11/8/2013 Sth of Oruro to Sth of Pazna, camping
D81, T7, Av18.33, Max36, Tot17609, 8441
We both agreed, though the altiplano is feezing at night and early morning, the fact that there is little wind nd no rain makes camping a pleasure.
We both enjoy it as much as motels.
We are both comfortable at night and never go hungry.
The campsite warmed quickly.
We now look for sites that will get the early sun.
Without it we are like two lethargic goannas, with poor fine motor skills. Just making a coffee is hard work in the clear cold air.
For three days now, the altiplano scenery has been more of the same.
Flat, hot sun, early morning light northerlies, swinging to the nor west as the day ages.
It is riding pleasure with averages close to the twenties, it is easy to clock big distances.
We now ride with Deirdre ahead and me off behind, sometimes a couple of k.
It is important she is infront should another spoke break.
She will stop and wait at intervals for a quick chat or an orange.
Out here it is a great place to contemplate all manner of things as you effortlessly pedal along.
Lunch was enjoyed sitting on the kerb in Poopo, a mining town just off hte main road.
Some tomatoes and onions were also bought to have on water crackers.
All the small pueblitos here have paving into the town.
It is such a rough ride on the often disturbed surface.
One small creek crossed today was the most pollted I have seen to date.
It was running an impermeable rich grey colour. It even appeared to have a viscosity greater than that of water.
We have crossed so few streams out here, it is such a shame.
They only get about 500mm of rain a year, so nature can’t flush these waterways. Unlike the the ability to pollute waterways in the tropics and apparently get away with it due to natures flushing.
I think not in the long term.
Activities along the ruler straight road include people and their dogs watching a small group of sheep, cattle or llama feed.
Buses are common as are people waiting, seemingly in the middle of nowhere for a ride.
The houses are made of adobe often with tussock rooves, most are spead out on the plain.
Salt is often present on bare patches of earth. Many stretches are totally void of any form of human occupation.
The road ahead fuses into a heat mirage, as does the landscape west to Lago Poopo.
Litter is present, though not in huge quantities, the landscape is treeless except near the few towns.
The vegetation is dominated by the spiny tussock that cases us problems when camping. That and a small shrub that occours in some of the more fertile areas.
Birdlife is fairly minimal with the odd lark heard, and small bird of prey about.
Even dogs are not littering the scene. Much to Deirdres pleasure.
Passing through Ponza, we were both tired.
A property was inspected by a stream, no one was about, though the presence of chooks indicated it was occupied. Being Sunday, camping here without permission could have seen the return of the owner in a drunk state, being unimpressed with our presence.
The property was dirty, it did not feel right we moved on up the road to the next property. , a sheep was strung up to keep it off its legs in an adobe fenced compound.
In this huge openness we needed some kind of shelter, if at all possible.
I wandered into the house and yards area some 200m off the road
It appeared no one lived here.
Then off to my right a person called. He was a man of about 70, he had been in a hollow collecting cattle waste and shovelling it up to be exposed to the wind.
We greeted each other.
Here, was a man who, I assumed had spent his entire life on the Bolivian altiplano.
His face was wrinkled as deeply as looking at the arrangement of blades that make up a clump of the local tussock and just as hardy.
His teeth, those he had, were black edged and not naturally intact, coca leaf was in his mouth. He wore llangues on his feet that resembled a small heap of sun dried leather, with five small sun bleached stones at one extremity.
His hair was black and incredibly thick, but groomed.
We shook hands and I explained our situation.
Importantly saying we needed for nothing.
He was a friendly guy it was fine to camp by his barn.
Whilst setting up camp in the afternoon sun it was so hot I was down to just a tee shirt. (and pants!)
The moment the sun lost its grip on our day, the temperature plummeted .
With this onslaught we started piling on the clothing. Our ability to gain warmth outside our sleeping bags short of running or the like, was minimal. It is important to retain what heat we have at any given time.
Deirdre cooked a great omelette for dinner.
It was so cold we were in the tent by 0700.
D81, T7, Av18.33, Max36, Tot17609, 8441
We both agreed, though the altiplano is feezing at night and early morning, the fact that there is little wind nd no rain makes camping a pleasure.
We both enjoy it as much as motels.
We are both comfortable at night and never go hungry.
The campsite warmed quickly.
We now look for sites that will get the early sun.
Without it we are like two lethargic goannas, with poor fine motor skills. Just making a coffee is hard work in the clear cold air.
For three days now, the altiplano scenery has been more of the same.
Flat, hot sun, early morning light northerlies, swinging to the nor west as the day ages.
It is riding pleasure with averages close to the twenties, it is easy to clock big distances.
We now ride with Deirdre ahead and me off behind, sometimes a couple of k.
It is important she is infront should another spoke break.
She will stop and wait at intervals for a quick chat or an orange.
Out here it is a great place to contemplate all manner of things as you effortlessly pedal along.
Lunch was enjoyed sitting on the kerb in Poopo, a mining town just off hte main road.
Some tomatoes and onions were also bought to have on water crackers.
All the small pueblitos here have paving into the town.
It is such a rough ride on the often disturbed surface.
One small creek crossed today was the most pollted I have seen to date.
It was running an impermeable rich grey colour. It even appeared to have a viscosity greater than that of water.
We have crossed so few streams out here, it is such a shame.
They only get about 500mm of rain a year, so nature can’t flush these waterways. Unlike the the ability to pollute waterways in the tropics and apparently get away with it due to natures flushing.
I think not in the long term.
Activities along the ruler straight road include people and their dogs watching a small group of sheep, cattle or llama feed.
Buses are common as are people waiting, seemingly in the middle of nowhere for a ride.
The houses are made of adobe often with tussock rooves, most are spead out on the plain.
Salt is often present on bare patches of earth. Many stretches are totally void of any form of human occupation.
The road ahead fuses into a heat mirage, as does the landscape west to Lago Poopo.
Litter is present, though not in huge quantities, the landscape is treeless except near the few towns.
The vegetation is dominated by the spiny tussock that cases us problems when camping. That and a small shrub that occours in some of the more fertile areas.
Birdlife is fairly minimal with the odd lark heard, and small bird of prey about.
Even dogs are not littering the scene. Much to Deirdres pleasure.
Passing through Ponza, we were both tired.
A property was inspected by a stream, no one was about, though the presence of chooks indicated it was occupied. Being Sunday, camping here without permission could have seen the return of the owner in a drunk state, being unimpressed with our presence.
The property was dirty, it did not feel right we moved on up the road to the next property. , a sheep was strung up to keep it off its legs in an adobe fenced compound.
In this huge openness we needed some kind of shelter, if at all possible.
I wandered into the house and yards area some 200m off the road
It appeared no one lived here.
Then off to my right a person called. He was a man of about 70, he had been in a hollow collecting cattle waste and shovelling it up to be exposed to the wind.
We greeted each other.
Here, was a man who, I assumed had spent his entire life on the Bolivian altiplano.
His face was wrinkled as deeply as looking at the arrangement of blades that make up a clump of the local tussock and just as hardy.
His teeth, those he had, were black edged and not naturally intact, coca leaf was in his mouth. He wore llangues on his feet that resembled a small heap of sun dried leather, with five small sun bleached stones at one extremity.
His hair was black and incredibly thick, but groomed.
We shook hands and I explained our situation.
Importantly saying we needed for nothing.
He was a friendly guy it was fine to camp by his barn.
Whilst setting up camp in the afternoon sun it was so hot I was down to just a tee shirt. (and pants!)
The moment the sun lost its grip on our day, the temperature plummeted .
With this onslaught we started piling on the clothing. Our ability to gain warmth outside our sleeping bags short of running or the like, was minimal. It is important to retain what heat we have at any given time.
Deirdre cooked a great omelette for dinner.
It was so cold we were in the tent by 0700.