Celtic Adventurer - Riding the World

Happy Christmas

Hello everyone. Last few days have been great. After leaving Salta I made my way to Buenos Aires via San Miguel Tucuman, and Villa General Bergano. The bike is parked up at Fabrizios, and I am waiting awhile for parts to get it back to 100% working order.

Paul and Andrew arrived from Ireland the other day, we have been hanging out and enjoying the sights and the steak dinners. Yesterday we took a day trip to Colonia in Urguguay. So the plan is to sit back and take some time to enjoy christmas and the new year. So best wishes to everyone and see you all back here with new pictures and new stories in 2008.

Wow - Bolivia

After a night of playing poker (which I won) and catching up with gossip from Ireland, I set off 150 Bolivianos richer in search of the Salar de Uyuni. The first stretch of road to Oruro was relatively easy. But it seems these days that nothing will go to plan. When I was driving through Oruro, the O-rings which I had used to temporary fix my clutch failed! So i promptly ground to a halt. But now looking back how lucky was I!!

Just as well it happened in a town and not out in the wilderness. In addition I had the good fortune to meet the Martinez family who not only helped me find a shop where I could get more o-rings (got 10 this time) they also took me in, gave me food, and offered to let me stay the night! Where do you find hospitality like that. Had I not had to go it would have been nice to stay a little longer. After Oruro the road gets worse until after Challapata it doesn't exist anymore, just a sand and gravel dirt track, (with no signposts).

Possibly the hardest and most rewarding roads I have ever ridden. The feeling was immense. Just me and the bike and total isolation. I think this is what I was seeking on the trip. you look around and there is nothing. Just miles of sand, mountains, and sheer wilderness. It is a must for any serious adventure motorcyclist. It is almost spiritual, (especially when your Ipod is broken and you have lots of time to think).  As the sun went down I set up camp for the night and curled up to sleep. I was nice and snug but it was bloody cold when I got out of the tent in the morning, actually minus 1 Celsius. I was up at sunrise and was at the salar by 9.30.

This place truly is amazing. The first glimpse you see coming over the ridge is of this huge expanse of bright white. The Salar is one huge dried out salt lake, (well almost dried out). I got onto the Salar at Colchani with the idea to drive across it to Villa Martin and out to San Pedro de Atacma in Chile. However it was just too wet, and I was not taking any chances with the bikes electronics out here. So instead I opted for the road to Atocha and onto Tupiza and Argentina at La Quiacha.

From Bolivia

Now Atocha shares its name with the main train station in Madrid, and it does have a station, but that is about where the similarities end. This place is unreal. Its located in the middle of absolute no where. The road into it is crap and so is the way out. At one stage approaching the town I dropped off the road and into the dry river bed. Driving this was easier than the road. Lots of deep dust and loose gravel. Then came the exit of the town. I had to drive up the river for about a kilometer or so, and then branch off to an unmarked dirt track, that leads over the mountains and down to Tupiza on the other side of the range. My God it was hard. I spent the entire day standing on the foot pegs driving between 15 and 30 mph, trying to stay on the bike. Deep soft rutted sand, or corrugated gravel! combined with twisty road and steep drops with out crash barriers! It was the stuff of legends. I loved and hated it at the same time.

Today I took the remaining 100km of dirt road from Tupiza to the border, and was really glad to see the Asphalt in Argentina. Tonight I am taking a well deserved rest in a nice hotel in Salta, Argentina. 

Hey everyone! its been awhile but I have finally escaped Peru! But not without incident. I swear that country was out to sabotage me. Yesterday I had hydraulic failure with the clutch line, and today I had a crazy Peruvian driver think that my GS would look nice impailed on the side of his car. But finally I escaped. Ha ha Peru you couldn't keep me! I limped over the border with dodgy front brakes (VW beetle bent one of the front disks), a lopsided headlight, a front wheel missing two spokes, and a console that doesn't display much, only Revs and Speed. But now that I am in Bolivia I am hoping my luck will change.

So back to where we left off, after Lima I made my way to Nasca, stopping off at Giacomo's place to say goodbye. The next morning I took a flight in a little "buddy holly" type airplane over the famous lines. Mike, I am not sure if they were UFO's but I am sure you have a theory on it. In the evening took another tour with a Swiss guy at the hostel two a burial ground. Here there are a number of Mummies, the dry sand has preserved them. They are all buried in a feotal position facing east. There is lots more info which I got, but cant remember right now.

From Peru - Lima o...

(Monkey - My star sign)

(The original Bob Marley)

The next day I packed up early and left for the 11 hour drive to Cuzco. The route winds up over the Andes onto a Plateau, its really amazing to be climbing from near sea level to over 4300 meters. I even came across my first Llamas, or Alpacas .. (not sure of the correct name..don't care either). The road drops down into another valley before climbing up to Cuzco again.

From Peru - Lima o...

Cuzco is a great little town, dropped into the famous Norton Rats bar, had a few pints and signed the guestbook! Set off for Macchu Picchu early next morning (as the sun was rising). Its somewhere that needs to be seen to be described!! So go see it yourselves!

After Cuzco had more problems with the bike, the clutch started to get soft, and when i looked the hydraulic system for changing gear was leaking! Tator didn't do such a good job. On further investigation i found the threads for the screw connecting the lever to the hydraulic line had become non existent, so the screw couldn't grip, so no pressure and a leaking system. Not going to wait around for another 3 weeks for parts so took the system apart and got a machine shop to turn a normal bolt (2mm wider) into a replica of the existing one, and then got new threads cut in the gear leaver. Problem was it wouldn't seal, so with the addition of two O-rings I have a temporary fix. Its not perfect and have to keep topping up with baby oil every few days but it will hold. After this i powered on to Puno.

Puno is nothing special. Nice view of lake Titicaca though. I left this morning determined to get out of Peru which has been nothing but bad luck! (but some great times also). On the way near the border I was thinking I was home free, no more bad luck, then the idiot in the Beetle decided to pull out in front of me!! So smack!! right into the side of the car. I tried to cushion the impact with me, so the bike wasn't too badly damaged, but the weld on the headlamps was broken again!! and one of the front brake disks was warped. I took solace in the fact his car was much worse, broken windows, deformed door and front panel, and it was in its side in the ditch!!! Of course he had no insurance or anything, and amazingly all the locals backed my up! telling him he was so in the wrong, and at the same time telling me to get going before the police come. So I started her up and got across the border! 

Checked into the Wild Rover hostel here in La Paz. Actually its owned by an Irish guy from Tipp. Removed the warped disk. So now I am limping along. Brennan I am starting to know how you felt! Next up I depart to get Patosi and Uyuni and onto Argentina. Here the bike goes to BMW for some TLC. And I get to meet up with Paul and Andy! But I only have 11 more days to get there. Wish me luck. 

Back in Business Baby

Hey Guys quick update!! Got the parts this evening after hassling the DHL girl constantly for the last 3 days, she is nice though and put in a lot of effort calling and seeing where it was etc. She arranged for the guy to skip it up the queue a bit, it was all very shady, had to meet him outside KFC.. van pulls up, me with my collar up , hand over the cash for tax, and he gives me my package!! I should go into the spy game! CIA or Mi5 would be proud! 
So from here it was straight down to Tators (Honda dealer here) in Miraflores, but changing the piece is not so easy, we had to completely remove the handlebars and the headstock. There are no bolts holding the sensor itself in, but it is held in place by a metal section which his held in by two bolts. Problem is BMW don't like people interfering with the ignition so these bolts need a very special tool to remove them! one which doesn't exist in this part of the world. So we had to drill out the two bolts, and then get two new bolts put it back together!
But once all was reassembled and my front suspension back together it started first time!!!!!
Only problem left now is the clutch cable which was snapped off near the handle bars when it was being towed, .... grrr. But Mr Tator assures me that will be fixed by 10 am tomorrow (he sent it off to be welded).!! then i am on the road again!!! and about time too! At this stage I think I know Lima backward. From where to get an English language newspaper, to where to buy counterfeit goods, and apparently even where to meet an Assassin. Anyone need advice on Lima just ask.

This is what the famous EMG unit looks like!! take note fellow BMW riders, I recommend you carry a spare when going to remote parts of the world.