La Paz & Lake titikaka

I'll let the pics do the talking.

On the way to La Paz!

There are no banks at the border so plan ahead, 

The altitude makes things harder and today the pump on my whisper light broke! I hope that there are sports stores in La Paz if not I'll have to get a new one in San Jose in costa rica!

Others then that it's beautiful different from chile but none the 

Was beautiful and the road is more or less flat all the way.

La Puerta del Altiplano

So it very tuff cycling to there, the altitude doesn't help and well it's uphill!

But it's ever so worth it! I've stopped at a little mountain lodge which is very nice and comfy there food, water, some heat even though we're expecting -15 degrees to night! But plenty of blankets and tv too.

To deal with the altitude we chew on coca leave and drink them as tea too.

There is a team of climbers here too and it's nice to have the company, tomorrow will be different and colder ill stop by a simple refuge no facilities and sleep in the tent umm ....

But I'll see and share with yous different volcanos there are many and most are over 6000 meters! 

There also some of the highest lakes in the world, loving it, but not easy to get to.

Putre!

First and foremost you need to bring cash there is a bank but it's useless the ATM never works the clerks are asleep and when there awake they can't help with anything and no restaurant accepts cards!

The road to Putre!

In a few words it's up hill!

In more words for crying outloud it's hard going I'm half way there! And at 2000 meters up another 2000 meters to go and then once at Putre things are better they are flater to La Paz, it's a balance between weight the water supplies the uphills and the darn sun which is relentless, had to stop felt another heat problem coming on. 

Tomorrow will do an early start set the alarm for 4:30 as it takes for ever to pack all the gear that should get be going at about 6:30 and the 3 good hours in the cool I hope it's plenty to get close to Putre I looked at the map at the restaurant the 38.5 withe the owner who spoke English no sought its tuff but well worth it and I've got a plane to catch in la Paz anyways so, gotta keep going.

As a reward I'll spend the night in Putre and then head for the Bolivian border.

The perfect camping spot! First river in Chile!

What I'm up against

The ultimate driving machine!

On the way to the universidad de tarapaca San Miguel de azapa museum where there are some really old mummies I saw this thing!

From the looks of it it's made for quarter mile drag as it seems to have a shoot at the back!! As a factory option I almost traded my bike for it :)

On the way to Arica

Between Iquique and Arica are some tuff tuff uphills with very strong winds I've risen in Ireland for a number of years and the winds there are not friendly but this was something else!

Winds so strong that they blew me and the bike to the other side of the road very anger outs and were not light!

Celebrating 2000 km of going!