2 up thru 5
riding 2 up through five continents
The Second Leg is started
We departed Canada on the 24th of June on Air Canada 63, flying to Seoul, South Korea, on a Dreamliner 787 with our bike in the hold. The flight was smooth on time. We travelled in comfort enjoying some good food and catching up on recent movies. We landed at the Seoul International airport then caught a cab to the Best Western Inchon Airport where we were to stay for the next couple of days while sorting out picking up our bikes from customs.
When Tom arrived at the hotel a few hours after us, we explored the area for a place to have dinner. The area was quiet, but did have restaurants and small groceries. We ate at the KIS pub which served various types of chicken and beer on a patio.
The following day would prove to be time consuming and difficult for the guys. It was time to get the bikes through customs…..always work, especially when we are not conversant in the language….but to add to their difficulties, our agent could not meet them at the airport, giving vague instructions on process, which kept them occupied for the entire day! At the end of the day Tom managed to have his bike back at the hotel, but Lindsay did not know that customs would only accept cash….which he did not have on him…..so he had to wait until the following morning, June 26, to pay for and pick up the bike.
As fortune would have it, we awoke the following day to the start of the wet season in Korea. And it arrived as promised. Torrential downpours and winds. So, suited up in rain gear, the guys returned to the airport to uncrate and pick up the bike.
They arrived back at the hotel, bike in tow, around 11am, at which time we payed our hotel bills, packed the bikes and left for the ferry off of Incheon Island to Seoul. Motorbikes are not allowed on the expressway bridge that connects Incheon Island to the mainland, so the ferry is the only way to get to Seoul.
Our open street maps uploaded onto the gps as promised and we found our way to the ferry terminal. As you can see, traffic was light, making the wet conditions a bit easier to navigate. We arrived at the ferry dock to be told that there were no ferries running due to weather conditions….as we were being blown about.
What do do…..we couldn’t go backwards…..we needed to push through. Tom gave us the push to try the bridge. Off we went. On the other side we were met with confusion and a not very happy secuity guard. He listened as Lindsay explained the dilemma, promising we were getting off the expressway at the first exit. The security guard took pity upon us and let us through!
The rain let up a bit as we were entering the congestion of Seoul traffic. It took us about three hours to reach our downtown hotel. Guys were pretty exhausted and glad to have a shower and beer. Once again we lucked out with location. A happening little pub just a couple of doors down from the hotel to help us unwind and get settled.
The next couple of days were spent in Seoul checking out the city and getting a few basics done.
The highlight of our visit to Seoul was a dinner out hosted by a colleague of Lindsay’s from days gone by…..Mr. Song. It was a lovely evening with many shared stories and memories.
Thursday, June 28…..time to leave Seoul for the coast at Donghae and spend the next few days waiting for our ferry to Vladivostok. Getting out of the city was slow, hot and congested. The hardest part are the traffic lights, which all seem to be about three minute change overs……with the bikes idling and heating up the riders. I think it took us a good hour to leave the city behind.
En route to Donghae we were treated to beautiful country roads, routes 6 and 42….we did run into an hour of heavy rain just outside of Donghae, but the rest of the ride was great.
We arrived into Donghae a bit wet but to the welcome site of the Hyunjin Tourist Hotel.
The hotel had a great Sky lounge where we ate our first dinner and had our ‘happy hours’ the following days.
Room with a view…from our room.
Our hotel did abutt the red light district….albeit a very quiet one….
Passed the days in Donghae and travelled up the coast.
July 1st arrived and it was time for us to get packed and start the process of boarding the DBS ferry, Eastern Dream.
Marian was very nervous about the crossing, hoping for smooth seas!
The day started as seems to be the norm for our departure days…..torrential rain…. making the entire process a challenge as we will arrive wet to the port and the guys will be in rain as they load their bikes.
The loading process took three hours. Each bike had to have all attached luggage taken off and x-rayed. We then were able to ride the bikes onboard where they were tied down. The keys were left with the bikes as the Russian stevedores would ride them off!!
Now time for us to board the boat and find our quarters. The boat is somewhat run down with the dreary weather not adding to the ambiance. We are feeling the culture shock of becoming part of a majority Russian and Korean population. English is not well understood, and announcements are generally not repeated in English. Once on board we locate our sleeping quarters. We are in steerage, eight bunks to a room, men and women separated! This adds to Marian’s anxiety….good news….we are far enough ahead of an approaching typhoon, so that we should not be affected on the journey.
Sleeping area and quarters.
General vessel.
Saying good bye to riders we met at the Donghae terminal who are all traveling to Europe.
Coming into Vladivostok! Made it……sailing ended up being as smooth as silk and once accustomed to all the cultural shifts we felt very comfortable. Everyone had great sleeps, even managed to have fried eggs and french fries for breakfast! A shift from Korean fare.
Next step…..awaiting the return of the bikes through customs……
Penang Malaysia to Bangkok Thailand
We left Medan, Indonesia with Tom and Tracy on the 8th of June with Tracy suddenly feeling ill while we were waiting to board our flight to Penang, Malaysia. We thought perhaps it was food poisoning from lunch.
The next day in Penang the four of us took a bus tour of Georgetown. Tracy was feeling better but Tom was feeling poorly. We thought that they both were dealing with fatigue after their intense ride through Indonesia.
June 10th, time to pick up the bikes. The bikes were in perfect condition. Were we ever pleased that the voyage had gone trouble-free!
Tom and Lindsay spent the day getting the bikes cleared through Malaysian customs, but Tom was still feeling really drained. So much so that that evening he had to leave an amazing tandoori meal with friends, one of whom (Fazil from KL) had just returned from a solo around the world ride and had his bike on our vegetable boat.
We postponed leaving for Thailand until the 12th hoping that all would be well by then. But that morning as we packed our bikes, Tom and Tracy decided they would catch up with us in Thailand as Tom still needed some down time. So we left for Phuket to wait for them. The border crossing into Thailand was really busy with bikers going to a big rally just over the border and it didn’t help that it was pouring. Riding in Thailand proved to be such a nice change from Indonesia due to so much less traffic and better road conditions.
We headed to Phuket which we had visited in 2001. We were anxious to see how Karon beach had recovered from the terrible Tsunami of 2004. We certainly saw a lot of change and hopefully for the locals very positive. While in Phuket we got the terrible news that both Tom and Tracy had contracted Dengue Fever and had been admitted to hospital. They ended up there for a week, and then were instructed to take several weeks of down time before riding again.
This left us with some difficult decisions to make as we were dealing with time issues for travel in Mongolia and Russia. Things had already been delayed in Australia, and now we were not certain how long it would be before Tom and Tracy would feel strong enough to continue. Also, there was the uncertainty of them getting a Russian visa, as all our research showed that as a result of rule changes, UK citizens could not get a Russian visa outside of their home country, although the possibility existed in Phnom Penh. We considered completing the journey by ourselves, but as we were about two months behind in our plan, it meant that we would have to rush through Mongolia and Russia, something we did not want to do.
So the four of us decided that all signs were pointing to home. We enjoyed the ride up to Bangkok via Hua Hin and spent about a week in Bkk before shipping ourselves and the bike home while Tom and Tracy waited out their time in Penang. Funny thing was, although we planned our flights home independently, we both flew home on the same date!
Although our voyage came to a premature end and we did not get to ride through Mongolia, Russia and Europe, it really had been an unforgettable experience. The actual riding was incomparable with any other trips we have done. The scenery, especially in South America, was spectacular. Everywhere we rode we were met by the friendliest people and never did we feel in danger or threatened in any way. The days were not all easy, as weather, poor road conditions, insane traffic and getting lost kept reminding us that this was “adventure riding”. The good days vastly outnumbered the bad. All told we had been on the road for ten months and had put 54,000 kms on the bike.
What’s next?
We are currently drawing up plans with Tom and Tracy to continue our jouney where we left off. We are looking at flying ourselves and the bikes from Vancouver to Korea and then take the ferry to Vladivostok where we will ride to the Lake Baikal region in Siberia and then through Mongolia, Khazakstan, the ‘stans and the rest of Russia to Europe. This is planned for late spring 2018 as Lindsay has to go through two hip replacement operations in the meantime.
Latest, February 2018 – hips done and detail planning underway for a mid-June departure to Korea.
Bike preparation for RTW second leg
As of February 2018 the bike has done 90,000 kms. In addition to oil and filter changes and tires, the following maintenance has been done since the return to Canada in June 2015 at 57,800 kms;
61,100 kms
replaced chain and sprockets (16-42).
67,800 kms
replaced fork fluid.
replaced brake and clutch fluid.
79,900 kms
changed fuel filter.
cleaned air filter
82,700 kms
replaced rear brake discs and pads.
replaced battery OEM.
88,300 kms
performed 90,000 kms service including
upgraded air filter box installed at no cost and cleaned filter
replaced spark plugs.
tested fuel pressure – on spec.
89,000 kms
replaced front brake discs and pads.
replaced chain and sprockets (16-42).
replaced swing arm chain slider.
checked clutch plates. Steel plates 10% worn, bonded plates 30% worn. Replaced inner steel plate due to slight groove from Belleville washer.
replaced water pump impeller, seals and circlip and renewed antifreeze (Motorex M 3.0).
checked rear wheel bearings and seals – ok (will carry spares).
replaced front wheel bearings, spacers, seals and circlip.
replaced brake and clutch fluid.
installed larger rear brake master cylinder reservoir.
installed fuel tank filler neck filter.
replaced front fork fluid.
replaced fork gaiters.
installed Barkbusters
How did the bike fare???
The bike performed amazingly well during the 54,000kms. A summary of maintenance and comments are as follows;
Oil (Motorex Cross Power 4T 10w50) and filter changes were done roughly every 10,000 kms.
Installed Metzler Karoo 3 tires in San Diego. Wore out quickly (7,000 kms) and changed to Heidenau Scouts in Bogota.
Radiator developed a leak in Panama and was replaced under waranty (17,300 kms) in Bogota.
Changed fuel filter in Cuenca Ecuador (19,650 kms). Replaced brake and clutch fluids.
La Serena Chile 27,800 kms performed 30,000 kms maintenance including
replaced rear brake pads
replaced chain and sprockets with 17/45 ratio
replaced fork seals which had been destroyed on ride from Uyuni
replaced front brake pads as a result of fork fluid contamination
replaced 4 spark plugs
replaced fuel filter
replaced front wheel bearing and seals
installed KTM fork gaitors
Perth Australia, 51,900 kms performed 60,000 kms service including
replaced fuel filter
replaced spark plugs
replaced fly by wire throttle twist grip (failure covered under warranty)
UniFilter was cleaned at 17,300, 27,800 and 51,900 kms. Throttle body air intake was always absolutely clean.
used 1 front and 1 rear Metzler Karoo 3 tire and 2 front and 3 rear Heidenau Scout K60 tires.
overall fuel consumption was 45 mpg (imperial).
zero engine oil was added.
Denpasar, Bali to Medan, Sumatra
After a good two months in Australia it was time to transport ourselves and the bike to Bali, the gateway for our journey through Indonesia and SE Asia.
Bali….First Impressions.
First stop was Kuta, where we stayed for a week while waiting for the arrival of the bike. For the most part the town and the beach were very quiet, as we were on a shoulder season, but on the weekend the beach filled with locals as well as tourists to watch the sunset.
The bike arrived on the Friday, we picked it up at the cargo area of the airport, and with the incredible help of the people that worked there got the bike uncrated and restored to a two wheeler, and we were off.
Stops along the way to catch the ferry from Gillimanuk to Ketapang.
Overnighted in Ubud.
Next stop Lake Batur.
We arrived at the ferry to Java and were issued onto a waiting boat in a hurried manner, with us not confirming that we were indeed taking the right boat. As we were nearing Java the boat was navigating away from the port we were scheduled to dock at. We began to think that we had boarded incorrectly…..but it turned out we were just lining up a distance away to wait our turn to dock…..almost an hour wait!
After spending a couple of days in the Banyuwangi and Genteng area searching out family history we made our way to Bromo.
Once again the scene that met our eyes matched the hype it had received. After enjoying an evening meal looking out at the volcano we made our way to our very small and rustic room in the complex that was built right on the craters edge. We had noticed the room had an odd smell to it, but we accounted age as the culprit. But as we were settling in for the night the smell became worse and ultimately unbearable. Lindsay went outside to check what the atmosphere was like, and sure enough, we were engulfed in sulphur fumes from the volcanic discharges. When we got up in the morning the atmosphere actually burned our nose and throats. Once the mist had risen, a couple of hours later, the air quality improved greatly.
After some exploring it was time to move on to Surabaya to meet an old family friend and delve into a bit more family history.
The ride to Surabaya was uneventful until we stopped at a rest area just off the toll road. We were hot, very thirsty and not too sure where we were going in Surabaya as we could not access the internet in Bromo before we left. We pulled up to an A+W. ready to quench our thirst and access their free wifi. As we were parking, an attendant approached us and said we could not park there….we asked, where then….he said, we weren’t allowed to park anywhere at the complex as motorbikes are not allowed on the toll roads!!! OK, we were in shock….now what to do. Of course everyone turned out to be very generous when they realized we had no idea where we were in relation to our hotel and we were dying of thirst, so they gave us time to access google earth and quench our thirst with a Root Beer before we had to leave.
The next hurdle came as we approached the toll booth to pay our completed passage, once again people didn’t know what to do with us. After some laughter on their part and then discussion, it was decided one of the attendants would lead us via an unused road to enter Surabaya. He guided us down a very new and very empty artery to the proper access road for motorbikes.
We spent three days in Surabaya enjoying some of its history and art before leaving for a look at Krakatau via Surakarta, Yogyakarta, Tasikmalaya, Bogor, Cilegon and then Anyer.
There were many incredible sites enroute , but for the most part Lindsay had to give the road 150% of his focus as traffic intensified as we left the Surabaya area growing into sensory overload as we neared the outer reaches of Jakarta. There was so much going on, both on and along side the road, it was even difficult to take pictures as one scene just melded into the next. But here are a few visuals from our ride through the rest of Java on a mainly two lane roadway that was the main thoroughfare for commercial, local and general travelers. Our pit stops were taken at Indomarts as the parking was easily accessible, the refreshments were cold and the conversations were friendly.
First police check in Indonesia, as we were leaving Java.
Throughout Indonesia there are “self-appointed” traffic cops, parking attendants and flag persons. They really do control the chaos and are paid by passing drivers – bikers exempt!
Although the riding in Sumatra was not as difficult as in Java, because of the long distances between accomodations, the days were long and tiring, with the constant 35 deg heat and very high humidity not helping.
Along the way…..
We rode around the southeast corner of Lake Toba, the largest volcanic lake in the world. It occupies the caldera of a supervolcano which erupted about 70,000 years ago and is the largest known explosion on earth in the last 25 million years; impressive!
The only way to get bikes from Sumatra to Malaysia, other than by air, is by vegetable boat. These boats sail between Belawan and Penang Malaysia once per week and take about 24 hours – weather dependent. It takes a leap of faith to hand over your treasured bike on the dock!!
And once again we are on our way…..next stop Penang.
Australia
After two days in transit we arrived in Sydney on Saturday the 7th of March. We had flown from Buenos Aries via Lima, El Salvador and LA. We made our way out to the northern part of Sydney to settle into our hotel anticipating the bike on the 10th, giving us a few days to explore the city and get acclimatized to the time change.
Our hotel was located across from a bus stop allowing us easy access to the downtown and waterfront areas where we spent our afternoons site seeing and enjoying the abundant Australian comfort food.
Tuesday the 10th arrived, but not the bike. It’s new date of arrival was the 12th. A few more days to while away. We enjoyed time with an old friend, Ian, walking the beautiful waterway from Spit Bridge to Manly.
D day. The bike arrived. We made our way to Customs Clearing at the cargo area of the airport to process our carnet and quarantine documents. The process was very fast and the officers friendly and informative. What we hadn’t realized was that from the clearing house we needed to make our way to the Quantas warehouse down the road to arrange to have the bike transported to a Quarantine area a few kilometers away for inspection before we could take possession.
Sitting in the Quantas waiting area for our turn to arrange possession of the bike we approached one of the many men sitting waiting with us. We realized they were all picking up freight for customers, so we asked if it was possible for any of them to assist us with the transport of the crated bike to our next destination. Turned out it was all possible and within the hour we were our way to Quarantine.
After the inspection the warehouse operator asked us where we wanted the bike delivered to have it uncrated. We had already said good bye and thank you to our truck and driver as we were under the impression we would be riding the bike from the warehouse. After some discussion we came to an agreement regarding the dismantling and disposing of the crate and we finally managed to ride the bike away and were once again back on the road.
Our original plans were to make our way to Perth, across to Alice Springs and Uluru, then up to Darwin to ship the bike to East Timor. But we decided to shorten the travel gap between Tom and Tracy and ourselves by riding the East Coast first then make our way West.
Visiting old haunts.
Riding North towards Brisbane.
From Surfer’s it was a short visit to Brisbane for Lindsay to reconnect with his old work mate, John. We had contemplated going further North but cyclone Nathan was playing havoc with the coastline. So Brisbane became our turn around point.
We left Brisbane in the pouring rain Wednesday morning. We had to stop and suit up in our rain gear. By the time we stopped for a bite to eat in Beaudesert the rain had stopped, we were wet and the sun was poking out from behind the clouds. We laid our coats out to dry on the bike and went in to enjoy some fresh baked goods and a cappuccino.
From Beaudesert we rode the New England Highway and Thunderbolt Highway to Gloucester, beautifully cultivated landscapes filled with historic English and Celtic towns.
Breakfast in Gloucester before riding to the Nabiac Motorcycle museum.
School kids out on a field trip in Gloucester…..
From the museum we made our way to Maitland to visit some of Lindsay’s old work mates from Kurri Kurri, Malcolm and Doug. Then it was on through the Hunter valley. As it turned out the vinyards were finished for the season with the vines losing all their leaves. We still enjoyed the countryside and seeing the expanse of the growing areas.
From the Hunter Valley we made our way around Sydney to the coastal area of Wollongong.
From the coast we rode inland towards the Snowy Mountains overnighting at Jindabyne. We left Jindabyne in the rain which lightened to a mist as we made our way into the mountains.
From here it was to Melbourne. When we took a break at a roadside café we ran into several guys making their way to the annual Ulysses gathering…. a motorcycle club that is the largest social club in Australia with over 40,000 members, membership criteria requiring member to be 40 years of age or older….. its motto, “growing old disgracefully”. Two riders on vintage Ariel Red Hunters – a ’48 and a ’53 – one pulling a bike trailer!!
One of the really great attributes of being on the road in Australia is all the little cafes and bakeries that are full of charm, character and history, making roadside stops one of the main social events of the ride.
Dinner in Melbourne with Geir and Wenche.
After a short visit to Melbourne we took the Portsea ferry to Queens Cliff.
Now the ride we had been looking forward to since our arrival to Australia, The Great Ocean Road….and it lived up to it’s reputation of beauty.
After the Great Ocean Road we visited with Tom and Mon, friends we met during a ride to New Mexico. It was great meeting again and sharing riding plans and stories.
Then it was on to Adelaide for the Easter long weekend. One of the most beautiful rides just outside of the city, the Barossa area, small country road undulating through the hills and valleys of the wining estates with Fall colors setting in.
We rode into a deserted Adelaide on the Easter long weekend and lucked out finding a great deal at the Intercontinental located right on the river.
The city came alive as the weekend progressed, even giving rise to protest.
At the finish of the long weekend we started to make our way into the Outback with a small diversion to Port Lincoln.
We left Port Lincoln in the morning and spent the night in Port Augusta before starting our route through the Outback to Uluru, our route and stops were Port Augusta, Coober Pedy, Erldundo, Uluru.
The scenery.
Originally we had planned to stop at roadside picnic tables to enjoy refreshments and snacks, but as it turned out we found that the bush flies found us the minute we stopped and it was hard to enjoy a meal while keeping the pesky little kritters out of our eyes, nose and mouth. So ultimately we used the roadside pullouts for body breaks and made use of the Roadhouses for our meal breaks. As it turned out, the Roadhouses had a captive audience and charged accordingly for their sustenance.
We reach Uluru.
Set up camp.
And find Uluru.
Saturday, April the 11th we received an email from Tom and Tracy, they are on their way and will be in Uluru today. So after saying good bye to them in Buenos Aires on Feb. 25th we will once again be travelling together for a short while.
When they arrived we hiked Kata Tjuta, near Uluru.
The next day were on the bikes again and making our way to Darwin, originally our final destination in Australia, where we were to ship the bikes to East Timor. But due to shipping complications our plans changed with Lindsay and Marian travelling the West coast to Perth and Tom and Tracy making their way to Sydney via the East coast with plans to reconnect in Indonesia.
A couple of refreshment stops at Roadhouses along the way.
Local art.
Creatures to share your lunch with.
Stories to share.
Road trains….AB-Quads, up to 53.3 m or 176′ long…..
The odd ‘roo’
An overnight stop at Mataranka Resort.
A roadside attraction.
We reach Darwin.
We spent a few days in Darwin taking a day trip to Litchfield park to see the termite mounds, waterfalls and swimming holes. Termite mounds litter the northern Outback……literally fields of them as we rode from Katherine to Darwin, and from Darwin to Carnavarn.
April 21, we said good bye to Tom and Tracy in Katherine and started our journey to the West coast. Lindsay wasn’t feeling great, fighting the flu, which would follow him until we arrived at Broome. To add to his difficulties we were riding 600 km days between accommodation and the flies increased from being a nuisance to being a plague. Apparently the worst investation the West had seen in years. Good news, no flies while riding…..bad news, clouds of flies the minute you stopped.
We had hoped that the onshore breezes would keep the flies at bay, but that was not to be. While visiting the Stromatolites we kept all our gear on as the temps were cool enough and it allowed us a bit of protection from the bush fly onslaught!
May 1st we arrive in Perth. Our time here will be used to get the bike maintenance done, have it crated and then shipped to Bali where we will start our journey through Indonesia.
The bike needed new tires and the 60,000 km maintenance as we were heading to Indonesia with 52,000 km on the odometer. Heidenau tires were found at Steve’s Motorcycles where the bike was taken in immediately, the tires changed and balanced. The 60,000 km maintenance service was done by KTM West. Being a major service including valve check and possible setting, the bike was left overnight to be picked up the following day. Following the service it had been arranged through our shipper, Bikes Abroad, to have the bike crated by BMW. When trying to start the bike the morning of the crating it would not start and error codes showed up on the control display. Lindsay managed to get it going and rode back to KTM West. It was discovered that the twist grip electronics had failed and needed replaced. Luckily the KTM Australian distributor was located in Perth and the part was available immediately and we were on our way to crating by noon.
Once again the heavy luggage was packed and we were ready to go. The bike was scheduled to meet us in Bali on the Wednesday May the 13th, we flew out on the 10th. Looking forward to Indonesia.
A family interlude…Indonesia
After waiting in Bali a week for the bike to arrive we packed our bags and journeyed to Java. We left Bali on the Gillimanuk to Ketapang ferry.
The crossing took about 30 minutes, then we waited off shore for about 45 minutes before docking.
Upon arrival we were booked into Ketapang Indah Hotel.
In the morning we made our way via Bunyuwangi (where mom taught after WWII) to Genteng to meet our guides to the property. Mom and Dad had put us in contact with an old family friend from Indonesia, Sai, without whom all we did and saw in the next couple of days would not have been possible.
First we were taken to the back of the estate to see some of the existing cocoa trees which have replaced the original coffee plants.
From there we backtracked to the living/working area. As you can see the road leading to the estate was built up with residential properties.
The dam taken from the bridge.
Before crossing the bridge looking away from the plantation.
The next day we left Banyuwangi for Surabaya to visit my grandfather’s grave and some old haunts.
From here we visited the old cigarette factory, House of Sampoerna.
Then it was time for coffee at the historic Oranje Hotel….now Majapahit…..where the family stayed enroute to Holland.
After coffee we drove by what Sai believed to be the historic Bendo Kerep offices in Surabaya?
I wonder if the familiar places are still recognizable 60 years later? Happy 90th Dad.
xxx
Bolivia – Chile
It was a short ride from Puno to Kasani to cross from Peru into Bolivia. The crossing was straight forward, and took about 45 minutes to process the bike and us through.
After the border we rode the 8 km to the resort town of Copacabana on Lake Titicaca. The town is a vibrant tourist resort with many young foreign tourists roaming the shops and cafes. Temperatures were cold and as evening closed in so did a storm, making for some beautiful views.
The following morning we took a ferry off the Peninsula of Copacabana to San Peblo du Tiquina. The ferry was pretty basic with several holes in the deck and powered by a 50 hp outboard motor.
After our break temperatures dropped with periods of rain. We layered up with electric vests and water proof shells. Luckily it was a scenic ride and the rain did not persist.
The main road into La Paz from the north was in surprisingly poor condition, made worse by a heavy rain just before we rode it. There were many potholes, lots of muddy water and chaotic traffic.
After getting lost a couple of times following the GPS, we finally got a glimpse of the main area of the city nestled in a bowl. It was quite a steep ride down a series of switchbacks to the main downtown, which was quite modern.
On January 1, we left La Paz and started riding towards the salt flats (Salar de Uyuni), a three day journey. En route, in Oruro, we encountered our first hassles finding gas. There are special gas stations that can sell gas to foreigners, and there is no premium gas in Bolivia. (The KTM has a low octane fuel option which allows the bike to run well with regular gas) The first station we stopped at had a line up of vehicles and after waiting in line for about ten minutes, when it became our turn we were told we could not buy gas and were directed to a station several kms away. Same situation there. After criss-crossing the city several times we finally found one that would sell to us. It had taken us an hour and a half!
On the third day, from Potosi to Salar, the ride was very scenic and we were starting to see a landscape of dry valleys and mountains and the odd volcano in the distance. Late in the afternoon, as we crested a hill, the Salar, came into view.
Salar de Uyuni (salt flats of Uyuni)
One of the sights in Uyuni is a graveyard of old steam locomotives, which we went and had a look at. The ever present signs advertising the upcoming 2015 Dakar off road race were starting to appear. We started riding north to our hotel, and ran into very loose gravel and sand making the ride virtually impossible two up. Marian and Tracy got into a taxi and Tom and I rode the 23 kms without difficulty. Our hotel was right on the Salar and was made of blocks of salt. Outside offered an amazing view and we sat and enjoyed the amazing sunset.
The next day we rode onto the Salar. You can ride for many kilometres but because we had been unable to get gas in the small village nearby, we were limited in range. We had been warned that the salt gets everywhere on the bike and it has to be washed off thoroughly. We rode for a couple of hours and returned to the hotel before a cloudburst. Tom and I then spent an hour washing the bikes off with pails of water; a high pressure washer would have been easier and more effective.
The following day was a long one, all on dirt roads. We ran into an intense storm a few kilometres before the border crossing into Chile at Ollague. It was very windy and little did we know that the slight coating of road mud we were riding through would prove to be a problem later on. The crossing was in the middle of nowhere but surrounded by beautiful peaks, volcanos and salt flats.
Early scenes in Chile as we make our way to Iquique
After many kilometres of dirt road in Chile, and spectacular scenery, we stopped for a breather and to our horror it was noticed that both front brake calipers on our bike were covered in fluid. It turned out that the mud film we had been riding on had hardened like concrete on the lower fork legs and when compressed over some major bumps the hard material had destroyed both fork seals. The next morning at the hotel in Calama, Lindsay tried to clean and fix the seals but to no avail. They would have to be replaced at the next KTM dealer in La Serena, several hundred kilometres away.
Meanwhile, the same mud had had an effect on Tom and Tracy’s bike as well. A vibration had developed in the rear wheel indicating wheel bearing problems. The following day Lindsay and Tom took both bikes to a repair shop. After a thorough steam cleaning, Tom’s bike was vibration free. The mechanic said the wheel bearing was ok. It took one hour of intense pressure cleaning to get our bike mud free and most importantly the cement like material off the forks. The shop was unable to repair the seals.
We set off for Iquique on the coast where we were eagerly anticipating the arrival of the 2015 Dakar off road race machines. The ride was uneventful as the road was very straight and monotonous, until we rode over the coastal dunes and the city appeared, hugging a narrow strip of land between the dunes and ocean. It reminded us of some the coastal cities we had seen in Mexico.
The next four days were spent enjoying waiting and watching the arrival of the Dakar bikes, cars and trucks. Watching competitors crossing the finishing line of stage 6 after they had just navigated through 688 kms of mainly rugged desert tracks was amazing! On the way back to our hotel Lindsay noticed Robbie Gordon’s race car and transporter at a garage next door. We were able to drop in to shake his hand and take some photos. On Monday we were once again watching as the trucks came over the 400 metre high dunes to race to the finish line!
We set off for Antofagasta on the coast after having watched the first trucks and cars make it to the finish line. It was great to be riding beside the ocean again, but disaster was about to strike. Marian and I stopped at a police checkpoint when a guy in a car came over and told us in broken English that our friends had problems. We rode back along the highway and sure enough Tom and Tracy were stopped beside the road with the police. It turned out that the bike’s rear wheel bearing had not been ok and had seized while they were riding at 90 kph, luckily on a straight. There was a 30 metre black rubber strip on the road and Tom had managed to keep the bike upright. The two policemen had been very helpful, already having arranged a truck to transport the bike to Anotfagasta, 280 kms away. We rode on ahead with Tom and Tracy arriving at the hotel later that evening.
The following morning Tom located the BMW Dealer and we loaded the bike with seized rear wheel, onto a flat deck. It appeared that fixing the bike could take up to two weeks, and as we had an appointment for our bike’s 30K service and fork seal replacement in La Serena, Marian and I rode south and we agreed to meet up with Tom and Tracy somewhere in Southern Chile or Argentina.
The ride along the coast was uneventful, scenery and ocean in shades of grey as we rode through the Atacama desert. We stayed in a funky hotel in La Serena and the bike service and front fork seal replacement went according to plan.
North of Santiago we headed inland as we wanted to cross the border near Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in the Andes and outside of the Himalayas at 6,961 m (22,837′). It turned out to be a beautiful, relaxing ride through wine country and we stayed at a converted old monastery, Vina Monasterio, in Los Andes en route.
From here we made our way to Argentina, our final destination in South America (already posted). Next Australia.
Peru III
We left Chalhuanca with the decision to ride only as far as Abancay as the ride from Abancay to Cusco had been billed as a ride not to miss, so we didn’t want to find ourselves doing it at night fall. The ride was a relatively short one, we checked into our hotel, caught up on some chores and then enjoyied an evening meal on site.
We encountered our first incident of ‘wrong doing’ on the journey in Abancay . Tom and Tracy had left their dry bag containing their camping gear strapped on the bike as we were in a very secure parking area. But it seems some kids managed to get in and slashed the netting and bag while taking a water purification bottle. Fortunately the wet bag could be repaired with a bit of duct tape and the bottle replaced, but it was a bit of a security reminder.
We left Abancay the following morning enjoying the warm, sunny riding conditions.
We arrived at the outskirts of Cusco around 3pm. What met us was a city in transition. Construction and disorder were our first impressions.
Once through the outskirts and into the center of the city, things were more organized. We arrived at our hotel to find that the parking for the bikes was a few blocks away. Lindsay and Tom headed only to return a short while later still with the bikes. The lot that the hotel had arranged resembled a junk yard with vehicles parked amid the debris. The bikes were allotted a space in the midst of broken glass and discarded metal. The guys talked to management about the situation and it was agreed that the bikes could be left on the sidewalk in front of the hotel where there was 24 hour security. Everyone felt better.
We spent a couple of days in Cusco enjoying the sites before taking the train to Aguas Calientes to visit Machu Picchu.
We left for Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu on the 22nd of December via Peru rail.
Along the way.
Arriving at Aguas Calientes.
We arrived in Aguas Calientes around noon and caught a bus up to Machu Picchu right away as the skies were relatively clear with high clouds.
After two great days of exploring the sites we travelled back to Cusco to celebrate Christmas.
Christmas morning at church.
Next morning December 26th, Boxing Day, we packed up and rode to Puna to see Lake Titicaca, a cold and beautiful scenic ride.
While in Puno we arranged a Boat excursion on Lake Titicaca to see the Floating Reed Islands. Historically these were thriving villages, now mainly a tourist attraction, but very interesting to see how a whole culture carved consolidated masses of reeds from the lake, joined the carved blocks together and created islands to build their homes on.
After an incredible ride through an amazingly beautiful and diverse country it was time to cross borders once more and make our way into Bolivia and Chile.
Peru II
We left Cajamarca on December 10th to make our way to Truillo to visit the Chan Chan ruins, capital of the Kingdom of Chimu. As we neared the coast we ran into a back up of transport trucks that went for about five kilometers. We cruised past the lineup to find an overturned transporter blocking the only road access for all heavy traffic in and out of town. People, trucks and cars were everywhere with everyone trying to get through the congestion. There was an old dilapidated bridge that was being used to move smaller vehicles, allowing us to pass, only to be greeted across the bridge by an equally long backup of vehicles. Definitely an advantage to being on a bike during times like these.
Rio Jequeteque valley cultivated with rice.
From Truillo we travelled to Huaraz. We started out on a rough packed dirt road through barren and impoverished landscapes. We passed many industrial vehicles and sites and passed through the saddest looking and most desolate villages we have seen so far. After riding through a no man’s land for about two hours we were beginning to wonder if we were lost as our map and gps were indicating that we needed to cross the river we were skirting, Rio Chuquicara. We finally came to the bridge and crossed thinking that we were leaving behind the gravel and dirt, but that was not to be. In fact we passed some of the most rugged terrain we had encountered so far.
Finding our way to the river crossing and the road to Huaraz.
Skirting the rio Chuquiara.
After a few hours of pretty intense riding we crossed a second bridge which we believed would bring us to pavement.
There was more traffic, that was a good sign.
But then the rains came and conditions deteriorated considerably.
Glad we did make it to pavement as we were riding into Huaraz with night having set in. We arrived exhausted, damp, cold and muddy. Then to add a bit more challenge our gps wasn’t cooperating so after struggling to find our hotel we finally gave up and hired a tuk tuk driver to lead us; turned out we were only a couple of blocks away and the driver charged us double what we negotiated.
But we had reached our destination for the night, the San Sebastion hotel, which turned out to be an oasis of warmth in the center of the city. We enjoyed our first taste of matte tea followed by a warm meal and a glass of wine as we sat by a hot woodstove.
After a good night’s sleep we were off to Huacho over a 10,000′ pass that would give us views of the Cordillera Blanca and Mount Huascaran, at 22,208 ft above sea level, Peru’s highest mountain. The ride was cold and damp with a bit of hail thrown in for good measure, but again we enjoyed every minute.
Next door as we were leaving the San Sebastian in the morning.
We arrived in Huacho around 4pm, found our hotel and tried to check in only to be told the hotel was undergoing fumigation so our room would not be available until 8pm. We decided rather than wait we would continue on to Lima.
We arrived in Lima as night fell and were greeted by the most tumultuous traffic we had encountered on our trip so far. It took us almost two hours to navigate through the masses of vehicles that were literally pushing and shoving their way to their destinations. At one point we were sandwiched between two vehicles as neither one wanted to give way….fortunately we managed to remain upright. The highlight of our stay in Lima was our Peruvian celebration at the historic Gran Bolivar hotel with ‘Cathedral Pisco Sours’.
We left Lima on December 17th riding the Panamerican Highway to Nazca before turning East to ride to Cusco. Our ride from Nazca to Chalhuanca saw us reach an elevation of 14,980 ‘ (4566 metres), passing though plateau areas with herds of Alpaca, cows and sheep and seeing Cerro Blanco, the world’s highest sand dune at 6,818’ (2078 metres).
Along the way.
2 up thru 5 