Wed 30.3.2016

I feel better after taking an Imodium and I get picked up at 1.30 p.m. for the miner tour. Together with 2 German girls we got first the equipment and the we gought the gibts for the miners. Together with the guide and his assistant, who is carrying our gifts we enter one of the more than 500 entrances to the cerro rico (the rich mountain)..

At the end I’m glad to be back to daylight and not any longer walking like a duck which is exhausting especially when you are taller than 1.80m.

Thu 31.3.2016 5-star-road

Back to normal strength I’m heading to Sucre. It’s a beautiful day and the street is again so wonderful. I enjoy the green hills as well as the rocky mountains.

Unfortunately this roads ends and as Sucre is only at a hight of 2.700m it is much warmer here. Additionally the air is cleaner and I’m curious to walk around this nice city. I find the nice Hostel Pachamama that offers a huge patio where Flecha can park for the next days.

A room with private bathroom costs only 80Bol (€10,50). Unbelievable! My first destination is the Café Mirador where you have a great view over the city with yummy cakes and very good coffee. On my way back I walk through the Mercado Central where you can get most of what you are looking for.

Fri 1.4.2016 Dino’s footprints

With Jamie, an Australian guy, we drive by bus for 1,50 Bol to the cerro Cal Orck’o

to the Parque Cretácico. Here you can find the biggest field with footprints of the more than 65 Mio years old Dinos.

Due to the creation of the Andes the footprints are no longer flat but stand up in an angle of 70°. Amazing!

Sat 2.4.2016 What a day

In the past I was just negotiating the price for petrol. Now they sell it to me in a can and I have to bring my bike off from the station. Then the ladies have built a Fenn with a Coca-bottle and together we fueled Flecha. Otherwise I had to pay 10Bl/l. But in this case I was able to pay only 3,7Bol/l. The cheapest gasoline I ever got!

Then I follow a dreamlike street in direction to Oruno (RN6).

After ~50km the asphalt finished and no perspective to get it back. But it becomes even worse. I approach a closed road which is only open from 7-8, 12-13 und 18-19. It is around 3 p.m. and I have no option for the night yet. I ask again if motorbikes could eventually pass and the worker says I could try. I reach the next corner. The catapillar has to move the big rocks aside at first. After 5 minutes I can drive further. A digger at a hight of 30m is pushing the rocks down. Oh my god! 3 minutes later I get the signal to pass. Until the next corner where more and bigger rocks are waiting for me. The excavator’s driver is working hard to get this passage fixed for me, and together with the 2 other workers we get Flecha through this toughest part of the road. I’m through it at around 4p.m. and still to drive 65km to the next crossing.

Allover are thunderstorms but I still have fortune not getting wet. The landscape is breathtaking.

I have to drive till deep in the night to find finally with my GPS a “bush camp” where I can install my tent.

Sun 3.4.2016 La Paz

The sun wakes me up with pleasant 20°C

The highway to La Paz which has 4 lanes from Oruro onwards is mostly boring. At 3 p.m. I reach La Paz from the top at La Alta. The view is impressive, as well as the smell and the traffic. I get a nice room and a paring for Flecha  for 130Bol (€17,-) including breakfast. I go for a little sightseeing starting with the witch market (mercado de las bruchas) to the Catedral San Fransico, which is open for a service. At the Plaza Muralla there is the government, the house of law and the national museum of art.

 

 

Mon 4.4.2016 Yogas road

After thinking about what to do today I decided to pack all my stuff and drive the camino de la muerte (death road) to Coroico. At 4.600m it has only 4°C. And the rain becomes heavier. Together with many Mountain-Bikern I drive down this spectacular road which has lost its danger a bit due to installed guardrails and less traffic. Only the water fords are still challenging me. But the ride through the jungle is really nice and the view pretty when the fog’s gone.

Strong rainfalls have changed the road into a muddy runway and Im happy when I reached the end. As I missed the turnout to Coroico and the nice restaurant „Monte Carlo“ is closed I’m heading to Caranavi. After a short while I got promotet again to drive on the left side. It is a strange feeling to drive like an English man on a paved road in Bolivia. But the others follow the rule, too! Es dauert nicht lange, da werde ich wieder aufgefordert, auf der linken Seite weiter zu fahren. Hoffentlich halten sich die entgegenkommenden Fahrzeuge auch daran. Noch entschließt sich mir der Sinn nicht. FleThe upcoming kilometers are at least more dangerous for me than the road before. The water hiles are deeper and the road is muddier than before.

Raptors, parrots and many butterflies accompany me and after 65km I reach Caranavi at a hight of 650m. The best hotel in town with a 25-m pool costs only 130Bol (€17,-) and I enjoy to swim some rounds.

Tue 5.4.2016

At half past seven I got awaken from heavy rain and immediately my thoughts go to the way back to La Paz though the deep water holes and the mud. Finally the rains stopped when I started at 9.30 a.m. but many rocks are laying on the road and I need my full concentrations to pass them by. Even the huge water holes Felg and I can manage. Only the guy who meant he should overtake me during a difficult muddy passage ended with his car a a wall some minutes later. Nothing else happened, but it Shows me again that the Bolivian car drivers are the worst so far. Back to La Paz I use the new road which is as well really nice with a lot of bends and probably a nice view without the fog that is still there. I reach La Paz at noon, eat something, fuel again for 6Bol/l and be happy that my GPS shows me the way out to Copacabana. The rain has moved away when I arrived and I finally can see the sun.

Not a long time ago it was snowing here!

Luckily I have winter tires. The ferry doesn’t look like being able to carry at least trucks.

After 15 minutes the great ride can proceed.

Suddenly a mini-bus driver can’t keep the bus on its track and is on my lane when he came out of the bend. I stopped immediately and make myself very small, and he could get it under control. Nevertheless I wouldn’t sit in this bus! I reach Copacabana and a nice hotel for 100 Bol (€13,-) including breakfast. I enjoy the evening at the beach with a very good trout and some Pisco Sour.

Wed 6.4.2016

The only attraction here is the Basilika.

I book the excursion o Isla del Sol for tomorrow and Mänaden the blog.

Thu 7.4.2016 Isla del Sol

At 8.15 a.m. I’m at the beach and it looks spooky.

Together with other boats we are heading to Isla del Sol. The lightenings crash into the lake next to our boats and I don’t know what really happens if we got hit. After more than two hours we reach the northern part of the island where even a school for 112 pupils exist. We hike to the roca sagrada and the excavations with its holy fountain.

INTEL meantime the sun came out and together with Trio German girls I walk the 8km to the southern part o Fähe island. It is really exhausting at a hight of more than 4.000m. It has even hailed shortly! And I can see my first Alpacas.

Just in time for the departure at 3.30 p.m.we are back. Unfortunately we couldn’t stay for longer to enjoy the nice view and some good juice.

At 5 p.m. we are back to the sunny Copacabana.