact zone", an area where a race might accidentally leave the course.
2) Determine which way the wind is blowing and place yourself upwind to minimize the dusty fallout from the racers flying by.

When traveling on the liaison route from Rioja (bivouac) to the Fiambala stage start, I rode along side with racers. I was really cool. I guess things are run differently in Argentina. Perhaps the liason road is closed now a days... The funnest thing, young kids would cheer when they saw me on the liaison route. I felt like a fake Beatle.

__________________
Peter B
2008/09 - NJ to Costa Rica and back to NJ
2012/13 - NJ to Northern Argentina, Jamaica, Cuba and back to NJ
2023 - Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia...back to Peru.

Blogs: Peter's Ride

Hi all,


I mixed up the dates a little.

Stage 7 of the Dakar: La Paz - Uyuni is on 13.01.

Stage 8 of the Dakar: Uyuni - Tupiza is on 14.01.

So I will try to arrive in Uyuni on the 12.01. in the afternoon. Meet me at the clocktower at 6 pm, if you want.

On 13.01. I will ride to Tupiza, leaving in the late afternoon.

As I said, I am riding a black Suzuki DR650SE.

See you
mika