Letter 16
Llano Aguas Blancas - Tamarugal 02.08.02 102.71 km
I had to close the collar of my sleepingbag this night. At 6.30 a.m.
it's 4 degr. inside the tent. I'm measuring outside just now. Water for
coffee is been heated. There's nothing like a night in the dessert, ahh...
only -3,2 degr. but another cup of coffee will do good anyway.
Now 7.25 a.m. the sun has arisen above the mountains and it get's warmer.
For the first time a day without any other positive experiences than
that I survived without getting into real trouble - after all. Yes, and
100 km of good training!
At first 7 km by a terrible road just beneth the 'quebrada'. Then south
to a lovely little town to shop food. Terrible road. Considered going
back, but made the choice from a positive view point: it could only get
better. It did, but not until 1 km before Camar - excellent asphalt.
Signpost to Camar: 'Pitoresque Pueblo'. 4 km of climbing ending in a
gradient where I had to take a break just before the top. In spite of
lowest gear. There was nothing beautiful, lovely, aestehtic about Camar.
The chilean way of understanding picturesque seems to be: poor. Anything
worth seeing? And the inhabitants? No shop! Two elderly women gazed at
me as if I was mad, and with good reason. What the hell was I doing
there? The men were occupied by a boule-like game at the sports area.
No supplys and going in the wrong direction. Down again. Back on the
asphalt road. Going south to get to the road down the Salar. Couldn't
see it. The asphalt was leading to Argentine. Then it should be 10 km.
Freewheeling all the way. At last a crossroad? Doesn't exist according
to the map. I continue, and the road continues as far as one can see out
in the Salar. Not according to the map. Back again. It must be this one
to the right? I follow it. Suddenly I spot a tank lorry going parallel
somewhere far out in the Salar. So there must be a road there. Back
again to follow the same road once more. In the end appears the T-road
as it was expected to. Saved. All this time only one car passed me on
the asphalt road. Now it's just going back to San Pedro, Save the
liquids, they'll havee to do until Toconao. When I get there I buy
mineral water and soup powder.
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| The road to Argentine | Morning in the Salar... |
Tamarugal - San Pedro 03.08.02 30.60 km
I fell asleep and woke up at 10 p.m. to do the tooth brushing. I woke up
once during the night and lay tossing andd turning. The surface felt
real hard. But never the less I've now slept until 6.50 a.m. in one
stretch. The morning's come. I feel refreshed, but stay in the sleeping
bag for once. I don't have to rush. Look at my hands? They have turned
into rough worker's hands. The dirt lies in the lines in my palms. Or
dust I might say, that sounds nicer. It's not that I'm a pig. I used
valuerable mineral water yesterday trying to clean them after having put
up the tent. But it not like at home. I wonder how I smell? A shower
today would do good, so I hope that the water is back.
Today I don't feel like stepping out of the tent before I've packed. My
kitchen is in the front part of the tent. It's just zipping down,
filling the kettle and turn the gas on. This cooker has a push-lighter,
so you don't need matches. Excellent. After the breakfast of which
there's not much, I turn to my contact lenses. First I clean my thumb,
four-and middel finger, as well as I can. My small ½ l's bottle from the
road race "Sjælsø Rundt" (danish one) is perfect to dose the amount of
water. To pour from a bottle takes too much water, but this drinking top
and a light squeeze on the bottle, give me just what I want. Now I've
been using this disposable botlle for a month. My cup is used for
collecting what's spilled. One drop of saltwater on the lens - and in it
goes. I'm sitting with crossed legs, in my lap I have the handlebar bag
and on that my small foldable mirror bought in a Tiger shop for 20 kr.
This has been perfect too. A bit dust can't be avoided but then I just
have to move the lens about a couple of times. It's time to get on. Back
to Kathmandu. I know it's San Pedro, but in my head it easily turns to
Kathmandu or some other town in the eastern Asia. The only thing missing
is the smell of animals in the streets, and in Toconao (name of a road
this time), where Residencial y Camping is, is something called 'Rancho',
where you can rent horses. When I pass this the picture turns perfect.
Anyway I don't care at times where in the Earth I am. I just AM.
The disapointment and exhaustion of yesterday is already long gone.
Imagine rolling here looking up at those giants. Llacancabur, this
knight, that as usual is guarding me in the mist. I've stopped thinking
of the country as Chile. To me it's just the LAND. It's where I live,
and when I arrive at Bolivia
THAT will be my land. The land is where people are and live. What's that
nonsense about national states? There is just one land. Mine.
It's the nomad existence that is running in my veins. I AM a nomad, and
I've started thinking like one.
I arrive as planned at Kathmandu, where they once more is playing "The
Doors": Baby you can light my fire, and not to be kidding, I immidiately
start talking to an englishman who worked in Nepal some years ago. He
and his girlfriend have arrived from Bolivia. They've been on a 3 day
tour, which I've
been thinking to do. They say that 'Laguna Verde' I can reach from here,
and in Salar de Uyuni I can bike when I get there, and the rest was
nothing to talk about. Some spots they couldn't reach because of snow,
one was 'Árbol de Piedra'. Too much driving compared to the benefits.
I'll think about
that during the afternoon.
I've been tempted by a sign saying: Pizza. Mostly because I don't feel
like washing up. 'Napolitana', but I had to order olives extra. It's not
big, but it tastes excellent. So I have to go back and eat the most of a
can of pine apples. Unfortunately it feels like a change of wheather,
but until now I stick
to my plan of going to or towards Calama in the morning. Could use some
days there. I have to change the tyres. And maybe go to Chiu Chiu.