18th January Ollague – Uyuni 136 miles

I start the day with a nosebleed, I used to suffer years ago but rarely now, guess it must be the altitude.
We leave our very hospitable hotel and head for the border, this takes about 3 minutes and clock out of Chile. On about 3k to the Bolivian side and as this is something like our 11th border crossing since we left we are reasonably comfortable with the process, but this is Bolivia.
We go into the only obvious building and are ushered out to go to immigration first, thats fine but where is it. We are pointed towards a portocabin opposite, no and a gesture round the back, well surrounded it and went back for further instruction. No across the railway line which means walking around a couple of goods trains and then some old station buildings we find immigration. Then on to another building to sort customs for the bikes, the chap is missing but will be back. Another guy in a back office came to the door after some 20-30 minutes of waiting and yelled down the way, a chap appeared in full Ronaldo football strip and then sat at the desk and asked for the paperwork. He entered it on the computer and gave me an A4 sheet with 2 lines of writing at the top and a number on it, go back to the original place we started out at. I hand over the piece of paper and he then produces the3 document I need and we are done. Wow that was obvious and easy, NOT.
As I am about to set off a lorry driver told me there is lots of sand so drive slow and be careful, many thanks.
The road doesn’t seem so bad and we build up speed and then as a truck comes towards me I end up in a sand pit, still upright but almost buried. The road isn’t too bad, the odd trenches of sand just to keep you awake and then we come across some road works. They are relaying the road and we just happily join the rollers and graders overtaking them when space permits. After tgis the road improves again and we make reasonable progress. Sadly most of the trucks using this road do not slow down and career past at 60 plus mph and then you are left in a complete dust storm for some time afterwards.
We are nearly at Uyuni, but the last 20 or 30 miles is what we call washboard, a rippled surface which does shake you up. You have to bear in mind though that this is the main road into Uyuni and numbered routa 21, so the bike should take it.
On arriving in town first stop the bank and whilst waiting a passerby pointed to oil leaking from my bike, it is the rear shock. Even the spring is hot so I guess it has overheated, deep joy, BMW advertise this bike as a go anywhere, round the world machine so it should be able to handle main roads regardless of the surface.
We find a hotel and secure parking is once again straight in through the front door. When we enter the hotel the guy we saw 2 days ago in the south of Bolivia in the sand who stopped to ensure we were OK is there and staying at this hotel.
We send emails to Santiago and the UK in the hope of sorting my shock and will see what the morning brings.