tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24508627654010210902011-11-02T12:11:59.163-07:00Tales from my 30000 mile motorbike ride from Toronto to nova scotia, over to ancorage in alaska, up to prudhoe bay and down to terra del fuego in argentinaOisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1291100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-38637835702517488472009-11-13T05:31:00.000-08:002009-11-13T05:31:28.751-08:00Hi,<br />I'm off round the world again, and as of todays date I'm in Colombia again!<br /><br />You can keep up with me here...<br />http://backtobroke.blogspot.com/<br /><br />thanks a million<br />Oisin<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-3863783570251748847?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-49613551694517871642008-12-13T07:27:00.000-08:002009-01-29T12:23:17.597-08:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SUumOTefXsI/AAAAAAAAaNw/k702DCfNEhk/s1600-h/oisin.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281497752698576578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SUumOTefXsI/AAAAAAAAaNw/k702DCfNEhk/s400/oisin.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>This is a trip fact sheet just in case anyone is interested, or planning to ride a similar route to mine. On top of that at the bottom I've put a few answers to questions that I'm pretty sure you'll ask yourself if your getting ready to do something like this. All told theres about 140 blogs posted, just click the months to see the expanded view on the right hand side. Ride Safely!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SUVayuGiDII/AAAAAAAAZrI/ahF2_2Ma_9o/s1600-h/2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279725965577161858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 322px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 293px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SUVayuGiDII/AAAAAAAAZrI/ahF2_2Ma_9o/s400/2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><p><strong>Pictures from the various countries are here, all the folders are public.</strong><br /></p><br /><p><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/Oisin.m.Hughes">http://picasaweb.google.com/Oisin.m.Hughes</a><br /><strong></strong></p><br /><p><strong>===========================================</strong><br /></p><p><strong>Appendice 1 Trip Stats</strong><br /></p><p><strong>Total Km:</strong> 54000km, 33750 miles<br /><strong>Trip duration: 163 days</strong></p><br /><div><strong>Bike used:</strong> BMW 1150 GS adventurer 2003 (AKA Sam Gamgee)<br /><br /><strong>M</strong><strong>ost miles in 1 day:</strong> 803 miles, in canada </div><br /><div><strong>Number of motorcycle services:</strong>5 </div><br /><div>Anchorage, Calgary, Phoenix, Quito, San Tiago</div><br /><div><strong>Tire changes:</strong> 5</div><br /><div>2 sets of knobblies, 1 tourance, 2 road tires (Anchorage, Calgary, phoenix, Quito, Calive Olivetti)</div><br /><div><strong>Countries I rode the motorbike through: (15 total)</strong></div><br /><div>Canada, USA, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Niceragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina.</div><br /><div><strong>Number of Shags</strong>: 0</div><br /><div><strong></strong></div><br /><div><strong>How many tanks of gas or how many times to visit petrol station:</strong> 270 Approx.</div><br /><div>I filled up about every 200km, the range on the BMW is about 340km, on normal road, much less on gravel or sand.<br /></div><strong></strong><br /><div><strong></strong></div><br /><div><strong>Punctures</strong>: 0<br />===============================================</div><br /><div><strong>Appendice 2</strong></div><br /><div>Answers to questions you get asked quite a bit....<br /></div><br /><div><strong></strong></div><br /><div><strong>Best Feeling of accomplishment</strong></div><br /><div>Completing the Dalton Highway, 515 miles from Fairbanks to Prudhoe bay alaska</div><br /><div><a href="http://30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com/2008/08/iron-ass-slays-dalton-highway.html">http://30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com/2008/08/iron-ass-slays-dalton-highway.html</a><br /><br /></div><br /><div><strong>Worst day</strong></div><br /><div>Getting Robbed in Oaxaco</div><br /><div><a href="http://30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com/2008/09/run-for-hillssore-blowsand-misty.html">http://30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com/2008/09/run-for-hillssore-blowsand-misty.html</a><br /><br /></div><br /><div><strong>Most painful day</strong><br />Crashing the bike in Mexico, thought I broke my left leg when I skidded on a wet road with Diesel on the surface.</div><br /><div><a href="http://30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com/2008/09/up-and-downs.html">http://30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com/2008/09/up-and-downs.html</a><br /></div><br /><div><strong>Best day</strong></div><br /><div>Getting to Hungry horse in Montana</div><br /><div><a href="http://30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com/2008/08/hungry-horse-bye-bye-canada-hello.html">http://30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com/2008/08/hungry-horse-bye-bye-canada-hello.html</a></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>Best place</strong></div><br /><div>Bonnieville Salt flats</div><br /><div><a href="http://30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com/2008/08/im-on-utah-salt-flats-for-gods-sake-0.html">http://30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com/2008/08/im-on-utah-salt-flats-for-gods-sake-0.html</a></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>Best Country</strong></div><br /><div>Peru, it started only ok, but Nazca, macchu picchu, lake titticaca, deserts, beaches.... great spot over all.</div><br /><div><strong>Worst Country</strong></div><br /><div>Honduras or El Salvador, really a toss up between dog shit and cat shit, terrible terrible places.<br /></div><div><strong></strong></div><br /><div><strong>Maddest thing that happened</strong></div><br /><div>Getting arrested in Taxco, or run in with Colombian banditos south of Medillion</div><br /><div><br />===========================================</div><strong>Appendice 3<br /><br /></strong><br /><div>Travel advice for some of the countries I went through at the time I went through (largely ignored!) Key thing to remember, is that even though a country is dangerous you can get through safely as long as you dont do anything stupid!.... bottom line.... listening to advice isnt always a good thing!<br /><br /></div><br /><div><em><strong>Mexico</strong></em></div><br /><div>There have been a high number of drug related assassinations in 2008 so far, particularly in the northern border and Pacific states. Seven people were killed and 130 injured when grenades were let off at Independence Day celebrations in Morelia, Michoacán on 15 September, most likely by members of a drugs gang. Foreign visitors and residents have been among the victims in the border region, including the cities of Nuevo Laredo, Tijuana, Ciudad Juárez, Nogales, Reynosa and Maramoros, but there is no evidence to suggest that they have been targeted because of their nationality.<br /><br /></div><div><em><strong>El Salvador</strong></em></div><br /><br /><div>There are very high levels of violent crime throughout the country, including robberies, assaults and car-jackings. You should take your personal security seriously and be aware of your surroundings at all times. You should avoid obvious displays of wealth. All foreign nationals are subject to the risk of kidnapping. It is safer to withdraw money from ATMs in shopping centres or change money in hotels or banks and it is wise not to withdraw too much money at any one time. If you are the victim of a robbery you should not resist. </div><br /><div><em><strong>Bolivia</strong></em></div><br /><div>There have been reports of European nationals being attacked, robbed, sexually assaulted and threatened with murder. Some foreign tourists have been murdered. There is a continued risk of further attacks. You should remain extremely vigilant and cautious about your surroundings whilst travelling around Bolivia, especially on arrival in the country. Take the usual commonsense precautions with your valuables and travel documents. </div><br /><div><em><strong>Colombia</strong></em><br /></div><div>The Department of Foreign Affairs advises against all non-essential travel to Colombia, with the exception of Bogota, Cartagena and the holiday islands of the San Andrés archipelago. You should be aware that the security situation in Colombia is constantly changing and that you could be at serious risk in all parts of the country. If it is essential for you to travel, you should make arrangements for your security throughout your visit. There is a serious risk of kidnapping and crime throughout most parts of the country</div><br /><div><em><strong>Ecuador</strong></em></div><br /><div>Recent tensions between Ecuador and Colombia have resulted in a build-up of troops along their common border. Although most analysts do not forecast any actual military conflict, the Department advises against travel to the border region.<br />You are advised to be alert, avoid demonstrations and public gatherings, watch the news and keep in touch with events. Street demonstrations, protests and strikes are commonplace in Ecuador, and occasionally turn violent.<br />===========================================</div><br /><br /><div>Appendice 4Gear Used for the trip<br /></div><div>Bike: BMW 1150 GS Adventurer, 2003.</div><br /><div>Helmet: Arai Motocross</div><br /><div>Enduro Suit and Boots: BMW Mottorad Rallyee 2 pro, also used an exterior rain proof suit.</div><br /><div>Other Gear: Touratech panniers, BMW backbox (lost on the dalton highway), 2 water proof hold all bags and a lot of bungee cords. MotoGp Tank bag. Garmin Zumo GPS. Puncture repair kits, assorted tools, Electric tire pump, leads, flexes. About 8 T shirts, 6 pairs of socks, 6 pairs of jocks. 1 rain coat, 1 leather jacket, 1 pair of jeans, 1 pair of cargo pants, 1 pair of tracksuit bottom. Mr Fluffykins. 4 buffs. 1 pair of runners. A journal, Lonely planet for each country (bought and dumped as entered and left each country) Tent, sleeping bag, pegs and assorted camping gear (All dumped in Panama). Deet, insect bite cream, moisturiser, baby wipes, tootbrush, tooth paste, shampoo, shower gel, vitamin tablets, cord,<br /></div><div><br />===========================================================</div><br /><div>Appendice 5 Border Crossings<br /><br /></div><br /><div><strong>Border Crossings (21) (Hardest <em>Bolded</em> below)</strong><br /></div><br /><div><strong><em>Canada (import bike from Ireland)</em></strong> </div><div> </div><div>Canada-USA (Cross from Canada into the USA on the Alkan Highway)<br /></div><br /><div>USA-Canada (Same as above in reverse, coming back down from prudhoe bay)<br /></div><br /><div>Canada-USA (Cross just south of calgary into Montana)<br /></div><br /><div>USA-Mexico (Tuscon Arizona)<br /></div><br /><div>Mexico-Guatemala (Just south of San cristobal de la casas on the way to Quetzeltenango)<br /></div><br /><div>Guatemala-El salvador (South of Antigua on the way to Santa Ana in El Salvador)<br /></div><br /><div><strong><em>El-Salvador - Honduras (Main border crossing on the way to Chouleteca in Honduras)</em></strong><br /></div><br /><div>Honduras-Niceragua (Heading from Chouleteca to Grenada on the pan american highway)<br /></div><br /><div><strong><em>Niceragua-Costa Rica (Border crossing on the PAN AM)</em></strong></div><br /><div>Costa-Rica - Panama (Used border crossing 60 miles north of Pan Am, much quieter)<br /></div><br /><div>Panama - Colombia (Flew bike from panama city to bogota wit Girag air freight)<br /></div><br /><div>Colombia - Ecuador (Border crossing just south of pompayon)<br /></div><br /><div>Ecuador - Peru (Boder crossing on the PAN AM)<br /></div><br /><div>Peru - Boliva (Border crossing on lake titicaca)<br /></div><br /><div>Boliva-Chile (Boder crossing between Uyuni and Ollangue)<br /></div><br /><div>Chile-Argentina (Border crossing near Bariloche)<br /></div><br /><div>Argentina- Chile (South of Rio Gallegos on Ruta 3)<br /></div><br /><div>Chile- Argentina (In Terra del fuego, north of Rio Grande)<br /></div><br /><div>Argentina- Chile (Above in reverse)<br /></div><div>Chile-Argentina (Above in reverse)<br /></div><div><br />============================================</div><br /><div>Appendice 6Countries - Cities - towns</div><div><br /><p>Date City Country<br />12-Jul-2008 Toronto-Canada </p><p>13-Jul-2008 Toronto-Canada<br />14-Jul-2008 Toronto-Canada<br />15-Jul-2008 Cornwall-Canada<br />16-Jul-2008 Riviere du loup-Canada<br />17-Jul-2008 Muncton-Canada<br />18-Jul-2008 Sydney-Canada<br />19-Jul-2008 Baddeck-Canada<br />20-Jul-2008 New Glasgow-Canada<br />21-Jul-2008 Riviere du loup-Canada<br />22-Jul-2008 Arnpoir-Canada<br />23-Jul-2008 Saute Ste Marie-Canada<br />24-Jul-2008 Thunder Bay-Canada<br />25-Jul-2008 Dryden-Canada<br />26-Jul-2008 Brandon-Canada<br />27-Jul-2008 Moose Jaw-Canada<br />28-Jul-2008 Canmore-Canada<br />29-Jul-2008 Hinton-Canada<br />30-Jul-2008 Fort St John-Canada<br />31-Jul-2008 Fort Nelson-Canada<br />1-Aug-2008 Whitehorse-Canada<br />2-Aug-2008 Tok-USA<br />3-Aug-2008 Anchorage-USA<br />4-Aug-2008 Anchorage-USA<br />5-Aug-2008 Anchorage-USA<br />6-Aug-2008 Fairbanks-USA<br />7-Aug-2008 Deadhorse-USA<br />8-Aug-2008 Fairbanks-USA<br />9-Aug-2008 Valdez-USA<br />10-Aug-2008 Valdez-USA<br />11-Aug-2008 Valdez-USA<br />12-Aug-2008 Tok-USA<br />13-Aug-2008 Dawson city-Canada<br />14-Aug-2008 Whitehorse-Canada<br />15-Aug-2008 Coal River-Canada<br />16-Aug-2008 Fort St John-Canada<br />17-Aug-2008 Hinton-Canada<br />18-Aug-2008 Canmore-Canada<br />19-Aug-2008 Black Diamond-Canada<br />20-Aug-2008 Hungry Horse-USA<br />21-Aug-2008 Helena-USA<br />22-Aug-2008 Ennis-USA<br />23-Aug-2008 Red Lodge-USA<br />24-Aug-2008 Trementon-USA<br />25-Aug-2008 Wendover-USA<br />26-Aug-2008 Wendover-USA<br />27-Aug-2008 Panguitch-USA<br />28-Aug-2008 Panguitch-USA<br />29-Aug-2008 Kanab-USA<br />30-Aug-2008 Flagstaff-USA<br />31-Aug-2008 Williams-USA<br />1-Sep-2008 Phoenix-USA<br />2-Sep-2008 Phoenix-USA<br />3-Sep-2008 Phoenix-USA<br />4-Sep-2008 Tucson-USA<br />5-Sep-2008 Hermosillo-Mexico<br />6-Sep-2008 Guaymos-Mexico<br />7-Sep-2008 Navojoa-Mexico<br />8-Sep-2008 Mazatlan-Mexico<br />9-Sep-2008 Manzanillo-Mexico<br />10-Sep-2008 Guadaljara-Mexico<br />11-Sep-2008 Morelia-Mexico<br />12-Sep-2008 Taxco-Mexico<br />13-Sep-2008 Taxco-Mexico<br />14-Sep-2008 Taxco-Mexico<br />15-Sep-2008 Taxco-Mexico<br />16-Sep-2008 Taxco-Mexico<br />17-Sep-2008 Oaxaca-Mexico<br />18-Sep-2008 San Cristobal de las casas Mexico<br />19-Sep-2008 San Cristobal de las casas-Mexico<br />20-Sep-2008 Quetzeltenango-Guatemala<br />21-Sep-2008 Quetzeltenango-Guatemala<br />22-Sep-2008 Quetzeltenango-Guatemala<br />23-Sep-2008 Quetzeltenango-Guatemala<br />24-Sep-2008 Antigua-Guatemala</p><p>25-Sep-2008 Santa Ana-El salvador<br />26-Sep-2008 Choluteca-Hondura<br />27-Sep-2008 Grenada-Niceragua<br />28-Sep-2008 Grenada-Niceragua<br />29-Sep-2008 Lake Arenal-Costa Rica<br />30-Sep-2008 San isidro-Costa Rica<br />1-Oct-2008 Panama City-Panama<br />2-Oct-2008 Panama City-Panama</p><p>3-Oct-2008 Panama City-Panama </p><p>4-Oct-2008 Panama City-Panama </p><p>5-Oct-2008 Bogota-Colombia </p><p>6-Oct-2008 Bogota-Colombia </p><p>7-Oct-2008 San gil-Colombia </p><p>8-Oct-2008 AquaChica-Colombia </p><p>9-Oct-2008 Cartegena-Colombia </p><p>10-Oct-2008 Cartegena-Colombia </p><p>11-Oct-2008 Caucasia-Colombia </p><p>12-Oct-2008 Manzales-Colombia </p><p>13-Oct-2008 Pompayon- Colombia </p><p>14-Oct-2008 Pasto-Colombia </p><p>15-Oct-2008 Pasto-Colombia<br />16-Oct-2008 Quito-Ecuador<br />17-Oct-2008 Quito-Ecuador<br />18-Oct-2008 Banos-Ecuador<br />19-Oct-2008 Banos-Ecuador<br />20-Oct-2008 Banos-Ecuador<br />21-Oct-2008 Cuenca-Ecuador<br />22-Oct-2008 Mancora-Peru<br />23-Oct-2008 Pacasmayo-Peru<br />24-Oct-2008 Pacasmay-Peru<br />25-Oct-2008 Huanchaco-Peru<br />26-Oct-2008 Chincha-Peru<br />27-Oct-2008 Nazca-Peru<br />28-Oct-2008 Cuzco-Peru<br />29-Oct-2008 Cuzco-Peru<br />30-Oct-2008 Cuzco-Peru<br />31-Oct-2008 Cuzco-Peru<br />1-Nov-2008 Puno-Peru<br />2-Nov-2008 Puno-Peru<br />3-Nov-2008 Oruro-Bolivia<br />4-Nov-2008 Potosi-Boliva<br />5-Nov-2008 Uyuni-Bolivia</p><p>6-Nov-2008 Uyuni-Bolivia</p><p>7-Nov-2008 Ollangue Chile</p><p>8-Nov-2008 San Pedro de Atacama Chile</p><p>9-Nov-2008 San Pedro de Atacama Chile<br />10-Nov-2008 Tal Tal Chile</p><p>11-Nov-2008 Tal Tal Chile</p><p>12-Nov-2008 La Serena Chile<br />13-Nov-2008 Santiago Chile</p><p>14-Nov-2008 Santiago Chile<br />15-Nov-2008 Santiago Chile<br />16-Nov-2008 Santiago Chile<br />17-Nov-2008 Santiago Chile<br />18-Nov-2008 Santiago Chile<br />19-Nov-2008 Santiago Chile<br />20-Nov-2008 Santiago Chile<br />21-Nov-2008 Valparaiso Chile<br />22-Nov-2008 Valparaiso Chile<br />23-Nov-2008 Chillan Chile<br />24-Nov-2008 Castro-Chile<br />25-Nov-2008 Castro-Chile<br />26-Nov-2008 Puerto Varas Chile<br />27-Nov-2008 Puerto Varas Chile<br />28-Nov-2008 Puerto Varas Chile<br />29-Nov-2008 Bariloche Argentina<br />30-Nov-2008 San Jose de San Martin Argentina<br />1-Dec-2008 Perito Moreno Argentina</p><p>2-Dec-2008 Rio Gallegos Argentina<br />3-Dec-2008 Rio Grande Argentina<br />4-Dec-2008 Ushuaia Argentina<br />5-Dec-2008 Ushuaia Argentina<br />6-Dec-2008 Ushuaia Argentina<br />7-Dec-2008 Puerto Julian Argentina<br />8-Dec-2008 Puerto Madryn<br />9-Dec-2008 Bahia Blanca<br />10-Dec-2008 (2 days missing!, cant figure out where i was, journal got whipped!)<br />11-Dec-2008 (2 days missing!, cant figure out where i was, journal got whipped!)<br />12-Dec-2008 Buenos Aires Argentina (Stayed till the 19th)<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279737582901270866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SUVlW8AcGVI/AAAAAAAAZr4/_tVYdzAux_A/s400/4.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279738072723791698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SUVlzcvOn1I/AAAAAAAAZsE/-v1XHjeUqXQ/s400/6.jpg" border="0" /></p></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-4961355169451787164?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-19818974017350518082008-12-06T12:41:00.000-08:002008-12-12T18:08:33.702-08:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STwaOEFdIII/AAAAAAAAWIA/nP8kBtt6rOw/s1600-h/5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277121692288491650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STwaOEFdIII/AAAAAAAAWIA/nP8kBtt6rOw/s400/5.jpg" border="0" /></a>I finally made it.....Im in Ushuaia.<br /><br />It was a 230km run this morning from Rio Grande. It felt so weird the whole way.....I kept replaying Brothers in Arms by Dire straits on my ipod.... it seemed to fit the mood.<br /><br />For some reason best known to God.... as you reach Ushuaia you leave the flat lands behind and all of the sudden the worlds turns all mountainy and lakey (2 made up words!)<br /><br />I got to the end of the Ruta 3, which merged with the Ruta 40 in Rio Gallegos..... I parked up the bike and looked at the sign. This sign is one of the biggest draws for the worlds list ticker travellers...of which Im a member I guess otherwise I wouldnt be here.<br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STwaN-0jxEI/AAAAAAAAWH4/h1-c0Auaaaw/s1600-h/4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277121690875446338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STwaN-0jxEI/AAAAAAAAWH4/h1-c0Auaaaw/s400/4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STwYj6oGnnI/AAAAAAAAWHY/1HyjaS4XMrE/s1600-h/3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277119868683329138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STwYj6oGnnI/AAAAAAAAWHY/1HyjaS4XMrE/s400/3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I waited till everyone left and sat up against one of the tree stumps and stared blankly at the sign. The sun shone and the trees shook in the gale that was blowing into my back. I tried to take it all in... tried to remember the places I'd been, how many days and miles I'd travelled, how many times I'd nearly been killed on the road, the different conditions, the different landscapes....<br /><div><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STwUKOttB9I/AAAAAAAAWGs/HUd0RDTeKbY/s1600-h/1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277115029352417234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STwUKOttB9I/AAAAAAAAWGs/HUd0RDTeKbY/s400/1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />From here the route I'll take will bring me to Buenos Aires on the 15th and back to Ireland on the 21st......<br /><br />Anyway I'm done. Anyone can do it... all you have to say it that you will.....so get your rucksack and strap it to the back of your bike.......and just ride. Thanks to everyone for the comments and mails of support along the way.... and thanks to Helmar, Jim, Geoff and Rafeal my riding buddies in north america, you guys rule.<br /><br />The end.<br /><br /><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-808fb5c69d6a1651" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v6.nonxt2.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D808fb5c69d6a1651%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177328%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D6670447FDFE69D6C26EB5727B5C210EF200E2340.21EE089FD51C1A31BEA42014A4F8B59BC7869A98%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D808fb5c69d6a1651%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DJ_5-bUNA-GnG2zl-81w4e98tRA4&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v6.nonxt2.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D808fb5c69d6a1651%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177328%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D6670447FDFE69D6C26EB5727B5C210EF200E2340.21EE089FD51C1A31BEA42014A4F8B59BC7869A98%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D808fb5c69d6a1651%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DJ_5-bUNA-GnG2zl-81w4e98tRA4&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object><br /><br />Ps... quick poem I love by W H Auden....<br /><br /><br />If I Could Tell You<br /><br />Time will say nothing but I told you so,<br />Time only knows the price we have to pay;<br />If I could tell you I would let you know.<br /><br />If we should weep when clowns put on their show,<br />If we should stumble when musicians play,<br />Time will say nothing but I told you so.<br /><br />There are no fortunes to be told, although,<br />Because I love you more than I can say,<br />If I could tell you I would let you know.<br /><br />The winds must come from somewhere when they blow,<br />There must be reasons why the leaves decay;<br />Time will say nothing but I told you so.<br /><br />Perhaps the roses really want to grow,<br />The vision seriously intends to stay;<br />If I could tell you I would let you know.<br /><br />Suppose all the lions get up and go,<br />And all the brooks and soldiers run away;<br />Will Time say nothing but I told you so?<br />If I could tell you I would let you know.<br /><br />W.H. Auden<br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277118323843347298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STwXJ_pjM2I/AAAAAAAAWHQ/lgztDWsDMU8/s400/2.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div></div><br /><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-b1b3739658895818" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v2.nonxt8.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Db1b3739658895818%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177328%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D7007FFC209E1CBAE8D23A2E8ACD81289885F90D7.39AAFEA90237BD47D047AAAED2728F1F29506333%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Db1b3739658895818%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DASksCKkrIYFEdyLHFWIhhYUc84Y&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v2.nonxt8.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Db1b3739658895818%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177328%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D7007FFC209E1CBAE8D23A2E8ACD81289885F90D7.39AAFEA90237BD47D047AAAED2728F1F29506333%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Db1b3739658895818%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DASksCKkrIYFEdyLHFWIhhYUc84Y&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-bae5720be377bc50" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v14.nonxt3.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Dbae5720be377bc50%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177328%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D802DB2E112E8D95B6548B3B21D274D0D4B45E5D6.5C4CB2301073FF157A62B2628232849C7E11CDDF%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Dbae5720be377bc50%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DK0IRNar5RjVvnHj3oXeWNDu9-6w&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v14.nonxt3.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Dbae5720be377bc50%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177328%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D802DB2E112E8D95B6548B3B21D274D0D4B45E5D6.5C4CB2301073FF157A62B2628232849C7E11CDDF%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Dbae5720be377bc50%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DK0IRNar5RjVvnHj3oXeWNDu9-6w&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-1981897401735051808?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-88271179922667130362008-12-05T19:10:00.000-08:002008-12-12T17:52:12.526-08:00Today was pretty frustrating...!..suffice to say I didnt make it Ushuaia. The amount of border crossings was always going to make it difficult... assuming no problems I had to cross from Argentina To Chile, then from Chile back into Argentina to get to Ushuaia, stamping in and out of each country. <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STnxk7HETVI/AAAAAAAAWGk/vb4dMXX6lxI/s1600-h/11.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276514055086165330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STnxk7HETVI/AAAAAAAAWGk/vb4dMXX6lxI/s400/11.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />When I got to the first border it was closed!... turns out for the first time in 30 years the argentinian PM and the Chile PM were meeting to shake hands!..and guess where they were doing it... at my feckin border crossing!. It meant having to wait from 10:30 to 2:30, by which time a huge Queue had built up making the crossing even slower. It took away any chance of making Ushuaia today...... still..... theres always tomorrow!<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STnxWnqDT2I/AAAAAAAAWGc/lpvfbGGqMEA/s1600-h/10.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276513809346023266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STnxWnqDT2I/AAAAAAAAWGc/lpvfbGGqMEA/s400/10.jpg" border="0" /></a> Even though the sun shone brilliantly all day... the wind was just appauling....so bad i nearly kicked the bucket. I was overtaking a truck, with another truck a good distance up the road on the other side...sort of manoever you would do 20 times a day...even in the wind it wouldnt normally be a problem. </div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277133332841851474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STwkzohpalI/AAAAAAAAWOo/akPOVvSlXA8/s400/7.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>As I passed the truck on the left side and was coming round to go back into my lane...the wind picked up a massive gale and I couldnt get myself back into the right lane with the other truck coming right for me with the air horn blaring. </div><br /><div>There was nothing else i could do but put the bike into the ditch on the left. Normally putting the bike in the ditch would be followed pretty quickly by a ride in an ambulance but the ditch on the gravel roads is a gravel hollow (lots of spare gravel knocking around!)...... acting purely on instinct I just rode the bike down the ditch...at about 90kmph....scooted along the bottom of the ditch... gunned the bike down to 3rd gear and steered it back up onto the road...even taking the time to indicate back onto the road....and started driving. </div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277133328515550114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STwkzYaLS6I/AAAAAAAAWOg/GY_KfnpM-xo/s400/6.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>About a mile up the road I pulled over...kicked down the sidestand....took off the helmet, glasses and gloves....and as the realisation of what had just happened came to me it was all I could do to not throw up.<br /><br /></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STnxWaC8_3I/AAAAAAAAWGU/BrVWUjUatK8/s1600-h/9.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276513805692370802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STnxWaC8_3I/AAAAAAAAWGU/BrVWUjUatK8/s400/9.jpg" border="0" /></a> I made it to the magellen straights and took the ferry over to Terra del fuego... the seas were so high it would scare the bejaysus out of you. Black and white porpoises followed the ferry over... I've never been so close to so much violent water in my life. If you fell in.... you wouldnt last a minute. The ferry was rocking about so much that the bike fell over....nice.<br /></div><br /><br /><div>The Island of terra del fuego is unbelievably flat and you can see forever. With the delay at the border earlier in the day, combined with the fact that the entire chilean side of the Island is all gravel roads it was late in the evening by the time I made it to Rio grande. The whole way into the town the sun was setting on my right side...as you'd expect if your driving due south...it would have been a very special moment if mother nature didnt have my head in a vice grips with the wind. Im going to hang out here for tonight and then push on to ushuaia tomorrow....only 300km left to do.</div><br /><div><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STnxV9nWXGI/AAAAAAAAWGM/aUaB60LDJDE/s1600-h/8.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276513798060399714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STnxV9nWXGI/AAAAAAAAWGM/aUaB60LDJDE/s400/8.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STnxVghljTI/AAAAAAAAWGE/cTYPZQUEETE/s1600-h/7.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276513790251601202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STnxVghljTI/AAAAAAAAWGE/cTYPZQUEETE/s400/7.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STnxVqebXqI/AAAAAAAAWF8/aHxZA3A8Nsk/s1600-h/6.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276513792922705570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STnxVqebXqI/AAAAAAAAWF8/aHxZA3A8Nsk/s400/6.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STnw44O-X4I/AAAAAAAAWF0/KGt98qmdXmE/s1600-h/5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276513298399780738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STnw44O-X4I/AAAAAAAAWF0/KGt98qmdXmE/s400/5.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STnw4qnD2KI/AAAAAAAAWFs/_CCCbTW8Zfc/s1600-h/4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276513294742706338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STnw4qnD2KI/AAAAAAAAWFs/_CCCbTW8Zfc/s400/4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STnw4agcHoI/AAAAAAAAWFk/amxqXcgkVzM/s1600-h/3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276513290419969666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STnw4agcHoI/AAAAAAAAWFk/amxqXcgkVzM/s400/3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STnw4KuoDCI/AAAAAAAAWFc/_g8d5lZrl8M/s1600-h/2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276513286184504354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STnw4KuoDCI/AAAAAAAAWFc/_g8d5lZrl8M/s400/2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STnw31p4jLI/AAAAAAAAWFU/q_ZfOdB4CFE/s1600-h/1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276513280527469746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STnw31p4jLI/AAAAAAAAWFU/q_ZfOdB4CFE/s400/1.jpg" border="0" /></a>Today was just a fight.... even though the pictures look lovely.... they belie the fact that the wind was so bad. The whole day was just a struggle to maintain anything even approaching proper road position and at times I was pushed 10 feet over on the road in just a couple of metres. If the wind can do that to a fat bastard like myself driving a 250kg BMW I'd hate to think what it would do to people driving lighter machines who were a little less rotund!</div><br /><br /><div>Anyway...tomorrow is the last burn....</div><br /><br /><div>One weird moment apart from the near death experience...when I got to the ferry it was exactly 50,000km since I started the journey...which was my back of the envelope calculation of how many km the whole trip would take....</div><br /><div>Anyway.... 13 hours on the road today.... 15 hours yesterday..... Im beat!..... looking forward to the end tomorrow....</div><br /><div>Over and out<br /></div><div>Oisin</div><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><br /><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-4b4e8aa9c4f92bbb" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v3.nonxt6.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D4b4e8aa9c4f92bbb%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177328%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D6F1C14E429B0B0D7F76224C914FA8E7CFAA577C8.3408A05173321D5C23EA23E5284D263D0EEA629F%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D4b4e8aa9c4f92bbb%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DeNQeWkYvqK3erRsTtq9TPeHgUx8&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v3.nonxt6.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D4b4e8aa9c4f92bbb%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177328%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D6F1C14E429B0B0D7F76224C914FA8E7CFAA577C8.3408A05173321D5C23EA23E5284D263D0EEA629F%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D4b4e8aa9c4f92bbb%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DeNQeWkYvqK3erRsTtq9TPeHgUx8&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-d7b60c8ed9b2bbd2" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v22.nonxt8.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Dd7b60c8ed9b2bbd2%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177328%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D7FBB0FC0A3212439FC6ADBE652009E2B8A67D1E3.215F7D68B0A064D57A86BECE08B6968CF03E81D5%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Dd7b60c8ed9b2bbd2%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DZQKXU94cRNisTzpiBXJgBf7OJ3Q&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v22.nonxt8.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Dd7b60c8ed9b2bbd2%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177328%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D7FBB0FC0A3212439FC6ADBE652009E2B8A67D1E3.215F7D68B0A064D57A86BECE08B6968CF03E81D5%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Dd7b60c8ed9b2bbd2%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DZQKXU94cRNisTzpiBXJgBf7OJ3Q&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-8827117992266713036?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-89502448128774699622008-12-04T16:15:00.000-08:002008-12-04T17:31:12.310-08:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STiAt-_WlGI/AAAAAAAAWFM/M4W3TebSi3I/s1600-h/12.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276108490955723874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STiAt-_WlGI/AAAAAAAAWFM/M4W3TebSi3I/s400/12.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STiAtqBBNaI/AAAAAAAAWFE/MOUYm-wzpY0/s1600-h/11.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276108485325567394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STiAtqBBNaI/AAAAAAAAWFE/MOUYm-wzpY0/s400/11.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>This part of the world has one of the most unchanging flat landscapes anywhere, so almost every photo I took is identical!. Its all just flat, barren pampas. The landscape never changes, the road seldom changes...the only thing that really changes is the sky.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276107554470290994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STh_3eT05jI/AAAAAAAAWEk/ZVgerfOiEts/s400/7.jpg" border="0" /> <div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STh_3LPhiHI/AAAAAAAAWEc/SkkIQ8oh6sE/s1600-h/6.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276107549351970930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STh_3LPhiHI/AAAAAAAAWEc/SkkIQ8oh6sE/s400/6.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276107567515262034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STh_4O5_XFI/AAAAAAAAWE8/MeFEKj3wdww/s400/10.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STh_35Er0OI/AAAAAAAAWE0/PCTT7HIME08/s1600-h/9.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276107561654538466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STh_35Er0OI/AAAAAAAAWE0/PCTT7HIME08/s400/9.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STh_3svc6gI/AAAAAAAAWEs/EJzNmczHjV8/s1600-h/8.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276107558344256002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STh_3svc6gI/AAAAAAAAWEs/EJzNmczHjV8/s400/8.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STh-MbFjYhI/AAAAAAAAWEU/acaYxlBR09Q/s1600-h/5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276105715359113746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STh-MbFjYhI/AAAAAAAAWEU/acaYxlBR09Q/s400/5.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div>As I was just about to go to sleep last night I read the following passage from the return of the king, the third part of the lord of the rings.... it explains a bit of why today went the way it did!</div>The passage is in Italics below....<br /><br /><div><em>But at the same moment there was a flash, as if lightning had sprung from the earth beneath the city. For a searing second it stood dazzling far off in black and white, its topmost tower like a glittering needle and then the darkness closed again there came rolling over the fields a great boom.<br /></em></div><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STh-MMOg9TI/AAAAAAAAWEM/vbZ6zoCNVUc/s1600-h/4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276105711370171698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STh-MMOg9TI/AAAAAAAAWEM/vbZ6zoCNVUc/s400/4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><em>At that sound the bent shape of the king sprang suddenly erect. Tall and proud he seemed again, and rising in this stirrups he cried in a loud voice, more clear than any there had ever heard a mortal man acheive before</em><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STh-L5vxH1I/AAAAAAAAWEE/VJkHVQ6y_Cw/s1600-h/3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276105706409369426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STh-L5vxH1I/AAAAAAAAWEE/VJkHVQ6y_Cw/s400/3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><em>Arise arise, riders of theoden</em></div><em>fell deeds... awake... fire and slaughter</em><br /><em>spear shall be shaken, shield shall be splintered</em><br /><em>a sword day, a red day, ere the sun rises!</em><br /><em>Ride now...ride now! ride to Gondor! </em><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276104194800651122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STh8z6kKi3I/AAAAAAAAWD8/VpQ0vNTBICE/s400/2.jpg" border="0" /><em>With that he seized a great horn from Guthlaf his banner bearer and he blew such a blast upon it that it burst asunder. And Straaightaway all the horns in the host were lifted up in music, and the blowing of the horns of rohan in that hour was like a storm upon the plain and a thunder in the mountains....</em><br /><br /><div><em>ride now.... ride now... ride to Gondor!</em></div><div><em></em> </div><div><em>Suddenly the king cried to snowmane and the white horse sprang away. Behind him his banner blew in the wind, white horse upon a field of green but he outpaced it. After him thundered the knights of his house but he was ever before them. Fey he seemed or the battle fury of his fathers ran like a new fire in his veins and we has bourne of the valar then the world was young. </em><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276104190269173362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STh8zprxrnI/AAAAAAAAWD0/8ByklR3UBoQ/s400/1.jpg" border="0" /></div><div><br /><div><em>His golden sheild was uncovered and lo it shone like an image of the sun and the grass flamed into green and darkness was removed and the hordes of mordor wailed and terror took them and they ran and died and the hoofs of wrath rode over them. And the all the host of rohan burst into song and they sang as they slew for the joy of battle was on them...and the sound of their songs was fair and terrible and came even to the city.</em><br /><br /></div><div>Anyway.... I love that exceprt...!.....</div><div>I ended up doing 1100km today..... untold amounts of it on gravel...... the rest of it on asphalt. I left this morning at 5am....and didnt get here to Rio Gallegos till 8:30pm. I completed all 2000km of the ruta 40..... </div><div>the only answer one expects from a fellow biker upon telling them that you did this is as follows..... "here is my wife... please pleasure yourself with her"...thats the sort of street cred you get!</div><div> </div><div>I burst 3 blisters on my arse before I got into the shower.... only to discover Ive no clean jocks and am now going comando!....</div><div> </div><div>Apart from the length of todays ride...the wind was just terrible. .... no way really to describe it.... apart from to say it was beyond belief. For a guy the best way to describe it would be to imagine you were lying in bed....asleep.... and your next door neighbour came into the bedroom and kicked you straight into the bollix with a pair of hob nail boots..... simple as that...except prolong the paing for 15hours....</div><div> </div><div>If you a girl...obviously the above doesent sound so bad...so just imagine someone pulled your top lip up over your head till it was touching your shoulder blades....</div><div> </div><div>The only way to deal with it is to lean....and you end up taking a position on the bike to compensate which is about as ergonomically friendly as someone tying a 9inch cavity block from your left nut.</div><div> </div><div>Anyway...Ive never been so tired...Im off to bed....</div><div>I'll be in Ushuaia tomorrow.....cant wait for the parade.....</div><div> </div><div>I send a note to the owner of the website..... "9-birds-for-those-who-complete-the-ruta40.com", same guy who'll be organising the parade for me in Ushuaia....</div><div> </div><div>Told him the women I want are as follows</div><div>1) Brittney in the red latex suit</div><div>2) Kylie in the gold hot pants</div><div>3) Kyle in the white outfit from the nah na nah song... (saving you a maith there!)</div><div>4) Sharon stone minus the ice pick...and also minus the cacks</div><div>5) Yer one from the club orange add with the nice arse</div><div>6) My secondery school female Irish teacher (wearing the tarten mini) </div><div>7) Yer one from porkies who they called lassie (same outfit)</div><div>8) Yer one who worked in the cafe in Taxco in Mexico.... with the white trousers</div><div>9) Nell McCafferty... I know shes a lesser...but just want to see if she can resist 240lbs of jedi meat!</div><div> </div><div>I know it'll all come true</div><div>Oisin<br /></div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-8950244812877469962?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-21412467615765983472008-12-03T13:41:00.000-08:002008-12-12T18:14:19.313-08:00<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STcPyTNCrhI/AAAAAAAAWDQ/5e5drphnuoQ/s1600-h/2+056.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275702845310676498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STcPyTNCrhI/AAAAAAAAWDQ/5e5drphnuoQ/s400/2+056.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STcJFdWW7LI/AAAAAAAAWDI/OKqqY-kv91M/s1600-h/2+037.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275695477870226610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STcJFdWW7LI/AAAAAAAAWDI/OKqqY-kv91M/s400/2+037.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STcDHC1N1YI/AAAAAAAAWDA/JcOol_PqV_A/s1600-h/2+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275688908041868674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STcDHC1N1YI/AAAAAAAAWDA/JcOol_PqV_A/s400/2+003.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div></div>Many years after being here, Charles Darwin said of this area of patagonia in his memoirs of the Beagle voyages..... "why is it that this place so haunts my dreams and every waking hour"........it really is great, a pity that the roads are so bad!<br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>433km today with over 420km of it on gravel, muck, shite, sand...... throw in a hefty helping of brutal wind and driving rain and you'll get an idea of what sort of afternoon I had. On the upside the landscape is just unbelievable and I saw some Emu's and road runners..... Emu's are fast!....road runners....well I dont have to tell you. I would say that in total i saw less than 4 trucks or cars out on the road today. The only time I came in contact with people is in the tiny towns to get some gas.</div><br /><br /><div>Im in a town called perito moreno. It also happens to the be the first town on the last page of all my maps!!.... If you can imagine I left Ireland with over 20 different maps of all the different countries, and to be on the last page of the last map feels pretty good!..... not as good as a good shag mind...but we take what little pleasures we can get. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Most of the shop shelves here are empty or half stocked at best, a combination of low demand with a sparsely populated countryside...but most of all the really really shite infrastructure.<br />None of the restaurants have Menus, the lady just rhymes off what they have....and you say...si!..with a finger in the air!.... then its on to drinks.....and you really hope you recognise something she says! For breakfast here....its bread, jam and tea or Coffee (last 3 days!). The internet is obviously here but its 56k modem stuff.....which gmail wont even run on!...surprised that this is working...</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>My mother had 2 words for tea or coffee that was either too strong (Moonlach)...or too week (Sulach). If you have coffee here...you get Moonlach... if you have tea you get Sulach. Ive been opting for Sulach..... the ruta 40 is no place for a dose of heartburn!</div><br /><br /><div>I left this morning at about 8am and after 5km the gravel kicked in. I was apprenhensive about the road, not overly nervous or afraid.... more just a pain in my hole that Id sooooo much gravel ahead, about 1800km.</div><br /><br /><div>Every gravel road has lines...... lines you say oisin?... yes thats right.... lines! </div>(going over some old ground here....apologies if its old news!)<br /><br /><div>A line is a place you can drive your motorbike on!(duh!) What happens is the accumulation of traffic moves gravel around the place on the road and over time tracks appear. Most roads have 3, one of the left, middle and right of the road and every car or truck follows these tracks. The tracks only dissapper either when you come to bridges, which are everywhere!....or when 2 trucks meet and have to pull over to let each other by. </div><br /><br /><div>So as long as you have a line, you can go along at a good clip, the problem is keeping your line. The line sometimes just runs out into the ditch, or the wind constantly pushes you across the road making it really difficult to keep a line. If you go out of a line you have to cross what may be a gravel build up of 10 inches or more which is easily enough to make your front wheel wash out and put you on your arse. Note falling on gravel and rocks is much more risky than on sand.... everytime you go down your gonna lose some meat!</div></div><br /><div>The rules of the game are simple......</div><br /><br /><div>1) If you use the breaks.... you are pretty much gauranteed to come off...so you have to break with the engine...ie pop her down a gear.....and only go up a gear when the bike goes over 4000rpm</div><br /><br /><div>2) If you go too slow you'll definitely come off...anything under 50kmph and your pissing against the wind..... anything over 90kmph and you'll kill yourself if you come off....</div><br /><br /><div>3) If you drive in the wrong gear and the engine idles, chugs or free wheels...your pretty much gauranteed to fall off...the engine has to be hauling ass the whole time...3500 to 4000rpm.</div><br /><br /><div>4) If you tightly grip the handle bars and dont stay loose, you wont be able to compensate as the bikes rolls around on the gravel and you'll end up overcompensating, ie pulling her back to hard...and back to the problem which you just blazed through.....so loosey goosey is the name of the game.... its good to wobble.... it should feel like your riding a jet ski when on this junk</div><br /><br /><div>5) Accellerate is your only way out of any problem...ie hit the obstacle hard and burst your way through it....the bike wants to go straight...so more gas.....will give it the best chance of doing this<br /></div><br /><div>6) If its raining its impossible to see your line...and your pretty much fucked...so better to just stop</div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>7)No matter what happens...even if the bike is moving around like a hard boiled sweet in a grannys gob....dont break or stop accelerating.... haul ass till you get a face full of gravel.<br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>So as your driving along you constantly have conversations with yourself....an excerpt below....</div><div><br /></div><div>"Keep the line Ois, Keep the line.....nice one...nice one........Keep the line.......going pretty good here....nice one....fuck! me line....wheres it gone........fuck it..fuck it...fuck it........there it is....nice one.... get back on it ...get back on it... nice one....too slow fat boy...too slow...move it ..move it...move it.....<br />(bike wobbling as front wheel in deeper gravel) ....fuuuuuuuccccccccccckkkkkkkkkk......... hold it .....no stay loose....stay loose.....(rode through it)....nice one ya big ride ya!...nice one..... stay loose ...stay loose....(quick song)...the loose...the loose....the loose is on fire...we dont need the loose so let the mother fucker burn...... bollix....the line the line the line...cmon ya fat fuck...stay on line......nice .... nice....fuck off wind...fuck off wind...fuck off wind...accelerate ya big fuckin cardigan...gowan....gowan....ah there it is..... very nice....very nice..... ah jaysus theres a bridge coming......uh oh...lines gone...lines gone..fuck off wind fuck off wind fuck off wind......(instinct says slow down!!!!)...mind says.....put the hammer down now!!....(acellerate and burst through the accumulation)............yeeee hawww....... made another one!.....nice one back on the line..... </div><br /><div>(Rinse and repeat every 2 minutes for 8 hours solid!) </div><br /><div>Anyway all of the above should go to show that driving on this stuff is absolutely exhausting. If you ever meet anyone who says they enjoy it...you should check the back seat of their car for bicycle saddles.</div><br /><div>Tomorrow I going to try and make it to a town called Calafate.....its a favorite stopping over point for folks heading to torres del paine and the puerto moreno glacier. Its over 600km away...and all but 60km of its crappy road...and it will take me through some of the least travelled and most sparsely populated areas in the world!.. so tomorrow will be a bastard!</div><br /><div>May the force be with you.</div><br /><div>Oisin </div></div><br /><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-a8bf306b5111c6cf" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v16.nonxt2.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Da8bf306b5111c6cf%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177328%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D59ACFDB7B2D78700F67236971A9B2A01C09853BB.3EC454D972CFEE0A3601AC744CCE6552A67C3128%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Da8bf306b5111c6cf%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DZEnxWiRO2JHL-i9qycEqfXuwdPQ&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v16.nonxt2.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Da8bf306b5111c6cf%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177328%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D59ACFDB7B2D78700F67236971A9B2A01C09853BB.3EC454D972CFEE0A3601AC744CCE6552A67C3128%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Da8bf306b5111c6cf%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DZEnxWiRO2JHL-i9qycEqfXuwdPQ&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-2141246761576598347?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-10982071652226581932008-12-02T13:35:00.000-08:002008-12-02T14:45:03.809-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STW28692KjI/AAAAAAAAWC4/_RZB0ZunTVo/s1600-h/oisun+012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STW28692KjI/AAAAAAAAWC4/_RZB0ZunTVo/s400/oisun+012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275323696271469106" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STWxDAA6a_I/AAAAAAAAWCw/15MDTGdYjlo/s1600-h/oisun+003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STWxDAA6a_I/AAAAAAAAWCw/15MDTGdYjlo/s400/oisun+003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275317203635956722" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STWwLxKEI5I/AAAAAAAAWCo/q_-dN04NLRc/s1600-h/oisun+005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STWwLxKEI5I/AAAAAAAAWCo/q_-dN04NLRc/s400/oisun+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275316254755005330" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STWvTzJBRoI/AAAAAAAAWCg/utR8d8UWMrU/s1600-h/oisun+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STWvTzJBRoI/AAAAAAAAWCg/utR8d8UWMrU/s400/oisun+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275315293214819970" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STWuWIQkYzI/AAAAAAAAWCY/bIutQMxsBH8/s1600-h/oisun+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STWuWIQkYzI/AAAAAAAAWCY/bIutQMxsBH8/s400/oisun+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275314233731736370" border="0" /></a><br />Ok in the middle of nowhere on the Ruta 40 so back to using 56k modems!..... nothing like a bit of old to make you appreciate the new!.... good oul days me bollix.<br /><br />The 4 things you consistently hear about argentina is that 1) the women are gorgeous, 2) the steaks are unbelievable, and 3) Its dear as fuck! and 4) its patagonia area is great<br /><br />So to give an early answer to some of the questions "what are the women like in Argentina?".... well the answer is....its very like the relationship I have with the average Robin Red Breast(its a bird!)... namely.... they´re lovely to look at, I cant understand a word they´re saying(either), they fly away if you get too close to them........ and finally they've no knockers!.<br /><br />The Argentinians in general so far are a very friendly bunch..... mad into the rugby! The place is really expensive though.... about 6 dollars a beer(local swill), compared with an average I'd say of 1 dollar a beer in the rest of south america.<br /><br />531km on the Ruta Diablo today and still around to tell the tale, tomorrow wont be so easy. Leaving Bariloche the weather and views were beyond belief, I´ve never seen anything like it, I had a couple of "yep this is the best I´ve ever seen moments"...but I holstered my weapon till Im down in Ushuaia. The thing that really makes this area stand out for me is that its all in bloom. The average ditch here has more flowers growing in it than the chelsea flower show. It all smells similar to something between vanilla and honeydew and it rolls up under the helmet.... man you could drive forever in this place!<br /><br />As I drove further and further on the ruta 40 lakes and mountains were gradually replaced with rolling hills as you start to arrive on the Argentinian side of the Andean Foothills...... and get this!...just like Alaska and the yukon... there is absolutely nobody here!! I drove the last 100km today without seeing a single car!! Most of the tourist traffic takes a right into Chile at a town called Esquel and heads south on the Caretera Austral in chile and then hooks back into Argentina later on, thus bypassing some of the shittier windswept sections of Ruta 40.<br /><br />The road was ok today, actually only about 80 miles or so was gravel, the rest being the brittneyesqe asphalt. I had a mad experience while whoreing through the countryside. The wind was about 70kmph or so (how i know that will become apparent!) but I noticed when I rounded a bend the noise of the bike seemed to get a lot louder, almost like the bike was chokeing itself only noiser. It took me a while to figure it out... it was the wind. What had happened was that the wind was now a tail wind and when the speed of the bike matched the speed of the wind the only sound was the engine of the motorbike..... eerie stuff.... one of those you'd have to be there moments!, but it was really cool easing on and off the throttle to match the bike up with the speed of the wind and listening to the change in how you hear the sound coming from the bike.<br /><br />On the road I passed a good few what I think were Guachos herding one of the biggest sheep herds Ive ever seen. The noise of them was deadly!<br /><br /><br />When I got to gobnorado (not making the name up) on the Ruta 40 I asked the service guy was there any nice hotels in the town... he replied Mas o menos, which means more or less in english. Well let me tell you... there was a whole lot of menos and not a whole pile of mas...Man its slow here, and the hotel is ming.<br /><br />The town is just unbelievably quiet, all you can hear is the odd bird chirping, and the noise your feet make in the gravel seems unbelievably loud compared to the surroundings. Everywhere is closed, I guess the whole place is doing the whole siesta thing. As I walked around wondering if everyone had been kidnapped the only thing I encountered was a chicken!, but by 6pm things had livened up a bit. I wondered if they were off having a secret meeting to decide how they were going to cook the gringo!.....<br /><br />Its absolutely teeming down with rain, thunder and lightning outside, thats patagonia for you.... the weather changes like a whores bastard, but I cant complain, the last 2 days have just been amazing so Im due some hardship.......still trying to figure out if I'll burn over to the caretera austral to catch a glacier or 2.....<br /><br />The barren patch continues.... those sheep today looked mighty worried!<br /><br />Shake and bake<br />Oisin<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-1098207165222658193?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-49184359623304844762008-12-01T13:23:00.001-08:002008-12-01T14:12:21.792-08:00Said goodbye for Merrie and Pipp for maybe the last time this morning. I couldnt go ahead and do the 4 day cruise for 2 reasons, firstly the thoughts of being cooked up in a boat for that length of time and it would short circuit about 300 miles off the ruta 40. <div><br /><div></div><br /><div>So whats bad about that I hear you say? Well first of all if your a girl you wont understand...its a guy thing....it goes something like this....</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>When Im asked ... "So Oisin....Did you do the whole thing on a motorbike?"... I cant say yes... because of the ferry.... yeah yeah... I know.... no one cares about that.... but secretly every guy in the world knows exactly what Im talking about...... You either did or did not go the whole way on the bike and are therefore "a big girls blouse or not a big girls blouse"</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>And theres a sublevel to that which is.... If Im ever invited to the hard core bikers christmas ball.... the question will come.... "So Oisin...Did you do all of the Ruta 40?".... again I cant say yes.......I'll have to answer "well except for the bit..."..... and I'll get all those derisory Hrumphs!.... and lets face it nobody needs that.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274937972958814034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STRYI3pt31I/AAAAAAAAWCA/oD0qHA9m6Hs/s400/oisin+012.jpg" border="0" /></div><br /><div>Argentina is the 15th country... ok...lets count em just for the crack.... Canada, USA, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador(shithole), Honduras(shithole+1), Niceragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and finally Argentina...its like I always say...its not a motorbike trip till you've been to 15 countries! The border crossing was easy peasy lemon squeezy!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Its official, Im on the Ruta 40..... now if you didnt feel your buttcheeks tighten even just a little...you havent been listening! its an... Ooooooohhhhhh....... Aaaaaahhhhhhhhh moment. These first few miles have been great, really think this is one of the most beautiful locations in the world. I've been saying that a lot as Ive been going along, but I'll let you make your own mind up on the pictures below.</div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274937962860438722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STRYISCE5MI/AAAAAAAAWBw/Tl2m9eGhV0g/s400/oisin+099.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274944084253137298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STRdsl_02ZI/AAAAAAAAWCQ/ilJVnIrqFk8/s400/oisin+050.jpg" border="0" /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STRYJavOEyI/AAAAAAAAWCI/goGUUxlpPrs/s1600-h/oisin+016.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274937982377136930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STRYJavOEyI/AAAAAAAAWCI/goGUUxlpPrs/s400/oisin+016.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STRYImKhKlI/AAAAAAAAWB4/UOUgEWg07j4/s1600-h/oisin+011.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274937968264555090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STRYImKhKlI/AAAAAAAAWB4/UOUgEWg07j4/s400/oisin+011.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STRYHwF6-rI/AAAAAAAAWBo/rV9UrbcdZJ0/s1600-h/oisin+073.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274937953749760690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STRYHwF6-rI/AAAAAAAAWBo/rV9UrbcdZJ0/s400/oisin+073.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STRXPi1x-CI/AAAAAAAAWBg/UApojhOtR3E/s1600-h/oisin+090.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274936988119726114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STRXPi1x-CI/AAAAAAAAWBg/UApojhOtR3E/s400/oisin+090.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STRXOIgcLAI/AAAAAAAAWBY/f9RB3VQY0i4/s1600-h/oisin+066.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274936963871026178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STRXOIgcLAI/AAAAAAAAWBY/f9RB3VQY0i4/s400/oisin+066.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STRXNVWznMI/AAAAAAAAWBQ/_p5xwqCBe9E/s1600-h/oisin+053.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274936950140411074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STRXNVWznMI/AAAAAAAAWBQ/_p5xwqCBe9E/s400/oisin+053.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STRXKWpvGXI/AAAAAAAAWBI/J8CvuMeH5Qk/s1600-h/oisin+033.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274936898948634994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STRXKWpvGXI/AAAAAAAAWBI/J8CvuMeH5Qk/s400/oisin+033.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STRXJyeHCbI/AAAAAAAAWBA/Ov7BguL8KO0/s1600-h/oisin+046.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274936889236195762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STRXJyeHCbI/AAAAAAAAWBA/Ov7BguL8KO0/s400/oisin+046.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STRWdQmJV_I/AAAAAAAAWA4/BVv5_0rJ_sY/s1600-h/oisin+019.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274936124228851698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STRWdQmJV_I/AAAAAAAAWA4/BVv5_0rJ_sY/s400/oisin+019.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STRWdGkoJ2I/AAAAAAAAWAw/Zj9RC0-ujaM/s1600-h/oisin+010.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274936121538127714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STRWdGkoJ2I/AAAAAAAAWAw/Zj9RC0-ujaM/s400/oisin+010.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STRWctifhxI/AAAAAAAAWAo/PVxaTQ-M7dE/s1600-h/oisin+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274936114818287378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STRWctifhxI/AAAAAAAAWAo/PVxaTQ-M7dE/s400/oisin+003.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STRWcVtx2XI/AAAAAAAAWAg/FAlTeAvHTPU/s1600-h/oisin+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274936108423174514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STRWcVtx2XI/AAAAAAAAWAg/FAlTeAvHTPU/s400/oisin+005.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STRWcLEzvAI/AAAAAAAAWAY/EJ0HwqWBWss/s1600-h/oisin+087.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274936105566977026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STRWcLEzvAI/AAAAAAAAWAY/EJ0HwqWBWss/s400/oisin+087.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>So I made it to a town called Bariloche, it sits on a lake and is completely hemmed in by snow capped mountains, this place is awesome! The weather tomorrow is supposed to be just amazing so Im planning a massive miles day. Its one thing to take on these gravel roads in dry and windy conditions, but in the wet and wind it would be truly brutal, so as the old saying goes.... "get the fuck down the road before it starts raining" I talked to one biker who said he drove through 70-80mph sidewinds there a couple of weeks back, he said his neck was like a coat hanger after it.</div><div> </div><div>All day the scenery had been a combination of brilliant blue skies, snowcapped peaks, shimmering lakes, and rediculously colorful hedgerows, really is like a garden show along the side of the road.</div><br /><div>Im hoping to make it Ushuaia in 5 days.... assuming myself and SamGamgee hold up to the battering by the wind and gravel. In that time I hope to see the puetro moreno glacier, one of the biggest and fast moving glaciers in the world.... Torres Del Paine national park (one with all the Jaggedy mountains)... and very much hope not to see my arse skidding in front of me down the road on the gravel!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Shake and Bake</div><br /><div>Oisin</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-4918435962330484476?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-44693221881927396922008-11-30T08:39:00.000-08:002008-11-30T09:56:42.710-08:00<div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLMZoapqNI/AAAAAAAAUoU/j_rMwGiwEkA/s1600-h/18.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274502854322268370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLMZoapqNI/AAAAAAAAUoU/j_rMwGiwEkA/s400/18.jpg" border="0" /></a>The Osorno Volcano<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLMZRzApdI/AAAAAAAAUoM/x7hGeSrgYsk/s1600-h/17.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274502848250422738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLMZRzApdI/AAAAAAAAUoM/x7hGeSrgYsk/s400/17.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLMY8xW2BI/AAAAAAAAUoE/MFewyyr3Mfg/s1600-h/16.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274502842606344210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLMY8xW2BI/AAAAAAAAUoE/MFewyyr3Mfg/s400/16.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLMZ6iWxnI/AAAAAAAAUoc/LqWVRaegje8/s1600-h/oisin+1623.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274502859186423410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLMZ6iWxnI/AAAAAAAAUoc/LqWVRaegje8/s400/oisin+1623.jpg" border="0" /></a> Place where we stopped for some grub... Pippen said that was suncream on the end of his nose... and because Im his friend I believe him. I wont lie..... the satisfied look on Merries face did cause me to raise an eyebrow<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274503308796990658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLM0Fd3lMI/AAAAAAAAUpk/OIPTsN_50uw/s400/oisin+1544.jpg" border="0" />Merrie said that he thought he saw an Emu running behind the rock.... although what he planned to do to the poor creature with that thing in his right hand I'll leave to your imagination.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLLGdH9YdI/AAAAAAAAUkQ/Me1-hwYAl_A/s1600-h/14.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274501425361936850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLLGdH9YdI/AAAAAAAAUkQ/Me1-hwYAl_A/s400/14.jpg" border="0" /></a>I just like flowers ok!<br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLLFPZ_dLI/AAAAAAAAUkI/Gc-1HEcutJk/s1600-h/13.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274501404499604658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLLFPZ_dLI/AAAAAAAAUkI/Gc-1HEcutJk/s400/13.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLLGy_xBaI/AAAAAAAAUkY/sWkEOX_vvk4/s1600-h/16.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274501431233152418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLLGy_xBaI/AAAAAAAAUkY/sWkEOX_vvk4/s400/16.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLLEtXs4UI/AAAAAAAAUj4/cOJ0h5PDoNM/s1600-h/12.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274501395363193154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLLEtXs4UI/AAAAAAAAUj4/cOJ0h5PDoNM/s400/12.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLLEAM3K3I/AAAAAAAAUjw/nP3f7HQ8q4U/s1600-h/11.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274501383238134642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLLEAM3K3I/AAAAAAAAUjw/nP3f7HQ8q4U/s400/11.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLJZ-5j-SI/AAAAAAAAUfQ/3u_4UaofUIo/s1600-h/10.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274499561822615842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLJZ-5j-SI/AAAAAAAAUfQ/3u_4UaofUIo/s400/10.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Man the grass is long up here eh?<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLJZCEbXjI/AAAAAAAAUfI/qh7XKo5lVsM/s1600-h/9.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274499545493626418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLJZCEbXjI/AAAAAAAAUfI/qh7XKo5lVsM/s400/9.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLJY4Dr5XI/AAAAAAAAUfA/Irb0OTggbP4/s1600-h/8.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274499542806160754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLJY4Dr5XI/AAAAAAAAUfA/Irb0OTggbP4/s400/8.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLJYjoefrI/AAAAAAAAUew/g7iDteMzJLU/s1600-h/7.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274499537323327154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLJYjoefrI/AAAAAAAAUew/g7iDteMzJLU/s400/7.jpg" border="0" /></a> The red lichen changing the color of the mountain<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLJYVYFf4I/AAAAAAAAUeo/DGmWN7olDMs/s1600-h/6.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274499533496483714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLJYVYFf4I/AAAAAAAAUeo/DGmWN7olDMs/s400/6.jpg" border="0" /></a> Pippen is surpised by an impromptu nip on the buns by Merrie<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLILrtisVI/AAAAAAAAUbM/Eiz0VXnPfsQ/s1600-h/3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274498216642130258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLILrtisVI/AAAAAAAAUbM/Eiz0VXnPfsQ/s400/3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLIK-8jNVI/AAAAAAAAUbE/zXzGnbgGt6w/s1600-h/2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274498204625483090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLIK-8jNVI/AAAAAAAAUbE/zXzGnbgGt6w/s400/2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLIMaow9_I/AAAAAAAAUbc/1aly-ECymwo/s1600-h/5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274498229238560754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLIMaow9_I/AAAAAAAAUbc/1aly-ECymwo/s400/5.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLIL7wjPVI/AAAAAAAAUbU/MNQOzl5xWvI/s1600-h/4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274498220949716306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLIL7wjPVI/AAAAAAAAUbU/MNQOzl5xWvI/s400/4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLIKunXNvI/AAAAAAAAUa8/yNQphdPVtIc/s1600-h/1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274498200241649394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STLIKunXNvI/AAAAAAAAUa8/yNQphdPVtIc/s400/1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-ced4e189014088be" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v1.nonxt5.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Dced4e189014088be%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177328%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D7DDA5EB6D099B5177673B5FCEE07E19FF228832.664799BFE1F6884D420D2B021DE6F1814DAE88D2%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Dced4e189014088be%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DKSAu-2VhY4DF-EPyANTx7Oek-eo&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v1.nonxt5.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Dced4e189014088be%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177328%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D7DDA5EB6D099B5177673B5FCEE07E19FF228832.664799BFE1F6884D420D2B021DE6F1814DAE88D2%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Dced4e189014088be%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DKSAu-2VhY4DF-EPyANTx7Oek-eo&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object><br /><br /><br /><p>Just spent the first couple of days in Patagonia, and whatever you've heard.... its better. Snowcapped peaks, gorgeous blue lakes, wonderful plantlife....its hard to beat.</p><br /><p>We hired a car and headed off exploring. When you head to an area which has had "recent" volcanic activity its a strange experience. First of all you can see where the activity just cleaved a path through the mountain and the vegetation. Its like someone just spilled a bucket of light black paint on the mountain. Little by little you can see where plants are starting to grow again. It starts with lichen turning the mountainside red, and then weeds can get a foothold and from there the trees come back..... its magic to be able to see all the phases of recovery happening at the same time in different parts of the mountain.<br /></p><p>We hiked up several hills and kept working our way up the mountain. The view above kept changing as the wind either blew new clouds in, or the ones that were there away...it was like the top of the mountain was playing hide and seek, one minute it was there.... the next hidden. (you probably got that from the hide and seek bit eh?)</p><br /><p>We stopped in a fish restaurant on the lake for some grub on the way back. We were sitting out on a patio almost right on the lake, with the sun setting over one shoulder, and the volcano over the other, wont forget it for a long time! The place was owned by a canadian guy who was backpacking and met a brazillian bird in SanTiago Chile and they moved down here.... lovely place!</p><br /><p>On the way back the exhaust fell off the car, Peugeout...say no more... a bigger bag of shite has never been built.... ended up having to tie it up with shoe laces!.... By the time we were done yesterday all 3 of us were burnt alive!, our faces glowing like a 2 bar electric heater.<br /></p><p>Went out for a couple of pints last night, even on a saturday night no one goes out around here.... more cheer at the meeting of 2 mother in laws.</p><p>Tomorrow we all jump of a ferry/cruise from puerto monnt to a place called puerto Valdez in whats billed as some of the best scenery in south armerica. After that its onto the ruta 40 for the big fella and down to Ushuaia, where i should arrive in 8 days.</p><p>The Ruta 40 is one of the top 3 hard core motorcycle roads in the world... and I do mean hardcore!... all the battles up to this point have merely been but a finger of the outstreached hand of nutjob motorcycle roads.</p><p>It has several names..... In Europe we call it "The ruta 40", In the USA they call it "the 40", in Yemen they call it "Ruta Fuckstory", in Poland they call it "Ruta Wherethefuck?"</p><p>The following passage was found in the pocket of a biker who was found in a the middle of a hysterical fit lying by his bike on the Ruta 40</p><p>Woe to You O Earth and Sea</p><p>For the Devil Sends his Road with Wrath</p><p>Because He Knows that the big fellas Time is Short</p><p>Let Him Who Hath Understanding ReckonThe Number of the Road</p><p>For it is a Human Number</p><p>It's Number is 40</p><p>Will be on a boat for the next 4 days.......and then its time to steel myself for the 2nd last hurdle...gotta come back up this Ruta Diablo to get to Argentina.</p><p>May the force be with you</p><p>Oisin</p><p> </p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-4469322188192739692?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-29019738046704657382008-11-28T12:32:00.000-08:002008-11-28T14:56:22.603-08:00Video from yesterdays storm below....<br /><br /><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-f66d6cf678b52ff1" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v5.nonxt7.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Df66d6cf678b52ff1%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177328%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D2D7875DDE9866B457D002B1A73C6EA86F672A85A.5CFBC8B7549F983BB401AEEF4A5C8B8287C4ACB3%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Df66d6cf678b52ff1%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DobRmLSG1b38mBF3vxc7j4oLoBYo&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v5.nonxt7.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Df66d6cf678b52ff1%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177328%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D2D7875DDE9866B457D002B1A73C6EA86F672A85A.5CFBC8B7549F983BB401AEEF4A5C8B8287C4ACB3%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Df66d6cf678b52ff1%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DobRmLSG1b38mBF3vxc7j4oLoBYo&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object><br />The first task today was to get the bike up 2 hefty ramps, one of which you can see in the pictures below. Tight squeeze or what!.... once Id the hair stuck to the railings at the side I got through no problem!..... have a look at the pics!..... enough to send a lot of bikers running for the stabilisers! ...once safely negotiated......It was time to leave Chiloe.<br /><br /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273838384953849954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STBwEbH-eGI/AAAAAAAAT5A/WyjJL_g7Xjg/s400/13.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273838386907080530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STBwEiZqZ1I/AAAAAAAAT5Q/PbzqDEg2Iq0/s400/14.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273839348820080450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STBw8hzl90I/AAAAAAAAT7o/BrkAiMLfBkY/s400/15.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STBw9J7uvMI/AAAAAAAAT70/fDnG4hckAl8/s1600-h/17.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273839359591627970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STBw9J7uvMI/AAAAAAAAT70/fDnG4hckAl8/s400/17.jpg" border="0" /></a>At breakfast we talked to a nice American couple who told us to make sure to go to the penguin colony, Merrie and pippen were taking the bus to Puerto Varas so wouldnt be able, but me and Sam Gamgee with no such constraints decided to head off in search of em. The road takes you north and west looping around the north end of the island. This part of the world is battered by the pacific and the scenery was just like the west coast of Ireland....with the notable differance that it was sunny!</div><div> </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273839368043302354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STBw9paxDdI/AAAAAAAAT8E/1hsaf5edqw8/s400/19.jpg" border="0" /></div><div> </div><div>Once you get about 30km west of Ancud, the most northerly town in Chiloe the asphalt stops abruptly and it was back to gravel,muck and shite...but Id had a good break from it...so was a total breeze today. Along the way there were plenty of cows (4 legged ones) and general farm animals....and I asked a couple of farmers for directions to the penguin colony.... lets just say there was much pumping of the right hand in the direction of where i was going....."Guess its this way huh?"</div><div><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-ee5804c0eda2e5a" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v5.nonxt7.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D0ee5804c0eda2e5a%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177328%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D612F0DECB21468D05CAB917D60DB928689FDF175.F3085597E4CB9F1F6F07A9AE20CB291E92DAE98%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Dee5804c0eda2e5a%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DyC8uvOiRjPmfXK0Ln-3kcfDK66E&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v5.nonxt7.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D0ee5804c0eda2e5a%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177328%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D612F0DECB21468D05CAB917D60DB928689FDF175.F3085597E4CB9F1F6F07A9AE20CB291E92DAE98%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Dee5804c0eda2e5a%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DyC8uvOiRjPmfXK0Ln-3kcfDK66E&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object><br /><div><div><div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STBwEHa9W7I/AAAAAAAAT4w/jqndrufihIM/s1600-h/12.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273838379664759730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STBwEHa9W7I/AAAAAAAAT4w/jqndrufihIM/s400/12.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STBwDxvHn4I/AAAAAAAAT4g/tw4x4LX38A8/s1600-h/11.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273838373843738498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STBwDxvHn4I/AAAAAAAAT4g/tw4x4LX38A8/s400/11.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>The colors in the hedgerows were ablaze, I guess its spring here...so much like Ireland in April or May if you happen to find the sun out. Everytime Id come to what looked like a beach I'd get off the bike and go for a quick walk in search of the elusive colony.... wondered if it was not that big..or maybe it moved...? I stood there listening...half expecting to hear the sound of millions of the little fellas roaring for nose bag....nope...just the sound of the waves.</div><div> </div><div>In the end I never found it but did find some of the most gorgeous scenery Ive seen yet on the trip.One of the beaches i came across was all rocks with really big waves. As the waves crashed against the shores you could hear the water moving the rocks on the shore up the beach and as the water receded, it pulling them back down again, the sound was off the hook!<br /><br /></div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STBuR92cTHI/AAAAAAAAT0Y/Y7WTvCdCnPE/s1600-h/9.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273836418590592114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STBuR92cTHI/AAAAAAAAT0Y/Y7WTvCdCnPE/s400/9.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STBuRiZ1FTI/AAAAAAAAT0Q/SmeUY0MhO1Y/s1600-h/8.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273836411222824242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STBuRiZ1FTI/AAAAAAAAT0Q/SmeUY0MhO1Y/s400/8.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STBuRM4LH5I/AAAAAAAAT0I/iKX8CmRyH9w/s1600-h/7.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273836405444517778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STBuRM4LH5I/AAAAAAAAT0I/iKX8CmRyH9w/s400/7.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STBuQl4ISbI/AAAAAAAAT0A/c6lin7D1OnM/s1600-h/6.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273836394975349170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STBuQl4ISbI/AAAAAAAAT0A/c6lin7D1OnM/s400/6.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STBsPdjT91I/AAAAAAAATww/T1Hr-nfnaMA/s1600-h/5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273834176537425746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STBsPdjT91I/AAAAAAAATww/T1Hr-nfnaMA/s400/5.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STBsPK0rc8I/AAAAAAAATwo/7ilw_cA0_4w/s1600-h/4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273834171509994434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STBsPK0rc8I/AAAAAAAATwo/7ilw_cA0_4w/s400/4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STBsO5suZWI/AAAAAAAATwg/5J8lex4FZzE/s1600-h/3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273834166913230178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STBsO5suZWI/AAAAAAAATwg/5J8lex4FZzE/s400/3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STBsOkSncgI/AAAAAAAATwY/QWPGwVftOyQ/s1600-h/2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273834161166578178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STBsOkSncgI/AAAAAAAATwY/QWPGwVftOyQ/s400/2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STBsOTFeuTI/AAAAAAAATwQ/qoQkyXFVI-w/s1600-h/1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273834156548077874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STBsOTFeuTI/AAAAAAAATwQ/qoQkyXFVI-w/s400/1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273836423941024082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/STBuSRyFaVI/AAAAAAAAT0g/rfABE8BfIYI/s400/10.jpg" border="0" /></div><div> </div><div>On the ferry I had my photo taken with about 20kids who were on a school tour... all wanted to get on the bike and put on the helmet.....I havent washed the inside of the helmet for 5 months...no doubt their mothers will be delousing their heads when they get home.</div><div> </div><div>Ended up in a town called puerto Varas, which is an old German Colony which is built on a gorgeoius lake, and right at the end of the lake is a Volcano!..... nice!</div><div> </div><div>Merrie is trying to talk me and pippen into climbing this bastard (picture above) tomorrow.... 16hours total..... think Id sooner have my goolies waxed.... but we'll see... democracy is alive and well.</div><div> </div><div>May the force be with you</div><div>Oisin<br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-2901973804670465738?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-52095188152763778932008-11-27T14:24:00.000-08:002008-11-27T15:34:34.311-08:00<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273482472020027106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8sXkIApuI/AAAAAAAAS-0/lrSwXx8vRCU/s400/17.jpg" border="0" /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8sZjzUmvI/AAAAAAAAS_M/4YmOna0Ugmo/s1600-h/19.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273482506292992754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8sZjzUmvI/AAAAAAAAS_M/4YmOna0Ugmo/s400/19.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8sYF1ltyI/AAAAAAAAS-8/IZDV1WAeFLU/s1600-h/18.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273482481069569826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8sYF1ltyI/AAAAAAAAS-8/IZDV1WAeFLU/s400/18.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div>In Chiloe it rains a lot...."so what" I hear you say? it rains everywhere.... well in Chiloe it really really really rains a lot........ and thats 3 reallys!.....</div><br /><div>This place takes rain to new levels...it comes down in sheets..... its like an elephant is pissing right into your face! and no one gives a flying fuck.Outside the hostel window last night there were people outside talking till 4am...and it pissed rain the whole time.... they werent even bothering to shelter!!.... no doubt whiskey plays some role.</div><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8qLG6fOXI/AAAAAAAAS-s/bAja3MSi6iw/s1600-h/16.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273480058996996466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8qLG6fOXI/AAAAAAAAS-s/bAja3MSi6iw/s400/16.jpg" border="0" /></a> The rain coming down like you've never seen it before!<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8qK3c020I/AAAAAAAAS-k/iLEW1VVJdow/s1600-h/15.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273480054846053186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8qK3c020I/AAAAAAAAS-k/iLEW1VVJdow/s400/15.jpg" border="0" /></a> Yeah!...no chance theres a cafe up there...!<br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273480045796488642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8qKVvPdcI/AAAAAAAAS-c/9GpV5pNzxvY/s400/14.jpg" border="0" />Out on the pacific ocean!<br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8qKKruzRI/AAAAAAAAS-U/d1plH2xrsmE/s1600-h/13.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273480042828975378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8qKKruzRI/AAAAAAAAS-U/d1plH2xrsmE/s400/13.jpg" border="0" /></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273480039453537314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8qJ-G9tCI/AAAAAAAAS-M/Th1M_jc787c/s400/12.jpg" border="0" />Hooked back up with Merrie and Pippen in Chiloe and today we headed off on a mixture of sightseeing and hiking, which chiefly involved being involved in a human experiment for how much water can you take getting fired at you before you turn into a fish. </div><div> </div><div>The lads are mad to do stuff...which suits me grand....and we'd a good chat about whether or not doing nothing counts as doing something from a holiday perspective...know what I mean....? At this stage hiking up a Volcano for 16hours is about as appealing as a couple of hours in the scratcher with Ester Ranson.</div><div> </div><div>Chiloe had been big time recommended to us by the Chileans...but based on what the tour guide was saying... churches and small villages were what was on offer so we didnt hold out much hope for a good time.....as ususal expectations in the AM are seldom met by the PM.... we'd a deadly time!.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8oDEjMY6I/AAAAAAAAS-E/zEUfqbe0G_0/s1600-h/11.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273477721900213154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8oDEjMY6I/AAAAAAAAS-E/zEUfqbe0G_0/s400/11.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8oChb8L4I/AAAAAAAAS98/Y0TS1bl1k-c/s1600-h/10.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273477712474550146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8oChb8L4I/AAAAAAAAS98/Y0TS1bl1k-c/s400/10.jpg" border="0" /></a>(Getting absolutely pissed on out hiking!)<br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8oCoGK09I/AAAAAAAAS90/sS-8Vxd9J_M/s1600-h/9.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273477714262283218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8oCoGK09I/AAAAAAAAS90/sS-8Vxd9J_M/s400/9.jpg" border="0" /></a> The rain goes away as quick as it came<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8oCXXezDI/AAAAAAAAS9s/ilIKqx_QEnI/s1600-h/8.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273477709771492402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8oCXXezDI/AAAAAAAAS9s/ilIKqx_QEnI/s400/8.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8oBwE2zNI/AAAAAAAAS9k/jvTrnxCQiGs/s1600-h/7.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273477699224390866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8oBwE2zNI/AAAAAAAAS9k/jvTrnxCQiGs/s400/7.jpg" border="0" /></a>Chilling on the dock<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8mNuQk22I/AAAAAAAAS80/y3OarBKAHX0/s1600-h/6.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273475705871850338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8mNuQk22I/AAAAAAAAS80/y3OarBKAHX0/s400/6.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8mNZ01GxI/AAAAAAAAS8s/hQHRB_Krf0w/s1600-h/5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273475700386765586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8mNZ01GxI/AAAAAAAAS8s/hQHRB_Krf0w/s400/5.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8mNEITaOI/AAAAAAAAS8k/ne7x0x5VC2k/s1600-h/4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273475694562863330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8mNEITaOI/AAAAAAAAS8k/ne7x0x5VC2k/s400/4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8mMynFgCI/AAAAAAAAS8c/3M3rVHe1Q5o/s1600-h/3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273475689860136994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8mMynFgCI/AAAAAAAAS8c/3M3rVHe1Q5o/s400/3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273475685666751058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8mMi_TglI/AAAAAAAAS8U/fcK1kDTubrM/s400/2.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8krBXDc5I/AAAAAAAAS8M/IQmu8-D0rjw/s1600-h/1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273474010192245650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS8krBXDc5I/AAAAAAAAS8M/IQmu8-D0rjw/s400/1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>The weather right from the get go was absolutely brutal!... pissing rain and storm force winds with believe it or not intermittent sunshine were on the docket for the whole day.</div><br /><div>First port of call was to find the place that ran the tours and all 3 of us got completely pissed on! We went from Castro, the capital of Chiloe to a small town called Chonchi ......a tiny fishing village. In the lashing rain it really was a gloomy place. A couple of years ago the church was destroyed with storm force winds, we went in for a look around... pretty gloomy stuff.</div><br /><div>The next town was better, the rain had began to clean and we started mucking around out on the lake. We went for grub, some traditional Chiloen fare....have to say the grub here is fantastic. Lots of it is cooked underground in the clay and its gives it a magic taste. Actually all the grub in the place tastes great. I suppose if the weather is shite the whole time and theres fuck all to do on the Island... the grub had better be good or Wilkinson Sword blades would be in steep demand.</div><div> </div><div>Finally we went out the pacific coast and got the shite kicked out of us by wind and rain, the wind was just below the level that would push you off your feet, although we had to put some rocks in pippens boots to stop him blowing away. At one time the rain was so hard it was like a team of grannies was sticking knitting needles into your back!... All of us were absolutely soaked..... in my case right through to the O-ring.</div><div> </div><div>No clue whats on the docket for tomorrow, there'll be much perusing of maps and consulting the lonely planet over a couple of portions of Curanto.... Chileon nosebag cooked underground with potatoes, beef, shellfish.....and the mandatory gallon of beer!</div><div> </div><div>May the force be with you</div><div>Oisin</div><div>Pip, Merrie</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-5209518815276377893?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-65488083083674095682008-11-26T15:15:00.000-08:002008-11-26T15:32:20.885-08:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS3aZpJQEWI/AAAAAAAASog/RB6C8XTw_qE/s1600-h/oisin+1088.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273110872796959074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS3aZpJQEWI/AAAAAAAASog/RB6C8XTw_qE/s400/oisin+1088.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS3aZddB68I/AAAAAAAASoY/KA5F7kPBKLk/s1600-h/oisin+1095.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273110869658692546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS3aZddB68I/AAAAAAAASoY/KA5F7kPBKLk/s400/oisin+1095.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS3aYxChsTI/AAAAAAAASoQ/XmRRiehcDzA/s1600-h/oisin+1093.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273110857736368434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS3aYxChsTI/AAAAAAAASoQ/XmRRiehcDzA/s400/oisin+1093.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS3ZrnfwLeI/AAAAAAAASng/scXYtcxa61w/s1600-h/oisin+1121.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273110082080484834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS3ZrnfwLeI/AAAAAAAASng/scXYtcxa61w/s400/oisin+1121.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS3ZrRgOL1I/AAAAAAAASnY/_P2nFR4YT0M/s1600-h/oisin+1071.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273110076176871250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS3ZrRgOL1I/AAAAAAAASnY/_P2nFR4YT0M/s400/oisin+1071.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS3Zqv4WMII/AAAAAAAASnI/us08HsUyeF8/s1600-h/oisin+1050.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273110067151253634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS3Zqv4WMII/AAAAAAAASnI/us08HsUyeF8/s400/oisin+1050.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS3ZqentX5I/AAAAAAAASnA/c7KzagZhsEs/s1600-h/oisin+1064.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273110062518067090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SS3ZqentX5I/AAAAAAAASnA/c7KzagZhsEs/s400/oisin+1064.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Crossed the 30000 mile barrier today, just before I got to the ferry to the island of Chiloe, an island off the south west coast of Chile. Ended up having to do massive mileage, over 850 kilometers.... so absolutely knackered!.... total of 1400 over the last 2 days......</div><br /><div>The scenery from Chilan to Puerto Montt was just ok, wasnt that it was unscenic.... it just wasnt particularly scenic!. The first impression you get as you hit Chiloe.... is "wow.... this is just like Ireland". Its spring time here so the roads are awash with color and the smells coming up under the helmet are just great!.</div><div> </div><div>The place is full of mad fuck dogs.... easy to get the impression that no dog on the island has ever seen a motorbike.... I mean every single dog went hezbollah as I passed them.</div><div> </div><div>The bike has a big oil leak.....the benneys in BMW just succeeded in moving the leak, and making it worse. I noticed today when I looked down at my boots and pants they were covered in oil. So it was over to the side of the road.... checking where the leak is coming from, how bad it is.... blah blah.... reckon Im losing about 1litre of oil for every 1000km....so not a disaster yet...but definetely clouds on the horizon!</div><div> </div><div>Right ... Im off....if 30000 miles isnt worthy of a hand shandy nothing is!</div><div> </div><div>Over and out </div><div>The big man</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-6548808308367409568?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-24923623453677609062008-11-25T15:32:00.000-08:002008-12-12T19:25:08.552-08:00<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSyN9a9XmZI/AAAAAAAASiY/QRYIFnNE-V8/s1600-h/oisin+016.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272745350092265874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSyN9a9XmZI/AAAAAAAASiY/QRYIFnNE-V8/s400/oisin+016.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Said goodbye to the Merrie and Pip this morning and treked off south today to a town called Chillan, 545km south of Valpariso. No real reason for me to come here other than it was about half way between where I was and the island of Chiloe. The road is called the ruta 5 and it carves a path through the chilean wine growing region. In the distance you can see the snow capped Andes so the scenery was nice the whole way.</div><div></div><div>However when your shooting to be a 9th Dan Jedi bike rider (and Brittney spears Rider) it made for a pretty boring ride.... road is too easy, too striaght, too predictable and the only battle you have to fight is against falling asleep.... i can hear you now... " you cant keep that bollix happy.... its too hard, its too easy.... wish someone would cut his throat in six places!"</div><br /><br /><div>Last night we went out on the town with my cousin Eileen and her two friends Marcela and Francisco,and had a great night. On the way to meet Eileen Pippen says to me... how do you say.... "you are beautiful" in spanish... I told him...wondering why he asked....</div><div></div><div>.... and then what does he do!... no sooner does he meet my cousin eileen and out he rolls with it!...."esta muy bonita Eileen".... I looked at him and said... your not dating my cousin fucker!!<br /></div><div>"why not?" says he.... "cos your a bollix" says I<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSyN9mf3d8I/AAAAAAAASig/SC09eomg0gY/s1600-h/oisin+018.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272745353189750722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSyN9mf3d8I/AAAAAAAASig/SC09eomg0gY/s400/oisin+018.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSyNY24KFSI/AAAAAAAASiI/q7yC2x_85vI/s1600-h/oisin+011.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272744721931441442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSyNY24KFSI/AAAAAAAASiI/q7yC2x_85vI/s400/oisin+011.jpg" border="0" /></a> Francisco, Marcela and Merrie.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSyNZV3UDdI/AAAAAAAASiQ/osLpAoOkLgw/s1600-h/oisin+015.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272744730249399762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSyNZV3UDdI/AAAAAAAASiQ/osLpAoOkLgw/s400/oisin+015.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSyNYqnLPqI/AAAAAAAASiA/WvyaMTR1ADY/s1600-h/oisin+009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272744718638988962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSyNYqnLPqI/AAAAAAAASiA/WvyaMTR1ADY/s400/oisin+009.jpg" border="0" /></a> Pippen and Eileen..... Pippen looks prouder than a dog with two mickeys<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSyNYXkwE5I/AAAAAAAASh4/1Kf_jUMyrK8/s1600-h/oisin+007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272744713528546194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSyNYXkwE5I/AAAAAAAASh4/1Kf_jUMyrK8/s400/oisin+007.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSyNYPlsrhI/AAAAAAAAShw/On9tauyH5BM/s1600-h/oisin+006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272744711385034258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSyNYPlsrhI/AAAAAAAAShw/On9tauyH5BM/s400/oisin+006.jpg" border="0" /></a> Pippen, Eileen, Francisco, Marcela and Merrie<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSyMRAeLFII/AAAAAAAAShQ/be46-p02QWc/s1600-h/oisin+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272743487556228226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSyMRAeLFII/AAAAAAAAShQ/be46-p02QWc/s400/oisin+001.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSyMSrdlofI/AAAAAAAASho/4CGfLxqcJys/s1600-h/oisin+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272743516276367858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSyMSrdlofI/AAAAAAAASho/4CGfLxqcJys/s400/oisin+005.jpg" border="0" /></a> Merrie, Eileen, and Pippen<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSyMR43yq8I/AAAAAAAAShg/T-dFvVSWhRA/s1600-h/oisin+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272743502696065986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSyMR43yq8I/AAAAAAAAShg/T-dFvVSWhRA/s400/oisin+003.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSyMRUEhVHI/AAAAAAAAShY/3-H1ip48Dhk/s1600-h/oisin+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272743492817343602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSyMRUEhVHI/AAAAAAAAShY/3-H1ip48Dhk/s400/oisin+002.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSyMRBxhTNI/AAAAAAAAShI/KcJcgN6AoY4/s1600-h/oisin+004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272743487905811666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSyMRBxhTNI/AAAAAAAAShI/KcJcgN6AoY4/s400/oisin+004.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The slagging all night was great, in fairness I was the butt end of the joke for most of it..... apparently Air supply arent that big down here... although you'll be glad to know that Nana mouskouri is.</div><div></div></div><div>Pippen was supposed to be a bestman 9 years ago......and he tells a great story of when he met my younger brother who had stepped in for him at the last minute on the church steps.... The younger brother held out his hand to shake it as Pippen walks up the church steps... and whispers in his ear.... "your a Cu$&amp;".... whereupon the 2 lads were roaring laughing at the entrance to the church.</div><div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Valpariso was a great spot, great views, great town... great company!..... and riding out to the highway by myself felt strange. I knew I'd meet everyone again at some time in the future but Id be lying if I said that as I burned off down the highway that I wasnt just a little sad.</div><div></div></div><div><div>Tomorrow its another 700km day...so off to bed early!</div><br /><div>All the best </div><div>Oisin </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-1c45e324a06035dd" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v16.nonxt1.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D1c45e324a06035dd%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177328%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D6273630029B779F0AD0AE489124DB58517574D2A.5A3726235F10ACB59BCE9ED1B06EBFAC1A5FB216%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D1c45e324a06035dd%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DaKsjDrtswB_Gomb25mu0Z3v3PqY&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v16.nonxt1.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D1c45e324a06035dd%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177328%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D6273630029B779F0AD0AE489124DB58517574D2A.5A3726235F10ACB59BCE9ED1B06EBFAC1A5FB216%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D1c45e324a06035dd%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DaKsjDrtswB_Gomb25mu0Z3v3PqY&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-fa6bf6d9bfe75773" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v6.nonxt6.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Dfa6bf6d9bfe75773%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177328%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D77B62F929053D421619611FB5431BF155DD7739E.330AEE1072E6CE20AE4978149A920BB720788B41%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Dfa6bf6d9bfe75773%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DIITzlJzRRTCT1RNIUjklOawa44E&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v6.nonxt6.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Dfa6bf6d9bfe75773%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177328%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D77B62F929053D421619611FB5431BF155DD7739E.330AEE1072E6CE20AE4978149A920BB720788B41%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Dfa6bf6d9bfe75773%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DIITzlJzRRTCT1RNIUjklOawa44E&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-2492362345367760906?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-79559391603680645372008-11-24T13:45:00.001-08:002008-11-24T14:35:57.749-08:00<div>Spent the last 24hours acting the maggot in Valparaiso, a great place on the Chilean coast.<br /><br /></div><div>Its apparently the cultural capital of Chile, and if that doesent float the ice cream on your fanta orange its surrounded by houses stacked to gaping heights all around the cove.</div><div> </div><div>We went to the fish market and again as you'd expect had some fantastic nose bag and then it was off down the beach... lots of sea lions, pelicans, and the cutest little black puppie you've ever seen. We were sitting on the beach looking out at the boats and this lady sat down and stripped off and started throwing on the sun tan cream. Think she knew that our gaze was lets just say not quite on the boats the whole time.... I'd say she ended putting on about 2 litres of sun tan cream!.... i wasnt complaining although I can testify there isnt any oil under the sand (some unlicensed drilling...nuff said!)<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSsnDeqc7zI/AAAAAAAAShA/VugN9DmOVGQ/s1600-h/oisin+988.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272350729491509042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSsnDeqc7zI/AAAAAAAAShA/VugN9DmOVGQ/s400/oisin+988.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSsnDHK127I/AAAAAAAASg4/C4hz00ZwgGc/s1600-h/oisin+952.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272350723184909234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSsnDHK127I/AAAAAAAASg4/C4hz00ZwgGc/s400/oisin+952.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />(little puppy that followed us around for a hour.....too cute!.... Pippen stood on his poor little paween!)<br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSsnCJVSmfI/AAAAAAAASgw/NrQQ55om5ZM/s1600-h/oisin+918.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272350706585737714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSsnCJVSmfI/AAAAAAAASgw/NrQQ55om5ZM/s400/oisin+918.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSsm_flcxSI/AAAAAAAASgo/lSC9cl_NTFk/s1600-h/oisin+909.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272350661019485474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSsm_flcxSI/AAAAAAAASgo/lSC9cl_NTFk/s400/oisin+909.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSsm_PV5XCI/AAAAAAAASgg/2Gq3tN2_qDw/s1600-h/oisin+904.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272350656659282978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSsm_PV5XCI/AAAAAAAASgg/2Gq3tN2_qDw/s400/oisin+904.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSslpXG53yI/AAAAAAAASgY/K80w7CeXwsk/s1600-h/oisin+885.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272349181275135778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSslpXG53yI/AAAAAAAASgY/K80w7CeXwsk/s400/oisin+885.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSslpIjluBI/AAAAAAAASgQ/ISiedcKsfCU/s1600-h/oisin+894.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272349177368918034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSslpIjluBI/AAAAAAAASgQ/ISiedcKsfCU/s400/oisin+894.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSslouDFmJI/AAAAAAAASgI/lA6c7TbpWpg/s1600-h/oisin+877.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272349170253273234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSslouDFmJI/AAAAAAAASgI/lA6c7TbpWpg/s400/oisin+877.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSsloL3q9GI/AAAAAAAASgA/Xr7VIx9pfSs/s1600-h/oisin+947.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272349161078584418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSsloL3q9GI/AAAAAAAASgA/Xr7VIx9pfSs/s400/oisin+947.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSsjXjFr8EI/AAAAAAAASf4/ggGIDh8Dcl0/s1600-h/oisin+951.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272346676230352962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSsjXjFr8EI/AAAAAAAASf4/ggGIDh8Dcl0/s400/oisin+951.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSsjXRd3sbI/AAAAAAAASfw/XwWf0zZe4OA/s1600-h/oisin+943.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272346671499948466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSsjXRd3sbI/AAAAAAAASfw/XwWf0zZe4OA/s400/oisin+943.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSsjXI8VRpI/AAAAAAAASfo/5sIFj3wUzYs/s1600-h/oisin+990.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272346669211797138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSsjXI8VRpI/AAAAAAAASfo/5sIFj3wUzYs/s400/oisin+990.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSsikCQRgUI/AAAAAAAASfg/Qz9PwQ8FzSc/s1600-h/oisin+959.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272345791243059522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSsikCQRgUI/AAAAAAAASfg/Qz9PwQ8FzSc/s400/oisin+959.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSsij0rGtpI/AAAAAAAASfY/m66ESggWN9I/s1600-h/oisin+954.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272345787597502098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSsij0rGtpI/AAAAAAAASfY/m66ESggWN9I/s400/oisin+954.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSsijRhsRpI/AAAAAAAASfQ/dEn2ztdmYVQ/s1600-h/oisin+978.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272345778162779794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSsijRhsRpI/AAAAAAAASfQ/dEn2ztdmYVQ/s400/oisin+978.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSsijO3ljfI/AAAAAAAASfI/bjFHU4-aY-A/s1600-h/oisin+974.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272345777449307634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSsijO3ljfI/AAAAAAAASfI/bjFHU4-aY-A/s400/oisin+974.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div>The town is built on a hill and in the older sectors theres lots of really cool graffitti as the streets wind up and down the hill. The buns are quite a bit tighter after all the walking up and down the hills.</div><div> </div><div>Every now and then we seem to roll into the wrong area and either a police man or an old lady tells us to turn around and go back ....its not safe blah blah.... not unusual for big cities I guess. </div><div> </div><div>Merry keeps getting the same thing in every restaurant even though hes ordering different named stuff, one of the downsides of not having an atom of spanish, and are intent of ordering "ethnic Chilean food". Everything here or at least what hes ordering comes loaded to the gills with Guacamole....but not good gaucamole, sort of stuff you'd expect to come out of a spray can. The first place he went in he ordered a "blah" out came this yoke which would have been better named a Gaucamole fest....and so its been continuing much to the amusement of myself and pippen, its even funnier because he hates the shite! </div><div><br /><div>Tomorrow morning i say goodbye to Merrie and Pippen for about 3 days as myself and Sam Gamgee roll south, a huge run down to Chiloe an island off the coast of southern Chile(about 1200km over the next 2 days). All this riding puts me in down in the sexy scenery part of Chile, close to patagonia and the argentinian lake district. From there its a 4 day cruise and onto the Ruta 40....which will be toughest part of the trip so far.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Take it handy...</div><div>Oisin</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-7955939160368064537?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-12970424247527172062008-11-23T10:38:00.000-08:002008-11-23T11:09:23.694-08:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSmnGZzbHdI/AAAAAAAASfA/9MYtYp9p-EY/s1600-h/oisin+774.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271928567261502930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSmnGZzbHdI/AAAAAAAASfA/9MYtYp9p-EY/s400/oisin+774.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSmnGF0EIRI/AAAAAAAASe4/xAYZNxLfX_I/s1600-h/oisin+828.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271928561895481618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSmnGF0EIRI/AAAAAAAASe4/xAYZNxLfX_I/s400/oisin+828.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSmnFfNlYxI/AAAAAAAASeo/tZhArLWQjZU/s1600-h/oisin+779.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271928551533536018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSmnFfNlYxI/AAAAAAAASeo/tZhArLWQjZU/s400/oisin+779.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSmnF9NxkCI/AAAAAAAASew/M9xGyYY6F80/s1600-h/oisin+842.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271928559587397666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSmnF9NxkCI/AAAAAAAASew/M9xGyYY6F80/s400/oisin+842.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSmnFHWZNoI/AAAAAAAASeg/jbwbQ8Ub7jU/s1600-h/oisin+820.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271928545128035970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSmnFHWZNoI/AAAAAAAASeg/jbwbQ8Ub7jU/s400/oisin+820.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSml8RaILNI/AAAAAAAASd4/Cc4NoQ_tWqc/s1600-h/oisin+852.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271927293697600722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSml8RaILNI/AAAAAAAASd4/Cc4NoQ_tWqc/s400/oisin+852.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSml96XAMYI/AAAAAAAASeY/AtTaJgv-XUo/s1600-h/oisin+818.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271927321870217602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSml96XAMYI/AAAAAAAASeY/AtTaJgv-XUo/s400/oisin+818.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSml9Rn3zGI/AAAAAAAASeQ/PI0ib7wIftM/s1600-h/oisin+821.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271927310935116898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSml9Rn3zGI/AAAAAAAASeQ/PI0ib7wIftM/s400/oisin+821.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSml8yr3d6I/AAAAAAAASeI/GjFwsugaAMo/s1600-h/oisin+837.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271927302630373282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSml8yr3d6I/AAAAAAAASeI/GjFwsugaAMo/s400/oisin+837.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSml8lU2csI/AAAAAAAASeA/_hqJsvDdb0g/s1600-h/oisin+849.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271927299044176578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSml8lU2csI/AAAAAAAASeA/_hqJsvDdb0g/s400/oisin+849.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Finally left San tiago.<br /></div></div><div>If i never see another museum or church or gallery....or general touristy type place of interest..that'll be just fine. The extended wait for SamGamgee has been painful!....its the longest i've spent in anyone place on the trip.. and the last city im going to before Buenos aires....</div><div><div><br /></div><div>Sam gamgee was returned none the worse for wear and Merrie and pippen arrived from Ireland, 2 college buddies so its pretty much been wall to wall sauce since the lads got here.... flying is thirsty work apparently.</div><div><br /></div><div>We went out in San tiago to a bunch of clubs over the last 2 nights and saw some mad carry on. On friday night we ended up in a club called Blondie, which was is supposed to be an indie type scene... turned out that friday night was the monthly gothic rave night... translates to 2000 people all wearing black.... absolutely full of crazy people all wearing outrageous gear... plenty of people were wearing gasmasks as part of the outfit.... the technical term for these types of raves is Electro-dark!</div><div> </div><div>Last night we did a pub crawl and at about 4am in the space of 10 minutes saw 5 different violent scenes. The first was a women getting her bag dragged off her as she was trying to get on the bus. The second was a guy lamping another lad out of it with a stick, another 2 guys then started to chase one guy down the road and then on the way back up starting kicking 3 colors of crap out of some lad just lying on the street and finally another bag incident, I guess in san tiago when it turns about 4am the real nut jobs come out to play.</div><div> </div><div>Today headed out to new to Valparizo on the coast and from here its a long burst down to puerto monnt 1000km south of here, and from there to the island of Chiloe. </div><div> </div><div>Great to be back on the road!</div><div>Oisin</div><div> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-1297042424752717206?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-62571239567748293602008-11-19T11:25:00.001-08:002008-11-19T11:56:30.438-08:00Still in Santiago, waiting on Samgee to be given back by BMW after what was a torrid time in the desert. Two oil seals are busted and theres some damage to the frame which needs to get welded and some other bits and bobs that the guy didnt know how to say in english........ I reckon passing over the money for this repair will be like shiteing a pineapple!<br /><br />I went off to some vineyards,usual story lots of tasting all the different types... no spitting back here!..... ended up having over 3 bottles of wine. They offered a lunch and all the wine you can drink for 35 dollars..... as always when you bring the big fella to a buffet.... they made no money!...gowan the big fella!<br /><br />When i was having the lunch, some beef and I had white wine with it..... this french bollix says to me "white wine with meat!!"..... I lowered the glass in one before I answered .... looked at him... and said.... "wines wine... its all the same oul shite".... he looked at me like I was taking a piss on the Arc de triumph.<br /><br />Did some black and whites of some of the pictures... see what you think....<br />Black and white is great at taking away chins!!<br /><br />Polluted in Santiago...<br />the big fella<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRrD-VN8mI/AAAAAAAASb4/wfLEg1s4NJ8/s1600-h/Road+1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270455179946095202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRrD-VN8mI/AAAAAAAASb4/wfLEg1s4NJ8/s400/Road+1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRrDrGGlvI/AAAAAAAASbw/aaxCWTlbLHM/s1600-h/road+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270455174782424818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRrDrGGlvI/AAAAAAAASbw/aaxCWTlbLHM/s400/road+2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRrDCr46hI/AAAAAAAASbo/RD8PaNx5sjY/s1600-h/road+6.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270455163935058450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRrDCr46hI/AAAAAAAASbo/RD8PaNx5sjY/s400/road+6.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRqjrk2Q7I/AAAAAAAASbY/dDW0MUI34CM/s1600-h/road+8.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270454625155564466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRqjrk2Q7I/AAAAAAAASbY/dDW0MUI34CM/s400/road+8.jpg" border="0" /></a> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270452772643442850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRo32bikKI/AAAAAAAASZw/bSPdEFipBzw/s400/road+23.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRqjb_GqeI/AAAAAAAASbQ/XHCxVLihgrM/s1600-h/road+10.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270454620970723810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRqjb_GqeI/AAAAAAAASbQ/XHCxVLihgrM/s400/road+10.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRqjIdRkpI/AAAAAAAASbI/s5bbNxkcWnw/s1600-h/road+11.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270454615728558738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRqjIdRkpI/AAAAAAAASbI/s5bbNxkcWnw/s400/road+11.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRqi-63Q0I/AAAAAAAASbA/Ksurd9ag2tE/s1600-h/road+12.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270454613168309058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRqi-63Q0I/AAAAAAAASbA/Ksurd9ag2tE/s400/road+12.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRp6F4s0jI/AAAAAAAASaw/TMf53CxeBEg/s1600-h/road+15.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270453910663647794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRp6F4s0jI/AAAAAAAASaw/TMf53CxeBEg/s400/road+15.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRp52TgUII/AAAAAAAASao/6ENc-NahXBk/s1600-h/road+16.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270453906481107074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRp52TgUII/AAAAAAAASao/6ENc-NahXBk/s400/road+16.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRp5lyo6tI/AAAAAAAASag/8iIT6ClgROM/s1600-h/road+17.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270453902048291538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRp5lyo6tI/AAAAAAAASag/8iIT6ClgROM/s400/road+17.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRp5MTSnnI/AAAAAAAASaY/WyBzDsI_KZo/s1600-h/road+18.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270453895205920370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRp5MTSnnI/AAAAAAAASaY/WyBzDsI_KZo/s400/road+18.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270454634731066866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRqkPP01fI/AAAAAAAASbg/0Fd3whe9X7Q/s400/Road+7.jpg" border="0" />(no double chins!!!!, I love black and white!!!)<br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRo6mlZA_I/AAAAAAAASaQ/F8ecVWA3hxM/s1600-h/road+19.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270452819929400306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRo6mlZA_I/AAAAAAAASaQ/F8ecVWA3hxM/s400/road+19.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRo6CXM71I/AAAAAAAASaI/cIih9PmuH-4/s1600-h/road+20.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270452810206211922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRo6CXM71I/AAAAAAAASaI/cIih9PmuH-4/s400/road+20.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRo5W5xhrI/AAAAAAAASaA/0EqUYDn79HY/s1600-h/road+21.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270452798540056242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRo5W5xhrI/AAAAAAAASaA/0EqUYDn79HY/s400/road+21.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270453917133471266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSRp6d_OfiI/AAAAAAAASa4/8llcDFbjPq4/s400/road+13.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-6257123956774829360?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-73514448556690597802008-11-18T14:21:00.000-08:002008-11-18T15:26:12.756-08:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSNFEVdJ6EI/AAAAAAAASTY/aurTL95421o/s1600-h/misery_l.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270131929734834242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSNFEVdJ6EI/AAAAAAAASTY/aurTL95421o/s400/misery_l.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div>Just a couple of observations...</div><div></div><div>Firstly there is more VPL in San Tiago than there is arses. On my road where i grew up....when I was young a woman complained that the cream crackers were robbing her knickers off the line. I now know these type of jocks to be called roll-ons, and I can testify that all the "knicked or lost" roll ons have all made it to Santiago where they are being sported by women between the ages of 30 and 40. At least the Chilean army is sure to never run out of tents!.</div><div></div><div> </div><div>When does a pair of knickers become a roll on? when it takes 3 pegs to hang them on the line. Now how would I know about this VPL if I wasnt staring... well Im staring!... and as we lone travellers of the lonely planes say... staring is caring!<br /></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSNBnI-Px9I/AAAAAAAASTQ/_YhDnnm2mjA/s1600-h/images.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270128129632880594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 114px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 123px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSNBnI-Px9I/AAAAAAAASTQ/_YhDnnm2mjA/s400/images.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>The whole of Santiago pretty much spends the whole day kissing.... never seen anything like it. Im going to get a t-shift which will say "Get a room already!" It wouldnt be so bad I guess If i wasnt on the biggest barren patch since since Robinson Crusoe got left on the Island... and no I wont be hoping any Man Fridays show up... now should woman friday show up!.... this blog will go unpublished for many days!</div><div> </div><div><br /> </div><div>Benny socialists have a couple of the parks and visitor attractions shut down with protests today, so limited enough in places to go and see. I can just see Che Guevara now rolling in his grave... "Nice one ya pack of benny's, you shut down parks!, ze favorite hangout of ze capitalist dogs!...... NOT"</div><div><br /> </div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSNAr0PcLmI/AAAAAAAASTI/x_QYav2mM4o/s1600-h/oisin+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270127110455570018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSNAr0PcLmI/AAAAAAAASTI/x_QYav2mM4o/s400/oisin+005.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSNArnFur0I/AAAAAAAASTA/Sm2ZQXdWIvI/s1600-h/oisin+004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270127106925178690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSNArnFur0I/AAAAAAAASTA/Sm2ZQXdWIvI/s400/oisin+004.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSNArUGzp6I/AAAAAAAASS4/wX5Xxve7wwQ/s1600-h/oisin+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270127101829425058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSNArUGzp6I/AAAAAAAASS4/wX5Xxve7wwQ/s400/oisin+003.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSNArCXguII/AAAAAAAASSw/TIFPY2BE5JM/s1600-h/oisin+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270127097067649154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSNArCXguII/AAAAAAAASSw/TIFPY2BE5JM/s400/oisin+002.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The problem with a city is that everyone thinks if you start talking to them you have a "why".... other than you want to talk to someone and are just being friendly!<br /><div>"why is this guy talking to me?..he must have a reason.... no ones just friendly!"</div><div><br />So when your a lone traveller you have to battle through a lot of bullshit if you want to talk to people... in cities theres a lot of mistrust knocking around...with good reason I suppose. The only people you can be guaranteed a chin wag with are fellow bikers... nothing like a something in common... or Irish people (except the ones from Monaghan) who are always up for a chat.<br /></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSNAqy70D1I/AAAAAAAASSo/BdelJCJXAc8/s1600-h/oisin+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270127092924944210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSNAqy70D1I/AAAAAAAASSo/BdelJCJXAc8/s400/oisin+001.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>On top of that I've spent so much time on the road on my own and have talked to so few people that when I do meet someone Im like a fire hydrant and dont stop talking!!....so people run to the hills pretty quickly.</div><br /><div>You can see the wheels turning in peoples heads....</div></div><div><br /></div><div>eg if its a guy you start talking to...</div><div><br /></div><div>"what does this guy want?... he must be gay.... or hes a robber....or worse a snedger!"<br /><br />if its a girl</div><div><br /></div><div>"What does this guy want?... man that is the oldest crap i´ve ever heard! "<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>if its someone older</div><div><br /></div><div>"Briggand!.... hes trying to rob my false teeth!"<br /><br /></div><div>But maybe I bring it on myself. Its not like when you go up talking to people that you pick out that mad bitch from Misery, no doubt that mob would talk and talk and talk... </div><div></div><div>its always people who kind of look like you might have something in common.... fellow tourists blah blah, who if they're early into their travels are so full of urban legends about them having to be <strong><em>so</em></strong> careful in south america or they'll have their kidneys cut out... that they get their skates on pretty quickly. Similarly lots of folks travel is their own groups like 3 or 4 pals and likewise arent receptive to a fifth beetle.....woe is me! ... fuck em... I'll be yoko ono and start telling them that the other one robbed her roll on and sold it to a Chilean girl.</div><div></div><div> </div><div> </div><div>And so there it is... Hughes.... once counted amoungst the mightiest of conversationalists in christendom reduced to chatting politics with Mr Fluffykins.... Sam Gamgee get well soon and bare me to the wilds!</div><div></div><div>May the force be with you</div><div>Oisin</div><div></div><div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-7351444855669059780?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-75932317079693440302008-11-17T14:01:00.000-08:002008-11-17T14:41:05.199-08:00Sometimes the best way to get a bit of excitement is to actually stop and do nothing and let the world come to you!<br /><br />The day started slow enough, I put sam gamgee into the BMW dealers to get his final service before taking on the Ruta 40, usual story, I told them anything that looks even close to marginal swop it out... no point skimping now and then being stuck out in the middle of pategonia broken down for the want of a couple of hundred dollars.<br /><br />As i was sitting on a park bench writing up some post cards a huge ruckus broke out behind me... turned around to see a bunch of police on motorbikes swarming onto a guy, hand cuffing him and as they were leading him off he kept kicking out at some dude in a suit, although he was only wearing flip flops so was probably hurting himself more than the other dude, pictures below.<br /><br />(continued below)<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSHxFmxnpvI/AAAAAAAARs8/SLpRLIsQV4I/s1600-h/oisin+719.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269758117610497778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSHxFmxnpvI/AAAAAAAARs8/SLpRLIsQV4I/s400/oisin+719.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSHxFU1uGzI/AAAAAAAARs0/0-3pZMCgN_8/s1600-h/oisin+723.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269758112795859762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSHxFU1uGzI/AAAAAAAARs0/0-3pZMCgN_8/s400/oisin+723.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSHxFHyABAI/AAAAAAAARss/T1io5HNxPcQ/s1600-h/oisin+717.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269758109290595330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSHxFHyABAI/AAAAAAAARss/T1io5HNxPcQ/s400/oisin+717.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSHwgtcgOkI/AAAAAAAARsk/T0R1p9Qim7k/s1600-h/oisin+710.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269757483745819202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSHwgtcgOkI/AAAAAAAARsk/T0R1p9Qim7k/s400/oisin+710.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSHwgfb4Y3I/AAAAAAAARsc/xgL5WuSBzl4/s1600-h/oisin+701.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269757479985111922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSHwgfb4Y3I/AAAAAAAARsc/xgL5WuSBzl4/s400/oisin+701.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSHwf5HQ_iI/AAAAAAAARsU/P4L3sX4j10w/s1600-h/oisin+713.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269757469698096674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSHwf5HQ_iI/AAAAAAAARsU/P4L3sX4j10w/s400/oisin+713.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSHwfgEFAWI/AAAAAAAARsM/e8w9dFLndg0/s1600-h/oisin+722.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269757462973841762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSHwfgEFAWI/AAAAAAAARsM/e8w9dFLndg0/s400/oisin+722.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSHwfYMQ1gI/AAAAAAAARsE/WdPhn7JqXCo/s1600-h/oisin+721.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269757460860687874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSHwfYMQ1gI/AAAAAAAARsE/WdPhn7JqXCo/s400/oisin+721.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSHvIfAXadI/AAAAAAAARr8/jD0cbtCF1a4/s1600-h/oisin+729.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269755968041216466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSHvIfAXadI/AAAAAAAARr8/jD0cbtCF1a4/s400/oisin+729.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSHvIC-AOXI/AAAAAAAARr0/hFgYTVsio1s/s1600-h/oisin+730.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269755960515115378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSHvIC-AOXI/AAAAAAAARr0/hFgYTVsio1s/s400/oisin+730.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSHvHn6XHFI/AAAAAAAARrs/-7qIuHqs7zI/s1600-h/oisin+736.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269755953252080722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSHvHn6XHFI/AAAAAAAARrs/-7qIuHqs7zI/s400/oisin+736.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSHvG2jrSvI/AAAAAAAARrk/_AOiM0f5eKk/s1600-h/oisin+737.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269755940003597042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSHvG2jrSvI/AAAAAAAARrk/_AOiM0f5eKk/s400/oisin+737.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSHvGjBdl8I/AAAAAAAARrc/3vvFt1EvaN4/s1600-h/oisin+740.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269755934759819202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SSHvGjBdl8I/AAAAAAAARrc/3vvFt1EvaN4/s400/oisin+740.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><p>Well you'll be glad to know this is the best internet cafe in the entire world!..ever!...<br /></p><br /><p>Why I hear you ask? Is it because it has new PC's with riproaring bandwidth, flat screen monitors, ergo keyboards, comfortable seats, air conditioning, nice aromatic plants sporadically placed around the building, just the right lighting... no its none of these things!.... its because its built next door to a strip club.... and although Im not one to visit such dens of iniquity,<strong> there is a window right beside my screen and every now and then women clad in nought but a G string keep walking by and waving.</strong><br /></p><p>Obviously i'll be reporting this to the police and the catholic church... in a couple of hours. I think i need to reread every email ive ever received and sent for the next while and someone needs to stand gaurd at this window lest a minor walk by and be forever damaged by such wanton debauchery!.... dont worry you can sleep tight knowing Oisin is manning the wall tonight...and maybe for a good portion of tomorrow!</p>I was going to go and talk about how lovely a city san tiago is... but theres too many nude women walking by the window. Its such a penance!<br /><br /><br />Mad Santa Video below<br /><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-2b779e25a02295ff" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v20.nonxt8.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D2b779e25a02295ff%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177328%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3DDDDD6F06BE8D587A0EB1F1D84C41BAA983E8D8.9703E53226BAAD4E4DDBABAB89456DB138A2F1B%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D2b779e25a02295ff%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3Dp4wEaKKhLjNMB6X0D506MFXQckM&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v20.nonxt8.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D2b779e25a02295ff%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177328%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3DDDDD6F06BE8D587A0EB1F1D84C41BAA983E8D8.9703E53226BAAD4E4DDBABAB89456DB138A2F1B%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D2b779e25a02295ff%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3Dp4wEaKKhLjNMB6X0D506MFXQckM&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p></p></div></div></div></div></div>ni</div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-7593231707969344030?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-14769979183059731502008-11-16T16:32:00.000-08:002008-11-16T17:41:25.016-08:00Believe it or not... really hard to find an internet cafe in san tiago so Im writing this up on a windows 98 machine in the hotel, in computer terms windows 98 is about one step ahead of sending a carrier pigeon but there you go!<br /><br /><br /><br />So for the last 2 days have Ive been doing the whole San Tiago thing. I met my cousin Eileen <strong><em>(if right now your breaking into a round of cmon Eileen by Dexys midnight runners.... might i suggest a brandy?)</em></strong> yesterday morning and she took me round lots of good spots in the city. So how come I have a cousin in Chile? well my uncle Vincent met a spanish lady here in 1973 and the rest is history. I never met my uncle Vincent, he died in 2003 and I never met any of the Chilean branch of the Hughes household so really the reason I came here in the first place was to say hello.<br /><br /><br /><br />We wentfor a great sea food lunch to the central market in San Tiago, in your minds eye picture every manner of fish from mermaids to squid for sale and then being cooked in restaurants right in the centre of the market, with lots of lads walking around playing the guitar and singing... fantastic!<br /><br /><br /><br />We then went out to a place near San Tiago on the coast called Val Paraiso (wrong spelling) and met 2 friends of hers there who have an apartment with the most spectaculer view of the bay you could possibly imagine. Eileen missed her calling, she should have been driving formula 1 cars, the 1 litre vroom vroom seldom dropped below 100mph the whole way, and the rosary beads never left my fingers till we stopped! We sat in the apartment talking till about midnight and outside the moon was the biggest Ive ever seen it, casting a yellow highway across the bay, as the lights from the buildings arc'd around the bay to the right. Scene definetely filed under top moon moment!... apart from when yer one showed her bum in the film "Clash of the titans".<br /><br /><br /><br />Today I went out for lunch with the Hughes clan to an Argentinian restaurant, its amazing how much my cousins remind me of my older brother Ernan. I told them if they joined Eileen and Liam up, you would get Ernan. Sorry Ernan not meaning to say your half girl! Saw lots of pictures of my Dad and uncles from the 70's (in pubs),... back then it looked like the only drink for sale was guinness, literally tables of it in every photo.<br /><br /><br /><br />This evening I headed out and around San Tiago. By the way if you havent seen the latest james bond, I wholeheartedly recommend it, its set in Bolivia and believe it or not I had a couple of "i was there!" moments. I met 2 of the strangest charachters Ive met so far on the trip this evening. The first guys name was Carlos, like the 4th or 5th Carlos Ive met since I got to Colombia.<br /><br /><br /><br />This guy was about 60 I guess, was missing every second tooth, with the rest clinging on for dear life due to brutal tooth decay. He had a Bee Gees hair do, except it was black and grey, and had a serious moustache. He wore a grey pin stripe suit (oxfam vintage), with a blue tie, and a shirt which looked yellow, but no doubt had at one stage been white, and a pair of black shoes with more mileage on them than Sam Gamgee.<br /><br /><br /><br />He walked straight up to me and said hello in a very gentlemanly way.... I said hello back.... he smiled and I caught a climpse of the choppers, or a mixture of his choppers and the dumbell at the back of his throat through the gaps in his teeth. Ok.... I thought to myself... weirdo. Its not that I attract them I dont think, I think its that they just see a foreigner and walk straight up to them, most people are better at telling them to fuck off I think.<br /><br /><br /><br />Anyway he said to me.... straight up!.... "your from Ireland"... blown away.... I said to him... well spotted... (you got that from a hello!).... and then he said to me that I was an engineer!...(which I used to be).... and then he said to me that he knew my face. I was quite taken aback, but not stunned... it wasnt like he'd given me a slip with tonights lotto numbers yet.<br /><br /><br /><br />Anyway he then went on to tell me that he was schizophrenic and that he was trying to get to a town called Antofagasta which is north of San Tiago and that he didnt have any money and could I give him the fare. He showed me his wrists as if to prove he was sick, both had huge amounts of scar tissue on them where it was obvious he'd tried many times to commit suicide.<br /><br />Now this guy was a very gentle mannerly man, so I asked him why did he need to get to antofagasta. He said that he would get admitted to a "unit" there, but that he had slept of the streets of san tiago for the last 8 nights while he tried to get into a place in San Tiago or beg for the fare back to antofagasta. I asked him how much he was looking for and he said 40,000 pesos which is about 80dollars US. I told him, listen buddy, no chance Im giving you that much money. He then said to me... its ok I understand, shook my hand and went to say goodbye.... and then I asked him was he hungry? he said he was.... so I told him to wait, popped into burger king and got him a double whopper with Cheese meal....and as I stood there tucking into one myself chatting to him this old man dressed as Santa was playing the most haunting tune on a tin whistle funnelled through a megaphone you've ever heard. I thought I was in Roman polanski movie! I popped over and dropped the change from the burgers into his mug at which point he stopped playing and came over and started talking to me and Mr. Wilkinson sowrd. I offered him my fries, which he gratefully accepted... so there I was chowing down on fastfood with quite probably the 2 craziest guys in San Tiago...... different!<br /><br />I could imagine that if kids thought this guy was Santa, that they'd be quickly begging that Santa didnt come!<br /><br /><br />Anyway... Bond Rules....<br />Oisin<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-1476997918305973150?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-84749492111061795592008-11-14T13:19:00.001-08:002008-11-14T14:05:40.598-08:00Arrived in SanTiago after slicing through the Chilean countryside like a knife through butter in a hot dish. To be honest its too easy... I never thought Id miss the hardship! I know it sounds a bit mental but I relish the test.... doing it because its hard.... if its handy.. I know I can do it... so whats the point?..... anyway... thats one for the shrink. 500km today, 700 yesterday, 800 2 days before that.... too easy.<br /><br /><br />But there is however one massive barrier still to cross in the trip... The Ruta 40 (Ruta Quar-ent-A). This is renowned as one of the toughest roads in the world for 2 reasons, 1) its mostly gravel and 2) the winds never drop below 40mph as they roar in from the Roaring 40's in the atlantic Ocean. The winds get up so high here due to the fact that there is no land mass blocking them the whole way over to Africa and the lower you go... the windier it gets....so..... no .....not time just yet to get the slippers.<br /><br />I just hit 46000km, or 28750 miles for those of you still living in old money, and after much thought Im readly to release my grand theory(5 months of field testing!) of travellers and tourists in general. (cant remember how to spell field... is it "i" before "e" and all that shite?<br /><br /><br />Bet you find a grain of truth in the horse shite below!<br /><br />So there are 4 basic types of people who are out there travelling<br />Attackers, Midfielders, defenders and goal keepers, all have their sub categories but for now I'll just hit the big buckets.<br /><br /><strong>Attackers (First Hello'ers)</strong><br />These people are first hello'ers. These are the people who no matter where they go at any time they always end up talking to someone. They have no problem walking up to complete strangers and just saying hello. They are normally the second child in a household and strive for attention. Everything about them is a talking point, a reason to ask them a question... a reason for them to run their gob. If anyone was ever to wear a necklace with the bone of a mouse mickey hanging off it... it would be an attacker!<br />The people who attackers most love is midfielders, they quickly grow weary of other attackers as they cant get a word in edge ways with them. They cant stand to be on their own, and eat lots of salads. Most dont admit to owning a television "sure Im too busy to be watching TV!", but all love porn. These people read books to learn things so they can talk about it... not for their own enjoyment. Everyone knows a first hello'er, and the most common sentance used when describing them by defenders is "yeah they're ok in small doses". Midfielders really like attackers.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Midfielders (Reciprocators)</strong><br />These people always reciprocate what they are given, so if a first hello'er comes up to them they'll always give exactly what they get and more back in the conversation. If a Midfielder is pretty lonely they'll jump state and become a first hello'er, but risk coming across like a transexual as they are behaving in an adapted way. In their natural state a midfiedler is pretty balanced and doesent actually crave attention the way a first hello'er does, so will sit quietly in a restaurant no problem at all. Midfielders love attackers, its how they are introduced to most of the people they know in the world.... nearly every midfielder gets married to someone who was introduced to them by a first hello'er. If it wasnt for first hello'ers most midfielders would be blind and hairy palmed from masturbation. A midfielder loves midfielders but would never meet any because they only reciprocate... first hello'ers move the world.<br /><br /><strong>Defenders ( Civil servants)</strong><br />A defender is very close to their family, and on a holiday with a defender they'll normally be the one crying because they miss home and their family, especially their mum. If you know a defender well, its because you married their sister or your friendly with their parents or their husband. They only accept people who are introduced with a common frame of referance. People often say of these people... "yep they are a bit cold...but once you get to know them their grand!"<br />You can see piles of defenders on holiday where about 20 people from the one family all go together. Shagging first cousins isnt deemed a bad thing by defenders. Defenders never do things which are their own idea.. everything is a debate with the kin. Normally a female defender has a really hot sister you'd like to give a good seeing to!<br /><br /><strong>Goal Keepers (Snedges)</strong><br />These are the enemies of the attackers. Goal keepers are the worlds leeches. You always know a goal keeper because they latch onto someone, normally a defender who has a family attachment which they can be manipulated from. They end up being the person who comes on your trip who you end up saying to your friend about "what the fuck did you brink that dick with you for!".... and the person who they leeched to says.... " I know but I just couldnt leave them behind, shes my cousin!" You can always spot a goal keeper because around 4am they'll slink off to the bike shed and sniff the bicycle saddles.(Snedge)<br /><br /><strong>Moving between states....</strong><br />A first hello'er is incapable of being in any other state that that of an attacker. Only massive truama like the loss of a limb or their entire country sank to the bottom of the ocean can move a first hello'er to a midfielder, but in all likelly hood it will just give them something else to talk about.<br /><br />A midfielder as already mentioned can adjust to a first hello'er but will be sensitive to knock backs... they dont have the skills of a first hello'er eg: they dont have a neck like a jockeys bollix or really bad hearing. They can when depressed or incessently nagged to by their partner, move down to a defender... people often say of them when in this state..."Your man is grand when hes not with that witch hes married to!"<br /><br />A defender is too busy talking to their family on the phone to ever move up or down a notch. Most nights they dream of shagging a parent.<br /><br />A goal keeper can at times move to a defender status, but only when they've a really bad cold and cant smell the saddles.<br /><br /><br />So there you go!... and it only took 46000km to figure it all out!<br /><br />Final point how do you know if you're a snedge?.... do you have the saddle off a bicycle which you robbed beside you in the room?..... yeah!... thats right snedgie ! you're it!<br /><br />The big fella<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-8474949211106179559?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-35051176933968571212008-11-13T15:14:00.000-08:002008-11-13T15:59:31.866-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRy714v9fOI/AAAAAAAARrU/GApi2EWI6Tw/s1600-h/oisin+577.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRy714v9fOI/AAAAAAAARrU/GApi2EWI6Tw/s400/oisin+577.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268292198557646050" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRy71lSN-bI/AAAAAAAARrM/febYiOLWA8g/s1600-h/oisin+531.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRy71lSN-bI/AAAAAAAARrM/febYiOLWA8g/s400/oisin+531.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268292193332623794" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRy71jccFlI/AAAAAAAARrE/bI9QPblx36o/s1600-h/oisin+557.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRy71jccFlI/AAAAAAAARrE/bI9QPblx36o/s400/oisin+557.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268292192838620754" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRy7HCfLkVI/AAAAAAAARq8/qAUMzE7DgBI/s1600-h/oisin+579.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; 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display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRy7Ga6GbDI/AAAAAAAARqk/N02Y9OVPuLA/s400/oisin+600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268291383093259314" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRy7GP2QoyI/AAAAAAAARqc/4RQUVc5k8No/s1600-h/oisin+660.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRy7GP2QoyI/AAAAAAAARqc/4RQUVc5k8No/s400/oisin+660.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268291380124361506" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRy58jzBKnI/AAAAAAAARqU/dgLCF0-Q6bI/s1600-h/oisin+652.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRy58jzBKnI/AAAAAAAARqU/dgLCF0-Q6bI/s400/oisin+652.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268290114169154162" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRy44l6HPDI/AAAAAAAARqM/fhHthzE1C6w/s1600-h/oisin+690.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRy44l6HPDI/AAAAAAAARqM/fhHthzE1C6w/s400/oisin+690.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268288946504678450" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRy44daQDhI/AAAAAAAARqE/oC0cwCjuzY0/s1600-h/oisin+642.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRy44daQDhI/AAAAAAAARqE/oC0cwCjuzY0/s400/oisin+642.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268288944223555090" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRy436BdLiI/AAAAAAAARp8/mfcvsZ_AUEQ/s1600-h/oisin+597.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRy436BdLiI/AAAAAAAARp8/mfcvsZ_AUEQ/s400/oisin+597.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268288934724316706" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRy4YX7rntI/AAAAAAAARp0/O9z7OLTrf2Q/s1600-h/oisin+681.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRy4YX7rntI/AAAAAAAARp0/O9z7OLTrf2Q/s400/oisin+681.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268288392997347026" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRy4X64HOYI/AAAAAAAARps/-O2mLvDmT4Q/s1600-h/oisin+599.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRy4X64HOYI/AAAAAAAARps/-O2mLvDmT4Q/s400/oisin+599.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268288385197750658" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRy4XayqH7I/AAAAAAAARpk/eLnLw2y7Ebs/s1600-h/oisin+573.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRy4XayqH7I/AAAAAAAARpk/eLnLw2y7Ebs/s400/oisin+573.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268288376584937394" border="0" /></a><br />Somethings very different about Chile. Today I did over 700km and in all that time <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">none </span>of the following happened<br /><ul><li>No cattle grazing at the side of the road tried to walk out in front of the bike... in fact there wasnt even any cattle!...<br /></li><li>I didnt have to dodge any potholes because there werent any to dodge</li><li>No need to dodge any oncoming vehicles on the wrong side of the road coming around a bend or somebody running a red light or have to deal with any type of traffic infraction whatsoever!... everyone pretty much obeys the rules!<br /></li><li>When I went to the atm this morning, there was no friendly security gaurd armed with an AK47 or sawn off shotgun... I miss them guys!</li><li>Theres no incessant beeping of horns.. in fact I didnt here so much as a beep in error the whole 700km!.... just when I was able to speak the language...</li><li>Theres no plooms of blue smoke behind every truck and buss....i love blue!<br /></li><li>I didnt have to bribe any police officers.. in fact I havent even been stopped by one...those were the only guys who used to talk to me!<br /></li><li>There was no military checkpoints to drive through....<br /></li><li>There was no hidden ramps to smash the goolies into next week.... where now will I go for chastisment!<br /></li><li>And most of all I wish the morning guess... will there be hot water or not... nothing like a quiz first thing in the morning!... the waters always hot!</li><li>and finally on the news last night it didnt catalog about 800 murders!<br /></li></ul>I guess its the "little" things! that let you know your back in the first world!<br /><br />Last night I dreamt only of Brittney in the red leather suit..... lovely!.... conversation went (after the wild thing was complete......<br />Brittney: Oisin will those 3 shags we've had be enough for you?<br />Oisin: ... Im grand Brittney... Im grand!.... did you buy some jaffa cakes?<br />Brittney: ..Of course....anything for my dynorod<br />Oisin: Nice one Brittney... Nice one... and is there Tea? ... a nice sup of Barrys tea..?<br />Brittney: Of course.... anything else I can get for you... Mr Dehymeniser?<br />Oisin: Nope! Im grand.... 40 winks..... and then break out the marshmallows....<br /><br />like I said..... it was a dream....but no desert.<br /><br />I pushed to within 400km of San Tiago today....to a place called San Lorenzo. Was supposed to try and go to the space observatory tonight but its as cloudy as hell so thats skuppered, so tomorrow I'll trek down to the Capital.<br /><br />I finally passed through the Atacama today, the driest desert in the world, pretty much everything since Uyuni has been part of it and thats taken well over a week. As you drive south you come to a valley, its in the pictures above. with the most dense clouds Ive ever seen.<br /><br />This is one of the places where the Andes stops the moisture from heading north to the atacama, and there is such a dense build up of cloud overhead, you really feel you could cut it with a knife.<br /><br />The bike is starting to suffer, I have an oil leak somewhere, think one of the seals might have copped it, but theres a dealer in san tiago so should be ok to get it sorted.<br /><br />Over and out....<br />Oisin<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-3505117693396857121?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-9696168565312204482008-11-12T16:48:00.000-08:002008-11-12T17:38:06.961-08:00<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRt_WnVVMqI/AAAAAAAARXQ/F1LQ_cbzMMs/s1600-h/oisin+449.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267944215632229026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRt_WnVVMqI/AAAAAAAARXQ/F1LQ_cbzMMs/s400/oisin+449.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRt7fv2ZjEI/AAAAAAAARH8/kMbEAo_P9Fs/s1600-h/oisin+139.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267939974490721346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRt7fv2ZjEI/AAAAAAAARH8/kMbEAo_P9Fs/s400/oisin+139.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRt6qszSuBI/AAAAAAAARFE/CyrPm9XllkM/s1600-h/oisin+534.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267939063139317778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRt6qszSuBI/AAAAAAAARFE/CyrPm9XllkM/s400/oisin+534.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRt6qZZrMRI/AAAAAAAARE8/jOTyMlpRmtE/s1600-h/oisin+537.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267939057931596050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRt6qZZrMRI/AAAAAAAARE8/jOTyMlpRmtE/s400/oisin+537.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRt6qNU4fNI/AAAAAAAARE0/u_6ZMtHTQZA/s1600-h/oisin+540.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267939054690270418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRt6qNU4fNI/AAAAAAAARE0/u_6ZMtHTQZA/s400/oisin+540.jpg" border="0" /></a>Today I stripped the bike completely, no panniers, no back packs, no water..no extra weight... nothing! and only left about 10 litres of petrol in the tank, keep her nice and light was the motto and I burned off to the desert around midday. The plan was to keep it short and sweet, and just burn around for a while and it all worked a treat.....at times it was like being in the paris Dakar rally... (except Im a fat bollix from Dublin...and it wasnt in africa.... )</div><br /><br /><div>You dont have to go very far for desert as the town is perched on the coast of the Atacama desert....so sand is pretty much a constant all round.</div><br /><br /><div>Today was slightly different. Yesterday I burned around and didnt come off, but was still nervous nonetheless. Today no nerves...just burn!....so headed back to the hotel feeling sexy..... if i was made of chocolate Id have eaten myself... </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>I headed out around the town to do all the touristy type stuff and had a lovely day, from about 3pm till 9pm was followed literally everywhere by a black puppie, who I named blackie. Bought him 2 pasties for his trouble.... you can see him in the video below...</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Finished the day off eating seafood watching the sun setting in a restaurant right on the sea front.... a few well earned comforts!...the spoils of war!</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Tomorrow Im heading into the Andes again to check out some space observatories...and from there down to San Tiago for the weekend.. should be different!</div></div></div></div></div><br /><br /><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-1c43a561bbe6608f" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v6.nonxt8.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D1c43a561bbe6608f%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177328%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D666A7C48963B4B532A7E19A8C0B76DD856605C18.7FF5E5692C11BDE2B1FE2A8EDB690383832AAAEF%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D1c43a561bbe6608f%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3D91sp4EY2TC_YK379sqLQH2F-aNs&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v6.nonxt8.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D1c43a561bbe6608f%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177328%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D666A7C48963B4B532A7E19A8C0B76DD856605C18.7FF5E5692C11BDE2B1FE2A8EDB690383832AAAEF%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D1c43a561bbe6608f%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3D91sp4EY2TC_YK379sqLQH2F-aNs&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-969616856531220448?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-26456591933072041532008-11-12T04:57:00.000-08:002008-11-12T06:28:37.996-08:00The last day in San pedro was pretty good. After beating around the desert and the valley of the moon I went out for some grub. I met 2 Irish girls who were joined by another... Laura, Orla and Sarah, all about 26 and all off dossing around for 6 months. We'd a good oul laugh and they were almost the first people Id talked to since Cuzco believe it or not.<br /><br />I set out early the next morning and did something a bit crazy. For the last 3 nights I've been having a recurring nightmare about the desert. Everytime its the same I crash the bike and break a bone and am stuck out there and I always wake up with a jump and in a sweat and its hard to get back to sleep.<br /><br />In my reckoning the cause of it is that Im terrible on the sand and get myself all worked up about it.... the only way to cure the dream was.... yep you guessed it....to go back out onto the sand.<br /><br />So Off I set and about 60km outside of San Pedro I spotted a track through the desert, you san see it below and I said to myself... Ok...time to conquer your fear. Theres no point in having one of these recurring dreams back in Ireland, it´ll be too far to go the desert so fix it now. I´d really no clue how i was going to do it... but I found the track...and just said to myself...ok Oisin... just keep riding till you fall off.<br /><br />Off i went, The whole time I stood on the pegs and did my whole "lucy goosy" routine and just let the bike move around under me. I kept driving and driving and driving and when an hour had passed, I´d rode about 50km and then stopped. Ok..not bad, a full hour...out in the desert and you didnt come off!..nice one. Ok so now for the way back...and I just used a slightly different line and again made it the whole way back to the road without coming off... I wondered whether or not I was cured.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267756241004613842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRrUZDRtUNI/AAAAAAAARAE/zJ6OofWFdV8/s400/Oisin+371.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267756247756610354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRrUZcbgmzI/AAAAAAAARAU/GbZpUTgEwn8/s400/Oisin+377.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267756248588512898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRrUZfh2boI/AAAAAAAARAM/QtLe_IXeGN0/s400/Oisin+373.jpg" border="0" /><br />Im asked a lot if this sort of journey is lonely or if being in the locations above is lonely and I always give the same answer. If your in the middle of the desert on your own... you feel completely and utterly alone... but <strong><em>not</em></strong> lonely , surprisingly. I think its because you dont expect anyone to be there. However if your in a city and maybe go to a restaurant, then you do feel lonely. Its no different than when I used to go on business trips, theres nothing worse than being in a strange country sitting down to a bit of grub with no one to talk to. I left the desert and headed south for a town called Medillones on the coast.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRraX02SwrI/AAAAAAAARB8/nYB2Oi3azDc/s1600-h/Oisin+404.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267762817021428402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRraX02SwrI/AAAAAAAARB8/nYB2Oi3azDc/s400/Oisin+404.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />On the way I passed the tropic of capricorn, Mr fluffy kins recorded a video, its below. I passed the tropic of capricorn in austrailia, somehow I felt a whole lot "lower" in the world than I do here in Chile..... dont know if that makes sense. When I think of Austrailia I think of "down under"... but here I was at the same point... didnt seem that long ago I passed the equator. After taking some time to digest the moment, I felt really far away from home and also I felt for the first time that the journey was coming to an end.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267756257112658450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRrUZ_SKkhI/AAAAAAAARAc/4OlLGyISEPg/s400/Oisin+407.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRraX2FFjEI/AAAAAAAARB0/0I5BFhWXdVw/s1600-h/Oisin+384.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267762817351912514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRraX2FFjEI/AAAAAAAARB0/0I5BFhWXdVw/s400/Oisin+384.jpg" border="0" /></a> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267756257895787810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRrUaCM4LSI/AAAAAAAARAk/wfkZsjIQEH0/s400/Oisin+426.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267758445984117314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRrWZZdyckI/AAAAAAAARA0/gd0CnAfWDeM/s400/Oisin+438.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267758435486352626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRrWYyW7RPI/AAAAAAAARAs/tFhEK9-4TS0/s400/Oisin+436.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267758447813963666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRrWZgSDr5I/AAAAAAAARA8/5s17x6tYH-U/s400/Oisin+441.jpg" border="0" /></div><div>I got to medillones and its a dump really, but I just wanted to get a room and go for a kip, the hangover from being out with the 3 degrees the night before exacerbated by the dry desert air left my mouth feeling like an old sock. </div><div></div><div>Even though the town was empty, there were no hotel rooms... and then I drove further south to Antofagasta...same thing no hotel rooms. I looked at the map and it meant a 300km drive south to Tal Tal, a fishing town on the coast. The time was 5pm... hungover as hell and with 300km to go, I groaned loudly with an audible fuck as the carrier wave and burned south....would there be somewhere to stay in Tal Tal?</div><div><br /><div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRrXfur61AI/AAAAAAAARBk/Cegr09Ykla0/s1600-h/Oisin+502.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267759654271374338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRrXfur61AI/AAAAAAAARBk/Cegr09Ykla0/s400/Oisin+502.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRrXftswprI/AAAAAAAARBc/vlGvj9KYDug/s1600-h/Oisin+504.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267759654006466226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRrXftswprI/AAAAAAAARBc/vlGvj9KYDug/s400/Oisin+504.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRrXfdfLimI/AAAAAAAARBU/s1MHjEs2tVY/s1600-h/Oisin+500.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267759649654540898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRrXfdfLimI/AAAAAAAARBU/s1MHjEs2tVY/s400/Oisin+500.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRrWaOvnOTI/AAAAAAAARBM/a-dhItNFiyY/s1600-h/Oisin+497.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267758460285958450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRrWaOvnOTI/AAAAAAAARBM/a-dhItNFiyY/s400/Oisin+497.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRrWaGND3UI/AAAAAAAARBE/bT-qfZn1lok/s1600-h/Oisin+493.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267758457993551170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRrWaGND3UI/AAAAAAAARBE/bT-qfZn1lok/s400/Oisin+493.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div></div><div>The drive through the desert as the sun was setting was just gorgeous, the colors and shadows created on the dunes made the whole journey an absolute joy. It was dark by the time I got to tal tal but the 20 decades of the rosary said in hope that there would be somewhere to stay there worked and at 9pm I was in a hotel.Didnt bother with a shower, just popped on the jeans and a beaney cap and fecked off out for some of the best fish Ive ever tasted! After over 500 miles today I thought I´d sleep like the dead.... I didnt ...... had the same dream....so Im heading back to the desert for one swing on the tail of the dog that bit me.</div><div></div><div>Over and out</div><div>Oisin</div><div>Is it just me or does Mr fluffykins look like an evil Mr Fluffykins?</div><div><br /></div><div><div><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-b81cb9dad3216305" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v4.nonxt2.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Db81cb9dad3216305%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177328%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D289231050947D96DA6C6700932774797FE8794E5.1AE8C7B4A075B476FA2CB2364CE04A43ED5D1777%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Db81cb9dad3216305%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DSyeGocwAw1PYDLF_72qAytz6N_w&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v4.nonxt2.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Db81cb9dad3216305%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177328%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D289231050947D96DA6C6700932774797FE8794E5.1AE8C7B4A075B476FA2CB2364CE04A43ED5D1777%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Db81cb9dad3216305%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DSyeGocwAw1PYDLF_72qAytz6N_w&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-749c9f85b9cd509c" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v23.nonxt4.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D749c9f85b9cd509c%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177328%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D456ADE498AD30191FA2568A79A29C2A067755DA6.7D1B27E2ACAFB2C47291D9803C3077B7F7C433D6%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D749c9f85b9cd509c%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DOgYXjkZJKcl-AXiuP5RO-Fi4dMA&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v23.nonxt4.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D749c9f85b9cd509c%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177328%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D456ADE498AD30191FA2568A79A29C2A067755DA6.7D1B27E2ACAFB2C47291D9803C3077B7F7C433D6%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D749c9f85b9cd509c%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DOgYXjkZJKcl-AXiuP5RO-Fi4dMA&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object><br /><div><div><p></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-2645659193307204153?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-41588498906731487202008-11-10T07:23:00.000-08:002008-11-10T08:44:54.572-08:00Today I got up at the crack of dawn to head out to the Valley of the Moon near San pedro de atacama. Its so hot here that if you dont go early, you'll literally boil alive.<br /><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-5e9a117b0e55771a" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v10.nonxt5.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D5e9a117b0e55771a%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177329%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D71910F76FE0FF1239B3B4D8794EA96702DD66C21.6A1747FB9CE1A0FC537F34AEC3E90B16925F123D%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D5e9a117b0e55771a%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DioMJaJkgQUWFcoUwvyTHT4_qN94&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v10.nonxt5.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D5e9a117b0e55771a%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177329%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D71910F76FE0FF1239B3B4D8794EA96702DD66C21.6A1747FB9CE1A0FC537F34AEC3E90B16925F123D%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D5e9a117b0e55771a%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DioMJaJkgQUWFcoUwvyTHT4_qN94&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object><br /><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-98dae34b132707fe" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v6.nonxt7.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D98dae34b132707fe%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177329%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D52F59176539302513531F345D590D4C028027BDA.22ADD6B2E988DFD2D790DD53A97962424D891605%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D98dae34b132707fe%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DB8RDWine9L6DssUyil1vSo5pqog&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v6.nonxt7.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D98dae34b132707fe%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177329%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D52F59176539302513531F345D590D4C028027BDA.22ADD6B2E988DFD2D790DD53A97962424D891605%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D98dae34b132707fe%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DB8RDWine9L6DssUyil1vSo5pqog&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object><br />I woke up in a great mood... no more off road!... oh its soo goood. But no sooner had I finished with the fantasy of black tarmacadam, I was off to more sand and gravel. This was slightly different though, it was like a day trip. Its feels like fun when you dont absolutely have to get through it.. ie if you dont like it you can just turn back and head into the town and have a cup of coffee (and a bun!)<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRheyUT4SbI/AAAAAAAAQfI/1bBxj5HSTo4/s1600-h/Moon+15.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267063982748354994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRheyUT4SbI/AAAAAAAAQfI/1bBxj5HSTo4/s400/Moon+15.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRheyFcwviI/AAAAAAAAQfA/TZtxHM7TP4Q/s1600-h/moon+14.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267063978759077410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRheyFcwviI/AAAAAAAAQfA/TZtxHM7TP4Q/s400/moon+14.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRhex6KjZaI/AAAAAAAAQe4/SN-DlX1tFjg/s1600-h/Moon+13.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267063975729915298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRhex6KjZaI/AAAAAAAAQe4/SN-DlX1tFjg/s400/Moon+13.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRhexoJpBBI/AAAAAAAAQew/TVn7NUd_KjA/s1600-h/Moon+12.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267063970894251026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRhexoJpBBI/AAAAAAAAQew/TVn7NUd_KjA/s400/Moon+12.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRhexfQvvTI/AAAAAAAAQeo/A69cLZykZyo/s1600-h/Moon+11.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267063968508132658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRhexfQvvTI/AAAAAAAAQeo/A69cLZykZyo/s400/Moon+11.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRheSLo7bEI/AAAAAAAAQeg/tALsh6zNVhk/s1600-h/Moon+10.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267063430664907842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRheSLo7bEI/AAAAAAAAQeg/tALsh6zNVhk/s400/Moon+10.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRheR-ZUubI/AAAAAAAAQeY/TyL6hK4Kfcs/s1600-h/Moon+9.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267063427109796274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRheR-ZUubI/AAAAAAAAQeY/TyL6hK4Kfcs/s400/Moon+9.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRheRRUdbDI/AAAAAAAAQeQ/Pg8gcGeDijE/s1600-h/Moon+8.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267063415009799218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRheRRUdbDI/AAAAAAAAQeQ/Pg8gcGeDijE/s400/Moon+8.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRheQwRl3lI/AAAAAAAAQeI/rZVg3QxGJ1o/s1600-h/Moon+7.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267063406139399762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRheQwRl3lI/AAAAAAAAQeI/rZVg3QxGJ1o/s400/Moon+7.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRheQyvHg5I/AAAAAAAAQeA/sm-WYOviPcE/s1600-h/Moon+6.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267063406800110482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRheQyvHg5I/AAAAAAAAQeA/sm-WYOviPcE/s400/Moon+6.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRhc88Eo1CI/AAAAAAAAQYo/ZHR091zIzFY/s1600-h/moon+5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267061966197281826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRhc88Eo1CI/AAAAAAAAQYo/ZHR091zIzFY/s400/moon+5.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRhc8sqhH8I/AAAAAAAAQYg/JSHUNVJPQoM/s1600-h/moon+4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267061962061193154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRhc8sqhH8I/AAAAAAAAQYg/JSHUNVJPQoM/s400/moon+4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRhc8FkHcpI/AAAAAAAAQYQ/d6CSmX9Ry7w/s1600-h/moon+3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267061951565361810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRhc8FkHcpI/AAAAAAAAQYQ/d6CSmX9Ry7w/s400/moon+3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRhc7UjUt5I/AAAAAAAAQYE/Nrp1KvE-5Hw/s1600-h/Moon+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267061938408699794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRhc7UjUt5I/AAAAAAAAQYE/Nrp1KvE-5Hw/s400/Moon+2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRhc68OIwpI/AAAAAAAAQX8/nx3ydAoe6Xk/s1600-h/Moon+1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267061931877384850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRhc68OIwpI/AAAAAAAAQX8/nx3ydAoe6Xk/s400/Moon+1.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div>Changed all the pictures to black and white above to give you a feel for how it feels to be in this landscape. Really Cool! The only trouble I had was that the back wheel got trapped in deep sand (again) and had to tilt it out and pull it to good ground (twice), but given it was a day trip Id no luggage so it was much easier to deal with.</div><div> </div><div>Tomorrow I head down for a town called Ant-something or other... its on the coast, so it'll be a day or 2 on the beach..... a few well earned comforts!</div><div> </div><div>Check out the videos below for a better feel of Chile so far....</div><div>May the force be with you</div><div>Oisin</div><div> </div><div><br /><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-96a1a804e67c03a0" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" 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value="flvurl=http://v9.nonxt4.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D9fd219820bc16a31%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177329%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D625E8DC6462684CB372449F8A68614A15C764E9F.80DED2C7A83A0945E25928B9B61EEF3F6D3C25F4%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D9fd219820bc16a31%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DAPMek-XXxuQb-pcLPhkjH2Azxgs&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v9.nonxt4.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D9fd219820bc16a31%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177329%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D625E8DC6462684CB372449F8A68614A15C764E9F.80DED2C7A83A0945E25928B9B61EEF3F6D3C25F4%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D9fd219820bc16a31%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DAPMek-XXxuQb-pcLPhkjH2Azxgs&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-4158849890673148720?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-77090832801201288142008-11-09T14:47:00.000-08:002008-11-09T16:16:05.539-08:00<div>Normal blogging restored! (added a caption to the pictures/video so you know the context)</div><div> </div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRd0Zf1irpI/AAAAAAAAPA4/8wHIe8g5Z2w/s1600-h/oisin1+1540.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266806270624706194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRd0Zf1irpI/AAAAAAAAPA4/8wHIe8g5Z2w/s400/oisin1+1540.jpg" border="0" /></a> Cool looking tree out in the middle of no where<br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRd0ZN5LWkI/AAAAAAAAPAw/eos8fd9tDBE/s1600-h/oisin1+1696.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266806265808116290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRd0ZN5LWkI/AAAAAAAAPAw/eos8fd9tDBE/s400/oisin1+1696.jpg" border="0" /></a> Check out the landscape!.. hardcore!<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRd0YrfEzYI/AAAAAAAAPAo/_ogvHMhAxi8/s1600-h/oisin1+1699.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266806256571829634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRd0YrfEzYI/AAAAAAAAPAo/_ogvHMhAxi8/s400/oisin1+1699.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-5b34b44cbdc54716" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v15.nonxt8.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D5b34b44cbdc54716%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177329%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D630FD51BB3617A4009264D82630E68903A875117.677DB3F0040864BEAAEFE35A83E9636AE90E9025%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D5b34b44cbdc54716%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DKfb2WfzXs8oQguWHiYlpw8v5Gus&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v15.nonxt8.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D5b34b44cbdc54716%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177329%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D630FD51BB3617A4009264D82630E68903A875117.677DB3F0040864BEAAEFE35A83E9636AE90E9025%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D5b34b44cbdc54716%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DKfb2WfzXs8oQguWHiYlpw8v5Gus&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-5c8b95e3add3dfb" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v5.nonxt3.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D05c8b95e3add3dfb%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177329%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D7869E4EE8230A22B3956339731EE4D825BA2E5C1.48E2F9EF2F9FDD5D30E3E01DD7A8F5E091419216%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D5c8b95e3add3dfb%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DiCl7Fsvk-UdLkRdp4MIE9wMRumM&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v5.nonxt3.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D05c8b95e3add3dfb%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177329%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D7869E4EE8230A22B3956339731EE4D825BA2E5C1.48E2F9EF2F9FDD5D30E3E01DD7A8F5E091419216%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D5c8b95e3add3dfb%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DiCl7Fsvk-UdLkRdp4MIE9wMRumM&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object><br /><div>Enjoying the ride!</div><br /><div></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdqkOIub5I/AAAAAAAAOdI/khA7jhp44-Q/s1600-h/oisin+061.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266795459735613330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdqkOIub5I/AAAAAAAAOdI/khA7jhp44-Q/s400/oisin+061.jpg" border="0" /></a> Out in the middle of nowhere making my way to San pedro de atacama<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdqjv2SUpI/AAAAAAAAOdA/_zcYQQDqxxA/s1600-h/oisin+046.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266795451605209746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdqjv2SUpI/AAAAAAAAOdA/_zcYQQDqxxA/s400/oisin+046.jpg" border="0" /></a> The volcano at the town of Ollangue, you can see smoke coming from it.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdqjKxkWlI/AAAAAAAAOc4/hFCiSdOHWyc/s1600-h/oisin+045.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266795441653307986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdqjKxkWlI/AAAAAAAAOc4/hFCiSdOHWyc/s400/oisin+045.jpg" border="0" /></a> The town of Ollangue, a wind swept godforsaken place.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdqiWDLYrI/AAAAAAAAOcw/5EFwFP8iq0Y/s1600-h/oisin+037.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266795427500090034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdqiWDLYrI/AAAAAAAAOcw/5EFwFP8iq0Y/s400/oisin+037.jpg" border="0" /></a> The border post, you can see the trains you have to climb through to get your passport stamped<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdqhjkzgLI/AAAAAAAAOco/4mqIxw9JYTQ/s1600-h/oisin+018.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266795413950922930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdqhjkzgLI/AAAAAAAAOco/4mqIxw9JYTQ/s400/oisin+018.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div>About to decend to one of 2 salt lakes I drove by today</div><br /><div>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div><div> </div><div>The place i stayed last night lost electricity at around 9pm and didnt come back before I left, but not a bother on anyone in the place. Cooking still went on over the open heart, and it seemed like it was a daily occurance.</div><div><br />I solved pretty early in the day the "no gas" problem, Just kept knocking on doors in the town which I thought looked like they might have some gas.... "how do you know what a house with gas looks like?..." You can smell it through the letter box.</div><br /><br /><div>I went around the back of these 2 old ladys house and there it was... a big 50 gallon drum of Texaco!... bought 3 gallons off them at war time prices but was delighted to be back on the road so I wasnt complaining. I must have asked them 5 times... Gasolina Si?.... to which they always replied Si..... if it wasnt this was going to be a short trip.</div><br /><br /><div>Today I was determined to conquer my fear of the sand. So I just kept remembering all the things I knew about how to drive in it..and kept repeating it back to myself as I was driving along. </div><div> </div><div>One of the most important things to do is to stay loose in your arms and let the bike sway underneath you.... now the feeling of a bike swaying under you is enough to send the heart beating up into the 200+ range...but you have to get over it....so stay loose.... got it... so heres the rhyme I told myself...</div><br /><div>Stay Loosey Goosey...Loosey Goosey...<br />Look at Hughsey staying Loosey Goosey<br />Up in Canada drove 10000 miles saw only 1 Moosie<br />Loosey Goosey....Loosey Goosey</div><div>The whole trip havent met one Flusie</div><div>Loosey Goosey .... Loosey Goosey</div><br /><br /><div>Very naff i know.... but it worked!.....and that was about the best of the rhymes, just repeated over and over for hours on end!.. a number one its unlikely to be!... but its all about staying in the zone and keeping yourself there, it worked a treat, the road even though in places is was pure shite...all of it was no problem to the big man!</div><br /><br /><div>After about 100km today, and after 1000km on gravel and sand over all, the asphalt was back. The most gorgeous beautiful substance in the whole world. And when it came, if you had've offered me a steam room with Brittney spears in it in the nude, with Sharon stone on the way over with a tub of ben and jerrys ice cream, rum and raisan flavor, I would have taken the asphalt!</div><br /><br /><div>From there it was a short run to San Pedro de Atacama, through unsurprisingly the Atacama desert. Im going to hold up here for a couple of days. This town is an oasis in the desert and although I havent started exploring really yet, its an incredible place so far.</div><br /><br /><div>The road decends to the town from the Andes and the scenery as you drop is incredible. People always say San Pedro that its like being on mars so looking forward to discovering it over the next few days. The town is a little white washed village stuck in the middle of mountains and valleys of orange and yellow rock. One of the big differances about crossing the border is the price of everything just hikes up incredibly. Eg its about 6 times as expensive in Chile for a room in comparable places than Bolivia. On top of that, because you've dropped all the height the heat is only brutal. The sun is right over head this part of the world at the moment, and its roasting!!</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Anyway thats it for today, back on the gorgeous tarmac and in Chile...my 14th country</div><div>(Canada, USA, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Niceragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Chile... only one more to go... Argentina)</div><div> </div><div>Over and out</div><div>Oisin</div><div>2 more vids below of the roads...</div><div><br /><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-d776202b5a8d10da" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v4.nonxt5.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Dd776202b5a8d10da%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177329%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D3E2225CC6EF15A6FE4CDA6C036F479482B3F87F6.5AB639DC84C20A0C4B6AC8996028F28C55269CD0%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Dd776202b5a8d10da%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DNUSnzZi80-qmolGT_IzUl9Yzvco&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v4.nonxt5.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Dd776202b5a8d10da%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177329%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D3E2225CC6EF15A6FE4CDA6C036F479482B3F87F6.5AB639DC84C20A0C4B6AC8996028F28C55269CD0%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Dd776202b5a8d10da%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DNUSnzZi80-qmolGT_IzUl9Yzvco&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object></div><div>I hate sand</div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><p><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-a62490f2f779d95d" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v7.nonxt1.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Da62490f2f779d95d%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177329%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D2E2ADCAFD4F1B4DDBD2A0473192F3620407E3BB5.7274A5D2A47DFA19B0B8BA84B139988A5C0FB62%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Da62490f2f779d95d%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DsTb8114ErpxQ-HiEoscBZOHf98E&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v7.nonxt1.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Da62490f2f779d95d%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177329%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D2E2ADCAFD4F1B4DDBD2A0473192F3620407E3BB5.7274A5D2A47DFA19B0B8BA84B139988A5C0FB62%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Da62490f2f779d95d%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DsTb8114ErpxQ-HiEoscBZOHf98E&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object></p><p>Giz a signpost!</p><p> </p><p> </p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-7709083280120128814?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-23195313016713918442008-11-09T13:33:00.000-08:002008-11-09T14:45:08.965-08:00This is a little different... havent posted any pictures in a while, so this blog is just pictures and video from the last couple of days with some commentary beneath....<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdfmn6VTdI/AAAAAAAAOCY/9DVbvMGzcv8/s1600-h/oisin1+1581.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266783406386400722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdfmn6VTdI/AAAAAAAAOCY/9DVbvMGzcv8/s400/oisin1+1581.jpg" border="0" /></a> More shite roads... nuff said....<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdfmFMYliI/AAAAAAAAOCQ/qU6J0bxtsz4/s1600-h/oisin1+1580.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266783397066872354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdfmFMYliI/AAAAAAAAOCQ/qU6J0bxtsz4/s400/oisin1+1580.jpg" border="0" /></a> In the desert you have to go a long way to find a place to do a poo without being seen!<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdd3Ocpn-I/AAAAAAAAOCI/IgfORHL-kn0/s1600-h/oisin1+1635.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266781492585537506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdd3Ocpn-I/AAAAAAAAOCI/IgfORHL-kn0/s400/oisin1+1635.jpg" border="0" /></a> The bike perched up on some hard ground as I'm ferrying the gear over to it from the boggy area of the salt flats<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdd2_rsnpI/AAAAAAAAOCA/fq_2QW1cqHE/s1600-h/oisin1+1638.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266781488622116498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdd2_rsnpI/AAAAAAAAOCA/fq_2QW1cqHE/s400/oisin1+1638.jpg" border="0" /></a> The surface on the salt lake, you can see up close it resembles waves on the surface<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdd11hMuKI/AAAAAAAAOB4/YX1zQtsXbms/s1600-h/oisin1+1659.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266781468713859234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdd11hMuKI/AAAAAAAAOB4/YX1zQtsXbms/s400/oisin1+1659.jpg" border="0" /></a> The surface I was dealing with for most of the last 3 days, this part was at least straight but you can see you heavy the sand is, and how hard it is to pick a line through<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdd1A-5kLI/AAAAAAAAOBw/wyxiIWmQLT8/s1600-h/oisin1+1677.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266781454611353778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdd1A-5kLI/AAAAAAAAOBw/wyxiIWmQLT8/s400/oisin1+1677.jpg" border="0" /></a> A lone lama takes a sup of water in the desert<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdcEHExa8I/AAAAAAAAOBo/4rdT5srLNeU/s1600-h/oisin1+1640.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266779514921380802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdcEHExa8I/AAAAAAAAOBo/4rdT5srLNeU/s400/oisin1+1640.jpg" border="0" /></a> One of the rare occaisions when i wasnt sinking in the salt out on the salt flats<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdcEM550CI/AAAAAAAAOBg/WRGHqn8BG2Y/s1600-h/oisin1+1675.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266779516486406178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdcEM550CI/AAAAAAAAOBg/WRGHqn8BG2Y/s400/oisin1+1675.jpg" border="0" /></a> Me and Sam Gamgee, holding up on the surface... gravel is almost sexy compared to sand<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdbhw9Qp2I/AAAAAAAAOBY/jBRqXbIZ8io/s1600-h/oisin1+1615.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266778924868740962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdbhw9Qp2I/AAAAAAAAOBY/jBRqXbIZ8io/s400/oisin1+1615.jpg" border="0" /></a> When I got to Uyuni the hotel didnt have a garage or secure parking...so as is becoming common..... just pop her in the hall son!<br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266778916437457314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdbhRjFeaI/AAAAAAAAOBQ/NN7j30c3msI/s400/oisin1+1599.jpg" border="0" /><br />The salt sea,viewed from the top of a mountain pass near by.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdZnLlD1NI/AAAAAAAAOBI/Z6LAZhzb51Q/s1600-h/oisin1+1544.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266776818891085010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdZnLlD1NI/AAAAAAAAOBI/Z6LAZhzb51Q/s400/oisin1+1544.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><br />First Fall on the bike between Potosi and Uyuni, note the lens cover has jammed so you looking at the bike through the gap....<br /><div><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdZm2tu12I/AAAAAAAAOBA/M4TWsxTBVao/s1600-h/oisin1+1628.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266776813290313570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdZm2tu12I/AAAAAAAAOBA/M4TWsxTBVao/s400/oisin1+1628.jpg" border="0" /></a>Bike stuck out on the salt flats... check out how far down the back wheel is!<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdZmjYXIII/AAAAAAAAOA4/LtR5peAnd00/s1600-h/oisin1+1630.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266776808100405378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRdZmjYXIII/AAAAAAAAOA4/LtR5peAnd00/s400/oisin1+1630.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />To move the bike you have pull it out and drag it over to a fresh patch... all the while your sinking in the mud....<br /><br /><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-1474d9877c24f2a8" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" 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bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v14.nonxt3.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D1474d9877c24f2a8%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177329%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D126423CE6E151C136D9955D7279E6949EF523FF3.1506BAB05EAF867BD71297F75E8FC714B50203C%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D1474d9877c24f2a8%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3Duv1c7QstRMPwUJ1He7oZ9NVjb5E&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object><br /><br />First attempt to get to Uyuni, failed miserably, road was just a track through the earth</div><div><br /><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-db4a1a57a02bca1c" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v16.nonxt1.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Ddb4a1a57a02bca1c%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177329%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D3F2C08818B2F4A2E0D83D77C1764E34FBE7736B1.857F73AA04C40F9CC96A2536988C5A522762E3F3%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Ddb4a1a57a02bca1c%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3D3i-inOsyEGf9LH-JLKWc5y8PsLo&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v16.nonxt1.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Ddb4a1a57a02bca1c%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177329%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D3F2C08818B2F4A2E0D83D77C1764E34FBE7736B1.857F73AA04C40F9CC96A2536988C5A522762E3F3%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Ddb4a1a57a02bca1c%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3D3i-inOsyEGf9LH-JLKWc5y8PsLo&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object></div><br /><div>This is the video i talked about in the last blog where the camera dropped out and hit me on the nose, I took the opportunity to do a bit of filming!!</div><br /><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-24f9d0fb8a275b12" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v23.nonxt1.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D24f9d0fb8a275b12%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177329%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D82E449E8823AC088F6680602B5BB71F1C998D5A.3A241D9A98076CC411635D0A8D71A6771FC54B0F%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D24f9d0fb8a275b12%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DzNzwbL4ThOlglztMf8D4zjJWzVo&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v23.nonxt1.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D24f9d0fb8a275b12%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177329%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D82E449E8823AC088F6680602B5BB71F1C998D5A.3A241D9A98076CC411635D0A8D71A6771FC54B0F%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D24f9d0fb8a275b12%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DzNzwbL4ThOlglztMf8D4zjJWzVo&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><p>This is after I've fallen, you can tell Im pretty shaken up, you always feel worse about 2 minutes after you come off... I guess the adrenalin starts to wear off</p></div><br /><p><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-9bd7de8920a41ba0" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v5.nonxt1.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D9bd7de8920a41ba0%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177329%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D6B4C23A58972CAF8D8241829E4CFC829C6BF78D3.EF92154DDF6E4D0382FD0588191EC6698B9ED8E%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D9bd7de8920a41ba0%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DGg0YPFtSGIgE3MJNw-YE3sR_tMg&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v5.nonxt1.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D9bd7de8920a41ba0%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177329%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D6B4C23A58972CAF8D8241829E4CFC829C6BF78D3.EF92154DDF6E4D0382FD0588191EC6698B9ED8E%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D9bd7de8920a41ba0%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DGg0YPFtSGIgE3MJNw-YE3sR_tMg&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object></p><p>Finally made it to the salt flats!.... </p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-2319531301671391844?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-66616286259936738162008-11-08T13:30:00.000-08:002008-11-08T15:49:41.644-08:00I got into Uyuni about 2 days ago at this stage, Im well behind on the blogs both because most of this area of the world runs on 56k modems.... so its almost impossible to upload pictures or video.<br /><br /><br /><p>On with the tale...</p>As you drive into the town the noise of literallly millions of plastic bags rustling in the wind all caught up in rocks and various desert plants is the first thing that strikes you, theres literally rubbish everywhere. The town exists to bring tourists out onto the salt flats and thats it. The whole place feels like it just shouldnt be there, its a horrible place really. People arrive, go on the tours and leave, the last time i got a feeling like this place gives off I was signing on for social welfare! When the sea went, this town should have gone also.<br /><br /><br /><br />I decided to go out on the salt flats by myself, another in a long line of bad decisions. Unlike the salt flats in Utah which have layer upon layer of compacted salt built up... this lake has only about 3 or 4 inches and in the wet season it actually gets a bit of rain. Off I set and sure enough I got stuck out in the middle of nowhere with the bike having gone through the salt into the mud. It took me 3 hours to go 1 mile!, constantly having to push the bike over onto its side, lift it back up and then try and start again, whereupon Id get about 20 metres before I was stuck again.<br /><br /><br /><br />After about 4 hours struggling I stripped the bike fully down(again), and walked it out of the muck and shite for about a mile... then had to walk back to get my gear, then obviously walk back to the bike again...all told about 3 miles at altidude in motorcyle boots and enduro suit! across pure muck! .... then load up the bike again... totally knackered I headed back to town to see if i could catch one of the organised tours.... they were all gone!<br /><br />(I keep a bag of "i told you so" just for myself..... "I told you it was a bad idea to go south in bolivia"... "I told you to go on a tour and not go yourself into the salt".... "I told you not to use carbolic soap to wash yourself"...."told you she'd say no if you asked her out for a dance!"<br /><br /><br /><br />So in the end I just arsed around Uyuni, which is pretty much all there is to do in the town.... and got ready for the run to Chile today. The run from Uyuni is 244km to the border with Chile and its all unpaved. In my mind it couldnt be worse than the day before, I was only marginally right.<br /><br /><br /><br />Usual story, unbelievable scenery, brutal roads...but today I stayed upright! A new vector to deal with in tandem with the sand and gravel arrived in the shape of savage wind. As you drive along the wind is blowing sand into your face and up under your helmet at a savage rate. Not really a problem... the stickler comes when you have to lean the bike into the wind and also try and maintain as much of the tyre on the ground as possible... all day i battled to keep the bike out of the ditch.<br /><br /><br /><br />On gravel roads there is typically only one or two good lines through, normally the track made by a big truck...so if your pushed out of your line which is easy with the wind today...the chances of you coming off go up exponentially. At either side of you line is a build up of gravel and sand and depending on the traffic and wind it can vary greatly in height. If you have to cross out of your good line you have 2 choices, either be going like the hammers of hell in which case you just blow through it, or slow down to a crawl and just bump through it.<br /><br />All day I drove in constant fear that by leaning into the wind to keep your direction straight that you wont have enough thread on the road and you'll just slide off as a result of all the gravel.<br /><br />So anyway I started at 7am and arrived at the bolivia chile border at 18:48. The bolivia side of the house is crazy. You have to first stamp your exit out of the country as normal, but have to climb <strong><em>through</em></strong> trains to get to the office and over 3 train lines. From there you have to go back across the trains and tracks to the office and complete the paperwork.<br /><br />From there its up to the "efficient" Chile side....I was knocking on the window to try and stamp into the country and then pushed in a door and said... Hola... Buenos Tardez (hello good evening) to which I head a huge chorus of banging of knives and forks off plates.... as if to say... fuck off and wait..were having a bit of grub.<br /><br />Anyway after a bit of a wait Im now docked in the town of Ollangue, one of the most windswept and godforsaken places on earth. But theres a peach....Ive about 100km of gas in the tank, and its 247km to the nearest gas station!.... so Im stranded here!!...<br /><br /><br /><br />Even when I do get gas... its 247 km of unpaved road to a town called calama... which is when the asphalt starts again...although theres a lot of bits to sort out between now and then.... like where did they leave the petrol tree!<br /><br />Im staying in a place which is hard to describe. I have a bed which is the main thing. So I went to the dining room for a bit of grub, and asked what did they have.... the reply was comida de la casa (food of the house) which turned out to be a shin of mutton and rice. (think of a sheep, now look at one of its legs.... more meat on a budgies wing!)<br /><br />So tomorrow morning early Im going to head down to the customs station and hopefully bum some gas off someone, although with 247km to the next gas station in the chile direction, and 244 to the nearest in the Bolivia direction Im not sure how much anyone is going to have to spare!<br /><br />More tomorrow, assuming I get out of dodge(y) city<br />Oisin<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-6661628625993673816?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-36100037958921115602008-11-07T11:11:00.000-08:002008-11-07T14:59:11.544-08:00I left potosi around 7am with about 240km of "who knows what!" ahead of me. The one thing i knew for certain... there wasnt even a milimeter of asphalt along the way, the road would be terrible and I was pushing myself well beyond my limits.<br /><br />As i was getting ready, i prepared my gear with great care. I took extra special attention to the boots, taking time to really fasten the buckles and pull all the straps as tight as was comfortable. I put each ankle into and ankle strap which i had from the accident in Mexico. I tied each wrist up tight in Buffs, double buffed my neck and zipped the suit jacket top and bottoms together so if i slid the jacket wouldnt slide up my back or if going the otherway so my trousers didnt slide off and destroy my pristine arse!... albeit already the proud bearer of mucho blisters! I was ready! and roasting hot!<br /><br /><br /><br />The first thing was to find the road to Uyuni!, sounds easy eh!... me whole. The Bolivians are a very polite bunch and want to give you the answer they think you want to hear.... so when you say in spanish..."excuse me... is Uyuni this way?"... you´ll nearly always get a yes!. So every 200 meters you double check with the next person you meet on the road so you dont trek off into the middle of nowhere.<br /><br /><br /><br />I stopped for a heap of water on the outskirts of town knowing today was going to be tough..and asked for the last time... "is this the road Uyuni?"... to which the woman replied... "no...the bridge is sick" ... you need to take a diversion and meet the road a couple of miles out the road..... off i set. (obviously this all happened is spanish and lots of hand waving and pointing)<br /><br /><br /><br />The first mile of the road was in terrible condidtion, 6 to 8 inches of sand everywhere...so i just ploughed along in first gear with my 2 legs outstreatched like stabilisers, and kept this up for about 4 miles. The road then started to climb into the mountains and thankfully the sand had all for the most part been blown off the road so you were left negotiating through a knarly rock and gravel landscape, infinitely more doable than sand though.... so the spirits took a major shot in the arm straight away.<br /><br /><br /><br />I started the countdown at 240km, and broke the journey up into "6" 40km streatches.... allowing myself a break after every 40km. With the first 40k done, taking almost 2 hours I knew it would be dark by the time i got to Uyuni...... now theres one thing <strong>you dont want to do</strong>... and thats drive on a terrible road after dark.. so for the next 40km i took a lot more risk and put the hammer down.... it only took me 1 hour.<br /><br /><br /><br />The road alternated between deep sand, deep gravel, corregated gravel, heavy rivetting and bent and swept through the mountains like a snake. I took over 500 pictures of the scenery along the way... it was just heavenly. On many occaisions the road is only a car width wide with sheer drops to your sides, and with the surface as unpredictable as Irish weather at times it was terrifying.<br /><br /><br /><br />With 100km gone and almost 4 hours I hadnt fallen yet and coming over a hill I met a bike going the other way.. an ozzy couple. They had some great news for me.... first of all it was only another 108km to go, and second that the next 60km werent too bad. The other thing that gave me heart was that they were on the one bike... if they could do it with 2 on the bike and not come off... i should be fine!<br /><br /><br /><br />Big mistake....brimming with confidence..... about 7km after leaving them i had my first spill of the day... took the wrong line going round a bend and the front end swept out, as far as falls go this was a good one....didnt hurt myself or SamGamgee. Sand was again the culprit. (Sand is quickly becoming a byword for all that is evil in the world for me!...)<br /><br /><br /><br /><em>(motorbike 101 repeat)</em><br /><em>Remember with a bike sand is a lot more hazardous than in a car... duh!.. i hear you say... but the critical differances are.... 1<strong>)</strong> only "1 wheel" drive back wheel does all the work, and the most important <strong>2)</strong> the wheels are round at the road contact point so you´ve a lot less contact area with the road <strong>3)</strong> If you hit the breaks at anytime other than when your perfectly straight up you'll come straight off. When you hit sand with a road tire, on a bend with a small contact area, made even smaller because your leaning to turn... your off the bike quicker than a scalded cat</em>.<br /><br /><br /><br />The biggest problem was picking the bike up, it was facing the wrong way down a hill so i was foaming at the mouth getting it back upright. The thing about coming off is that you dont learn till the next day... ie you´ve had a bit of time to think about it.... for the day that it happens in it just etches away your confidence. You start to look at every bend as having hidden peril, and you start to vividly imagine that you back tyre is washing around the place.<br /><br /><br /><br />I set off again gingerly and after about another 30km came upon a construction zone. Over here theres absolutely no organisation to it, the work crews just drop heaps of shite on the road and flatten it. You cant drive on it till its flattened because you just sink into the gunge. There was a path up the side of the road where they were working and I burned off up this stretch. About halfway up there was a dip in the road full of really deep muck created by the work crews, the front tire stuck deep and threw me over the handle bars. Out of pure instinct I had retracted my hands in time, as typically when this happens you catch your hands or fingers under the break or clutch, "luckily" i was just thrown off and landed on the flat of my back.<br /><br /><br />I was lying on the flat of my back on the ground looking up into the blue sky.... and went through the usual routine... "wiggle wiggle"...toes..ok...."wiggle wiggle"....hands ok...."wiggle wiggle" neck ok... "fiddle fiddle"..john thomas ok. I picked myself up of the ground and Ive never been so winded, just standing not to mind breathing was a huge difficulty. I looked at the bike perched in the muck like a stick in a toffee apple and said to myself...."fuck this". A work crew came along and gave me a hand getting the bike out of the mud and for the next 20km or so it was on and off construction..... a total nightmare. I had lots of little monologues with myself..."you'd think the fuck heads would finish one part of the road before starting another!"<br /><br />I was driving up the road like an oul one with piles and then as if a present from heaven the road straigtened out and hardened up for about 20km.<br /><br />After I was over 9 hours on the road, with about 50km to go, I was doing about 60km and again the bike washed out. As it was washing I pushed myself out of the saddle to avoid getting hit by the bike, but as me and sam gamgee impacted on the road the right pannier clobbered my right calf. I was lying on the ground with the bike a mixture of beside me and on top of me just at the point of dispairing.....when my camera fell out of the sidepocket of the tank bag and hit me right on the schnozz. I just started roaring laughing...and had a mini conversation with the man above.... "ah yeah...as if im not bad enough!... throw the fuckin camera at me beak!... any kitchen sinks up there!!!!!"<br /><br />I couldnt get the bike off the road, was too tired and any time i tried as it was sand on gravel when I would try to push the bike up my feet just kept sliding. I just lay down at the side of the road.... I said id wait till someone comes along...<br /><br />That plan was scuppered when i noticed petrol coming out the overflow line of the bike, the position of the bike on the road was causing it to pour out onto the road. I didnt have any spare juice and not getting to Ayuni wasnt an option. So with the last piece of energy in my body and with a roar heard for many kilometers I got the bike back up. I was panting like a dog on a roasting day after a run, sore all over and overall just feeling like a bag of shit when I jumped back on the bike to tackle the last 50km.<br /><br />I was determined not to come off again, I couldnt take it. There was no way I could have lifted the bike again and I was certain that if I fell one more time that Id do serious damage to myself.<br />Every kilometer felt like a week, the first 20km of the 50 took over an hour, the second 20 about 45 minutes. When I was just 5km from Uyuni I came up what I judged would be the final mountain pass before my decent to the salt flats. I reached the summit of the mountain and looked down onto the most eerie sight Ive ever seen. The town of Uyuni sat on the edge of a red lake, the salt lake looked like a red sea, and all through it mountains appeared to be floating.<br /><br />I kicked down the side stand, got off the bike, took off the helmet and gloves and walked over the mountain edge, and while looking out onto the vast valley, with the road Id just driven behind me..........roared at the top of my voice....with a mixture of joy, relief, and above all exhaustion....<br /><br />"WHOSE YOUR DADDY!!!!!"<br />"HUH"<br />"WHOSE YOUR FUCKIN DADDY!!!!!"<br /><br /><br />(Thanks to everyone for their kind words and messages of support, a verse below just for you)<br /><br />I light this candle<br />with a thought<br />of how my life has grown<br />friends who gave<br />hope and love<br />when I was far from home<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-3610003795892111560?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-74881674000983762922008-11-05T15:07:00.000-08:002008-11-05T17:01:15.350-08:00Right... things dont look good.....<br /><br /><br />I went to the hospital and things check out ok. The only thing thats bothering me today is my chest so I said fuck it, get back on the road.<br /><br />I looked at the map and tried to figure out whats the best way to get to Uyuni from where I was, (Oruro) without having to double back on myself again. I could get within 190km of Uyuni if i went back to the route i tried yesterday <strong>before</strong> I hit sand.<br /><br />Looking at the map I judged that if I headed southeast to Potosi, the highest city in the world, over 4000m, that I could then head south west to Uyuni on what looked like road on the map.... it was 200 miles away so off i set. The big problem right now about travelling in bolivia as i said yesterday is that you cant get gas so in the big cities you need to fill the tank till the overflow is pissing petrol out, and hope no one is smoking near you.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRIo-R2GNVI/AAAAAAAAN60/6-6jdr8G738/s1600-h/oisin.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265315964756833618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 326px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRIo-R2GNVI/AAAAAAAAN60/6-6jdr8G738/s400/oisin.bmp" border="0" /></a> <div><div>The road to potosi is spectaculer. Its very much like the grand canyon, everything is orange, with vast canyons but the differance is the road is cutting a path through the andean altiplano so its like heaven.</div>With the gas shortages theres hardly a soul on the road so you can throw yourself into the bends and take up both lanes, it really was 329 of the most enjoyable kilometeres of the trip. Think it was gods way of saying sorry for yesterday.<br /><br />Like i said, potosi is the highest city in the world at over 4000m, and my first task was to find out about the road to Uniyi. The total distance is 240km.... great says I.... less than a tank of gas so no chance of running out of petrol.</div><br /><div>But here comes the doosy!.... its not paved!....none of it!.... I think the taxi driver who was explaining it to me thought i was going to kill him.... "what the fuck are you talking about?...not fucking paved!...you fuckin kidding me!... for fucks sake!" (only Robert de Niro can get more fucks into a sentance than that!)<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRIvI6vKZZI/AAAAAAAAN8M/wbefpIDVIFA/s1600-h/oisin+1522.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265322744602060178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRIvI6vKZZI/AAAAAAAAN8M/wbefpIDVIFA/s400/oisin+1522.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRIvH6fV_mI/AAAAAAAAN70/rC-9DldB1zQ/s1600-h/oisin+1482.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265322727355842146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRIvH6fV_mI/AAAAAAAAN70/rC-9DldB1zQ/s400/oisin+1482.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRIvJmBrOvI/AAAAAAAAN8U/YkoUzt6ff0o/s1600-h/oisin+1532.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265322756222434034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRIvJmBrOvI/AAAAAAAAN8U/YkoUzt6ff0o/s400/oisin+1532.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRIvItnIe4I/AAAAAAAAN8E/aEbRkm40cg0/s1600-h/oisin+1502.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265322741078719362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRIvItnIe4I/AAAAAAAAN8E/aEbRkm40cg0/s400/oisin+1502.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRIvINwkwAI/AAAAAAAAN78/7XBUeH8xW5k/s1600-h/oisin+1500.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265322732528386050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRIvINwkwAI/AAAAAAAAN78/7XBUeH8xW5k/s400/oisin+1500.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRItNFO-IlI/AAAAAAAAN7s/zcb71GRVt9g/s1600-h/oisin+1480.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265320617116050002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRItNFO-IlI/AAAAAAAAN7s/zcb71GRVt9g/s400/oisin+1480.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRItMxz7f4I/AAAAAAAAN7k/NEghtw6v4EE/s1600-h/oisin+1481.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265320611902357378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRItMxz7f4I/AAAAAAAAN7k/NEghtw6v4EE/s400/oisin+1481.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRItMnKTFSI/AAAAAAAAN7c/ex8VkCI4gqs/s1600-h/oisin+1419.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265320609043387682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRItMnKTFSI/AAAAAAAAN7c/ex8VkCI4gqs/s400/oisin+1419.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRItMLr8mII/AAAAAAAAN7U/Om3VCxhcL-Q/s1600-h/oisin+1529.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265320601668327554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRItMLr8mII/AAAAAAAAN7U/Om3VCxhcL-Q/s400/oisin+1529.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRIrjHjFqVI/AAAAAAAAN7M/xHOaRqJ0xtI/s1600-h/oisin+1577.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265318796671166802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRIrjHjFqVI/AAAAAAAAN7M/xHOaRqJ0xtI/s400/oisin+1577.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRIriV1OTbI/AAAAAAAAN7E/ygSxWJQ8PVQ/s1600-h/oisin+1572.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265318783325457842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRIriV1OTbI/AAAAAAAAN7E/ygSxWJQ8PVQ/s400/oisin+1572.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRIriDigcnI/AAAAAAAAN68/dI9cT1tObcQ/s1600-h/oisin+1535.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265318778415116914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRIriDigcnI/AAAAAAAAN68/dI9cT1tObcQ/s400/oisin+1535.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-4242fc510ee2b2a7" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v18.nonxt3.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D4242fc510ee2b2a7%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177329%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D410425FDEFA7CE5626758A4CCFBA8C4CF065B69E.226DEF96A4CBAD7023E88726D12EF1821CC36B68%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D4242fc510ee2b2a7%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DX7JPrg44dMuHzrs0LTXkqiVxdbw&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v18.nonxt3.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D4242fc510ee2b2a7%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177329%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D410425FDEFA7CE5626758A4CCFBA8C4CF065B69E.226DEF96A4CBAD7023E88726D12EF1821CC36B68%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D4242fc510ee2b2a7%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DX7JPrg44dMuHzrs0LTXkqiVxdbw&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object><br />So the net result of todays riding 329km was to move me over 50km further away in sand road miles from the target, yesterday i was 192 km away on the sand road, today im 240!!!!!........ fuuuuuuuuuuuccccccccccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!!!<br /><br />Anyway after i´d finished cursing i sat down and thought it through. First of all you´ll be glad to know im keeping a swear jar for the trip, 1 euro for every curse... and ive now collected over 2 trillion bajillion euro!<br /><br />Ive totally stripped the bike...went through my gear with a rapier... "do i need it today...why do i think i'll need it tomorrow"... whole goal is to drop the weight on the bike by a huge total. I can expect to be picking it up a lot! tomorrow....</div><div> </div><div></div><div>Final point.... riding on sand is a huge mind fuck... why? because if you go slow you definetly come off..... but if you go fast and you come off you´ll injure yourself...so in your mind your trading that all the time. Instinct says <strong>slow</strong>.....what you know says <strong>go fast</strong>.... that sweet spot is managed by your nervous energy...so if i make it... tomorrow evening Im going to have a 3 course meal.... all deserts!.... and woe to the restaurant who doesent have a nice desert when the conquering hero darkens the door.</div><div> </div><div></div><div>Joking aside Im afraid.... think Ive bitten off more than I can chew... really dont know if i can make it.... anyway Im going.... its the job thats not started is always the hardest.... as my old gaffer used to say!</div><div> </div><div>If you have any positive energy knocking around.... send it this way... Im going to need it.Ive the following tune plumed into my ipod for inspiration through what will no doubt be the biggest physical test of my life so far. </div><div> </div><div>(apart from the time i won a bet to drink 12 500ml cans of fosters in an hour..last 2 were being recycled from my nose to the can!)</div><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JH00B8X4Uo">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JH00B8X4Uo</a></div><div></div><div>Oisin</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-ef3c249d19cc8aa9" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v9.nonxt4.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Def3c249d19cc8aa9%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177329%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D754D0A27FF1796F4D12A9523D1069F922A47ECDC.389E79F7ED12A4FEF1A4C19B0357D1CD5DF18BD0%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Def3c249d19cc8aa9%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DmI5-K09exxZlUXBe2wGp5-wVIdw&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v9.nonxt4.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Def3c249d19cc8aa9%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177329%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D754D0A27FF1796F4D12A9523D1069F922A47ECDC.389E79F7ED12A4FEF1A4C19B0357D1CD5DF18BD0%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Def3c249d19cc8aa9%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DmI5-K09exxZlUXBe2wGp5-wVIdw&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-7488167400098376292?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-20625396885575875152008-11-04T16:37:00.000-08:002008-11-04T18:05:50.669-08:00Today was shit.<br />Crashed the bike 4 times in total and ended up in hospital by the end of the day .... again!<br />It really was like someone upstairs said... "yer man has been having too much of a good time... lets throw him a couple of kicks in the bollix and see if we can rise any craic out of him"<br /><br />I left coco-whatever early, knew it was a short run to la paz so thought i´d get there by 11 or so. As i was leaving the town i was "clothes lined" by a police chain. I saw the check point but normally they just wave you through. It was cloudy and i was wearing sun glasses.... the chain hit the wind shield and then popped off it and lamped the shit out of my chest throwing me off the bike. I wasnt going too fast but it hurt like shit!.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRDy_WMh00I/AAAAAAAAN3I/7kht1s47NXA/s1600-h/oisin+1447.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264975134499918658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRDy_WMh00I/AAAAAAAAN3I/7kht1s47NXA/s400/oisin+1447.jpg" border="0" /></a>When your lying on the ground you go through a kind of systems check... wriggle toes..ok...wriggle fingers...ok....put hand on mickey... can feel it... feels good"....just kidding...anyway you know what Im talking about. I got up and felt like someone had dropped a cavity block on my chest. Sam Gamgee was fine as usual... and off i set none the worse for wear..... but there were would be no cuddling of any women tonight!... no change there so!! <div> </div><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRDyi-_FPII/AAAAAAAAN3A/xWSJb9gsOxs/s1600-h/oisin+1372.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264974647233166466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRDyi-_FPII/AAAAAAAAN3A/xWSJb9gsOxs/s400/oisin+1372.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRDyikdB4pI/AAAAAAAAN24/V-B4BKic9FQ/s1600-h/oisin+1334.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264974640111018642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRDyikdB4pI/AAAAAAAAN24/V-B4BKic9FQ/s400/oisin+1334.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRDyidcqq3I/AAAAAAAAN2w/PiDEZkcCCZE/s1600-h/oisin+1312.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264974638230449010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRDyidcqq3I/AAAAAAAAN2w/PiDEZkcCCZE/s400/oisin+1312.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRDyiBhaohI/AAAAAAAAN2o/A-Qes-D4xfQ/s1600-h/oisin+1283.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264974630734176786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRDyiBhaohI/AAAAAAAAN2o/A-Qes-D4xfQ/s400/oisin+1283.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRDyh-ljo-I/AAAAAAAAN2g/AHdVz4U-9vc/s1600-h/oisin+1438.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264974629946237922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRDyh-ljo-I/AAAAAAAAN2g/AHdVz4U-9vc/s400/oisin+1438.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRDxFcGkCrI/AAAAAAAAN14/QWji7KVmy7k/s1600-h/oisin+1272.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264973040141470386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRDxFcGkCrI/AAAAAAAAN14/QWji7KVmy7k/s400/oisin+1272.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRDxHJ28LrI/AAAAAAAAN2Y/NT-3GvknI1U/s1600-h/oisin+1449.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264973069603843762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRDxHJ28LrI/AAAAAAAAN2Y/NT-3GvknI1U/s400/oisin+1449.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRDxGiPd8PI/AAAAAAAAN2Q/OlUpCEXTlGk/s1600-h/oisin+1288.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264973058969301234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRDxGiPd8PI/AAAAAAAAN2Q/OlUpCEXTlGk/s400/oisin+1288.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRDxGGNIxmI/AAAAAAAAN2I/0tQtsubGmkY/s1600-h/oisin+1290.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264973051443332706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRDxGGNIxmI/AAAAAAAAN2I/0tQtsubGmkY/s400/oisin+1290.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRDxFobjf4I/AAAAAAAAN2A/w1nPySk4C6M/s1600-h/oisin+1280.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264973043450740610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRDxFobjf4I/AAAAAAAAN2A/w1nPySk4C6M/s400/oisin+1280.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRDvpbPce3I/AAAAAAAAN1w/3qKYWItu9Z8/s1600-h/oisin+1301.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264971459362323314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRDvpbPce3I/AAAAAAAAN1w/3qKYWItu9Z8/s400/oisin+1301.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div> </div><div>So set off from there. The road again hugged lake titticaca and it really was something special, absolutely magical.... when i first saw it I wasnt overly impressed but the blueness of the water and how it sparkles in the sunshine really is something to behold. The second big surprise of the day was that to get to la paz you have to take a ferry. The ferries are tiny and dont look in the slightest bit sea-lake worthy, you can see a picture of it above. Have some video footage I'll upload when i get a faster connection. As you can see the floor of the ferry is missing lots of lats so the only way off is to reverse and theres no metal plate. There was a heap of Finnish bikers on the otherside so they gave me a hand getting the bike off.<br /></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRDvooaIJxI/AAAAAAAAN1o/oq6g9whAeTc/s1600-h/oisin+1299.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264971445716920082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRDvooaIJxI/AAAAAAAAN1o/oq6g9whAeTc/s400/oisin+1299.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRDup2O0axI/AAAAAAAAN1g/pxiDjv6rN4o/s1600-h/oisin+1476.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264970367095827218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SRDup2O0axI/AAAAAAAAN1g/pxiDjv6rN4o/s400/oisin+1476.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><br />On the way to la paz you back into the altiplano and in the distance you can see massive white capped mountains. The city is basically a massive ugly sprawl, with only 1 main thourough fare so its hard to get lost. Its absolutely reeking of car fumes and its one of the most packed places I've ever seen so I just kept the hammer down and burned right through it, heading for the next biggish town called Oruro. Passed the statue of Che! on the way see above.</div></div><br /><div>On the way every single gas station is out of gasoline, and I do mean every one!. Dont know the reason why but I tried at least 20 of them over a 200km distance. All along the highway there are cars parked up which have run out. The implications are huge, if you cant get gas...you cant to the trip in bolivia... still trying to figure out whats going on... probably a strike.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><p><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-2df82a1183c81adf" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v9.nonxt6.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D2df82a1183c81adf%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177329%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D245F5208CC62B61034BDA49DFC77CBB6C0B2F64B.722FD5866106CED105A70423E618E9CBD869AB36%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D2df82a1183c81adf%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3Do25r3OZIn_SM47RadEuI3s1Y55U&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v9.nonxt6.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D2df82a1183c81adf%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177329%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D245F5208CC62B61034BDA49DFC77CBB6C0B2F64B.722FD5866106CED105A70423E618E9CBD869AB36%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D2df82a1183c81adf%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3Do25r3OZIn_SM47RadEuI3s1Y55U&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object></p><p>Got to Oruro on a mixture of prayers and fumes and filled her up till there was petrol flowing out the overflow tube, was pretty sure I'd need ever mililitre. It was still early so I had another idea that i wish I could take back.... "sure fuck it Ois, its only 320km to Ayuni...lets go!". Ayuni is where the biggest salt flats this side of Mars are, the main reason i came to bolivia.</p><p>You hug a lake called lake poopo on the way down as you drive further and further into the desert. So either I took a wrong turn but bottom line I ended up 100km into the middle of no where. The road ended, which wasnt initially a concern because it had been crap before and had turned to autopista before too long, so I was ok with struggling on.</p><p>After 60km of sandy gravelly shite...it turned to just sandy shite, and you cant ride an 1150 on that much sand. At times it was so deep I had to strip the bike of all the gear and panniers just to get it through. 3 times I fell off the bike, each time hurting a different part of my body.</p><p>The first time I was doing about 30mph and the front wheel just washed out.... the bike just went straight over on its left side on top of me. My left wrist was the only area that took any impact but was pretty sure it wasnt broken. It took a massive effort to get the bike back up off the ground, again i had to completely strip it before lifting it. The bigger problem came when theres nowhere to stand the bike as its sand all round... how could I repack the bike? Eventually I just rode the bike over to some scrub about 30 yards away and then carried the gear over to the bike and then rode on again. Its worth bearing in mind that all of this was done at serious altidude so any effort at all and it feels like your lungs are bursting.</p><p>The second time, again i hit a deep patch of sand the bike just slid out from under me. This time it was straight down on my left hip. Took about 10 minutes to get myself back up off the ground and then start to strip the bike again, find a hard patch of ground to stand the bike up in and they carry all the gear over to the bike and start all over. I was seriously in a bad place by this stage and was really starting to decend into a terrible mood. </p><p>I was completely and utterly lost... no idea where the road was supposed to be but was certain that i was in the wrong place. I was too far out. I had a choice to either go on or go back. The choice was 100km of shite to go back, and then a further 100km to go back to Oruro, or hope that the track turned to road further on. I had only about 200ml of water left so said to myself, better the devil you know... turn around. The thought of having to refight a battle Id almost lost was a crushing blow.</p><p>Just then I saw a truck in the distance, I said to myself he must be going somewhere. I went cross country over the desert to see if he was on a road and could see that one was in construction about a mile off. I managed to keep the bike up and got to the edge of the road without coming off. As I tried to go up the bank of the road to get onto the gravel the whole bike went into a wheely and threw me off the back of it, the bike then proceded to slide down the bank clobbering the leg Id already hurt in mexico. I lay there in the blackest mood of all time fucking the whole of Bolivia out of it.</p><p>The gravel was too soft and too thick I couldnt get the bike up onto the road and was killing myself trying and burning the back tyre in the gravel to try and get some traction. I had stripped the bike, taken off the panniers everything..... just couldnt get it up onto the gravel. At this stage i was starting to panic. No one used this road, and anyone who might has no poxy gas in their cars because of the strike.... I was 100km from a town which I thought i knew the direction of, I was completely out of water and for the first time on the trip I genuinely thought this was it.... your fucked.</p><p>I sat down on the side of the road, sore all over, dying of the thirst as the sun was setting behind me. I told myself ... "you´ve 2 choices... walk into the town and hope you meet someone on the road, get some water and get some help to get the bike out..."..... really didnt like the sound of it, because it gets dark in a heart beat here, in all likelyhood i'd end up just walking aimlessly in the dark.</p><p>Then I really started to give myself a hard time...."why the fuck cant you get the bike out of there?".... its fully stripped...so its a 250kg weight.... why cant you drag it up onto the gravel?" When i was younger i once dead lifted 220kg, ie the weight totally off the ground so I used this as the spur to tell myself that it was possible to get the bike out of the hole. </p><p>I allowed myself to go completely psycho with the bike and slowly but surely dragging and pulling for all I was worth I got the bike back up onto the gravel. I nearly collapsed panting for air, I really thought my lungs were going to explode.... I spent about ten minutes just sat on the ground trying to catch my breath. I loaded up the bike, jumped back on and rode like a man possessed through the gravel and finally back up onto the auto pista to get back to Oruro. </p><p>As i drove up the road, and I guess as the adrenaline wore off, the parts of my body which had been clobbered gradually got sorer and sorer. By the time I was 50km from Oruro I could no long change the gear on the bike, both because my left wrist was so sore, and my left ankle was fucked. </p><p>I booked into a hotel and the guy at reception looked at me like I was a ghost... I caught a glimse of myself in the mirror, I was destroyed with sand, with my face caked in a mixture of sand and sweat. The guy helped me up the stairs to the room, I went in for a shower and the body was fucked. I felt my back and I´ve a lump where I shouldnt have one... so I said fuck it... I need to go to a doctor. The guy in the hotel drove me to the emergency area in the local hospital where they told me to come back tomorrow after strapping up my wrist....... there was me making sure I had a clean pair of underpants on me an all!!</p><p>Anyway tomorrows another day.... thank fuck</p><p>Oisin</p><p> </p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-2062539688557587515?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-52265517243667816932008-11-03T13:34:00.000-08:002008-11-03T14:13:05.256-08:00The plan today was to cross into Boliva, and settle into a town just on the far side with a view to making an early break for La paz tomorrow. The road hugged lake titticaca the whole way round till you meet the Bolivian frontier. So the scenery was always of lake titicaca on the left side with either altiplano or mountains on the right side.... absolutely gorgeous.<br /><br />All along the road old indian women tend small flocks of cattle and sheep, reason being no one owns the land by the side of the road so its free to pasture. All they do all day is walk the cattle up and down the roadside..... its such a simple life, I didnt see any guys doing it.... i guess if a guy did it all day eventually he'd start worrying the sheep.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ90IVrmZ6I/AAAAAAAAN1Q/cCIyNGIkrhw/s1600-h/oisin+019.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264554176027191202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ90IVrmZ6I/AAAAAAAAN1Q/cCIyNGIkrhw/s400/oisin+019.jpg" border="0" /></a>An old man along the road was throwing bricks and stones out onto the road.... tens of them!....was driving by him as he threw out another....and looked at him like he was a benny. Further along the road just in front of me a truck just went straight off the road... didnt hit anything...guess he just fell asleep.... When these thing happen its in slow motion, I could see it on down the road about a mile in the distance, just a shattering of glass and then the truck went off the road... cant tell you how many times i said... "holy fuck". Good news is that the driver was grand.<br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ90INiSs8I/AAAAAAAAN1I/dEsTLriocQs/s1600-h/oisin+020.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264554173840667586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ90INiSs8I/AAAAAAAAN1I/dEsTLriocQs/s400/oisin+020.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9yYXnbUFI/AAAAAAAAN1A/4L2o5-06HYc/s1600-h/oisin+018.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264552252401209426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9yYXnbUFI/AAAAAAAAN1A/4L2o5-06HYc/s400/oisin+018.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9yYL7DjnI/AAAAAAAAN04/GjvlnimTuSA/s1600-h/oisin+017.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264552249262313074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9yYL7DjnI/AAAAAAAAN04/GjvlnimTuSA/s400/oisin+017.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9yXwh5jOI/AAAAAAAAN0w/MYPzk8AllMQ/s1600-h/oisin+016.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264552241909042402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9yXwh5jOI/AAAAAAAAN0w/MYPzk8AllMQ/s400/oisin+016.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9x3HaxevI/AAAAAAAAN0o/jZ_pkPYenho/s1600-h/oisin+015.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264551681117485810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9x3HaxevI/AAAAAAAAN0o/jZ_pkPYenho/s400/oisin+015.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9x2gqGByI/AAAAAAAAN0g/zHWIK0K8QLA/s1600-h/oisin+014.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264551670712764194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9x2gqGByI/AAAAAAAAN0g/zHWIK0K8QLA/s400/oisin+014.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9x2IzE7PI/AAAAAAAAN0Y/fcBWLOriFTA/s1600-h/oisin+013.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264551664307989746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9x2IzE7PI/AAAAAAAAN0Y/fcBWLOriFTA/s400/oisin+013.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9x1m6wWbI/AAAAAAAAN0Q/KlKrOkX8XUQ/s1600-h/oisin+012.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264551655213390258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9x1m6wWbI/AAAAAAAAN0Q/KlKrOkX8XUQ/s400/oisin+012.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9x1A5sasI/AAAAAAAAN0I/3DNS5vr1uFk/s1600-h/oisin+011.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264551645008390850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9x1A5sasI/AAAAAAAAN0I/3DNS5vr1uFk/s400/oisin+011.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9wP864CpI/AAAAAAAAN0A/AIEOfJdG0cw/s1600-h/oisin+010.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264549908772817554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9wP864CpI/AAAAAAAAN0A/AIEOfJdG0cw/s400/oisin+010.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9wPq1RwfI/AAAAAAAANz4/-hy_550Lg0Y/s1600-h/oisin+009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264549903917498866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9wPq1RwfI/AAAAAAAANz4/-hy_550Lg0Y/s400/oisin+009.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9wPNzcIFI/AAAAAAAANzo/okoTtxib6Hw/s1600-h/oisin+007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264549896125161554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9wPNzcIFI/AAAAAAAANzo/okoTtxib6Hw/s400/oisin+007.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9wPJHnmiI/AAAAAAAANzg/1ke-ZJBS4YA/s1600-h/oisin+006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264549894867622434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9wPJHnmiI/AAAAAAAANzg/1ke-ZJBS4YA/s400/oisin+006.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9vVRA_NrI/AAAAAAAANzY/QDXbWue16G8/s1600-h/oisin+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264548900554880690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9vVRA_NrI/AAAAAAAANzY/QDXbWue16G8/s400/oisin+005.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9vVBpOV8I/AAAAAAAANzQ/yzNox0SZCzg/s1600-h/oisin+004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264548896428677058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9vVBpOV8I/AAAAAAAANzQ/yzNox0SZCzg/s400/oisin+004.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9vS7MUAuI/AAAAAAAANzI/YbiintLyfS8/s1600-h/oisin+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264548860337062626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9vS7MUAuI/AAAAAAAANzI/YbiintLyfS8/s400/oisin+003.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9vSuFFcyI/AAAAAAAANzA/NRwpZ-PfvII/s1600-h/oisin+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264548856817087266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9vSuFFcyI/AAAAAAAANzA/NRwpZ-PfvII/s400/oisin+001.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9vSWSqxWI/AAAAAAAANy4/eKdun9razZ0/s1600-h/oisin+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264548850431608162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ9vSWSqxWI/AAAAAAAANy4/eKdun9razZ0/s400/oisin+002.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>The last couple of days have been really good, and met some lovely peruvians... so have to say overall its just a great country, really enjoyed it. I hit the Bolivian border at what i thought was 11, plenty of time to get the whole importing the bike routine done before the lads go on lunch.....forgot about the time differance, once you cross the border its +1 hour!...doh! </div><br /><div>But the customs guy was great and got me through.... in fact the whole border routine took less than half an hour...... thats pretty much lightspeed! Its amazing the whole thing put me in great form about Bolivia... you find yourself saying... "what a great country!..I love it!"</div><div> </div><div>As i was driving along a plane i was taking a picture and there out in the middle of absolute nowhere there was an indian lady, i mean it was miles!!! from anywhere!</div><div> </div><div>Soon after the border you hit a town called cococabana (not the one in the song) nice place!. The virgin mary appeared here and its been a place of pilgrimage for a long time. Theres a really cool tunnel where you go in and light a candle and graffiti the wall with candle wax. At the end of the tunnel is a statue of Mary..... it was utterly eerie!. Somehow writing "Oisin was here" just didnt seem appropriate.</div><div> </div><div>Tomorrow is a short hop to la paz, and while i said i wasnt gong to go to any more big cities, its supposed to be a doozy surrounded by snow capped mountains.... so i'll give it a night. </div><div> </div><div>Over and out</div><div>Oisin</div><div> </div><div> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-5226551724366781693?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-17964024454630525952008-11-02T14:57:00.000-08:002008-11-02T15:34:52.454-08:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ42emudLuI/AAAAAAAANlw/0Ry1RWlyOxQ/s1600-h/oisin+1014.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264204913862061794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ42emudLuI/AAAAAAAANlw/0Ry1RWlyOxQ/s400/oisin+1014.jpg" border="0" /></a>Last night in the town of puno the sun set and just above the church you could see the moon and the north start.... really nice.... picture above doesent do it justice.... all very romantic... but just me and sam gamgee.<br /><br />Shaved off the beard to find i was missing a chin... picture below.<br /><br />Bus stopped off at the hotel at 6am to head to Lake titticaca.... wasnt really expecting much, a big lake at high altidude with some people living on funny islands......not really my bag but cant come here without doing it...so off i went.<br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ42eMjLzbI/AAAAAAAANlo/D3TNVl8wLGc/s1600-h/oisin+1038.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264204906835463602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ42eMjLzbI/AAAAAAAANlo/D3TNVl8wLGc/s400/oisin+1038.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ42dwuuK8I/AAAAAAAANlg/dz6RL92i16g/s1600-h/oisin+1070.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264204899367660482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ42dwuuK8I/AAAAAAAANlg/dz6RL92i16g/s400/oisin+1070.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ42dg1EBwI/AAAAAAAANlY/Rkv779HaaBE/s1600-h/oisin+1021.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264204895099291394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ42dg1EBwI/AAAAAAAANlY/Rkv779HaaBE/s400/oisin+1021.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ42dZWs1ZI/AAAAAAAANlQ/0bIf76YqLIE/s1600-h/oisin+1125.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264204893092894098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ42dZWs1ZI/AAAAAAAANlQ/0bIf76YqLIE/s400/oisin+1125.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ4z5yVU_rI/AAAAAAAANfI/THmvICJyuu0/s1600-h/oisin+1153.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264202082299477682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ4z5yVU_rI/AAAAAAAANfI/THmvICJyuu0/s400/oisin+1153.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ4z5vmYxRI/AAAAAAAANfA/GOLvJXCvGJs/s1600-h/oisin+1143.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264202081565721874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ4z5vmYxRI/AAAAAAAANfA/GOLvJXCvGJs/s400/oisin+1143.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ4z5Ywvz1I/AAAAAAAANe4/RJsaGvzpW4M/s1600-h/oisin+1067.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264202075435159378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ4z5Ywvz1I/AAAAAAAANe4/RJsaGvzpW4M/s400/oisin+1067.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ4z5PalU4I/AAAAAAAANew/WpVAUIy09bs/s1600-h/oisin+1152.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264202072926278530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ4z5PalU4I/AAAAAAAANew/WpVAUIy09bs/s400/oisin+1152.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ4z4t44cmI/AAAAAAAANeo/ytTUt-hiINY/s1600-h/oisin+1162.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264202063926555234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ4z4t44cmI/AAAAAAAANeo/ytTUt-hiINY/s400/oisin+1162.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ4yeO0d4JI/AAAAAAAANbI/g8hjwsU3gIk/s1600-h/oisin+1110.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264200509398311058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ4yeO0d4JI/AAAAAAAANbI/g8hjwsU3gIk/s400/oisin+1110.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ4yd7-2cmI/AAAAAAAANbA/kIIA35obGf0/s1600-h/oisin+1019.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264200504341590626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ4yd7-2cmI/AAAAAAAANbA/kIIA35obGf0/s400/oisin+1019.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ4ydih7i7I/AAAAAAAANa4/-j45YUYXlrc/s1600-h/oisin+1030.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264200497509403570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ4ydih7i7I/AAAAAAAANa4/-j45YUYXlrc/s400/oisin+1030.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ4ydYRBSdI/AAAAAAAANaw/0FVzoDrFpYc/s1600-h/oisin+1055.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264200494754122194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ4ydYRBSdI/AAAAAAAANaw/0FVzoDrFpYc/s400/oisin+1055.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ4yc_tBggI/AAAAAAAANao/Hmx3cFrF3-U/s1600-h/oisin+1061.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264200488160690690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQ4yc_tBggI/AAAAAAAANao/Hmx3cFrF3-U/s400/oisin+1061.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>The trip started bad, the boat that was taking us stunk of a mixture of crap and diesel fumes so there was a scramble to get up top. They only let 10 up there at a time....so with literally 10 hours to go on the trip ..the atmosphere on the boat was going down hill pretty quick.</div><br /><div>Early on in the trip before everyone was either barfing from the smell of crap or unconscious from diesel fumes we pulled into one of the reed islands. The islands are built on the roots of these reeds which float like corks. They then pile lots of reeds and stuff over it.... its squisshy to walk on and its all very different from anything I've encountered so far. The initial part feels unbelievably touristy as the family on the island sing a couple of songs... so a bit naff, but cool at the same time.</div><br /><div>As it went on it got a lot better.....Apparently the people who live there suffer terribly with rhuemetism...after the age of 50 most cant walk. The peoples faces are etched with hard work, unbelievably deep wrinkles on peoples faces with most people very bent over.</div><br />They take you out on the reed boats which considering it was only one guy paddling nearly 20 tourists, it goes fast.</div><div><br /></div><div>We then went to an island where with the altidude over 4000m above sea level, you'd be out of breath just doing your shoe laces. The island was again touristy as hell but nice at the same time. We had a trout lunch and the locals put on a couple of dances and stuff.... sort of place you'd bring visiting aunties and uncles really. As the air is so thin you can see for literally miles and the sun is unbelievably strong, and because of that...the lake is unbelievably blue.</div></div><div> </div><div>On the way back the sun was setting through a storm.... was absolutely gorgeous to look at. <div> </div><div>As always met a bunch of really cool folks...... so all in all.... a nice day....no mad happenings.....</div><div>Tomorrow.... Bolivia....my 13th country.....</div><div> </div><div>Later</div><div>Oisin</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-1796402445463052595?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-85402052561611781132008-11-01T14:17:00.000-07:002008-11-01T15:09:31.835-07:00So it was time to leave Cuzco, and it was harder than you might think. Last night was halloween and the peruvians really go on the slaughter..so the car park where i had my bike parked didnt open till nearly 10am!...supposed to be open at 7 which is when i showed up to collect it. The lad who was working there when he showed up was so hungover looking i didnt even bother to moan at him...he was suffering enough!<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQzPyqz51TI/AAAAAAAANV0/uN0bRJ04K1s/s1600-h/oisin+955.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263810533881664818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQzPyqz51TI/AAAAAAAANV0/uN0bRJ04K1s/s400/oisin+955.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQzPyQwyp6I/AAAAAAAANVs/U4Z0RC6DUI8/s1600-h/oisin+956.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263810526889289634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQzPyQwyp6I/AAAAAAAANVs/U4Z0RC6DUI8/s400/oisin+956.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQzPx1-_OYI/AAAAAAAANVk/b1YAwn1YKnM/s1600-h/oisin+959.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263810519701076354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQzPx1-_OYI/AAAAAAAANVk/b1YAwn1YKnM/s400/oisin+959.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQzPxf3SMSI/AAAAAAAANVc/6VUUBgvIg7o/s1600-h/oisin+966.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263810513763184930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQzPxf3SMSI/AAAAAAAANVc/6VUUBgvIg7o/s400/oisin+966.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Getting slightly ahead of myself.....First things first.... when i woke up one of my Mossie bites became inflamed, or at least i thought it was a mossie bite....i'd maybe scratched it during the night. Some people really flare up if they get a bite...i normally dont.... So I used the time i was waiting for the car park to open to pop down to the surgery off the square and get them to have a look at it. The attendant looked at and started making a weird face......sort of face you make when you think one of the lettuce leaves in your salad just moved all by its lonesome! He took the arm under one of those magnifying glass platforms and then started a round of shaking his head...and lots of tsk tsk tsk'ing.<br /></div><div><br />Anyway, next thing you know he gets a needle, pops the lump and sucks out the gunge..... and then he said a word .... a word which turned my face green in 1 second flat..... " blah blah blah Hoevos".... fucken eggs!....... I nearly turned inside out. There was an american guy there who spoke english and they were asking me was i trekking or camping in the desert? blah blah....bottom line some nasty beast laid eggs into me!.... next thing the doctor got me to strip off.... (hadnt had a shower!....cringe!) and did a full check from head to toe.... no more around the place...thank jaysus.... "unusual" was how he summed up!<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQzPxJOqkOI/AAAAAAAANVU/l3zso9AqHAo/s1600-h/oisin+967.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263810507687235810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQzPxJOqkOI/AAAAAAAANVU/l3zso9AqHAo/s400/oisin+967.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQzOswoUPyI/AAAAAAAANT8/zkNYkihxNMQ/s1600-h/oisin+969.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263809332852834082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQzOswoUPyI/AAAAAAAANT8/zkNYkihxNMQ/s400/oisin+969.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQzOP-TtaNI/AAAAAAAANSM/nMExCeInF2g/s1600-h/oisin+975.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263808838308292818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQzOP-TtaNI/AAAAAAAANSM/nMExCeInF2g/s400/oisin+975.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQzNwBXr06I/AAAAAAAANQg/M7RxLSUyuGY/s1600-h/oisin+997.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263808289374458786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQzNwBXr06I/AAAAAAAANQg/M7RxLSUyuGY/s400/oisin+997.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Anyway the delay in cuzco was on account of the road closure going south to puno as a result of a famers strike..... 4 people killed, a couple of rednecks with combine harvesters parked in the road... this aint! As for a detour, its about 1800km....fuck that!</div><br /><br /><div>Ok...so a bit of bragging about the size of the rocks...heading south at this moment...<br /></div><div><strong>South Peru..... The department of irish foreign affairs gives the following advice:</strong><br /><em>Protesters are currently blocking the main road, near Sicuani, between Cuzco and Arequipa. Travellers should avoid this route. In recent weeks several political and labour-related strikes have been occuring across the country. These demonstrations may lead to violent outbreaks at any time, especially in the departments of Apurímac, Ayacucho, Arequipa, Cuzco, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Junin, Lambayeque, Piura, Puno and San Martín. The armed forces and the national police were recently deployed nationwide in an effort to control civil unrest. Roadblocks may occur on main roads and cause traffic disruptions. Irish citizens should not attempt to cross blockades, even if they appear unattended. Curfews may also be in effect and airports may be closed in response to further unrest.<br /></em><br /><strong>and of bolivia it says the following</strong><br /><em>Currently the situation within the country is very tense and there is potential for social unrest, particularly in the eastern provinces. It is possible that flights to these areas may be cancelled. It is recommended that travellers exercise caution and monitor the media for developments. We are advising against travel to Tarija and Santa Cruz regions for the present. There is also the risk of violent protests in Pando and Beni regions </em><br /></div><div> </div><div>fuck em!.....i went anyway......</div><br /><div>I set out with a bit of a knot in the stomach, i'd met a lot of people there and it was time for goodbyes again, but the scenery on the roads cured my mood of any doldrums very quickly. The initial part of the journey followed the course of a river through green valleys hemmed in by massive brown mountains. Slowly but surely the roads started to climb and I was back onto another section of altiplano. </div><br /><div>I've never felt as at home in any landscape in my life. For me this was a mirror image of Rohan in the lord or the rings...and instead of yours truly riding a horse... it was me and Sam Gamgee(the bike in case your new!). I uploaded some of the pictures I took below .... for me this is just heaven. Dont get me wrong i like an oul ruin as much as the next guy...but it just raises (for me) a couple of hmmmmsss's..... interesting's..... really's...... ok's.... whereas this landscape for me..... heaven, its like your feel good meter is absolutely maxed out. The only thing that would make it better is watching liverpool win the European cup while getting fed marshmallows by a nude Brittney spears.</div><br /><div><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/Oisin.m.Hughes/RohanFromCuzcoToPuno">http://picasaweb.google.com/Oisin.m.Hughes/RohanFromCuzcoToPuno</a></div><div> </div><div> </div><div>So by the time i got to the blockage area the road was clear bar a lot of rubble but you could tell things had got nasty... absolutely heaving with police! The road was great, scenery great, weather great.... just the most gorgeous day !....despite having some beasties syringed out of the arm earlier</div><div> </div><div>So im on the shores of Lake Titicaca.... 12 hours cruise tomorrow...and then its Boliva the following day.</div><div> </div><div>Over and out...</div><div>Oisin</div><div> </div><div> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-8540205256161178113?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-19662392153472825552008-10-31T08:06:00.000-07:002008-10-31T10:28:46.528-07:00Lots of pictures uploaded here... recommend a rifle through the ones of the desert... they get better as the mist burns off... <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/Oisin.m.Hughes">http://picasaweb.google.com/Oisin.m.Hughes</a><br /><br /> Lots to tell! (first off... Cuzco is jam packed with Irish folks, havent seen this many abroad since i was in the green field apartments in the canaries!.... if your irish you´ve been there.... admit it!)Continue to be just eaten alive by mosquitos.....starting to feel like the goose who laid the golden egg.... just before it got knifed!<br /><br />I met a great Irish couple, Fergal and Aoibhann in an internet cafe and we headed around to O' Flahertys pub... a real irish bar. Fergal is probably the biggest liverpool fan in the world and we were both anxiously waiting to see if Liverpool held out against portsmouth... they did and off we went for some grub and pints to o flahertys. Aoibheann is an archeologist and likes football!...a much weirder combination than Inka ruins on the mountaintop if you ask me!.... thats her below with Brad pitt.<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQs_em0hurI/AAAAAAAAMn0/ci7KrWggGBA/s1600-h/DSC_1686.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263370384562043570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQs_em0hurI/AAAAAAAAMn0/ci7KrWggGBA/s400/DSC_1686.JPG" border="0" /></a> Bolivia is starting to unravel, with civil war apparently a certainty in the next year. Several horror stories on the news and in general getting told by the backpacker crew, people getting kidnapped and taken to an ATM every day to empty out their cards until they had no money left. Apparently 3 irish folks were kidnapped and held in this way for over 3 weeks, and were then just let go when they'd no money left in their accounts. On top of that in the south of Peru there is a farmers strike, and the roads are totally blocked with no way through. The same is apparently starting to happen in the north. Right now everyone is just flying to La Paz...and bypassing the problems.... not an option open to yours truly on a motorbike. So its another day in Cuzco while i try and plan a route which allows me to get to lake titticaca and also to the salt flats in Bolivia.<br /><div></div><br /><br />We met a dead on guy there Dayna (i know, he knows its a girls name too) who is a cousin of Fergal and slowly but surely the amount of pints in the system kept climbing. As I went out to draw on the porcelin I met a guy called Sam from Austrailia who I met in Antigua in Guatemala. Over he came to join us and the crack was mighty.<br />More and more folks kept showing up and at one stage there were Germans, Canadians, English, Ozzies, Irish and Dubs. Off we all went to a nightclub, and just got absolutely hammered.... a great night. I got back to the hostel at 4am, and was getting collected at 6am to go to Maccu piccu. Man it felt like i just blinked and the door was getting hammered down by the tour guide. Just had time for a wing wash (cant beat the Boots Cucumer wipes!) and off I went still drunk to Maccu picchu..... and i mean i was polluted with gargle!<br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQs9r_scmlI/AAAAAAAAMj0/WyxX4tHNHUE/s1600-h/oisin+854.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263368415554083410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQs9r_scmlI/AAAAAAAAMj0/WyxX4tHNHUE/s400/oisin+854.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQs9rQJRYQI/AAAAAAAAMjs/wR2zfuJtmhg/s1600-h/oisin+819.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263368402790080770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQs9rQJRYQI/AAAAAAAAMjs/wR2zfuJtmhg/s400/oisin+819.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQs9q3xCG7I/AAAAAAAAMjk/uFBlkgqXztU/s1600-h/oisin+836.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263368396245965746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQs9q3xCG7I/AAAAAAAAMjk/uFBlkgqXztU/s400/oisin+836.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQs8kep8TII/AAAAAAAAMjc/OIVyI7AZdbM/s1600-h/oisin+796.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263367186914495618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQs8kep8TII/AAAAAAAAMjc/OIVyI7AZdbM/s400/oisin+796.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQs8jyhwg7I/AAAAAAAAMjU/d0te56LW29c/s1600-h/oisin+815.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263367175069008818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQs8jyhwg7I/AAAAAAAAMjU/d0te56LW29c/s400/oisin+815.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQs8jW9cx0I/AAAAAAAAMjM/Lznex69MPAQ/s1600-h/oisin+837.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263367167668963138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQs8jW9cx0I/AAAAAAAAMjM/Lznex69MPAQ/s400/oisin+837.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQs8jOj9ZrI/AAAAAAAAMjE/O4NDoit-TEk/s1600-h/oisin+857.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263367165414565554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQs8jOj9ZrI/AAAAAAAAMjE/O4NDoit-TEk/s400/oisin+857.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-7fdf2d6ec6fb0fc3" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v1.nonxt5.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D7fdf2d6ec6fb0fc3%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177329%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D6BBAC1DE8C8C5E0AA192BD94FDDAA06A929662A3.668EA2C9C234007ACBA5ADC4483E2D9709A79573%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D7fdf2d6ec6fb0fc3%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DZTuTX7fGKwMLaaghO8LFCohdlTk&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v1.nonxt5.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D7fdf2d6ec6fb0fc3%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330177329%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D6BBAC1DE8C8C5E0AA192BD94FDDAA06A929662A3.668EA2C9C234007ACBA5ADC4483E2D9709A79573%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D7fdf2d6ec6fb0fc3%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DZTuTX7fGKwMLaaghO8LFCohdlTk&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object></div><br /><div><br /> </div><br /><div><br />The train ride was 4 hours and did my best to sleep.....when i woke up after 2 hours I really had a hard time remembering how i got there. When i wasnt sleeping, the view out the window of the train was lovely as the tracks cut their way through the Andes. When you get there its a really steep climb up to Maccu Picchu in a bus (thankfully) and then you walk out onto the ruins.<br />My initial thoughts on this place before i got there was that its the ultimate list tickers destination... "sure i´ve travelled a lot"..."was in macchu picchu.."...you know what i mean.<br />But have to say it exceeded my expectations.... the place is just amazing. </div><div> </div><div>One of the great things is that even though its a massively popular destination you can go and find yourself a quiet corner where its just you with stunning views of the mountains and ruins all around. Most people talk about the fact that the place has a spiritual feel and I would agree whole heartedly. I found myself a quiet spot on one of the alternate routes and was sitting on a grass verge with my feet hanging over a massive drop with a great view of the river and terraces which dominate the views in the site... I loved it!. I read nearly 4 chapters of a book before anyone even walked by....<br /></div><div>Met a bunch of people up there, and you would be amazed the amount of people, especially women who are out travelling the world on their own. Met 2 american girls, one of whom was cycling to Cape Horn!... buns of steel just doesent begin describe it. I met a tourguide Natasha from Slovenia, again off travelling the world on her own, basically just loves being anywhere where there are mountains. I dont feel nearly as brave now!...especially with all these women stealing my thunder! Cmon!..how are guys supposed to make out their tough if girly girls are heading off into the great blue yonder armed with nothing more than a toothbrush and a nail file.<br />On the way back in the train I met a great couple from Uraguay and for 4 hours we chatted about all sorts...had a great time, the offer is on the table for a visit to Uraguay for some steaks!.... never said no to a steak in my life!.<br />On a final note...Im going to set up a website of all things travellers shouldnt do....actually just people in general... walking around tourist sites...its not hard to start thinking that perhaps mirrors are in greater shortage than oil. </div><div> </div><div><br />1)Guys if you own a pair of Bermuda shorts..thats ok...but if they are multicolored and loud...Brad pitt couldnt get away with looking good in them..so burn em!...or at least just wear em at the pool or the beach. Imagine you´ve the greatest picture of maccu piccu ever taken and theres some hairy arse ruining the shot with a pair of snot green with red fleck bermudas! ...ouch!<br /></div><div>2) Girls if you own a pair of leggins, and you dont have at least an average bottom....dont wear em!...theres enough cottage cheese on view in the world as it is! I know they´re comfortable...but spare a thought for the rest of us... Theres a new disturbing trend which is to put a lycra wrap round the leggins.... this is at least in part responsable for the disturbances in Bolivia.<br /></div><div>3)Guys...white socks and Sandles / flip flops.... already illegal in 47states in the US.... the clock is ticking.<br /></div><div>4) If you have a big arse...dont put your hands in pockets... just makes your arse look like something you´d normally expect to find pulling a cart! How do you know if you've a big arse? If you ask your partner..."do you think I´ve a big arse"...count the number of seconds in the pause before they speak an english word.... every second before the first english word corresponds to a surpless 5kg.<br /></div><div>Guy-Girl....."Do you think i´ve a big arse....?" emmmmmmmmmmmmmm........nnnnaaaaaaa..........no.....why?<br />Normally if i ask someone...which is very rare!..."do you think i´m a fat bastard?"....they dont even answer.... just say something polite like....."you need the padding to keep you warm on the bike".....fuckers! </div><div><br />Over and out<br />Oisin </div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-1966239215347282555?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-71865937657589298012008-10-29T13:33:00.000-07:002008-10-29T14:09:37.123-07:00<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjNYWC5O7I/AAAAAAAAMDY/0jdoSCpQ3KM/s1600-h/Oisin+019.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262681982700698546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjNYWC5O7I/AAAAAAAAMDY/0jdoSCpQ3KM/s400/Oisin+019.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjNYGIgWnI/AAAAAAAAMDQ/V7aiMOSruqg/s1600-h/Oisin+018.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262681978429266546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjNYGIgWnI/AAAAAAAAMDQ/V7aiMOSruqg/s400/Oisin+018.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjNX2ygFAI/AAAAAAAAMDI/lAmH9FgvhVw/s1600-h/Oisin+017.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262681974310441986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjNX2ygFAI/AAAAAAAAMDI/lAmH9FgvhVw/s400/Oisin+017.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjNXGUmFDI/AAAAAAAAMDA/ET2ajjiNpbg/s1600-h/Oisin+016.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262681961300104242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjNXGUmFDI/AAAAAAAAMDA/ET2ajjiNpbg/s400/Oisin+016.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjMcgsL2vI/AAAAAAAAMC4/ZVPFuB16iJk/s1600-h/Oisin+015.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262680954766088946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjMcgsL2vI/AAAAAAAAMC4/ZVPFuB16iJk/s400/Oisin+015.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjMcb30lgI/AAAAAAAAMCw/CwuufmyPtLo/s1600-h/Oisin+014.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262680953472718338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjMcb30lgI/AAAAAAAAMCw/CwuufmyPtLo/s400/Oisin+014.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjMb6D_f3I/AAAAAAAAMCo/kfhaInHVCsA/s1600-h/Oisin+013.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262680944396959602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjMb6D_f3I/AAAAAAAAMCo/kfhaInHVCsA/s400/Oisin+013.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjMbndsbYI/AAAAAAAAMCg/O6vpZoBZxXU/s1600-h/Oisin+012.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262680939404488066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjMbndsbYI/AAAAAAAAMCg/O6vpZoBZxXU/s400/Oisin+012.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjMbatDBpI/AAAAAAAAMCY/yO5LLFtx8AA/s1600-h/Oisin+011.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262680935979222674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjMbatDBpI/AAAAAAAAMCY/yO5LLFtx8AA/s400/Oisin+011.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjLDdDwUII/AAAAAAAAMCQ/qNaMGqfBXak/s1600-h/Oisin+010.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262679424782848130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjLDdDwUII/AAAAAAAAMCQ/qNaMGqfBXak/s400/Oisin+010.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjLC_70N-I/AAAAAAAAMCI/KYzK5Io5WR8/s1600-h/Oisin+009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262679416964921314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjLC_70N-I/AAAAAAAAMCI/KYzK5Io5WR8/s400/Oisin+009.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjLCi8d9YI/AAAAAAAAMCA/gpUnAtc02QA/s1600-h/Oisin+008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262679409183028610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjLCi8d9YI/AAAAAAAAMCA/gpUnAtc02QA/s400/Oisin+008.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjLCoqnIRI/AAAAAAAAMB4/GGczU2JSIfA/s1600-h/Oisin+007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262679410718744850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjLCoqnIRI/AAAAAAAAMB4/GGczU2JSIfA/s400/Oisin+007.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjLCazkhYI/AAAAAAAAMBw/eh9Ko2ZXf8w/s1600-h/Oisin+006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262679406998226306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjLCazkhYI/AAAAAAAAMBw/eh9Ko2ZXf8w/s400/Oisin+006.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjKC7LouZI/AAAAAAAAMBo/DT9aPBKVv1Q/s1600-h/Oisin+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262678316177471890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjKC7LouZI/AAAAAAAAMBo/DT9aPBKVv1Q/s400/Oisin+005.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjKClVuswI/AAAAAAAAMBg/mvtNo7ohUJo/s1600-h/Oisin+004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262678310314226434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjKClVuswI/AAAAAAAAMBg/mvtNo7ohUJo/s400/Oisin+004.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjKABLSzUI/AAAAAAAAMBY/YEu4-2vzdlY/s1600-h/Oisin+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262678266247040322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjKABLSzUI/AAAAAAAAMBY/YEu4-2vzdlY/s400/Oisin+003.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjJ-bPBc_I/AAAAAAAAMBQ/jtpf7dxh23k/s1600-h/Oisin+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262678238882264050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjJ-bPBc_I/AAAAAAAAMBQ/jtpf7dxh23k/s400/Oisin+002.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjJ8bfXrRI/AAAAAAAAMBI/SYAYBkFII9o/s1600-h/Oisin+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262678204591090962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQjJ8bfXrRI/AAAAAAAAMBI/SYAYBkFII9o/s400/Oisin+001.jpg" border="0" /></a> Last night i tossed and turned all night in the bed, just could'nt stop thinking about the Altiplano which I'd seen yesterday. In my mind I'd seen the best scenery that I was ever going to see and I had an uncontrollable urge to see it again.<br /><br /><div>The great thing about having such a long schedule you can do just that.....So off I set this morning at 5am to go back!..... took a little over 2 hours to get there....and then 2 hours back.....I was afraid that it would look different or wouldnt be as good as yesterday but it was exactly the same!<br /></div><br /><div>The place is haunting. When you pull off the road and step off the road it feels like your stepping out onto an endless plane. I said yesterday that the silence is the most striking thing, the only audible sound is a cool breeze blowing in your face.</div><br /><div>In the far distance a grey blue lake sits motionless, and beyond that steep mountains. The roads stretch off into the distance without a bend, if there are any you're far too caught up in the moment to notice. The clouds paint shadowns on the yellow plane, and as if to cap the experience you can see them drift across the sky and plane in unison.</div><div> </div><div>I think its only in the most remote, and most quiet places of the world that a person really relaxes and unwinds, just sitting there thinking about things you never normally take the time to.</div><div> </div><div>Then as you drive on, the hills start to rise imperceptably at first but before long you're shaken out of your trance by sweeping right and left hand bends which drive the pulse up into the 160's.</div><div> </div><div>Cuzco is unbelievably touristy, and with that pretty expensive. You cant sit anywhere but your beset by people either begging or selling something, so its not a comfortable place to just go out and walk. </div><div> </div><div>The altidude has some interesting side effects. First of all you do anything at all and your out of breath, but the second one is that it gives you brutal wind! just for a while....I was like an officers horse!!. (Well its either the altidude or someone put farting powder in my grub). Thankfully all the chambers seem to have equalised to the lower pressure now...so back to normal!</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>I'm all booked up for Macchu picchu tomorrow... a 6:30am start.....</div><div> </div><div>The following day i'm planning to head south to Puno and lake titticaca, apparently theres a farmers strike and the road is blocked so will have to watch developments fairly closely!</div><div> </div><div>Over and out</div><div>Oisin</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-7186593765758929801?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-29745116578188325732008-10-28T17:46:00.000-07:002008-10-28T18:29:27.299-07:00<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe67PClAAI/AAAAAAAALLY/8qh34J_WhyE/s1600-h/Oisin+776.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262380216418107394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe67PClAAI/AAAAAAAALLY/8qh34J_WhyE/s400/Oisin+776.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe665tZv6I/AAAAAAAALLQ/kjiaB6ZOE7Y/s1600-h/Oisin+779.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262380210692145058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe665tZv6I/AAAAAAAALLQ/kjiaB6ZOE7Y/s400/Oisin+779.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe68WjkdDI/AAAAAAAALLo/J1Bg1nI61sQ/s1600-h/Oisin+773.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262380235615401010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe68WjkdDI/AAAAAAAALLo/J1Bg1nI61sQ/s400/Oisin+773.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe67YX-rDI/AAAAAAAALLg/6bUSccgFnj4/s1600-h/Oisin+774.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262380218923789362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe67YX-rDI/AAAAAAAALLg/6bUSccgFnj4/s400/Oisin+774.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe55M6RrDI/AAAAAAAALLI/iGrMbAIA7hw/s1600-h/Oisin+545.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262379081975049266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe55M6RrDI/AAAAAAAALLI/iGrMbAIA7hw/s400/Oisin+545.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe54dUrVBI/AAAAAAAALK4/Mo4lVGHX3Mk/s1600-h/Oisin+692.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262379069200880658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe54dUrVBI/AAAAAAAALK4/Mo4lVGHX3Mk/s400/Oisin+692.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe54GPLznI/AAAAAAAALKw/_khQ6gLQdWM/s1600-h/Oisin+770.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262379063003827826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe54GPLznI/AAAAAAAALKw/_khQ6gLQdWM/s400/Oisin+770.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe5481SnXI/AAAAAAAALLA/KZxr0yFjYnI/s1600-h/Oisin+538.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262379077659172210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe5481SnXI/AAAAAAAALLA/KZxr0yFjYnI/s400/Oisin+538.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe53xdO2DI/AAAAAAAALKo/FHJ5pUTu3p8/s1600-h/Oisin+791.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262379057425602610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe53xdO2DI/AAAAAAAALKo/FHJ5pUTu3p8/s400/Oisin+791.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe4lm9NUPI/AAAAAAAALKg/eOGPcURB4uA/s1600-h/Oisin+712.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262377645857657074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe4lm9NUPI/AAAAAAAALKg/eOGPcURB4uA/s400/Oisin+712.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe4lQ9EZ7I/AAAAAAAALKY/CrCesSJhz_8/s1600-h/Oisin+740.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262377639951493042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe4lQ9EZ7I/AAAAAAAALKY/CrCesSJhz_8/s400/Oisin+740.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe4kpwDMdI/AAAAAAAALKQ/4MooOy1cj68/s1600-h/Oisin+786.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262377629427904978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe4kpwDMdI/AAAAAAAALKQ/4MooOy1cj68/s400/Oisin+786.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe4kdbbGBI/AAAAAAAALKI/C3_l7QUYvcw/s1600-h/Oisin+749.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262377626120165394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe4kdbbGBI/AAAAAAAALKI/C3_l7QUYvcw/s400/Oisin+749.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe4kH2ae6I/AAAAAAAALKA/tB4nwlpMCos/s1600-h/Oisin+790.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262377620327791522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe4kH2ae6I/AAAAAAAALKA/tB4nwlpMCos/s400/Oisin+790.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe3COAnsQI/AAAAAAAALJw/5vC0-tUMFhQ/s1600-h/Oisin+419.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262375938354032898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe3COAnsQI/AAAAAAAALJw/5vC0-tUMFhQ/s400/Oisin+419.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe3C5aFfmI/AAAAAAAALJ4/pd6qVK3UUcg/s1600-h/Oisin+483.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262375950003568226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe3C5aFfmI/AAAAAAAALJ4/pd6qVK3UUcg/s400/Oisin+483.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe3B6lTo3I/AAAAAAAALJo/XhMzLm5viQM/s1600-h/Oisin+425.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262375933139198834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe3B6lTo3I/AAAAAAAALJo/XhMzLm5viQM/s400/Oisin+425.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe3BVL26RI/AAAAAAAALJg/90PmtXwgDUg/s1600-h/Oisin+376.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262375923100346642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe3BVL26RI/AAAAAAAALJg/90PmtXwgDUg/s400/Oisin+376.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe3BKa_lRI/AAAAAAAALJY/RyqOTQXABco/s1600-h/Oisin+364.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262375920211039506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQe3BKa_lRI/AAAAAAAALJY/RyqOTQXABco/s400/Oisin+364.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Today was brilliant!....mental... and terrifying.... the whole kit and caboodle (definetly the wrong spelling)</div><br /><div>So I left Nazca, didnt bother with the plane trip to see the lines.... place was too hot and my mossie bites were itching like I dont know what. I headed for Cuzco and was on the road by about 6 40am. The sign on the way out of Nazca says 561km..... which given it was going to go over some mountain roads I knew I had at least 9 hours of driving ahead of me.</div><br /><br /><div>With 200km done I passed a sign which said Cuzco 472km!... what the fuck!.... ended up doing nearly 480 miles.... whatever way they measure the distance here it doesent work. The road has very few gasoline stations so you have to fill up at every opportunity...hard to get any gas above 84 octane, which is basically baboon piss...but SAM gamgee lapped it up.....and kept going. </div><br /><br /><div>The scenery was without a doubt the best I've seen yet on the trip. I doubt anything will ever compare to it. From steep climbs and decents through the mountains, to high mountain planes, deep canyons, rolling rivers, lakes, stunning sunset, snow capped peaks .... it was absolutely stunning!... really thought I was going to burst, didnt realise that anywhere in the world was so beautiful. The most spectaculer thing about it is that your completely alone..... dont get me wrong Im not a hermit... but looking out into vast sweeping canyons.... its supposed to quiet!... so the less people the better.</div><br /><br /><div>With the length of time it took me to do the drive, over 12 hours, I ended up out in the Andes with 90km still to drive in the dark. I was trying to squeeze every hour of daylight at a fast pace... the hazards when its dark are many and varied. The amount of cattle on the road was like something out of animal farm... i just missed a cow... pretty sure my pannier caught his tail..... heart was all over the place!</div><br /><div>When you drive at night here the ride decends into a farce, more like a video game ride than riding a bike. The amount of people on the road is unreal, cars without lights, horses, sheep, goats at the side of the road... you really are taking your life in your hands..</div><br /><div>Made it to Cuzco in the dark..and the city looks really great. Tomorrow I'll swing round cuzco and book Maccu piccu for the following day so plenty to see and do<br /></div><div>A truly fantastic day...</div><div>Oisin</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-2974511657818832573?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-20125051889125940242008-10-27T15:38:00.000-07:002008-10-27T16:49:39.878-07:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZMlEvlMfI/AAAAAAAALIg/7yZesG55Vx4/s1600-h/April17nasca2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261977414441185778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZMlEvlMfI/AAAAAAAALIg/7yZesG55Vx4/s400/April17nasca2.jpg" border="0" /></a> (not my picture... was too windy for the planes to go up when I went to the airport....but you get the idea, you cant see them from the ground)<br /><br /><div>Gratuitous boast.... just crossed 25,000miles, actually 41000km to be exact.</div><br /><div>Oisin Rules all.... especially bakeries where they make nice cakes.</div><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZKcy8Md2I/AAAAAAAALIY/EQUBXSwHC70/s1600-h/Oisin+284.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261975073200043874" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZKcy8Md2I/AAAAAAAALIY/EQUBXSwHC70/s400/Oisin+284.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><div>Today was a good un!<br />I was lying in bed this morning and noticed that there were about 20 or 30 holes in the roof... a small problem when it never rains... although when you forgot to put on deet the night before.. mucho problemo.... looked like a teenager after too many easter eggs from Mossie bites... but thankfully i didnt go to sleep in the buff and all was well with the frankfurter and town halls so major damage done.<br />So off I set, with cuzco as the aim.... i gave up pretty early. The road turns inland to Nazca and all of a sudden its like someone hit the heat switch. To be fair not a massive surprise given that the sun is directly over this part of the world at the moment, but you´d be amazed at just how cool the coast is versus inland....</div><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZJSP60WLI/AAAAAAAALIQ/ZzSfyOii68k/s1600-h/Oisin+345.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261973792488708274" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZJSP60WLI/AAAAAAAALIQ/ZzSfyOii68k/s400/Oisin+345.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZIvQIoBgI/AAAAAAAALII/7MwBEg9eKUQ/s1600-h/Oisin+301.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261973191251199490" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZIvQIoBgI/AAAAAAAALII/7MwBEg9eKUQ/s400/Oisin+301.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZIu9j7gxI/AAAAAAAALIA/cnRw_-8AwSo/s1600-h/Oisin+280.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261973186265449234" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZIu9j7gxI/AAAAAAAALIA/cnRw_-8AwSo/s400/Oisin+280.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZIuQCCUtI/AAAAAAAALH4/7AATA49EBNw/s1600-h/Oisin+278.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261973174043693778" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZIuQCCUtI/AAAAAAAALH4/7AATA49EBNw/s400/Oisin+278.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZItYq45AI/AAAAAAAALHo/RHVkWWaSbKg/s1600-h/Oisin+247.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261973159182656514" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZItYq45AI/AAAAAAAALHo/RHVkWWaSbKg/s400/Oisin+247.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZIuAA-rdI/AAAAAAAALHw/DVAgbZ7-fnA/s1600-h/Oisin+249.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261973169744293330" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZIuAA-rdI/AAAAAAAALHw/DVAgbZ7-fnA/s400/Oisin+249.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />You start to hit serious desert again, and its just so vast you just have to stop and try and take it all in. I stopped in one location, pulling well off the road and followed a track a couple of miles out into the middle of nowhere. About 5 miles out..i had an arguement with myself...not the sort of thing you´d like to the lads in the white coats see you doing... but the subject wasnt new.<br /><br />For some reason the biker crowd of which Im a member are a bit touched... so there i was in the middle of the desert.... alone..no mobile phone...... not a soul for miles and miles...about 250ml of water in my bag....about 4 sentances of spanish....about 12000 miles from home.... and what was I doing... heading off into the desert on some track which was last trekked by some Inca with a dose of Rabies who was fucked out of the tribe for intefering with the village basset hound. </div><div><br />...I won the argument as you´d expect and said dude just do the miles.... leave the trekking for the camels. But seeing as I was in a remote spot I decided to do a bit or roaring. The desert is unbelievably quiet and for some reason it just seems a good roar is appropriate!. </div><div> </div><div>I played Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise in a few good men..... "you want me on that wall!"..... all that good stuff, and finished off with a bit of Samuel L Jackson in pulp fiction.... "listen man given the ho a foot massage.... blah blah blah blah..... holiest of the holies aint even the same thing!" I fully recommend it!...very theraputic!....<br /><br /></div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZG2a56VVI/AAAAAAAALHg/qX9hN5RSiX0/s1600-h/Oisin+292.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261971115378103634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZG2a56VVI/AAAAAAAALHg/qX9hN5RSiX0/s400/Oisin+292.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZG1Cd2E8I/AAAAAAAALHQ/scffLKb0-yE/s1600-h/Oisin+303.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261971091638064066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZG1Cd2E8I/AAAAAAAALHQ/scffLKb0-yE/s400/Oisin+303.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZG1lnF3VI/AAAAAAAALHY/DoxK8AHIyzE/s1600-h/Oisin+291.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261971101072088402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZG1lnF3VI/AAAAAAAALHY/DoxK8AHIyzE/s400/Oisin+291.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZG0qG0e4I/AAAAAAAALHI/dgjs_m09j1E/s1600-h/Oisin+294.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261971085099039618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZG0qG0e4I/AAAAAAAALHI/dgjs_m09j1E/s400/Oisin+294.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZG0d4E6NI/AAAAAAAALHA/Z8vsW_bhVWw/s1600-h/Oisin+341.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261971081815976146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZG0d4E6NI/AAAAAAAALHA/Z8vsW_bhVWw/s400/Oisin+341.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZF4PxOtuI/AAAAAAAALGw/yXczueNq0II/s1600-h/Oisin+321.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261970047237011170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZF4PxOtuI/AAAAAAAALGw/yXczueNq0II/s400/Oisin+321.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZF3hvHfiI/AAAAAAAALGo/9qxe3TWniVM/s1600-h/Oisin+351.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261970034880118306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZF3hvHfiI/AAAAAAAALGo/9qxe3TWniVM/s400/Oisin+351.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZF201oQFI/AAAAAAAALGg/HhjsEM6Kgc8/s1600-h/Oisin+357.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261970022827835474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZF201oQFI/AAAAAAAALGg/HhjsEM6Kgc8/s400/Oisin+357.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZF4jVbM9I/AAAAAAAALG4/NPvSMxnFves/s1600-h/Oisin+311.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261970052489098194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZF4jVbM9I/AAAAAAAALG4/NPvSMxnFves/s400/Oisin+311.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZF2dJDTpI/AAAAAAAALGY/hPYUTdNGICY/s1600-h/Oisin+354.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261970016466849426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQZF2dJDTpI/AAAAAAAALGY/hPYUTdNGICY/s400/Oisin+354.jpg" border="0" /></a>So anyway from there I made my way to Nazca, where the lines are. The lines are made by removing the stones and rocks you can see in the picture above to leave just sand.... usual story no one knows who or why they made them...blah blah blah... well i have a theory... they were bored.. nothing else to do in the desert.... nothing on TV..!</div><div> </div><div>I headed into the town and stopped at a cool restaurant where they were playing traditional peruvian music, lots of wind pipes and all that good stuff, really cool. At the next table a retired american lady from Dallas texas introduced herself, Grace!. Quick summary of the conversation below....</div><div> </div><div>Oisin: So what brought you to peru?... you on holidays?...or vacation as you´d call it</div><div>Grace: Oh Im down here with my family showing them the sights.... I worked here for over 25 years on and off as an archeologist....</div><div> </div><div>Oisin: Nice one!....wow... Nice one!....Indiana Jones what!.... plenty to keep you occupied here I´d say... Macchu picchu, Chan Chan....some nice gear alright....</div><div>Grace: Oh you dont know the half-it sunny!.... this place is just awash with history....</div><div> </div><div>Oisin: Still they couldnt have been that great... a couple of spaniards on horseback killed off the whole thing .....right?.... lets face it the spaniards couldnt box eggs at the best of times...</div><div>Grace:....oh your just an ignorant son of a bitch aint ya!.... laughing loudly</div><div> </div><div>Oisin: Still... the people are very friendly though eh? ...both of us laughed</div><div> </div><div>Grace: So how come your here...?</div><div>Oisin: Blah blah blah..motorbike trip ... blah blah...</div><div> </div><div>Grace: wow sounds fun!.... </div><div>Oisin: Yep.... having a ball....<br />Grace: So are you married? </div><div>Oisin: Why? you looking for a date?.... your a bit ould for me!.... (grace didnt laugh, I threw out a Hah!..just to say i was joking....)</div><div>Oisin: (bringing in the recovery JCB)...so how many of yee are down here?</div><div>Grace: Dont think you can waltz round that "old" remark sonny!.... (thankfully smiling)</div><div>Oisin: Dont mind me.... Im an ape at the best of times.... </div><div> </div><div>Anyway she went onto describe how machu picchu is sinking my 1cm a month.... ( i made a joke..thats fairly slow eh?....another arrow that missed wildly)....and how much was lost to conquistadores and private collectors. I got a heap of tips where to go... and what to see.... so Grace, hope you enjoy the hollier and all the best to you and yours.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Tomorrow is Cuzco, which will be an 7 hour trek through the mountains.... </div><div>From sweltering Nazca..its good night from me....</div><div>Oisin</div><div> </div><div> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-2012505188912594024?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-90873976439765440112008-10-26T18:30:00.000-07:002008-10-26T19:42:28.455-07:00<div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUlkN1aMTI/AAAAAAAAK0Q/tvRGKuFgF7U/s1600-h/oisin+172.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261653043771486514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUlkN1aMTI/AAAAAAAAK0Q/tvRGKuFgF7U/s400/oisin+172.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUkBQoUrmI/AAAAAAAAKys/_ewhisCSynQ/s1600-h/oisin+170.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261651343714856546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUkBQoUrmI/AAAAAAAAKys/_ewhisCSynQ/s400/oisin+170.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUkAqpBaTI/AAAAAAAAKyk/7RTlmT0Ti8U/s1600-h/oisin+118.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261651333517240626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUkAqpBaTI/AAAAAAAAKyk/7RTlmT0Ti8U/s400/oisin+118.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUkALbR-4I/AAAAAAAAKyQ/FPzebfLebYY/s1600-h/oisin+191.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261651325138107266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUkALbR-4I/AAAAAAAAKyQ/FPzebfLebYY/s400/oisin+191.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUj_mv0vQI/AAAAAAAAKyI/DTsMZas7FUE/s1600-h/oisin+159.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261651315292159234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUj_mv0vQI/AAAAAAAAKyI/DTsMZas7FUE/s400/oisin+159.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUj-xVnfrI/AAAAAAAAKyA/-yVgsV6wswk/s1600-h/oisin+193.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261651300955160242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUj-xVnfrI/AAAAAAAAKyA/-yVgsV6wswk/s400/oisin+193.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUg8yJ7kiI/AAAAAAAAKus/_U5rSf00vkg/s1600-h/oisin+178.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261647968279958050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUg8yJ7kiI/AAAAAAAAKus/_U5rSf00vkg/s400/oisin+178.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUg8QhRRGI/AAAAAAAAKuk/4J5ZrWayz04/s1600-h/oisin+169.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261647959251043426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUg8QhRRGI/AAAAAAAAKuk/4J5ZrWayz04/s400/oisin+169.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUg7o8G1dI/AAAAAAAAKuc/C-DYDEGtQ8U/s1600-h/oisin+187.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261647948626187730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUg7o8G1dI/AAAAAAAAKuc/C-DYDEGtQ8U/s400/oisin+187.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUg6zySqnI/AAAAAAAAKuU/HhSxMR4XnnY/s1600-h/oisin+099.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261647934357940850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUg6zySqnI/AAAAAAAAKuU/HhSxMR4XnnY/s400/oisin+099.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUg6CyTnRI/AAAAAAAAKuM/n0hQ8fo2LGE/s1600-h/oisin+067.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261647921204665618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUg6CyTnRI/AAAAAAAAKuM/n0hQ8fo2LGE/s400/oisin+067.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUdrr0bG2I/AAAAAAAAKqQ/VEA6NTf3bb4/s1600-h/oisin+211.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261644375986477922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUdrr0bG2I/AAAAAAAAKqQ/VEA6NTf3bb4/s400/oisin+211.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUdrBRZO4I/AAAAAAAAKqI/PwOJjjt5-WA/s1600-h/oisin+216.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261644364565265282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUdrBRZO4I/AAAAAAAAKqI/PwOJjjt5-WA/s400/oisin+216.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUdq6hWpPI/AAAAAAAAKp4/K9KNZM00e00/s1600-h/oisin+245.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261644362753156338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUdq6hWpPI/AAAAAAAAKp4/K9KNZM00e00/s400/oisin+245.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUdqVM0owI/AAAAAAAAKpo/USC5FvqMHvQ/s1600-h/oisin+243.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261644352734929666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUdqVM0owI/AAAAAAAAKpo/USC5FvqMHvQ/s400/oisin+243.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUdqIjDkxI/AAAAAAAAKpg/ebKwXc6tAK4/s1600-h/oisin+258.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261644349338522386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQUdqIjDkxI/AAAAAAAAKpg/ebKwXc6tAK4/s400/oisin+258.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p>As strange a day as i´ve had yet....<br /></p><br /><p>So i left huanchaco this morning at 7am.... knowing i had a heap of miles ahead of me today. The plan was to keep going south until I got past Lima, about 600km away. Lima has the reputation of being one place that no matter what... you <strong>dont</strong> want to end up there. But if you want to go to Cuzco, Nazca, and Machu picchu its difficult without going this way. </p><br /><br /><p>Pretty much as soon as I started it was straight into the desert except in a much grander way than previously. Today. was in my mind anyway, somewhere between riding a bike on Mars, and taking a bike into the Sahara to chase down a couple of camels with Laurence of Arabia.....seriously all day it was just drop dead deadly!. The road stays very close to the coast so at regular intervals you get to see the desert run right up to the sea.<br /><br /><br />The weather started off the same as it has for the last 4 days, high winds with loads of sand in the air and mountains and oncoming traffic all just vague shadows of themselves. But as the day went on, the clouds burned off revealing more and more of the surrounding landscape and you would´ve had to be Stevie wonder not to utter a couple of "holy fuck"´s along the way. The sand as it sweeps across the road can make driving conditions treacherous... and with the wind blowing as hard as it was at times you couldnt even see the tarmac.<br /></p><br /><p>At times in the desert you feel completely alone.... and you are... there is absolutely no one around for miles... and when you drive through this your mind starts to wander in all sorts of directions... things you´ve said and done... things you shouldnt...... its weird how you have to force yourself to think of the good stuff.. the not so good stuff just floods all by its lonesome!</p><br /><p><br />Driving on the roads is like a turkey shoot, and guess whose the turkey!, again multiple run offs the road, dropping debris from trucks carrying junk, oncoming traffic overtaking on the bends.... its like a game of pin ball! All days horns are going, lights are flashing but I think one of the biggest pains in the arse is the fact that a lot of the buses have a horn which is very similar to a police siren..so as your dodging through traffic you constantly think your getting pulled over. If that wasnt enough Red lights seem to be just something to consider, not follow... on 3 occaisions in small towns I had to swerve to avoid a guy who´d gone straight through a red light!....</p><br /><br /><p>Eventually you just adopt a "fuck you" attitude and keep going until you feel the bite of steel entering your body via a bullet!<br /></p><br /><p>En route I was stopped by the police twice for speeding..... really wasnt...I swear!!. These bucks dont even have speed cameras, they were just stopping me because i was a gringo with money. On both occaisions the routine is always the same.... "mucho rapido.....blah blah.... more shite more shite" and they leave you sit by the side of the road while they do their best to put on a concerned face. The other thing which became apparent is that they phone ahead to each other to let each other know theres a sucker coming..... get his ass to put out a 20!....<br /></p><br /><p>The thing that really gets you about having to bribe these bennys is not the money that you have to part with... its that if something did happen where you needed their help... if the opposition drops a couple of benjamins you lose!.... bottom line the police are pure scum.<br /></p><br /><p>The peruvians (and i was out in it all day.... 7am to 7 30pm.... )just arent in the least bit friendly. I stopped for gas 3 times, had 3 meals and say stopped for some soda or water another 3 times.... and not once did i walk away with the impression that these guys were happy to even get the business. </p><br /><p>Theres an old saying when it comes to travelling and its that its "people not places"... well thats not true for Peru...unless your meeting other tourists there. The only sign of caring at all I´ve seen in 4 days is when the 2 lads helped me find my way to chicalayo. The rest of the time has been like selling rosary beads to protestants.<br /></p><br /><p>What you try and do is not change who you are... always try and stay the same... you never know when you´ll meet the one nice perurian.....and you dont want to be carrying in bad experiences. Most backpackers or normal tourists probably dont see this side as they go straight to the touristy spots which are well catered to. Anyway... nuff said!<br /></p><br /><p>As things turned out getting through Lima was straight forward as it was a sunday.... and theres a 3 lane highway which runs through the city the whole way to reconnect with the panamerican highway just south the city. So as things turned out it was handy!.... I smote my enemy and left its ruin lying on the mountain side!</p></div><br /><br /><div><br /><p>I got to a place called Chincha and headed out for a steak.... after 815 kilometers i earned it!. I was the only one in the restaurant and had just about the best dinner i´ve ever had i think... </p><br /><p>half way through the steak i looked up and the movie Titanic as on the TV (in spanish). It was the scene where Kate is letting Poor oul jack go and he floats away into the abyss... not a dry eye at the table. </p><br /><p>I looked around and the 2 chefs were standing leaning over the counter with their chins on their left hand complete with big tuffty chef hats.... all glassey eyed..... hard core biker me arse!</p><br /><p>Nazco and Cusco tomorrow...another 700km over some of the best mountain passes anywhere in the world.</p><br /><p>Oisin</p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-9087397643976544011?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-10453058481509971312008-10-25T18:42:00.000-07:002008-10-25T19:17:15.532-07:00<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPPYUy6DUI/AAAAAAAAKls/SKw6XGEQbF0/s1600-h/Oisin+037.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261276806504910146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPPYUy6DUI/AAAAAAAAKls/SKw6XGEQbF0/s400/Oisin+037.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPPYA1FjGI/AAAAAAAAKlk/r6OwV3Cmkrs/s1600-h/Oisin+032.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261276801145343074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPPYA1FjGI/AAAAAAAAKlk/r6OwV3Cmkrs/s400/Oisin+032.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPPX9RpgbI/AAAAAAAAKlc/J-wKKWVzTdw/s1600-h/Oisin+044.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261276800191398322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPPX9RpgbI/AAAAAAAAKlc/J-wKKWVzTdw/s400/Oisin+044.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPPXrneqkI/AAAAAAAAKlU/WY6p9H24IdY/s1600-h/Oisin+027.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261276795451124290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPPXrneqkI/AAAAAAAAKlU/WY6p9H24IdY/s400/Oisin+027.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPPXXW1UnI/AAAAAAAAKlM/yzcm73vD0PI/s1600-h/Oisin+025.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261276790012596850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPPXXW1UnI/AAAAAAAAKlM/yzcm73vD0PI/s400/Oisin+025.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPOiu7cnII/AAAAAAAAKlE/jGjsCA9d_5w/s1600-h/Oisin+035.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261275885807115394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPOiu7cnII/AAAAAAAAKlE/jGjsCA9d_5w/s400/Oisin+035.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPOiqy8u_I/AAAAAAAAKk8/MwSAvNDM99c/s1600-h/Oisin+019.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261275884697730034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPOiqy8u_I/AAAAAAAAKk8/MwSAvNDM99c/s400/Oisin+019.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPOiKnKyAI/AAAAAAAAKk0/Mxb6514TLS4/s1600-h/Oisin+018.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261275876058384386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPOiKnKyAI/AAAAAAAAKk0/Mxb6514TLS4/s400/Oisin+018.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPOh-t2kPI/AAAAAAAAKks/9Lm-9q9S9k0/s1600-h/Oisin+007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261275872865194226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPOh-t2kPI/AAAAAAAAKks/9Lm-9q9S9k0/s400/Oisin+007.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPOhRtOjaI/AAAAAAAAKkk/VPuMYAseBsI/s1600-h/Oisin+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261275860782976418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPOhRtOjaI/AAAAAAAAKkk/VPuMYAseBsI/s400/Oisin+003.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPNzTaEBEI/AAAAAAAAKkc/4ccwWgw_p8Q/s1600-h/Oisin+039.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261275070965482562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPNzTaEBEI/AAAAAAAAKkc/4ccwWgw_p8Q/s400/Oisin+039.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPNyySCRtI/AAAAAAAAKkU/x3Jy8VVA4V4/s1600-h/Oisin+043.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261275062073444050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPNyySCRtI/AAAAAAAAKkU/x3Jy8VVA4V4/s400/Oisin+043.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPNymuJguI/AAAAAAAAKkM/yYF0EMsfQyg/s1600-h/Oisin+010.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261275058970133218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPNymuJguI/AAAAAAAAKkM/yYF0EMsfQyg/s400/Oisin+010.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPNyc3wA0I/AAAAAAAAKkE/433F6MZRyqE/s1600-h/Oisin+015.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261275056326050626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPNyc3wA0I/AAAAAAAAKkE/433F6MZRyqE/s400/Oisin+015.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPNx1PG66I/AAAAAAAAKj8/2Z24kI_yetQ/s1600-h/Oisin+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261275045686602658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPNx1PG66I/AAAAAAAAKj8/2Z24kI_yetQ/s400/Oisin+002.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPNAAb6nfI/AAAAAAAAKj0/UGHEHVdxgAg/s1600-h/Oisin+063.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261274189699653106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPNAAb6nfI/AAAAAAAAKj0/UGHEHVdxgAg/s400/Oisin+063.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPNABQyskI/AAAAAAAAKjs/Kf4_qtndudo/s1600-h/Oisin+064.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261274189921432130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPNABQyskI/AAAAAAAAKjs/Kf4_qtndudo/s400/Oisin+064.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPM_sLLZLI/AAAAAAAAKjk/ui4S4rEH2co/s1600-h/Oisin+084.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261274184260740274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPM_sLLZLI/AAAAAAAAKjk/ui4S4rEH2co/s400/Oisin+084.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPM_TR-hNI/AAAAAAAAKjc/qkcZrQakK1M/s1600-h/Oisin+090.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261274177578370258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPM_TR-hNI/AAAAAAAAKjc/qkcZrQakK1M/s400/Oisin+090.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPM_FoqbEI/AAAAAAAAKjU/rD8eQOZk-7E/s1600-h/Oisin+101.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261274173915425858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQPM_FoqbEI/AAAAAAAAKjU/rD8eQOZk-7E/s400/Oisin+101.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Today i tipped just a bit south, about a 100 miles....less than half a swing of the mickey in mileage terms, and it was straight back into the desert and wind.</div><br /><div>Its such a strange feeling driving through this landscape. As with the previous ride the wind picks up and throws the sand up for miles around. Mountains and any visible shape just become silouettes of themselves......driving through it feels like driving in a strange dream. </div><br /><div>It goes without saying that you need to keep your wits about you, as i was driving along a truck which was carrying big sticks just started to shed its load stick by stick!..with hair oil here doing a salalem behind it to avoid the debris.</div><br /><div>The desert is absolutely full of rubbish, and the houses and buildings you pass are little more than shacks. I passed a desert town where all the houses had a strange looking receivers sticking out of the roofs, it looked like they were all dodgem cars in a mad psychodelic trip.</div><div> </div><div>The vast majority of the shops you pass serve out stuff to you through iron bars, i guess most are worried that the place will be robbed, not too much spontaneous shopping done here!..."oh i just went in for milk but passed the cookies and just had to buy them!" When your spanish is as bad as mine..you just do a lot of pointing.... no up a little...no down a little.... yep thats it...</div><div> </div><div>Out in the desert miles from anywhere some bastard has put up pepsi and beer signs... there you are driving through one of the dryest landscapes in the world.... your mouth feeling like a camels heel... and what do you see... a sign for pepsi!..... your mind starts to think about it... mmmmmm ... a nice cold pepsi... mmmmmmm....... the feel of the cold bubbles hitting the back of your throat...mmmmmm...... a lovely belch at the end of a long slug!....mmmmmmm..... but can you buy a feckin pepsi in the desert!.... no!!.... and are you within 50 miles of a pepsi!... no...!!!...pure torture!...... I hope the lad whose idea it was to put these signs here dies roaring!....(just kidding!)</div><div> </div><div>From there eventually made it to Huanchaco....a surfer town... its famous for these weird crafts where the native folks surf out to get their fish nets.... see pictures above.....a nice place with lots of backpackers. Went out to the beach and caught another gorgeous sunset....</div><div> </div><div>Tomorrow will be a really long day... Im heading from here to ANY town past Lima...so it will be the longest day since I left the united states.... in case you dont know Lima is where they insert the enema for the world.</div><div> </div><div>Met a couple of really cool folks today, Andy from the states, Flo from france.... and in general this place is pretty cool!.... over the next 4 days I'll hit the nazca lines, machu picchu, and lake titticaca.... so it'll be pretty intense!!</div><div> </div><div>Over and out</div><div>Oisin</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-1045305848150997131?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-67871994566456193562008-10-24T13:03:00.000-07:002008-10-24T18:29:28.109-07:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQJvWP2NxFI/AAAAAAAAKjM/ZM884VOzY1c/s1600-h/Oisin+1964.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260889742723892306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQJvWP2NxFI/AAAAAAAAKjM/ZM884VOzY1c/s400/Oisin+1964.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQJvVy8V4HI/AAAAAAAAKjE/MpUIUWSkUiM/s1600-h/Oisin+1962.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260889734964961394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQJvVy8V4HI/AAAAAAAAKjE/MpUIUWSkUiM/s400/Oisin+1962.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Spent today aimlessly wandering around pacamayo ( you'll be relieved to find out I found a PC with an apostrophe and found out the name of the town!) and its been quite an experience......</div><br /><br /><div>On the face of it pacasmayo is a lovely little sea side town on the north west coast of peru. Elderly men meet for early morning coffee and discuss the comings and goings in the small town.</div><div>On the pier people drop lines into the water to get crabs to bait their traps for bigger game, and out in the distance you can see many small boats all fishing...... in crafts that look far too small for the height of the seas around them. On the beach near the peir local fishermen work on repairing boats.....it all feels very wholesome.</div><br /><br /><div>Along the beach front people sell ice cream as they do all over the world in similar locations, with stall sellers selling every manner of trinkett imaginable. It seldom rains here, the town is on the edge of the peruvian desert. The wind never lets up and as a result there are decent size waves breaking onto the beach for most of the day..... a surfers paradise or so you would think.</div><br /><div>As the day drags on a thought grows in your mind until you find yourself uttering..."Where the hell is everyone?" I know in these places they have siestas but the town feels completely empty!</div><br /><br /><div>I walked down the beach and saw just one person, a young boy playing with his puppy, and started to see the reason why no one would be attracted to the beach......its full of rubbish, everywhere. The further you walk you find that the towns sewage is running untreated via an open shore directly into the sea right onto the beach where people would be swimming. Still further on down a large gathering of vultures and gulls feed off the waste material from an abbatoir with the effluent pouring again directly into the sea. </div><br /><br /><div>Its hard to believe that the folks here dont get the linkage between pumping raw sewage directly into the sea and people not coming here to swim in the water. As its a fishing town..dont the fishermen know that fish prefer water not full of shite to swim in?... you ask yourself why dont they do something about it?</div><br /><br /><div>As I walked from the beach along the sea front, kids are playing barefoot on the pavement. The childrens park is empty and the swings are long since broken. Its only when you look up the side streets where theres little more than rocks and mud for paving you see that if barefoot is the way you have to play, the paved area is much more preferable.</div><br /><div>When I passed the guy who was catching crabs, if they were too small he didnt just throw them back, he threw them behind him where they quickly just die in the heat of the sun. Seemed like he didnt want to have to catch the same small crab again...better to let it die. No sense of tomorrow..... just survive today.... tomorrows tormorrow.</div><br /><div>I walked upto the statue of jesus which most towns have overlooking them. Beside it was a graveyard, again no one to be seen either up at the mirador looking down on the town or in the graveyard. Strolling around you see that the graves are above ground, and for a headstone some people just have their name scratched into the cement...... i stood there and thought about it for a long time.... if at the end thats all there was to remember you... how would i feel?....or do people just live on in peoples memories anyway and the headstone doesent matter.... cant decide. (very deep!....that sort of day!)</div><br /><br /><div>The sad thing is that this place could be brilliant. It could be a Mecca for surfers, beach goers even just people who love fishing, or even just eating fish..... and it could be done really easily!... but how do you inject pride into people? or a sense of passing what they have now onto future generations. From a natural resource perspective the thought process on everything seems to be...can i eat it? if not....can i sell it? thats where thinking about the consequences for future generations stops and starts.</div><br /><br />As the day dragged on it was hard not to feel that this town was doomed...., and that if folks in these countries dont imbibe some national pride in their natural treasures that there literally wont be any left.....you genuinely get the feeling that the clock is ticking......</div><div></div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Anyway nothing like a pair of dweeb surfers to turf out the enviromentalist in you and replace it with machavellian malice!..... talked to these 2 lads for about 5 minutes.....and felt the life force begin to ebb from my body..... 2 bigger Gick-nahs you would struggle to meet.......I finished up talking to them and was secretly glad now that the abbatoir was pumping its gunge into the sea... maybe it would draw in some sharks and trim the herd of these 2 shitkickers...</div><div></div><div></div><div>Whoever called their child Cangri deserves to be castrated.(see below)...although with a name like Oisin.....</div><div></div><div>enough moaning!.... will be less tomorrow I promise</div><div>Oisin</div><div></div><div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQIvMfRsX1I/AAAAAAAAKi8/esWh0QrJ5kQ/s1600-h/Oisin+1951.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260819206322806610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQIvMfRsX1I/AAAAAAAAKi8/esWh0QrJ5kQ/s400/Oisin+1951.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQIvMDsUVlI/AAAAAAAAKi0/IevGG__pBRM/s1600-h/Oisin+1949.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260819198918284882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQIvMDsUVlI/AAAAAAAAKi0/IevGG__pBRM/s400/Oisin+1949.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQIvL4cqA5I/AAAAAAAAKis/Qncrv5BaVus/s1600-h/Oisin+1957.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260819195899806610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQIvL4cqA5I/AAAAAAAAKis/Qncrv5BaVus/s400/Oisin+1957.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260819193458260914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQIvLvWi-7I/AAAAAAAAKik/9uiMWSzWZ-I/s400/Oisin+1934.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQIvKqf5aZI/AAAAAAAAKic/vxyJ9HA3Zpg/s1600-h/Oisin+1943.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260819174975433106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQIvKqf5aZI/AAAAAAAAKic/vxyJ9HA3Zpg/s400/Oisin+1943.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQIuB33-JuI/AAAAAAAAKiU/nQlA07mUgyw/s1600-h/Oisin+1937.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260817924435617506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQIuB33-JuI/AAAAAAAAKiU/nQlA07mUgyw/s400/Oisin+1937.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQIuBp8WC8I/AAAAAAAAKiM/8-V6Nzjtj_o/s1600-h/Oisin+1960.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260817920695864258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQIuBp8WC8I/AAAAAAAAKiM/8-V6Nzjtj_o/s400/Oisin+1960.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQIuAw3yfcI/AAAAAAAAKiE/TGsG_IuPEk4/s1600-h/Oisin+1959.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260817905375935938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQIuAw3yfcI/AAAAAAAAKiE/TGsG_IuPEk4/s400/Oisin+1959.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQIuAc5jT2I/AAAAAAAAKh0/OR8wTZMpOTs/s1600-h/Oisin+1954.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260817900014620514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQIuAc5jT2I/AAAAAAAAKh0/OR8wTZMpOTs/s400/Oisin+1954.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQItUObUDXI/AAAAAAAAKhs/9XJdyRBqZKo/s1600-h/Oisin+1952.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260817140215450994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQItUObUDXI/AAAAAAAAKhs/9XJdyRBqZKo/s400/Oisin+1952.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQItUJKKTwI/AAAAAAAAKhk/bhE3oSmTYJ4/s1600-h/Oisin+1957.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260817138801331970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQItUJKKTwI/AAAAAAAAKhk/bhE3oSmTYJ4/s400/Oisin+1957.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQItT-k987I/AAAAAAAAKhc/TXbRO6qiyck/s1600-h/Oisin+1956.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260817135960978354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQItT-k987I/AAAAAAAAKhc/TXbRO6qiyck/s400/Oisin+1956.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQItTM5xwAI/AAAAAAAAKhU/BAyu6DXCQHU/s1600-h/Oisin+1941.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260817122626486274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQItTM5xwAI/AAAAAAAAKhU/BAyu6DXCQHU/s400/Oisin+1941.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQItSllsgOI/AAAAAAAAKhM/f_7UQ6IpFK0/s1600-h/Oisin+1940.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260817112073273570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQItSllsgOI/AAAAAAAAKhM/f_7UQ6IpFK0/s400/Oisin+1940.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQIri-FGuHI/AAAAAAAAKhE/OA08zgGQKiY/s1600-h/Oisin+1948.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260815194502117490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQIri-FGuHI/AAAAAAAAKhE/OA08zgGQKiY/s400/Oisin+1948.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQIrioq4cZI/AAAAAAAAKg8/7xJwXU7T0FM/s1600-h/Oisin+1936.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260815188754985362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQIrioq4cZI/AAAAAAAAKg8/7xJwXU7T0FM/s400/Oisin+1936.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQIrh72gqZI/AAAAAAAAKg0/NdiBHdVBh1E/s1600-h/Oisin+1933.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260815176724162962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQIrh72gqZI/AAAAAAAAKg0/NdiBHdVBh1E/s400/Oisin+1933.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQIrhS8MujI/AAAAAAAAKgs/zyJwxD0CMjI/s1600-h/Oisin+1931.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260815165742168626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQIrhS8MujI/AAAAAAAAKgs/zyJwxD0CMjI/s400/Oisin+1931.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQIrg42J-LI/AAAAAAAAKgk/pzoQsvkUQ1U/s1600-h/Oisin+1929.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260815158737500338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQIrg42J-LI/AAAAAAAAKgk/pzoQsvkUQ1U/s400/Oisin+1929.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2450862765401021090-6787199456645619356?l=30000mileson2wheels.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Oisin Hughesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450862765401021090.post-67617170578335426692008-10-24T06:46:00.000-07:002008-10-29T11:25:33.147-07:00ja<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQHhB8AdMWI/AAAAAAAAJt0/Mf_WnM1QFVE/s1600-h/Oisin+2084.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260733263149609314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQHhB8AdMWI/AAAAAAAAJt0/Mf_WnM1QFVE/s400/Oisin+2084.jpg" border="0" /></a> Uploaded a dose of pictures here...hopefully at least some of them will make any visit worthwhile!<br /><p><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/Oisin.m.Hughes">http://picasaweb.google.com/Oisin.m.Hughes</a></p>with a the best of the trip so far in my humble opinion here...<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/Oisin.m.Hughes/30000kmPicturesAlongTheWay">http://picasaweb.google.com/Oisin.m.Hughes/30000kmPicturesAlongTheWay</a>#<br /><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p>Body is in a heap today after the wind in the desert yesterday so deciding to stay on the beach and have a good read of a book! and if i can make sure theres no green peace activists about I might chance a swim.... once they see me trying to get out of the water ....you know the rest!</p><br /><p>Made up my mind last night as i was drifting off to sleep.... dont think theres any better sleep aid than the sound of the sea lapping up against the shore....(did i mention the hotel room is right on the beach?...its a hard life!).... of course a good shag is a better sleep aid...but a hand shandy doesent do the trick anymore...so its just the sound of the beach and the waves for me!</p><br /><p>This is the same pc as yesterday, the one without an apostrophe, so going to call the book "Searches through the andes for an apostrophe!"....just in case Ive the hair standing on end of any grammer gonches necks, already having to read what is already brutal prose!</p><p>Popped in some video below of tunnels in ecuador...note dark just doesent begin to describe it!</p><p>I hope wherever you are that your happy out!, anyway im off to the beach..... nice!!</p><p>Oisin</p><p><br /><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-ec583b81a213cece" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" 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href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQEZNpSaz-I/AAAAAAAAIog/W1svR0yefZo/s1600-h/Oisin+018.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260513561957552098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQEZNpSaz-I/AAAAAAAAIog/W1svR0yefZo/s400/Oisin+018.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQEY4nghjiI/AAAAAAAAIoY/zUC3bzA0Qy0/s1600-h/Oisin+023.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260513200702590498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQEY4nghjiI/AAAAAAAAIoY/zUC3bzA0Qy0/s400/Oisin+023.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQEY4tipYJI/AAAAAAAAIoQ/luPCGO5c_gA/s1600-h/Oisin+022.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260513202322104466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQEY4tipYJI/AAAAAAAAIoQ/luPCGO5c_gA/s400/Oisin+022.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQEY3yDk-QI/AAAAAAAAIoI/tEIKT3CD0sU/s1600-h/Oisin+021.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260513186354100482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/SQEY3yDk-QI/AAAAAAAAIoI/tEIKT3CD0sU/s400/Oisin+021.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><d