Day 20: Challapata to Salinas 140km/14 hours...YEP! 14 friggin hours!!!

Hi All,

I woke early in Challpata and grabbed a quick breakfast of hot tea and deep fried bread...from a Bolivan "drive thru" if you like and at 7:45am began what was going to be the toughest day of my trip thus far...

The previous night I had studied my maps (1:250,000 1964 rev topos, the best money can buy). I decided I´d had enough of sealed roads and knowing where I was....time for a little adventure :) Instead of taking the standard route to the Salar de Uyuni I would head west to approach the Salar from the North. Heading west meant leving the main road and travelling by jeep trails for well over 100km...unfortaunately I didn´t have a topo for the second half of the trip, I only had a rough map in my Lonely Planet to go by - but I was thirsty for adventure so i went for it.

The first 12 km were cake or perhps a sip of cold Pilsener...a slow decent on the main sealed road to a town called Huari....famous for the beer it brews that bears its name....from there I would bike off the beaten path for the first time.

Immediately I was faced with a choice between three trails...I took a bearing and choose wht looked to be the most direct route to my first goal...a small town called ??????? about 30km away. It was rough going...after about 8km a found myself in a very small village and my jeep trail split again...I rode over to a small school yard to ask for help.

The kids and teacher were very excited to see me and were fascinated by my digital camera...I spent about 15 minutes chatting (as best i could) and taking pics and videos

After each one 'd had my camera over to the kids and it would dissappear in a crowd of kids only to be rescued by the teacher. It was just the morale boost i needed. I got dubious directions (the teacher pointed due west and not at either trail!) to the next town and dragged myself away and rode on the "most likely" trail.

My chosen trail soon split again and again till I was often just following a single pair of tire tracks...it was like a braided river. I have often been in simialr situations when adventure racing and knew that you just made sure your general direction was good and hoped for the best.

I also came across the occational llama herder and would try and get confirmation. I was riding across a the flat lake bed of the retreating Lago Lago...flat riding but occassional deep ruts and sand. I rode past a few abandoned adobe villiages and decided I check one out...it looked totally deserted.

After walking into a few of the huts I turned a corner to met a old lady that immediately reminded me of the old witch from the first Conan movie...she had made a home in one of the huts & she was NOT happy to see me...I rode off without looking back...I had visions of her casting a spell on me and feasting on me that night. It really was quite a bizarre encounter, it left me totally creeped out and unnerved.

After about 20km the various trails converged and I could just make out a village on a hill top in the distance.

I immediately felt a lot better...even if I was in the wrong place I needed food and water.

Happily i found myself on course and found a roadside stall that offered a basic soup that made an OK lunch for about $0.15.

I was able to get some good directions and even then nearly took the wrong trial out of town...luckily there was a road sign that saved my dumb ass :)

The quality of the road improved...it was now a real road! (I passed several road crews) and I made pretty good time. My map showed a village about every 30km but I knew the map was unreliable at best and that Hostels wouldn't exist till Salinas...if I didn´t make it there I'd be camping or knocking on someone's door.

After about 15km the road quality deteriorated...it was typically very corragated but there was often an alternative route running parallel...it would offer a smoother ide but occasional deep soft sand. I´d switch out every 1 min or so trying to find the lesser of the two evils.

After about 70km I was getting a bit concerned about my water supply...I regreted not starting with more then my 3 water bottles... I was down to a bottle and a half and a mechanical or injury would leave me in a bad spot. Around the 70km mark I came across a very small villiage and decided I'd try for some water. I had be warned that the smaller villiages were very pretective of their water supply...it hadn´t rained since March!

Fortunately this village had a well and theywere happy for me to fill up my water bottles.

Its the first time I'd use a bucket/well to get water since a race in Vietnam in 2001. I did screw up and poured the excess water back down the well - NOT the thing to do but they smiled at my mistake :)

I meet two felow cyclists along the way...one whose tracks I´d followed for hours...I enjoy these chance encounters and usually remember to offer some water...that has always got a smile and thanks.

I had this Volcano as a land mark...I believed/hoped Salinia to be about 30km north of it.

At 90km and 4:00pm (after 8 hours of hard riding) I arrived at the last village shown on my map thinking I was only 30km from Salinas with a good chance of making it there before dark - sadly I was mistaken. There were some Bolivian mining enginneers set up in the village that laughingly informed me I had 53km to go and there was no way I'd make it today. I knew I should stop there the night...90km/8hours of hard riding is nothing to be ashamed of but the dark (dumb ass) force in me can be strong and I elected to press on...resolved to prove them wrong. I figured I had 3+ hours of daylight left and if I kicked ass I'd get within 5-10km of Salinas and could limp in the remainder with my headlamp. Painful but I'd be rewarded with a decent meal, a cold beer and a warm bed :)

I was hoping to see the road improve as I neared Salinas but it detoriated...

Then it forked (there was no fork on my basic Lonely Planet map!)...I had nobody to ask and a taking a bearing was useless so i just guess, figuring I'd ride/walk 145km and if no Salinas I'd camp and just sleep on it in my tent.

By nightfall (7pm) i was horribly behind schedule and had about 25km to go...i knew every minute of daylight was precious but so was sunset.

I could help but stop many times and takephoto's...it is not a decision I'll ever regret.

It was awesome to be alone in the desert and watch the sun set and the myrid of stars come out.

The euphoria of sunset was replaced with realization I was a long way from anywhere...riding/walking a crappy road with a crappy LED headlamp...not even knowing I was heading in the right direction...all i had was the word of engineers i'd met and the painfully slow turnover of my bikes odometer...143km was a LONG way off :(

To make matters worse by batteries died around 8pm and I only had the dim light fom my camera to locate my replacements and swap them out...by this time the temperature had plummented, the wind was howling and my hands were shaking (you don't know how cold it is tl you stop!). I messed up replacng the headlamp cover and had to hold it one hand...making riding that much more difficult. During the day I could pick a line to avoid the deep ruts and sand but without a decent light I was forced to walk even the downhills...progress was painfully slow.

By 9pm I was about 5km out and bitterly dissapointed I hadn´t seen the lights of the village on the horizon...I understood Salinas to be a sizable village so I began to serously doubt I was heading in the right direction...I pressed on and every crest in the road was filled with anticiapation but reslted in disapointment. If the wind and cold weren't so bad I may well have stopped but it was easier (and warmer) to keep pushing my bike.

At 9:45pm, 142km & 14 hours after i had set of from Challapata I crested another rise and was greeted with 5 small lights. It seemed too small to be Salinas but I was knocking on one of thosedoors regardless.

As i approached Salinas revealed itself to me...tucked from view in a small valley. I was happy :)

A few folks were still up and directed me to the Plaza and Hostel. I was elated to find it no only still open but they were still serving meals and cold beer.

I walked in with my bike, sat down and started ordering...

2 plates of soup and 4 large beers later I headed to be, leavnig my bike in the restaurant downstairs...I just needed a room and a bed. At 3am I was woken by a poundng at the front door...I'd end up sharing my room with 4 snoring Boliivans but I think I gave as good as I got!

I was both proud of my stubborness but also acknowledged my luck and bad judgement...I really should have quit abot 5 hours ago!

All is well that ends well - it was an interesting and epic day and why I chose to cycle around Bolivia! :)

All the best & cheers,

Neal