The End

Ah....bittersweet!

Today was the day we were all supposed to start pouring into Asuncion for finish line celebrations.  Instead, the guys left this morning to head towards Asuncion via bus and plane to make their flights home.  I'm leaving this afternoon to start towards my next destination (meeting a friend in Santiago).  Those that remain and are still able to continue (very few) won't be able to cross the border into Bolivia until Monday.

 It's a bummer it all turned out this way, but at the same time it´s been the adventure of a lifetime and we did raise heaps of cash for Operation Smile with field work currently occuring in Asuncion.

Looking back it has all been amazing.  I never thought I´d be camping in a school yard in Huancayo, banding together with fellow junketeers to become psuedo Lifan mechanics well into the night.  When we finally did hit the road we were well prepared for the countless mechanical issues that came our way.  We crossed numerous Andean  mountain passes on nearly undrivable roads where the reality of their dangers were marked nearly every couple of meters with shrines and memorials to lives lost.  Storms were weathered and we always came out the other side a little damp, but safe and intact.  We camped in some of the most amazing places and were met with a generous hospitality by nearly all the locals we came across.  The picturesque scenes and comical livestock chases we came across are countless.  We limped broken bikes from one location to the next and slowly but surely we arrived at each destination we set our sights on. 

I also had the great fortune of teaming up with four stellar guys that made great travel companions and even better friends.  We never had a shortage of laughter, the goading was all in good humor, and we all made the best of the situation before us.  Neil with his calm demeanor was our seasoned vet having done the Mongol Rally last year.  Gav was our mechanic extraordinaire who was quick to rile (don´t tease him about his hair), but it was never long before he gave way to laughs.  Simon (nombre 2) was the gregarious one, horribly inappropriate at times, but in a way that had you in stitches.   Phil (nombre 1) and his beard of wisdom...I put more faith in rub of his beard than a dozen magic 8 balls.  He had just gotten his driver´s license prior to this event and by the end of the trip, he was a pro and our go to driver for limping in the battered motos.  He had a great sense of humor and deadpan delivery.

A big thanks to these guys for making this such a fun and memorable experience, it wouldn´t have been the same without them.  An even bigger thanks to everyone that supported me and Operation Smile.  I could not have done this without your support and thanks to you, there are a few more smiling faces in South America. 

Stay tuned to [http://www.operationsmile.org/](http://www.operationsmile.org/) for field reports of Operation Smile efforts in Peru, Bolivia, and Paraguay.

Current Status

Safe and sound in Puno. Moto´s have been turned in (sniff, sniff) and we´re off for a last supper before we all try to get to our next destinations tomorrow.  More to come...

The new plan

With the mess at the Border and given that it is a fiesta day in Puno today (meaning everything is closed and no document progress is made) we would only be gunning for the border to wait for documents to get into Bolivia.  That would let us get into Bolivia Thursday at the earliest and more likely Friday. The guys need to get back to the UK and have flights Sunday and Monday.  Believe it or not it´s more challenging (and more expensive) than you might think to find travel the rest of the way to Asuncion.  So as of yesterday arrangements have been made to go our separate ways at Puno for flights and other obligations.

 With that said we´ve decided to break up our trip to Puno into 2 days and enjoy as much time on the road together as possible.  There are plenty of archealogical sights to view along the way and we´ll take a side trip to Laguna Arapa and the reserve at the north end of Lake Titicaca.  None of us wants the trip to end yet.  Hopefully all these delays and lessons in South American bureaucracy will get the next junket (if there is one) off with out delay. We all believe that if we had the full 2 weeks we would have made it to Asuncion.  The most difficult parts have been travelled - crossing the Andes - and lots of great flat roads exist on the road ahead. 

We got the bikes back from the mechanics yesterday and they are running good.  A set of new rear shocks was needed for my machine and they all go the standard tune-up.  The owners of the shop were very sweet and insisted numerous times that we call them should there be any problems, even if we´re several hours out of town, and they will send someone out.  Great hospitality and service!

Mecanico

Alrighty!  So now we are in Cusco for a full day - fingers crossed that Peruvian time doesn´t kick in and make it longer - so that the bikes can have a proper tuning.  Given that they were A) new, B) put together in just a few hours by us with a quick lookover by the mechanics, C) driven over 800k already through rough terrain, and D) not made for anything they´ve been handed the last few days....they need a little proper TLC to keep them together for the rest of our run. 

 The tally to date for all 3 bikes is: 3 busted chains, 1 sparkplug, 2 flat tires, 2 fender benders (one claiming a rear light), 2 busted spokes, all kinds of misalignments causing loose wheels and chain deraillments, 2 mirrors, and a litany of other minor things.  We´ll see what the diagnosis is when we get them back from the mechanics.

Given the delayed start and mechanicals we´ve been having we´re having to face the music that Asuncion is not possible with the time left.  Three of the guys fly out of Asuncion on Sunday/Monday so as soon as we hear word of drop-off points we´ll establish a plan for the remainder of our time.  It´s been a great go of it so far and with the 5 day delay we had as the 2nd round of Group 2 I think Asuncion would have been very possible.  Even with our 4 am rises and night driving, there are not enough hours to get the remainder of the distance and still make flights.  Asuncion or not, we´ve gotten to help Pioneer this new adventure, forged friendships, and raised a heap of cash for Operation Smile.  As a matter of fact, I may be able to see some of our efforts in action as there will be Operation Smile field work going on in Asuncion on the 10th. 

For now, the Adventure continues and we´re going to fully embrace it!

Cusco!

We made it to Cusco kinda late last night. Had a few hours of mechanical work done in Abancay in the morning to keep the wheels together and chain running on Simon and Phil's bike.  After that we were gunning over the passes to get to Cusco (as much as you can gun a mototaxi).  We made good time for the most part, had to stop for a flat on Gavin and Neil's bike, but that ended up being a comedy show for the locals that had gathered around.  Fun times and a relatively quick repair.  After that we had some bad luck.  Some little punk came running out alongside the street and threw sand at Gavin and Neil who were leading.  Needless to say sand in the eyes at 40km is painful at best.  Gav hopped in the back and rolled Ray Charles style the rest of the way and his eyes are doing better today.  Sad to have happen as most folks are quite excited and inviting as we roll through.  For example, when I broke my chain in Chincheros and rode back to town with Phil to see if they had a chain tool (as opposed to our 2 step process involving tire irons, large rocks, and screwdrivers - hey it works!)  locals kept pouring out of their homes and shop fronts to give the guys drinks, snacks, and fresh homemade breads.  Very endearing and we were extremely grateful and moved by people with so little giving so much to total strangers.

 We hope the mechanic shop here in Cusco holds more promise than others we've seen and that we can get a little wrenching done to improve our on the road time for the rest of the trip.

 So far, it's been amazing.  We're constantly cruising through picturesque jigsaw puzzle scenes on hair raising roads filled with cattle, sheep, dogs, llamas, and curious onlookers.  It's pretty cute when the kids hear us coming and run up to the street to wave (with the exception of those armed with sand).  We´ve ridden through 2 storms in the past two days and 3 passes over 4,000m testing our mental stamina and waterproofing skills.  I have to admit the digits were cold, but we made it and our gear stayed dry.  The first storm was quite the tease as we kept riding into and out of the worst of it as the roads worked their way around the mountains.  Hail, lightning, and pissing rain....no problemo!  Yesterdays storm was an easier in and out affair, but driving on a wet road on a wet bike in lightning is never settling. 

 

SMS Update

Just outside of Chincheros. Long day with lots of mechanicals, but still managed 198km. Broken chains, flat tires, and bumper cars. Camped atop a hill under a full moon. Happy Halloween!@

SMS Update

Camped just before Ayacucho. Made it out of the valley and back up into the hills. 214 km in our first full day.

Getting closer

So yesterday was a no go, but when else do you get to help build motorcycles well into the night in a random Peruvian schoolyard.  We camped out in the yard last night after doing all we could and got on with decorating and assembling our own bikes first thing this morning.  Paperwork is in hand, luggage is waterproofed, just need batteries, petrol, and a thorough going over with the bikes before hitting the road.  Maybe by lunch?

Launch?

They´ve `split us up into 3 groups due to the limited availability of mototaxi´s available.  I´m in group 2 along with the rest of the caravan - Mental Militia and Pirate´s Rest.  Word is we leave early this afternoon (worst case scenario), but we´ll see how it goes.  It´ll be great to see group 1 launch and hopefully we´ll be close behind.

 Bummer situation for all, but I think they´re doing a great job trying to sort it.  In the meantime we´ll enjoy the parade and police escort through town and continue to decorate our jackets. 

A more thorough update is at [www.a-trainadventures.blogspot.com](http://www.a-trainadventures.blogspot.com/)

And just to note, Peter (Wobbly Express) and I have decided to part ways and partner up with other folks due to scheduling differences (i.e. I just returned from Machu Picchu and he´d like to make a stop there to see it, etc).  I´ve saddled up with the teams noted above and it´s promising to be a hoot!

 ...and HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!