BOLIVIA, in Altiplano 23.12.2009, 150. Tag
Calama , Chile
Nach einer Stunde Pistenfahrt trennen sich die Wege der Jeep-Truppe und von mir.
Kasimiro
pickt mein
Gepaeck
vom Dach
my
'street'
towards
Chile,
always
West
The Bolivian Altiplano 220 of today's 280 km were on a track with differences due to the Cordilleras Chile.
Der Grenzuebertritt bei Ollague sorgte wegen einer Busladung von Grenzgaengern fuer eine etwas laengere Pause, anschliessend mangels irgendwelcher Richtungsschilder fuer Herzklopfen. Die Piste nach Westen war die Richtige. "Alegre su fiestas" (Froehliche Feiertage) sagte der Zoellner. Ach ja, Weihnachten steht vor der Tuer. Muss sehen, dass ich endlich einen Ort mit Internet-Anschluss finde, der auch das Hochladen von Bildern erlaubt.
60 km vor Calama befahre ich ploetzlich -seit Tagen- Asphalt. Zunehmend tauchen Zivilisationsmerkmale wie Strassenschilder, Ampeln, geregeltes Fahrverhalten auf. In der Stadt halten Autos fuer Fussgaenger. He, was ist los, bin ich in Deutschland?? Ich erleide einen Kulturschock. Dann wechsle I get money, buy a road map of Chile, wash the salty Yami,
looking for a comfortable bed, some food, suffered a price shock would immediately go back to Bolivia , I would have the Altiplano not completely exhausted. I need rest. But Yami need a new chain, I have a new helmet. My Hi-Tech Nolan folding helmet is no match for the strains. Besides the chin lock all the joints are gone, I can not fold down the visor. My equipment urgently needed a general overhaul - I also really, but when? The Atacama Desert that lies before me as a next step, is not exactly free of dust.
speedometer: 38,800 km route today: 280 km distance, total: 28,800 km
22.12.2009, 149th Days
San Juan, Bolivia
@ Claudia: Congratulations on your birthday!
The trip over the flat pott Salzsee ist irgendwie eigenartig: Erst dauert es einen ganze Weile, bis das Hirn akzeptiert, dass die weisse Flaeche KEIN Eis oder Schnee ist. Dann verliert man mangels Horizont das Gefuehl fuer den Raum und muss sich sehr anstrengend auf das Fahren konzentrieren um nicht einzuschlafen. Die ca. 100 km vergehen wie im Flug.
Towards the end it is a lunch break on an island in the lake. There I meet two young Belgians. You have the motorcycle with the right tire purchased in La Paz, Bolivia would like to explore. They hope to be able to sell the machine again cheap.
then leads the way back from the lake over the Altiplano to San Juan, our final destination. Au cursed! My tires are good for tarmac, gravel and debris. For sand and mud, they are not good at all. And all non-asphalt, there are irregularities in ugliness auf diesen 100 km. Hochkonzentriert, und zudem noch wegen meiner Verletzung verunsichert, muss ich diese Strecke absolvieren um nicht zu stuerzen. In San Juan bin ich fix und fertig. Aber: Meinen Fuss spuere ich kaum noch. Autoimmunizierung nennt man das, glaube ich.
Tacho: 38.520 km Strecke, heute: 200 km Strecke, gesamt: 28.520 km
21. 12. 2009, 148. Tag
Uyuni , Bolivia
Ankunft um 03:00 Uhr. Im Taxi die 100 m zu einem Hostal. Die machen tatsaechlich auf.
Uyuni
center
Lok
cemetery
At 12:00 clock, I was able to drive away from the Yami Verladebahnsteig. It goes. If only the entry and exit were not! With this handicap on your own alone to drive through roadless terrain, I think a little too negligent.
In Uyuni I ask one of the many tour agents, tourists in jeeps drove through the salt lake, whether he has a tour soon in the direction of Chile and makes me as a 'descendant' with it. If he does, tomorrow. The day after tomorrow or in 3 days? No, this week only tomorrow. Uyuni is not just a place of my dreams, that is tomorrow.
20th 12.2009, 147 Days
Uyuni, Bolivia
Within 8 hours Yami Baggage cart in the train to Uyuni.
The journey to Oruro to geginnen clock at 19:00 and last for 9 hours. Syringe and pills work. I just feel my feet when I somehow bothering him a burden.
The train, carrying at least 15 cars and 5 Baggage cart is packed. I find some sleep anyway.
speedometer: 38,320 km route today: 0 km distance, total: 28 320 km
19.12.2009, 146th Days
Oruro, Bolivia
Morning: My foot hurts. Go is not. Only if the will is stronger than the pain. In Huani I want to stay absolutely do not, I could somehow have to Oruro, from where I come in the rest of the world. Blanca, a young Bolivian, brings me in a taxi to the hospital. The 'road' is there such an extent that an internally injured would inevitably die on the road. The doc I missed a double load of analgesic in the butt, give me 12 pills, want for a total of EUR 1.60. Bolivia is a very poor country. So it will remain so.
Am Nachmittag: Waehrend meiner Siesta versuchte Blanca vergeblich einen Transporter fuer Yami und mich nach Oruro zu finden. Ich fahre selbst. Irgendwie geht es.
Gegenueber des Bahnhofs finde ich eine Bleibe. Am naechsten Tag wird ein Zug nach Uyuni gehen.
Tacho: 38.320 km Strecke, heute: 140 km Strecke, gesamt: 28.320 km
18.12.2009, 145.Tag
Huani , Bolivia
Ich will soweit wie moeglich in Richtung Uyuni, um von to drive there from over the salt lake to Chile. Oruro brings me to the asphalt-only occasionally by unexpected 'off road' - suspended deposits well ahead.
Then there is continuous 'Area' until it behind Huani are no more snow. Lanes in the boonies indeed show the basic direction, but each driver studied obviously his individual way in the landscape. For a while, does it well, then a large Matschflaeche lies before me, I no longer with my tire coping. Reverse! I will pause in Huani, superior to the way forward, get me violently from the bike and sprain his left foot. Sch ..... goodbye, so I can not drive anymore. IS THIS THE END OF THE TRIP? I treat the foot with our own resources, find a miserable lodging, first sleep over the situation.
speedometer: 38,180 km route today: 430 km distance, total: 27,750 km
14th - 17.12.2009, 141 - 144 Days
La Paz , Bolivia, 3,800 m
Because my bank interchanges because of a safety problem, all credit cards, is also here in my La-Paz-confiscated by the card machine. Until I have it back, take 4 days. time to learn, La Paz know in more detail.
La Paz bluffing. In more ways than one. If you approach it from the outside, it looks as constituting only of brown, bare brick buildings on a plateau with a broken axle manufacturing 'streets'. Do you. The plateau has a hole strictly speaking, a ravine. In the real center is built. Breathtaking. to be taken literally, at 4,000 m altitude. Even this center has a height difference of 800 m. The rich people live 'down'. Since there are noticeably more oxygen, and the daytime temperature is 10 ° C higher than 'above'. However, there is the ground 'bottom' of dried mud - only for Rheinhessen: De-sludge lagoon is getruckende the leads in the rain to many a house collapse. The Erossion has produced a lunar landscape, which is called Valle de la Luna tourist markets.
is further up the rocky ground. Accordingly, the Strassenfuehrung the topology is adjusted. San Francisco is a pool table against it. In this confusion of traffic is so to himself. The fastest we proceed on foot, not only far. Then the breath everyone - even the locals are moving 'adapted'.
is also my overall impression of this city. The emerging economy of modernism is embedded in the tradition-bound of the indigenous population Beharrungsvermoegen, which seems ultimately set the tone. For all the apparent liveliness, real aggression I have not noticed. Nomen est omen: La Paz = The Peaceful. Perhaps we should suspend any aggressor to 4 km altitude.
After I've become tired in the first two days already from sleeping, it is (beating oh dear, the Schnuefflerfalle again) by adjusting and a lot of coca tea possible to make a longer tour of the city without having to chase the pulse of more than 100 .
13.12.2009, 140th Days
La Paz, Bolivia , 3,800 m
After a speedy and friendly border crossing - after an hour everything was done-La Paz emerged as a huge, brown Flaechenstadt on the horizon. It receives its visitors with krottenschlechten streets. If we have to get in the city, it turns out to see a hilly than previously. By sunset it gets cold. A warm shower is now more important than others Sinneseindruecke -> no pictures.
speedometer: 37,750 km route today: 260km distance, total: 27,750 km
