Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Can I already be slacking off the regular blogging?? No!!!

do I have a reasonable excuse?? um, it was cold, and so all I wanted to
do was stay inside my sleeping bag? not sure if that's going to cut it!
but it really was cold - after 2 steamy sunny days of lazing in hammocks
and munching herbs from the garden, it turned icy and cold, and we
quickly turned to hot choclate laden with rum to wake and warm up, big
campfires to try warm the old, 30y/o bones and sleeping in about 7
layers. Samaipata was still nice, but just cold and nice.
tonight we arrived in Santa Cruz - the biggest city in Bolivia. Driving
in with traffic was quite an experience - especially after the quiet of
back roads for the past couple of months. Weaving inbetween lanes, our
first traffic light in I don't know how long!! (and oddly - it was red,
but people slowed a bit, but then went straight through. I stopped for
it, then got honked at by the line of cars piling up behind me...)
As per the pic... on the way here today had a bit of a pannier problem -
essentially on the way to Samaipata part of the welding that holds my
panniers broke - and today the other contact point for the left pannier
to the bike also broke. with a rather regal dog looking on, we added 1
pannier to the sidecar and strapped the other to the back of my bike on
top - then Philipe went on his merry way cornering the way down to Santa
Cruz while i tested out how much I could lift the sidecar wheel without
tipping over on my right hand curves.
Tomorrow surprise surpirse is a motorbike day - I've got to get the
pannier frame welded on, buy some oil for an oil change/chain clean,
MUST by a pinon as my front one is nearly worn and is probably with
every km wearing down my chain, AND look for some motorcross shoes and a
jacket. Let's see how much actually happens - it's amazing how much time
you spend wandering between shops, talking to mechanics and hearing '
manana, manana - tomorrow, tomorrow'.

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