Well I left Uyuni the evening of Friday 8th October to start my premature journey home! Earlier that morning I had to watch as the riders left, and the trucks pulled out of town to continue their journey south to Ushuaia - it was a very sad moment and I felt very lonely, but hopefully I'll be back in 2 years to complete the same journey myself!
The insurance company had got my route home sorted out and I was picked up that evening to be driven back to La Paz in a Land Cruiser. The journey started with some more Bolivian washboard roads for a few hours, just to give my collar bone a further shake up but thank goodness Didier had provided me with some pain killers to survive the pounding! Eventually after 9 hours and some smoother tarmac roads we reached La Paz. I overnighted here and caught the plane to Lima the next day where I overnighted before finally getting the plane back to Manchester, via Amsterdam, and home again on the 11th. Avril met me at the airport and it was nice to get back home to familiar surroundings, but I was still thinking of all my friends who would now be getting into Argentina and away from the high altitudes that we had been at for so long.
I started The Andes Trail with only one real aim and that was to get to the end! Only a serious mechanical failure or an impossible to get over physical problem was going to stop me - and that is what happened! I had maintained a 100% record for the total distance I had covered until a Bolivian dirt road got the better of me! Like all of us on the trip there were parts of the journey that I found hard, easy, interesting, boring etc., but it was an amazing experience while it lasted. I have met some super people and enjoyed their company for many weeks, and hope that I will keep in touch with them for a long time. The Bike Dreams crew were great and did all they could to make our trip as enjoyable as possible, thanks to all of them - I hope I'll see them again on some more trips in the future.
Lastly, to all of you who have followed my blog, sorry it had to end early but thanks for following me on my journey and for all your comments. If I have the opportunity to end this journey in 2 years time, and if I tackle other trips I'll give you another chance to watch my progress and spur me on again. Bye for now and thanks again!!
Rob in The Andes
The build up to and my path through The Andes of South America.
The Andes Trail
The Route
Friday 15 October 2010
Wednesday 6 October 2010
Day 61 My trip across the Salar y Uyuni
About 8am Didier drove me to the bushcamp where most of the others had slept the night before. It was on the edge of the Salar y Uyuni, but I would not be riding my bike across with the others!
I had some breakfast and chatted with the others about yesterday. Eventually after some re-arrangement of the trucks we left in the luggage truck in the direction of Uyuni whilst the riders left in the direction of the Cactus Island in the middle of Salar y Uyuni.
I was on the salt but in a truck. We crossed to the Salt Hotel where the riders would be staying for the night, about 7K from the edge near Uyuni. We dropped off their luggage and continued to Uyuni and the last hostal of my trip. The road for about 20K after we had left the Salar y Uyuni was like a washboard and my shoulder took a pounding, nothing that Ewald, the driver, could do but make it as smooth as possible.
We arrived at the hostal and dropped of my luggage and a few others riders who had skipped this day due to illness. Then Didier and I went off to the hospital for confirmation that I had in fact broken my collar bone into 2 large & 1 small piece as the X Ray showed. We returned to the hostal and began prepring for my early departure back to England. I contacted Avril and she found out exactly what the Insurance Company needed. Didier and I then created an email with this information in it and sent it off. About 2 hours later I received a call and the process was in motion for me to come home early!
I just have to wait to find out when that will be, and I will wrap up this journey in a final posting soon.
I had some breakfast and chatted with the others about yesterday. Eventually after some re-arrangement of the trucks we left in the luggage truck in the direction of Uyuni whilst the riders left in the direction of the Cactus Island in the middle of Salar y Uyuni.
I was on the salt but in a truck. We crossed to the Salt Hotel where the riders would be staying for the night, about 7K from the edge near Uyuni. We dropped off their luggage and continued to Uyuni and the last hostal of my trip. The road for about 20K after we had left the Salar y Uyuni was like a washboard and my shoulder took a pounding, nothing that Ewald, the driver, could do but make it as smooth as possible.
We arrived at the hostal and dropped of my luggage and a few others riders who had skipped this day due to illness. Then Didier and I went off to the hospital for confirmation that I had in fact broken my collar bone into 2 large & 1 small piece as the X Ray showed. We returned to the hostal and began prepring for my early departure back to England. I contacted Avril and she found out exactly what the Insurance Company needed. Didier and I then created an email with this information in it and sent it off. About 2 hours later I received a call and the process was in motion for me to come home early!
I just have to wait to find out when that will be, and I will wrap up this journey in a final posting soon.
Day 60 Meteor Crater Bushcamp to "The end of the trail"
Another un-paved day and in the morning we left bushcamp in sunshine continuing on the road we had arrived on the night before. The road was similar to yesterday afternoon but the wind was much less. It was another enjoyable day and about 35K we all met up in a village for lunch and to continue the rest of the day as a group because there were so many twists and turns that one of the crew would guide us as a lot of the changes in direction were not that easy to describe on paper.
The after lunch section was going well and we were all enjoying the scenery of an extinct volcano that we were skirting around. The going was getting harder with some rough uphill and downhill sections and also some very stoney sections too.
Sadly, after feeling that I was mastering the technique of keeping going over all this stuff I came around a bend where there was a large hole filled in with large boulders which I negotiated okay! This unfortunately was followed by another one where the filling was not as good and my front wheel dug in and I flew over the handlebars. I landed on my head and left shoulder with a thud and in an instant my Andes Trail had ended!!!
I knew immediately that I had broken my left collar bone and that was the end, just 10K from the end of the day and the Salar y Uyuni - The Salt Flats which were tomorrow.
I lay on the road in disbelief that my dream of getting to Ushuaia was over. After others had gone for help a 4 wheel drive arrived with one of the organisers, Rob, and I was carefully driven to the finish town and the help of Didier, our nurse.
The nearest hospital was across the Salar y Uyuni at Uyuni, and it was deccided that I stay in the hotel for the night and we go there the next day as negotiating the Salar y Uyuni in the dark was not a sensible option.
Whilst I was in pain it was not unbearable and with a pain killing injection I had some supper and settled down for a nights "sleep". One split second when a Bolivian road had bitten me back and the ride was over.
The after lunch section was going well and we were all enjoying the scenery of an extinct volcano that we were skirting around. The going was getting harder with some rough uphill and downhill sections and also some very stoney sections too.
Sadly, after feeling that I was mastering the technique of keeping going over all this stuff I came around a bend where there was a large hole filled in with large boulders which I negotiated okay! This unfortunately was followed by another one where the filling was not as good and my front wheel dug in and I flew over the handlebars. I landed on my head and left shoulder with a thud and in an instant my Andes Trail had ended!!!
I knew immediately that I had broken my left collar bone and that was the end, just 10K from the end of the day and the Salar y Uyuni - The Salt Flats which were tomorrow.
I lay on the road in disbelief that my dream of getting to Ushuaia was over. After others had gone for help a 4 wheel drive arrived with one of the organisers, Rob, and I was carefully driven to the finish town and the help of Didier, our nurse.
The nearest hospital was across the Salar y Uyuni at Uyuni, and it was deccided that I stay in the hotel for the night and we go there the next day as negotiating the Salar y Uyuni in the dark was not a sensible option.
Whilst I was in pain it was not unbearable and with a pain killing injection I had some supper and settled down for a nights "sleep". One split second when a Bolivian road had bitten me back and the ride was over.
Day 59 Alti Plano Bushcamp to Meteor Crater Bushcamp
I realised today that I actually was beginning to enjoy the un-paved sections! Soon after we left the road changed to an un-paved dust track which was made worse by the almost continuous cross wind which was sometimes a headwind. This created many dust/sand storms along the way. Lunch was about halfway as usual and after lunch the road got worse and so did the dust storms. It was beginning to become a slog to get to bushcamp which was reached after 82K beside a Meteor Crater. Pitching tents was quite hard as the wind did not lessen until around 6pm. After dinner, which we took in the shelter of an unfinished chapel, most of us went to our tents only to hear the wind rise and more dust storms hit us for most of the evening until just before midnight! After which it dropped and we could have another cold quiet night.
Day 58 Oruro to Alti Plano Bushcamp
The weather this morning was not very bright and after an excellent buffet breakfast we went out to find that is was cold and also starting to rain! A number of us were not fully prepared for this and luckily the luggage truck had not left so we hastily grabbed our cases and got some leggings etc. out before setting off.
After leaving town we were back onto the "flat" Alti Plano road again for about 147K. Lunch was about 80K at a Thermal Baths which some people used, before we went on to the bushcamp. There were a few dust storms on the way, but the scenery in my opinion was far from interesting.
Opposite the bushcamp was a sad memorial to a Berlgian woman who had died in a coach crash in 1999, the remains of the coach were also alonside the road along with two other memorials.
The bushcamp was as usual pitch tent, eat dinner and go to bed earlier than you would like because the temperature just plummets after dusk.
After leaving town we were back onto the "flat" Alti Plano road again for about 147K. Lunch was about 80K at a Thermal Baths which some people used, before we went on to the bushcamp. There were a few dust storms on the way, but the scenery in my opinion was far from interesting.
Opposite the bushcamp was a sad memorial to a Berlgian woman who had died in a coach crash in 1999, the remains of the coach were also alonside the road along with two other memorials.
The bushcamp was as usual pitch tent, eat dinner and go to bed earlier than you would like because the temperature just plummets after dusk.
Saturday 2 October 2010
Day 57 Lahuachaca to Oruro
I have to say that there is not much I can say about this day that varies with my comments of yesterday, more flat roads on which we luckily only had to do 99K before we reached Oruro. Quite a busy town and a pleasant hotel.
One good bit of news from the group, Martin was back on a bike today! His bike is wrecked but he borrowed Wilbert`s bike for the day and had a good day despite a few aches and pains from his accident with the Donkey just days ago! Needless to say the Donkey jokes have not stopped since we found out he had survived as well as he did!!
We will be bushcamping for the next few days so no reports until we are back in a hotel when I can report on what I hope will be one of the highlights of the trip. We cross the Salar de Uyuni, the large salt flats that Bolivia is famous for. 100K across white salt where we must seriously protect ourselves against the damaging rays of the sun. So I´ll let you know how we get on with that as soon as I can!
One good bit of news from the group, Martin was back on a bike today! His bike is wrecked but he borrowed Wilbert`s bike for the day and had a good day despite a few aches and pains from his accident with the Donkey just days ago! Needless to say the Donkey jokes have not stopped since we found out he had survived as well as he did!!
We will be bushcamping for the next few days so no reports until we are back in a hotel when I can report on what I hope will be one of the highlights of the trip. We cross the Salar de Uyuni, the large salt flats that Bolivia is famous for. 100K across white salt where we must seriously protect ourselves against the damaging rays of the sun. So I´ll let you know how we get on with that as soon as I can!
Day 56 La Paz to Lahuachaca
Wel after being unwell yesterday I was not looking forward to the climb back out of La Paz, but it went better than I thought. So we were back on the Alti Plano which we will cross for most of our visit in Bolivia. It is a vast plateau and varies in altitude by only a few hundred metres. It has to be one of the most boring places to ride as it is just endless "flat" roads which are almost always going in a straight line. A curve in the road or a slight up or down makes a few exciting minutes. There are no snow capped mountains to look at and it is just a wide flat dusty plateau with brown hills either side. So the riding for a lot of us is rather boring, some of the Dutch guys enjoy it as it is not as flat or featureless as Holland!
We ended the day after 135K in an "Eco Hotel" which had individual little cottages and very few facilities. It was interesting but quite basic. One feature it did have was very low doorways on some of the communial buildings, which I managed to smash my head against! Now as most of you may know I have not got much hair on top and Didier, our nurse, insisted in shaving some of it off so that he could put some plaster stiches across the wound to help it heal!! So my day ended with a fairly big cut on my head and a bit of a headache, ah!!
We ended the day after 135K in an "Eco Hotel" which had individual little cottages and very few facilities. It was interesting but quite basic. One feature it did have was very low doorways on some of the communial buildings, which I managed to smash my head against! Now as most of you may know I have not got much hair on top and Didier, our nurse, insisted in shaving some of it off so that he could put some plaster stiches across the wound to help it heal!! So my day ended with a fairly big cut on my head and a bit of a headache, ah!!
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