Last night we met up with Jorge, a 32 year old young Adventure Bike Rider who has been traveling for 4 months. He was born in the USA and his parents were originally from Mexico. He operates a Bulldozer when he works but took some time off, Gap Year I suppose. There were also other Overlanders as our little hotel caters for people like us. Rocky, our chirpy Interpreter and Banker (Kitty Master,) chatted them up as they were from France but one of the couple was Portuguese, so we made a long table and we ordered Lasagna and meat with rice, (vegetables here are Potatoes, still 2 types, so the meat came with rice, potato’s and more potato’s. We had stocked up with Chilean Wine so we had lots to say to each other.

At the end of the night Jorge (or George,) had told us lots of stories and we clicked, so he was invited to ride with us, or, maybe he had a better route than us for today and we rode with him??? Not sure as I have once  again been demoted in the group, (where are those happy years when I was the Leader and the Boss???) Tex and Millsy has taken over the Route Planning, but only once we arrive to start the Leg, I still spend hours planning the route and then they mess with my menu and the route changes.

This morning we got a bread-roll, shaped like a Croissant, which does not make it a croissant, with instant coffee. Thereafter we left in search of a fuel station. Proff took us to one but you can see it now only pumps Diesel to trucks, but only later in the day, it was still closed. Millsy found another but it was also closed, we waited about 15 minutes for 9h00 and then someone arrived and started filling our bikes. Turns out he is also the Main Money Changer with a much better Exchange Rate than the bank, so we could also change money.

I told you, we need a Sticker !!!

While we were waiting for the Fuel-Money-Man I had time to inspect Jorge’s Bike, A “Husky” with all the bells and whistles and color matching foot-pegs and extra fuel tanks etc. etc.

A tank bag with a bladder with water !!!!!! Die het ek nog nooit gesien.

Then the 7 of us set off on a straight road through the desert, not pretty.

 

And then we came to the Salt Flats, not the biggest in the world like we were planning to see in Bolivia, but the 4th largest, (in South America) 14 square kilometers.

We found a track onto the salt and started taking photos and behaving badly and driving poorly, and then a lady on a scooter joined us, to fight with us. We were acting illegally on mine property and had to leave the Salt immediately, well some did, but Millsy said it is easier to ask forgiveness than ask for  permission and him and Jorge sped off into the distance.

Then we rode on  and found a Tourist Attraction on the Salt Flats with Millsy and Jorge already there. So we heard there was a Salt Tour with guide and we decided to do it, we paid the money and followed the guide to where they had cut-out some salt and the “hole” was now full of water. He explained that this is what they do, but on a very larger scale to harvest the salt. The hole then fills up with salt water which are trapped underground and that it all dates back to the shifting of the tectonic plates and the salt is trapped there, but that volcanic action long ago caused this salt water. The guide could just speak Spanish, and Jorge tried to translate but he adds lots of F-Bombs in his translation, so it is difficult to follow him.

The guide lined us up in front one of these trenches they use for demonstration to tourist and took some photos. Then he did some trick photography whereafter we followed him around for a while, all they time Jorge was driving poorly waving at us to smile for his 360 Degree Camera at the back of his bike, he raced up and down our little line of bikers following the guide on his scooter and Jorge did  lots of zig-zags. I still need to see the footage. Then the guide stopped closer to the Mine Operation for another photo with the Volcano in the background, and the next minute Jorge’s Drone was up in the air filming us from above. Why can’t I have friends like him? Our group can do with Stickers and a Drone, and a 360 Degree Camera, I NEED NEW FRIENDS !!!

See below the 360 Degree Camera on Jorges’s bike;

Trucks were racing past, filled with salt.

After the Salt Experience we had a mountain pass to cross over another part of the Andes and then came proper switch-backs and steep climbs. On the way up we encountered a hand full of trucks, but the roads belonged to us, and the Adventure Bikers coming from the front, It was very scenic.

Then we dropped down and joined a new road, it got busier but still nice riding. Then someone saw a tourist buss stopped next to the road and they decided to stop there for an early lunch. Sadly I was waiting up ahead with my camera to take some photos as they rode by to the next town where we had agreed to have lunch at lunch time, and not at 11h30. After the mountain pass the road ran along the valley with a huge Dry River Bed on my left, I can just imagine how much water can comes down this river after heavy rains in the Andes Mountains. See how wide this dry river bed is!!!!!!

So after waiting a long time I rode on alone, but very slow, thinking they would soon catch me, but they did not as they were prancing around the tourist bus, so I stopped at a Gas Station for my 2nd Gourmet Lunch in 2 days, until they caught me, then we had Garage Coffee and continued on The 9.

We had an option of going around the mountain or over it, of course we chose the road going over it. But, non of us could have guessed how small the road was and how twisty it was. We were back in lush green forrest with tree ferns hanging from huge big trees.

Then we arrived in our town for tonight, which I also the Capital of the Province we entered today. Peens found us a lovely hotel on the town square with beautiful buildings and statues with gardens and everything a nice town should have, pragtig.

Tonight we are going to go out for dinner at one of those famous type of Argentinian Braai Restaurants. I will take lots of photos and report back in tomorrows Blog.

Be Safe, Lots of Love

Fleisch