Uyuni to Oruro

Well, I made it to Oruro after 4 very hard days riding thanks to the superb Bolivian roads!! First thing on the agenda was a shower as it had been 5 days since the previous one, I thought I´d gotten really sun burnt but it was just dust and dirt which was soon washed off!!
The last 4 days have just been amazing with some spectacular scenery and fantastic riding but just made all the harder by some of the worst roads I´ve ever seen. Sometimes the road just disappeared and it became guess work before getting back on it or the road was the river bed and riding up one of these on a fully loaded bike is not pleasant at all!
I was planning on spending a few nights in Uyuni but the place but a bit disappointing so after two nights I got up early and rolled out of town on route to the famous Salar de Uyuni. I really wanted to cycle across them but knew at this time of the year they would be under water. Anyways, I still rode out on them as far as I could and it was just the best feeling. I´d wanted to visit this place for a long time now and to finally to so, and on a bike was just amazing. Check the photos out but they don´t really give you a feeling for the place. Getting back on track the riding for the rest of the day was a but of a blur until I realised I was running out of light and energy. I meet this random old guy on the side of the road and managed to ask if I could camp somewhere. He showed me the back of his friend´s house where I set up camp for the night. It was a brilliant cloudless night sky and during the night I saw 4 shooting stars amongst some restless sleep. It was damn cold though and when I was packing up the next morning I found my tent covered in ice and that my water bottles on the bike were frozen solid!! After another hard day riding through beautiful landscapes I stopped at a small town just after getting stuck in the middle of a river I tried to ford!! I managed to get the bike back out and once the shoes and socks were back on I had to ride around a sandy detour before hitting town. That night I was so hungry but there was only one food stall open which was the most disgusting place I´ve ever come across. I was too hungry to care and sat down to some food fully prepared that I would be very sick that night!! Anyways after two full plates of the stuff I was off to bed for some rest. To my surprise there was no worries with being sick either so it was up early and back into the merciless Bolivian roads!! Riding all day I was getting a little worried about all the dark clouds coming in around the hills so was trying to pedal faster to make it to the next town and some shelter. My poor tired legs were trying their best but they weren´t going so well but I arrived just in time as a full storm hit the town with thunder and lightning, not much rain but the wind was incredibly strong. I decided to call it quits for the day and finally found a hostel for the night. Starving again I ate two dinners before totally crashing out. Today was fantastic riding on pavement again and it was an easy 82km to Oruro which is the altiplano´s main city with a population of around 200,000. Cycling into the chaotic city was hair raising but heaps of fun with all the cars, buses and trucks going in all directions and tooting and yelling. Not sure what cycling into La Paz is going to be like in a few days time but I´m sure there´s a story or two to come out of that one as well.
Bolivia is a very interesting place and is just so different from Chile. I could feel this the moment I crossed the border. The people seem really friendly but the differences between my culture and their´s is massive. I´m still trying to settle into the Bolivian way and get the most out of this place but even simple communication with the locals can be hard going. I´m definitely looking forward to getting to La Paz and having a week or two there off the bike. The legs are tired and getting a little sore. The passed couple of weeks with the combination of long rides and bad road conditions have taken there toll. Anyways, ahead are a couple of days to explore Oruro and it´s treasure´s before the 3 day ride into the capital city!! Stay tuned!!!! Oh, I´ve brought the best Llama wool Bolivian beanie.....photos to come!! Take care and keep the comments coming as they are always appreciated.

Riding Stats

> 9th Feb - 71km
> 10th Feb - 89km
> 11th Feb - 94km
> 12th Feb - 82km