Riding my Motorcycle Off Road back to La Paz, Bolivia
Update 24 (March 2023)
Sucre to Potosi to La Paz
I finished my ten day rest in Sucre. The bike had been serviced and I’d had another leaky front fork oil seal fixed. It was to be expected this time, as I had done around 18,000km since these seals went in. So, that is about 22,000km since arriving in South America, and 50,000km for the motorbike overall.
I was ready to move on to Peru, but the current problems with the ousting of the President were continuing. Protests and roadblocks were still common. I had picked up snippets from other overland travellers that it wasn’t too bad getting through. But the details on just where and how were scant. I could enter via Chile, where the protests were more subdued, but my visa had expired and I wasn’t keen on organising that again.
So I decided to go to La Paz and work it out from there. But I wanted to have another quick look at Potosi first.
As I was potentially going over old ground, I found a different way to get to Potosi. It was dirt road as soon as I started leaving Sucre. Unfortunately it was raining and forecast to stick around for a few days. It’s cold too, often the days are around 12 °C, less near Potosi, so it’s not too pleasant riding along in the rain. I gave my winter riding gloves away to a farmer in Argentina, thinking I’d finished with them, but they would be handy now and then.
The track just meandered through some semi mountainous area at about 2,800m. Although after a while it just seemed to become a service road for a small pipeline. There were a few houses and small villages around.
Near Tipaka.
I think this was the town of Ura Cachimayu.
After a while the track began to deteriorate. I had met some guys that seemed to be looking after maintenance on the pipeline. They had told me I could get through to Potosi but I must have missed the right turn. There was no evidence anyone had been through lately. And I was apprehensive about a river crossing up ahead, as my map was showing the road winding across the river, but I knew this was a large river and would need a straight bridge or causeway. Having to back track is no fun and I’d been down some pretty sketchy descents by now.
I eventually made it to the river with only minor struggles. There was an abandoned railway bridge but no dedicated road crossing. Just as I approached the bridge, a young family on a small motorbike arrived from along the railway line (maybe that was where I was supposed to come from?). They walked and he waddled the bike across, so that was good enough for me. Onwards with my journey…
The road conditions were mixed after the bridge. There were some poorly maintained river crossings but luckily the rain wasn’t too heavy and the water volume was still low. And there were some slippery clay patches that kept the heart rate up. But all good. Eventually I reached the main road and got into Potosi just before dark.
I had a couple of days in Potosi and then headed for La Paz. Plains on my left and mountains on my right for much of the time.
At one point I could not find a petrol station that would sell me fuel, so had to track down some “unofficial” fuel. Waiting with my red fuel container.
I stayed two nights in La Paz. I tried to get information about entering Peru but didn’t have any success. The Peru Embassy didn’t open when it was supposed to, so in the end I just decided to head for the main border and see what happens.
La Paz is a full on city. I am getting pretty good at getting in and out, after three times (including an aborted entry to Peru, more later). The traffic is chaos, mainly the trucks, buses and public mini vans. And then there are the very steeps roads getting in and out of the centre. Once you clear those, there are the markets that seem to take over the main roads and cause gridlock.
While I was in the city, there was a cultural parade with many of the districts around Bolivia represented. The clothes worn in these photos are typical (maybe a little fancier) of what the highland and rural locals wear, ladies especially, as they go about their day, whether its selling their goods or tending their flocks. It is very common to see the ladies dressed like this, in the fields looking after a dozen sheep, Llama or maybe a few cows.
Sucre to Trinidad and back, Bolivia
Update 23 (February 2023)
La Paz to Puno to Yanque, Peru
Update 25 (March 2023)