Although I don't play a great deal of golf I think riding a motorbike over long distances must create somewhat similar feelings. I've been suffering from motorcycle hypocondria of late where every sound and problem could threaten our chances of getting to Ushuaia on time. But then these low periods have soon been polarised by euphoric experiences created by being on the road in South America.
My first ever motorcycle puncture on Monday was swiftly followed by my second
on Tuesday. A nail the size of a small flag pole was extracted from my rear bike tyre less than 24 hours after a pallet staple decided to make it's home there. Matt's chain then broke in spectacular fashion at high speed in the middle of the desert that necessitated emergency treatment at the hands of a bike doctor 100 kms north of Lima. At least Matt's fate was slightly more rosier than the 25000 chickens that see out there 6.5 week lives couped up in a farm close to the scene of the accident! Couple that with some odd sounds eminating from my engine that constantly cuts out at low revs and you'd be hard pushed to think that both Yammys have had enough of this overlanding nonsense. But, like golf, just when you think the game can't get any worse, God goes and throws an upper-cut that fuels the fire to carry on with such shennanigans. For the both of us this afternoon it was more like a knock-out than an upper-cut as we rode head long in to the Atacama Desert, a veritable moonscape of sand, rock and perpetual blue
sky. It all started after a delicious seafood lunch and a pisco sour on the beach in Pisco, of course. For 200 kms we rode through nothingness before arriving in Nasca in the company of two new friends: nutty Nigel from Bury St Edmunds riding a chinese Wanxin 250 and Matheus, aka Grizzly Adams, from Switzerland on a Swiss registered Honda TransAlp. Quite how one can be so low in the morning to then finish so high in the evening I cannot explain.
My first ever motorcycle puncture on Monday was swiftly followed by my second
on Tuesday. A nail the size of a small flag pole was extracted from my rear bike tyre less than 24 hours after a pallet staple decided to make it's home there. Matt's chain then broke in spectacular fashion at high speed in the middle of the desert that necessitated emergency treatment at the hands of a bike doctor 100 kms north of Lima. At least Matt's fate was slightly more rosier than the 25000 chickens that see out there 6.5 week lives couped up in a farm close to the scene of the accident! Couple that with some odd sounds eminating from my engine that constantly cuts out at low revs and you'd be hard pushed to think that both Yammys have had enough of this overlanding nonsense. But, like golf, just when you think the game can't get any worse, God goes and throws an upper-cut that fuels the fire to carry on with such shennanigans. For the both of us this afternoon it was more like a knock-out than an upper-cut as we rode head long in to the Atacama Desert, a veritable moonscape of sand, rock and perpetual blue
sky. It all started after a delicious seafood lunch and a pisco sour on the beach in Pisco, of course. For 200 kms we rode through nothingness before arriving in Nasca in the company of two new friends: nutty Nigel from Bury St Edmunds riding a chinese Wanxin 250 and Matheus, aka Grizzly Adams, from Switzerland on a Swiss registered Honda TransAlp. Quite how one can be so low in the morning to then finish so high in the evening I cannot explain.
3 comments:
Well the last few days have been pretty crazy for you. Are you planning on updating the photobase? Would love to see some shots of the Atacama Desert and that moonscape. Don't forget the Nazca Lines. Lots of spooky goings on around there. UFO's, Aliens and general weirdness. Two Brits on bikes might raise some eyebrows I guess!
Paul
Great Adventure Matt and Stuart ¡¡
keep on riding ¡¡
Great Stu!
Now I'm sure that you are crazy!
After finish the adventure come to Brazil to chill out, catch some waves
and drink a few beers...
Good luck!
Stenio Stein
Post a Comment