21st January Uyuni – Potosi 130 miles

We started the day checking our route across the Darrian Gap, the boat we were going on is on a Carrabian cruise so plan B or C.
I have tried to glean as much info about the road to Potosi as possible as I have to complete it without a rear shock. I have been told it is a good road, but it depends on what the individual classes as good. A lot of it is now paved bar the first 25k, I can live with that,. The first 150k is good gravel and then it is paved, that will be a touch more challenging.
Well the gravel road wasn’t too bad in fareness but going uphill was challenging as the back wheel was only in touch with the ground part of the time, Martin apparently saw about 3 or 4 inches gap between my rear tyre and the road at one point.
After about 25k I was wondering if this is what my informant thought was paved, it was a reasonably firm and flattish surface but still very bumpy and I was now looking forward to 90k. Well a couple of miles on there is a beautifully flat tarmac road, fantastic, I thought that we will be in Potosi in no time.
I learnt not to relax as there were the occasional, what we call ramps, which was fine going down but coming out I would then bounce my way down the next 50 or so meters. Then suddenly, there it was, more ripio, but only for a a couple of hundred metres by passing a bridge that was being built. We had 2 or 3 of these and then a long stretch of about 10 or 12 miles over the mountains where they were still working, this would be the hardest stretch for them to build.
We stopped for lunch on the descent, a roll with avocado, ham, tomato, onion and garlic. We were standing in completely the wrong place when a coach went by, his exhaust was pointing sideways and towards the ground and as he was climbing sprayed copious amounts of dust and sand over us.
We completed the descent and joined a tarmac road again but there were several detours where bridges were being built and some were beautiful winding down into the valley and then back out of the other side. Martin took a few photos of the bridges in construction and commented to me that men were wheeling wheelbarrows of concrete across the metal struts and tipping it into a shute where others would tamp it down, could take a while then.
We had a mixture of surface the rest of the way but it was fine. At one point we could see rain ahead and were getting a few spits ourselves so we stopped and donned out waterproofs, it came to nothing.
On the final run down into Potosi we were on a paved road, but when you came to a railway crossing, these are unguairded, there would be 20 metres of ripio before and after, I don’t know if this is to get you to slow and look or to be completed later. Everyone treats the railway crossings with great respect slowing and on occasion stopping before venturing across, amazing really as we have only seen one train moving since we have been in South America, but Martin saw another today.
We arrived in Potosi and it is incredible that you see very few cars out of the City but as soon as you arrive it is wall to wall traffic, so they must spend all there time driving around the City.
We now need somewhere to stay and I suggest to Martin we stop and consult our guides. Thats easier said than done, absolutely nowhere to stop and then Martin found a square, I had barely got off my bike when a traffic warder arrived and wanted to give us a ticket. Several others started talking to us and looking at the bikes and then the warden also seemed interested and eventually waved his hand and left us to look at our books.
Martin went off to look at a hotel around the corner and came back about 10 minutes later saying he had found one with parking but it sounded dear. We have been working in several currencies and it is very easy to confuse this worked out to six pounds thirty each for bed and breakfast, not bad well go for that.
We had to go a very roundabout way to get there and on arriving it was a narrow street and the bikes are going into the foyer up a steep curb and then a steeper step into the hotel. Cars can just about get by but then a bus comes down the road. Martin wondered whether to go around the block but we decided it would be the same when we got back, so they will have to wait.
I mounted up and Martin took chase to push and assist me up the step, one in back for the next, same again and the traffic is once again flowing. Our bikes take pride of place in the foyer one each side and we have a nice comfortable room and WiFi, how bads that. We certainly wont be taking the bikes out again until we leave for good.
Martin showers and I consult with my medical advisor, Jo, what I need to do to get my leg sorted. Photos have been sent and 3 opinions have been sought, I now need to take some antibiotics and rest with elevation. There are things to see here so Martin can go on a couple of tours and I will chill and rest for 2 days and hope that kick starts my recovery. Jo even has an Orthopaedic surgeon sourced in La Paz if things don’t improve, lets hope it doesn’t come to that.