Between sunny days talking to Antonio Queirós(our newly made friend from Portugal traveling on his motorbike through the American continent) in the main Plaza cafes, cold nights spent in Hotel Avenida where all the water pipes would freeze each night, and walks thru the train cemetery and local market the time flied without notice. We spent 10 days on this cold, simple city of the Altiplano, maybe because our bodies where in need of rest or maybe because the uncertainty of what’s ahead.
Visit Antonio's site here traveling the American continent for an undetermined time and to limitless destinations.
We celebrated the night of Saint John’s with locals and new friends. Which only similarity to the Portuguese Saint John’s night are the bonfires in the streets. It was a fun night with the help of a few shots of "singani" a local alcoholic drink to keep our bodies warm.
Here in the altiplano Saint John’s night warns in the coldest night of the year. Temperatures can reach -30 deg. It was hard to imagine that this city once was the cradle of prosperity and life to a large population of treasure seekers looking for rich minerals, a period well portrayed in the movie "Los Andes no creen em Dios".
Despite human greed this region is still rich in minerals which are now explored by multinational foreigner companies and the population of Uyuni had to look for new wealth: tourism. Dozens of tourism agencies plague the city offering the most diverse adventure packages with walks in the biggest and highest salt plain in the planet or by the red lagoons populated by rare flamingos on the vast and desolated southwest of the Bolivian plateau, a region that we plan to explore next.
It was time to leave; new adventures and difficulties awaited us.
Day 29
From Uyuni to (before) Ramaditas.
48.8km
Maximum Altitude 3695m
Camp Altitude 3680m
Finally we’re "on the road" again!
The road between Uyuni and San Cristobal is in surprisingly good conditions and it’s completely plain and free of traffic. The landscape is very monotonous and uninteresting. We camp in the windy pampas grass where do we had a very cold night with minus15 degrees registered.
Day 30
From (before) Ramaditas até San Cristobal.
48.3km
Maximum Altitude 3821m
Camp Altitude 3790m
This morning was so cold that we couldn’t leave before 11:30. It was another day of monotonous and uninteresting things to see. I began to question if it was worth the effort to endure the cold and probably pushing the bike thru more sandy roads. We arrived at the village of San Cristobal, and decide to not camp and find a hotel. San Cristobal is a village that was transferred from its original place to give rise to a mine of silver and zinc, of which barely all the population subsists. The road upon arriving to the village was in such good conditions that almost appeared to be asphalted, one of the many projects that the Canadian company that explores the mine did for the region.
Day 31
From San Cristobal to Villa Alota.
60.5km
Maximum Altitude 3895m
Camp Altitude 3840m
We had a few salami sandwich and coffee for breakfast in the municipal market and continued on the road. 15 km afterwards we arrive to the village of Kulpina K, one of the four villages in the region chosen and titled by the Canadian mining Company as "authentic pueblos". This company invested in projects of rural tourism with the objective of creating an economic structure for the future when the natural resources for mining runs out 17 years or so from now. This is a form of compensating the local population by the presence of the mine. Without doubt an interesting project and unique in Bolivia, a country with very strong traditions in mining and not always explored the best form. In the colonial times the Bolivian mines were the main sustenance of the Spanish crown at the cost of thousands of lives that worked in it.
Kulpina K
In the small plaza of the village we spoke with a young man who told us a little about the biggest mine of silver and zinc in South America and of the greatest mining project in all of Bolivia for the pass few decades. "When work began the mine employed 6 thousand people, now exist around 1500 workers. The Canadians brought in modern machinery and they don’t need as much hand force" he told us. The heavy machinery turns over 100 thousand tons of earth every day, José works with one of those machines during 16 consecutive days followed by a week of rest.
At the exit of Kulpina K a short but accentuated ascent took us to another desolated valley. We pedal all afternoon against the wind until we arrived to Villa Alota by sunset. It was another day of monotonous landscapes with head winds that did not let us amount a good rhythm, but even so in 3 days we had made 150 km, somewhat unexpected in this part of the altiplano where we were expecting to find the worst roads. The monotonous landscape left much to desire and again I question if it was worth the sacrifice to travel this route recommended by so many other travelers.
Today we decide to alter the route and go up the volcano Uturunco first and follow afterwards to the Laguna Colorada.
Villa Alota
Day 32
From Villa Alota to Valle de las Rocas.
22.7km
Maximum Altitude 4117m
Camp Altitude 4076m
Well, it looks like after 3 days of monotony, the southwest of the Bolivian altiplano began to reveal its beauty. 2.6 km from Vila Alota an old sign worn by the weather announce the road that would take us to Quentena Chico. This is where the road maintenance by the miner company stops and the "nightmare" road begins. After confusing crossroads and rivers, the road begins to go up to a plateau above the 4000m and we found our self’s entering the Valley of the Rocks. We pedaled directly south and the strong northwest wind helped, but the sandy roads made for a slow progress.
We camp in a "forest" of rocks with fantastic formations created by the erosion of the wind that strikes them incessantly. We looked for a place sheltered from the strong wind (which would accompany us for the next few weeks), set-up camp and cooked on an open fire. It was another cold night, registering minus 17 degrees.
Day 33
From Valle de las Rocas to Villa Mar.
31.1km
Maximum Altitude 4083m
Camp Altitude 3998m
Surrounded by this uncommon and fantastic landscape, we had a lazier morning than usual. It was without a doubt one of the nicest places we had ever camped on this journey.
But we weren’t the only ones on these roads. Dozens of jeeps full of backpackers roam the altiplano raising a huge cloud of dust as they pass by and also removing a bit the magic of pedaling thru this area so inhospitable of the planet. We cooked breakfast on bone fire and left camp by lunch time just as the first jeep arrived.
We pedal barely 4 km before approaching a huge rock formation that extends for all the West cost of this valley. We left the bikes and went for few hours hike. The rock formation reminds me of Wadi Rum in Jordan by its similarities.
We arrive in Villa Mar by the end of the afternoon, an Oasis in this vast wild landscape. A small village, with a group of 900 Quechua speakers inhabitants, built from unpainted concrete blocks and crossed by a small frozen river, the village is protected from the winds by a natural wall of rocks, part of the rock formations that we have enjoyed since Villa Alota. We found a place to stay in a small rustic Hotel where a tour group was also lodged which tour guide gave us valuable information for our upcoming route.
arriving in Villa Mar
sunset in Villa Mar
Something that intrigued us in this small Andean community was the origin of its name Villa Mar, village by the sea. We were surrounded by deserts of volcanic rock and sandy pampas at 4000m of altitude and hundreds of kilometers from the sea coast. Originally called Mallku, the name of Vilamar originated from the loss of the Bolivian coastline in the war of the Pacific with Chile and Peru that affected the feelings of the community and they changed the name in honor of the lost sea. That feeling is still present today.
DIA 34
De Villa Mar a algures na pampa
33.8km
Altitude máxima 4129m
Altitude de acampamento 4044m
The nice owner at the hotel sketched in the sand our upcoming route to Quentena, Chico. In her drawings there was a detour and a bridge, but as we soon found out (and we’re already accustomed to) there was a bridge and, several detours! Always follow the road with the most tire tracks, is something we’ve learned in our bike rides thru the Bolivian altiplano, and it has become our number one rule for orientation around here. In the altiplano many roads are not public works but instead roads that were made from the successive tracks of local vehicles, people that know their way. But for us is not always easy and maps are practically useless.
Soon enough we passed the bridge mentioned in her drawings, the landscape became really nice and there are no tours! The road approaches mount Zoniquera with its rocky peak and no snow at an altitude of 6000m. From here on we begin a hilly section of up’s and down’s in sandy and winding roads. We find shelter from the strong winds behind some rocks and setup camp.
After dinner we looked at the maps and for the first time we considered leaving the Bolivian plateau thru the green lagoon and into Chile by San Pedro of Atacama. We had enough of these horrible roads, cold winds and hoping for better food... And Chilean wine! After San Pedro we would follow to Argentina through Paso de Jama, Humahuaca gorge and then return to Bolivia at Villazon. A detour with 600 km more than initially planned, but on asphalted roads!
Day 35
From somewhere in the banks of Lipez Grande river
32.1km
Maximum Altitude 4393m
Camp Altitude 4170m
We had another cold night with the thermometer registering -12 Deg. Besides the disastrous roads it’s the nights what I’m most afraid. A soon as the sun comes down we initiate another journey. The chilled nights in the Bolivian altiplano oblige us to cook inside the tent and take refuge inside our sleeping bags instantly after eating. At night the simple physiological necessities are a true sacrifice. As consolation I have the fantastic views of the night skies and the company of Joana. It would have been very difficult to face the hardness of the Altiplano by myself.
We continue our journey thru this sandy, winding road that with the ascent to a 4393 meters pass becomes a stony road. At the top we found the reward: the first close-up sight of the volcano Uturunco in the horizon.
On the downhill we had to cross a small frozen stream. Another one of dozens of rivers that we had to cross in the few last weeks, bridges are a rarity. Joana went first and in a lapse of imbalance, she barely fell in the water able to hang on to her bike. In a spontaneous reaction, I left my bicycle and tried to help, but I end-up falling and dropping my bicycle in the ground. The fall was such that I scratched my chest, my hands (a finger swelled-up immediately just like ET), and I hit my chin on the rocky ground. What initially looked like just road rashes revealed to be a little more serious… We followed journey and Joana says to me that I have blood dripping from my bear.
We stopped for lunch (just crackers with jelly, we didn’t felt hungry because we spent all morning chewing on coca leaves). Joana disinfected the wound and says that I have a deep cut in my chin up to the bone. It probably needs stitches, but where? The nearest hospital is in Uyuni or Potosi, several days away, or in San Pedro of Atacama in Chile, probably also several days of journey. We continued our trip to Quetena Chico were I would re-think the situation.
The downhill took us to another valley at 4200 meters of altitude. In this narrow valley is "Sol de la Manana", and "Eduardo Avaroa" Natural Park entrance. We were requested to pay 30 Bolivianos each, for park maintenance, they said. The guard at the entrance tells us that there is a doctor in Quentena Chico but Quetena is still 2 hours away. We barely had 1:30h of day light left and the road was getting worst.
Our progress was very slow, we felt weak due to not having a proper lunch. After a hard ascent we arrive to yet another valley and one more river to cross. The sun already had set behind the mountains and it was getting dark. A moments of decision, cross that frozen cold water and continue thru the night, or camp?
We didn’t know the distance that separated us from Quentena Chico and continuing thru the night with our feet freezing could have consequences that could jeopardize our climb to volcano Uturunco. After all, the climb to the highest road in the world was the main reason why were enduring these disastrous roads for days. We decide to camp. Despite all the pain I put my body thru at the end of the day it didn’t hurt maybe due to the coldness, maybe due to the tiredness, perhaps both - I don’t know, but I had a good night in deep sleep.
Day 36
From the banks of Lipez Grande river to Quentena Chico
5.7km
Maximum Altitude 4170m
Camp Altitude 4150m
We knew we had a short day in front of us so we waited for the day to warm up before crossing the river, we stayed late in camp admiring the beauty of the landscape that surrounded us. It was a nice day, full of sun without wind and an absolute silence. At 3:00 in the afternoon when we decided to cross the river and we pedal the remaining 5 km to Quentena Chico.
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Quentena Chico was a huge deception. We expected a town at least of the size of Villa Mar since it is the most important village in the southwest of the plateau, but we encounter ourselves with a small collection of houses sheltered by a mountain with a small and dusty plaza, a school, a military field and a few shops with barely empty shelves.
The only shop that looked to be decently stocked was closed, the owner was in Potosi, and so was the only doctor in town. We got a simple room in the hostel Condor where the pleasant owner informs us that in two days arrives the "flota" that comes from Uyuni and besides carrying passengers it also sells vegetables, fruits and other groceries. The "flota" is the only weekly bus that passes thru the village and the only form that the population has to buy fresh vegetables - the soil of the southwest of the altiplano is not fertile for cultivation. Without food to continue, we don’t have any other alternative but to wait 2 days and hope that the "flota" shows-up.
Joana helps me cut a little off the beard and disinfects the chin again. It will have to stay like that, a souvenir of the altiplano. Traveling thru the Bolivian plateau by bicycle is in fact a marvelous experience, but if things go wrong there is not much where one can look for help. The hostilities of the elements should not be underestimated. But I wasn’t very concerned; the worst it could happen is that I would end up with a scar for the rest of my life as reminder of this adventure. Not that I will easily forget this washboard roads though!
On the next and last blog of this crazy phase of 47 days without seeing tar and pedaling in high altitudes we enter a zone even more inhospitable whose desolation of the landscape resembles planet Mars. Our goal: to take our bike up to 5800m. But will we be able to "conquer" Uturunco with our loaded bikes?
Volcano Uturunco (6020m). Notice the road in the "cone" of the volcano. That road goes up to 5800m and will be the big challenge for the next phase.
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