The Bolivian border is almost in sight. As we drive through some road construction, we are suddenly jolted by a deafening sound. To my ears it sounds like a gunshot. I think fast. What do I do in case of random gunfire? Duck? Head for cover? Leave the scene as fast as possible? The entire…
Loading the bikes on the busy streets of La Paz is proving to be quite a challenge. There is barely room to move between the shuffling feet and every second pair of feet stops to watch or photograph us, causing even more congestion. On the positive side, the attention is fun and we’re having a…
After digging ourselves out of the sand, we continue our drive along the edge of the Solar de Coipasa, a remote salt desert sitting at over 3700 m and covering over 2200 km². In the middle of this barren expanse, we see the island occupied by the salt-mining village of Coipasa with its buildings constructed…
We spent several days in the area surrounding Salinas de Garcia-Mendoza, a remote area of Bolivia near the Salar de Uyuni. As we faced challenging terrain and bike damage, we found ourselves stranded on the side of tiny dirt roads on more than one occasion. But if we were going to be stranded somewhere, this…
I wake in the morning to find a llama and a sheep waiting just outside the tent for me. They accompany me on my trip to the nearby outhouse and then patiently escort me back to the campsite. On our return, we are met by an older lady from one of the nearby homes whom…
As light begins to seep into our room from a courtyard window, I can make out my motorcycle jacket in the corner of the room – just standing there. Yes, standing. It’s thoroughly coated with salt from yesterday’s drive across the Uyuni Salt Flats and is so crusty and stiff that it now holds my…
At home in North America, nothing is more emblematic of South America than coca, the controversial leaf grown as a cash crop in the foothills of the Andes in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia and Peru. It plays a role in many traditional cultures as a medicine or useful stimulant. In recent years, the governments of several…
Many countries in the world have created their own version of a turnover-style pastry: a pasty in Great Britain, a calzone in Italy, a knish in Eastern Europe, or a Jamaican patty. We’ve tried all of these. They are surrounded with pastry – how can we turn that down? But the greatest versions of these…
Journal: December 7, 2011 Uyuni, Bolivia to Calama, Chile Leaving Uyuni behind, we head southwest toward the desert of Chiguana. Sand, shrubs and the occasional llama are our only companions here in one of the most underdeveloped areas of Bolivia. Fuel continues to be a challenge as all of the stations along our route are…
Read more Heading to the Chilean Border – For Real This Time
Smiles & Miles 