Cuzco

Made it to Cuzco and the finishing party.....no more mototaxis ever!!

Willow was imaginative with her prize giving the most outrageous prize went to the Navy boys for attacking a dog with a machette!

Oruro II

Engine being completely rebuilt ... so hopefully ready this evening for a night drive to the border to get there before it closes on Friday lunchtime

Oruro

Eventually made it to Oruro but had to tow one of the mototaxis the last 50km as it had a knackered piston. Alas the towing mototaxi also rolled over and died about 5km outside town. Put them to bed at a local petrol station and taxied into town ... staying at Gran Surce Hotel ... very posh!

Mototaxis being fixed today and then off early tomorrow for a dash to the border to see what magic Willow has done with the customs there!

Had a real meal last night ... one of very few on this trip..excellent fish and chips (no mushy peas)

alto

just oñe littlr update ... Potosi is at 4054meters so eveñ the most basic tasks leave you breathless eg push starting a mototaxi, climbiñg the stairs, farting etc...

Potosi

Had a great drive yesterday with ñearly ño breakdowñs except for a chaiñ or two jumpiñg off, ño power to grt up thr moñster hills añd ño lights for thr last 3 hour drive into Potosi, but wh wants tp see whats off to thr side of thr road probably just somr bottomless gorge.....

Potosi very different añd will havre a wañder arouñd after we get our mototaxis fixed... agaiñ añd agaiñ....

Off to the salt lake later

Blazing Boon Lay

We have a new team now - Blazing Boon Lay thanks to Nicholas´s kindness in letting us join him.

We and Bake and Shake had a great drive from Filadelfia to the Bolivian border. At the border we were told that our papers were bad but were let in anyway. The roads in Paraguay had been pretty good but once over the border they were shite. Dirt roads - which is OK but adding in large sections of mud and water we pushed shoved and kicked our machines along. Met up with two other teams on the road who were broken down. Joined up with them for the last 50Km section - towing one of the teams for most of it.

We ran out of water and were dying of thirst not helped by the loss of blood from 2.85 trillion mosquitoe bites. Mr Thumbs was the saviour by stopping a pssing car and we bought a few bottles of fruit joiuce with US dollars!

Made it to Idobobo where you get your passports stamped at about 1am Office closed but were invited to stay in a military camp overnight - really kind gave the men a sleeping area (on the floor but OK) and the women beds! The Captain also tried to wake a shop keeper up to sell us water and make us fod, but we stopped him. We did manage to get our first cold drink for 24 hours, a nice cold beer! We were also offered coke leaves to suck on by the Bolivian army ... what more could you ask for.

Few hours sleep followed by a cold drink a a fried egg sandwich this morning and feeling prettyu human.

Headedoff with Shake & Bake to Vilamontes bumping into three teams who had a broken chain but alas we had given our last chain away.

Fixed our broken paper work and found a hotel before the skies opened. Having mototaxis fixed before meeting up with several other teams for food and beers.

Off to Tajeta tomorrow for our first hill climb - experience of minor inclines makes me think its going to be slow !

 

Filadelfia

Repairs to mototaxi - one wheel completely rebuilt (spokes) plus new tire and inner tube, exhaust welded on, chains tightened, engine reattached to Mototaxi, new battery which didn`t work, so manual start now ... also had to have the kick start fixed!

MT is now goping like a dream but alas nowhere to go... as still no papers despite offering a $100 reward via the local radio station and TV net work!

Spent nearly 2 hours in the police statiuon getting an official document to say we lost our mototaxis papers ... wanted every bit of detail twice ... would never have achieved it if I didn`t have the help of some Spanish speaking Adventurers ... would buy them them a beer but they are now heading off towards the border ... good luck in this wilderness..

Probably going to jump on another mototaxi and leave ours at the border......

 Certainly proving to be an adventure!!

Mucho Problema

We were going great and did a little detour to see Filadefia a small Menonite town but as it was Sunday everything was closed.... so headed back to route 9 by a dirt road. 15Km later when we hit route 9 we noticed that our back pack had left the mototaxi without permission. We headed back to look for it but alas it was nowhere ... minor issue was that it had my phone and tools for the bike. Big problem was that it also had our papers for the bike, essential documents for us to get across the border. Then to top it off our rear wheel exploded into broken spokes!!

Been to the police and next step is to get a plea put out on the local radio station.

 ALso trying to get hold of Willow - Willow if you read this can you call us at The Hotel Florida at Filadelfia 0491 432 151

just hoping this isn`t the end of our adventure

adventure!

After a very Paragyaun start a few houres late we had a good drive and got as far as Pozo Colorado. Hotel in lonely planet guide had been abducted put with much sign language found a Fourseasons tucked away behind a gas station. After an hour more junkateers arrived and then more and more ... too many for the 4 rooms available so people were sleeping outside!

In Asuncion

Eventually made it to Asuncion after 2 long days of travel. Had a day in Lima where we found a fantastic seafood restaurant with ceviche and pisco sours /... a drink. Needless to say spent the rest of the day drinking those plus a few beers to sober up with! Flight to Asuncio was the only flight on time but we still didn't get to our hotel until 4am. Time for a few hours kip before meeting a few other junketeers and heading off to the parts shop to buy tires, inner tubes, chains etc...This was followed by a procession with a police escort through the center of Asuncion. This was our first drive of the beast and a beast it is as it just doesnt go where you want it to go. However, Matt tamed it and we looked pretty good with aour now convertible that was until it started raining hard very hard! The reason we had a convertible was that the previous woners had obviously roled the machine bening the roof down making it impossble for Matt to see with the roof cove on. Tonight off to an all night party which runs straight into the launch tomorrow!! Happy new year to everyone.