Some 'air guitar-bike love' to the Black Keys...Ali rocking out with a sore eye that kept us kept us grounded in San Pedro de Atacama for a few extra days
'Valle de la luna', just outside San Pedro de Atacama
We really didn't want to have to re-climb that 2000 plus metre hill in the background...Anna waiting for a lift that never came, so we started riding it at 12:45pm. Luckily at 3:30pm, 18km into the climb and up to 3000m a friendly guy called Jonathon stopped and gave us a lift to the turnoff to Bolivia some 25km and 1600m higher. Gracias a Jonathon!
High and cold camp, 2nd highest ever at 4680m at this beautiful new 'rest area' a welcome place to camp and escape the wind as the daylight hours quickly slipped away...well, well, well below freezing up here!
our camp visitor, the smell of my veggie soup brought him in for a closer look in this barren desolate rocky landscape
"How did this dead Viscacha cause this dramatic accident?..."
Finally, 2 and a half years after starting in Alaska, and some 26750km later....we arrived in Argentina crossing Paso Jama!!!
We were 'happy campers' to be here!
31 in Argentina!!!
Birthday boy, balloons and all!
Bums or bikers?...every break we sought shelter from the wind in one of these culverts...15 minutes of peace, warm tea and cookies
("Hey Max do you recognise your friend?") Some weird shrine to the 'dead horse'...personally i think the cigarettes and alcohol killed him
Anna about to 'split the gap' dropping down from 4200m towards Susques
And who would have thought that this is how we were going to end the day?...after 114km and over 4200m twice, birthday beers in Pastos Chicos, a random roadside stop with wifi, beer and empanadas!
Empanadas and beer!!!
Carolin enjoying a spectacular decent through a beautiful cactus filled red rock canyon that the highway split down the middle
...Nils loved it too! only he thought he was in New Zealand still (on the left hand side of the road)
"a storms a brewing"...some more 'bums or bikers?' camping behind 'Charlies Grill' at Tres Pozos turnoff
a rare snap of the four of us climbing away from Salinas Grandes
halfway to the 'last' 4200m pass in beautiful folded red rock country!
handy little wind-break and stone table for lunch
...and straight down the otherside to Purmamarca! happy to be on the 'right' side of this downhill
Going down....
...still going down
A pair of friendly Brasilian motorbikers we had first met in San Pedro de Atacama...love the football shirt and flags! lots of Brasilian motos on Paso de Jama
Nils and Caro in Purmamarca..."i thought it would be warmer down here at 2200m!"
'Cerro de los siete colores', Purmamarca (hill of seven colours)
beautiful relaxed narrow road riding along the Ruta 9 all the way to Salta via la cornisa.
One of the many roadside shrines to Gauchito Gil - these Argentinians are a superstitious bunch!
the colours and the warmth is back!
"That's a Jujuy high five!"...but still more climbing to the top to surprise us
La Casa de Ciclistas of Ramon in Salta...and another day of bike love!
Another day another dog tale - Chavo wasn't completely convinced about going to Ushuaia..."in fact i think i'll stay here with Tina and Ramon!"
