Thursday 10 July 2014

Chulumani To La Paz

We sat out the bad weather for one more day in Chulumani as it had crapped out and turned the place to mud.

The next morning was still grim but we made break for it, very wet and very slippery on the clay all I could think of was to keep Maya upright and look after my damaged shoulder.

Mrs.Garmin was also having a siesta and we were riding down a road that didn't exist, stopping to ask instructions we were sent off down a shitty boggy track, this lasted about 50 meters before I decided no way, it took us about 3 meters to stop sliding to stop and we were only just chugging in first gear.

When enough mud, clay, sticks, goats and little kids were jammed under our wheels we stopped by doing a two wheel drift sideways.

Ellen bailed and helped turn us around, with Maya pointed seriously straight up I feed it to her cutting a trench and sending rooster tails out the back.

Back on normal wet shingle and what appeared to be the village drunk merrily explained we could go the main drag we were on and it would cross a bridge and take us to the main dirt road, given that was our only option we did it and he was right.

A nice big bridge in the middle of nowhere



Coripata was the lunch spot with a local providing the entertainment on a Jawa, the cobbles being very wet, muddy and greasy he started up and took off completing a 180 turn in front of his mates, with typical Bolivian gear he cut his leg, ATGATT for me.

Our road then opened up, the rain stopped and the riding easy enough for me to see out the window and enjoy.



The last section to Coroico was crap, muddy and wet again.

While in Corico we spotted a 1200 GSA rolling around in the streets, I chased him, he disappeared, I ran up the next street and there he was, it was Gail who we crossed on the Stahlratte with, good guy so he decided to hang with us for another day, we then organised to do the death road together and go to La Paz, Gail needed his bike checked and we needed to buy a new camera.
The next day was wet and shitty again but we decided to hit it anyway, the road very wet and very very greasy.

This is what soggy looks like



Gail tiptoeing through



This is what a defiant smile against wet and cold looks like, it was very cold at 4000 meters with rain!!



That was the entry to the death road, we decided due to rain and lack of visibility we would do it on our way back.

Finally a glimpse of sun sprinkled hope to the sodden and cold riders with temperatures only a few degrees above zero.



More sun ... things are looking up, here is 4680 meters so bitterly cold.



Finally in La Paz it was warmish in the sun, very cold in the shadows



Gail got his bike checked out for a small oil leak and we purchased a new camera so we are back on board for long shots.

Tomorrow is the death road with the forecast half reasonable, time will tell.

We head to jungle so we are going from -3 to 33 degrees, unsure of wifi and service so catch you fellas in a few days.

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