Hi motorcycle travellers out there,

We just arrived last night after a very long flight to the little port town Arica in Northern Chile.

Today we prepared the motorcycles and in an hour we have our first dinner with all the members of our international group.

If you want to follow our trip through Chile, Bolivia and Northern Argentina you are welcome!!! You can also leave us a comment down below...

Just enjoy...

Day 1 Arica - Putre

It is just great to wake up here in northern Chile, because you know for sure it will never rain here... A short loop up "El Morro", overlooking Arica and then inland and in to the Andes! A perfect road takes us up into the mountains to Socorama and Putre, where we will spend our first night on the road...

Port of Arica

"the locals"

Gabriel and Andres

leaving the coast...

cows in the desert...

It is really amazing within 150 km and nearly no traffic, we climb up to an altitude over 3500 meters! Remember we left Arica at sea level. It is really tough to walk around the little town of Putre... I tell you...

our first coffee stop - great scenery!

sorry, no coffee - but COCA TEA!

Jens and Eva

Altitude Sickness??? We will see...

Chilean toilet and showers... any questions?

Putre - we made it!

Putre is a very small village with about 2000 people at an altitude of 3700 m... Just take it easy! Tomorrow we will let you know how cold it can get a night - yesterday night it was snowing - we will see...

We found a wonderful spot and got a private concert from the guy below - just great!

Listen...MVI_8735

So guys, that´s it for today - tomorrow we are crossing the border to Bolivia and spend the night in the highest capital of the world - La Paz!

Day 2 Going into Bolivia

After a tough  night in Putre we woke up pretty early - the altitude affected us a little bit..., but already after the breakfast we felt better. Wonderful blue sky in the morning, but is was cold, about freezing point - brrrrhhhh!

The first 50 kms to the border were nearly unpaved, snow right next to the road, the locals told us, yesterday the road was closed, so we are lucky!

on the way to the border...

roadwork...

Alpacas all over, yesterday we had it for dinner - it was really good!

Look at the altitude:

In this area there are plenty of vulcanoes, like the Parinacota and Sajama - just beautiful!

Toilet with a view!

okay, later on we made it to the border... to tell you the truth, it took us long... about 3 - 4 hours. Sorry, we couldn´t make pictures there, there were trucks all over going in and out of Bolivia. Thanks god, we were on motorcycles, sometimes the truck drivers have to wait for days...

the only picture I got, one of their offices...

look at the trucks - we made it through!

Day 3 - "Road of Death" (La Paz - Coroico)

Friday 13th... what a day. We are somewhere in La Paz and today we will ride the famous "Ruta de la Muerte". We heard so many stories about that road, today we will really be there - great!

Leaving La Paz is also an adventure... more than 2 000 000 people live here, just imagine the traffic. First we have find the way out, than we ride over the "La cumbre pass" and then down direction jungle. Since 2004 they have a new road, but of course we will take the old unpaved track down to Coroico...

somewhere outside La Paz

La Cumbre Pass, look at the altitude!

ehhhh, the max speed was on a german motorway.... sorry...

somewhere down the hill, looking for the entrance of the old road...

little bit further - fog, what a change... and now on the dirt road...

let´s go!

hey guys out there - I wish you would be here with us - it is just great!!!

maybe the best picnic spot ever?

so guys, we made it, we got to Coroico. It is just a great ride!

the view from our hotel, not too bad, or?

Victor and Jürgen(at work...)

Day 4 back to La Paz(on the main road)

too much dust this morning...

Kai on the road, having fun!

Gerd our German friend!!!

We made it back to La Paz, had a little rest and then we went to the colonial part of this huge city. With out local guide Catarina we discovered some nice places and learned why everybody needs a Llama in his house...

Even you should have one of those... have a look:

Good Luck!

And tomorrow we continue to the biggest Salt lake of the world... see you!

Day 5 La Paz - Uyuni/Colchani

So, finally we are in Potosi(with Inernet), but look what happened the last three days. We  left La Paz pretty early in the morning, rode around 380 kms on paved roads before we hit the gravel, then another 160 on gravel and some soft sand... what a challenge!

La Paz, the highest capital of the world!

"Wolf in action"

on the way to Uyuni...

First we had to go to Oruro... it was a sunday, and very difficult to find gasoline, and then later on to Uyuni...

gas stop along the road...

The Gravel begins...

nice river crossing...

we are nearly there... to tell you the truth, today we had two flat tyres we arrived a little after it got dark to our beautiful hotel, built of salt!

Day 6 - Ride the Salt Lake!

We are really here, just a look out of our windows and we can see the biggest salt lake of the world! It was quite cold last night, and even during breakfast we had around freezing point... The idea is to ride our motorcycles out on the saltlake for around 150kms!!! There is an island in the middle and we will try to reach it - let´s see...

At the edge of the lake, lot´s of water, can we make it through???

Brave guys!

deep... but not too deep for us!

Playing in the dry surface - have a look:

what a great group!

Here are some of the most amazing pictures of my whole life as a motorcyclist - have a look:

what should I say - just great!!!

Wouldn´t you like to be with us ???

Day 7  Uyuni - Potosi

Leaving our Hotel at 8.00 in the morning was really easy, because we have the best weather on this tour. So far we are one week on the road, and nearly always blue sky! Today we have around 250 kms, half of it on gravel roads. First we need some gas, then we check out the Uyuni train cemetry, and of course we have to wash our bikes because of the salt...

and on the way to Potosi...

perfect location for a picnic - look where we are:

in the middle of a river bed... cool!

back on the "road"...

Just another perfect day!!!

Day 8 - Restday Uyuni/Visit of the famous silver mines

Sorry guys, no bike ride today, because we really need a little rest. Potosi itself is quite a nice town, lot´s of colonial style buildings and full of history. The most interesting thing to do is a visit of the "Cerro rico", the local mountain with it´s incredible silver mine. The visit is about 4-5 hours(1-2 hours underground). Here we go:

first you get dressed...

then to the minor market...

you buy some presents for the workers, like dynamit etc...

and then into the mines... it is really tough to see how this people have to work down there, have a look:

going deeper and deeper...

everything is done by hand, incredible, we didn´t see any machines...

here our local guide giving presents to the "Tio", the only one who helps the minors...

After 1,5 hours we had enough and in the afternoon we had plenty of time to explore Potosi on our own. Tomorrow we are leaving the Altiplano to the Southeast to Tarija, finally in the lowlands!

Day 9 Potosi - Tarija

Around 350 kms today, half paved - half on gravel... let´s leave Potosi at 4000 meters of altitude.

The Mix of paved and dirt roads is just perfect!

"Offroad Eva" following Johannes!

Wolf - just happy...

Look what happened in Camargo - we got famous! A lady from the local newspaper came by and our Argentinian friends gave her an interview!!!

And check this out, the girls fron the school nearby came over to talk to the "strangers", they love our green eyes and especially the blond hair.

and of course they love motorcycles!

great scenery!

another good picnic spot...

The truck driver and his family having fun! It is warm - look at the little girl...

"the locals on their way home..."

50 kms before Tarija our last pass road for today, and I would say the most challenging one of the whole trip! Unpaved, some traffic on soft dirt road, what means incredible dust - have a look!

We are still at an altitude around 4000 meters...

Uncoming traffic... what a challenge. This is a main road...

Check this out - what is it?

Correct - a condor!!!

And finally we get to Tarija, here the view:

look at the dust...

what should I say - Adventure Bolivia!

Day 10 Tarija/Bolivia - Oran/Argentina

A lot of things happened the last days...

First we had an easy start from our beautiful Hotel in Tarija, about 180 kms down to the border at Bermejo. The scenery is great it is really like riding through the jungle. You would never expect this variety of plants after riding through the dry part of Bolivia before. Have a look:

Somewhere at Bermejo river...

Finally at the border

Leaving Bolivia was easy, but entering Argentina became really difficult, I tell you why:

First of all they are not used to rental motorcycles... If the bike is not on your name - that´s the problem. But we got all kind of papers, so it should be okay. After 30 min. we understood we all can enter Argentina with the bikes, but our only argentinian guest "Gabriel" can´t bring a foreign rental bike into Argentina - can you believe that? We were discussing for hours... at the end he had to go back into Bolivia and we left the bike there. Unbelievable, or? Thanks god we are two tourguides from Edelweiss so he could continue on one of our bikes. What a strange rule... Anyway, later on somebody has to pick up the bike in Bolivia. Finally we made it to Oran and had our first Argentinian Asado!!!

Day 11 Oran - Salta

Okay, another day and an easy ride to the nice city of Salta. About 300 kms, but most of the time on main roads. We will make it in a couple of hours so we have enough time to explore the city in the afternoon.

Along the road...

Mercedes, all over the world...

Around two o´clock we already got to Salta, really nice city and great people!

Salta - main square

nice churches

inside the cathedral

Sorry guys, here are the latest news from our trip...

After visiting the centre of Salta, which is quite beautiful, Andres and Gabriel got a private invitation from a friend for our whole group for a "typical Argentinian Asado" - doesn´t it sound great???

Look´s good - or?

In the back - Franco, Gabriel y Leandro - great party!

Martin´s drinking games...

lift the table higher!!!

Franco and Martin  -  nuevos Amigos!!!

Day 12 Salta - Purmamarca

Leaving Salta was not so easy after last night... when we came back to our hotel we had to check out  "Balcarce" street, full of bars and and tourist places...

At eleven o´clock finally we made it back on the bikes. We left Salta to the North on a beautiful little road through wonderful scenery, a little bit like in the jungle.

new members of our group???

good place for a snack...

later on we passed through San Salvador de Jujuy up to Purmamarca, direct on the road to one of the nicest pass roads over the Andes "Paso de Jama"

in and ouside Purmamarca, isn´t it nice?

Day 13 Purmamarca/Argentina - San Pedro/ Chile

After our last night in Argentina in another beautiful hotel we have to climb up into the Andes again. Today we will ride the famous "Paso de Jama" into the Atacama desert. Far over 4500 meters of altitude...

I don´t want to leave my country...

nice church in Susques, close to the border. Then further the Argentinian control in a brand new building - Surprise! Just half an hour for the whole group - new record!!!

Again and again - up and down... at the end we arrive in the beautiful desert village of San Pedro de Atacama - here some pictures of the day:

Somewhere along the road...

maybe the nicest pass road in South America?

truck accident close San Pedro...

And this below was the "great ADOBE - Restaurant" in San Pedro:

Eh sorry... Jürgen our guide plays better!!!

Day 14 - Restday San Pedro

Today is our last restday in South America, enoguh time for shopping in San Pedro and in the afternoon a ride to the nearby "Valle de la Luna"

Here some impressions:

Jürgen on his way...

so Rolf...

isn´t it unreal?

Eva and Johannes - the Dream Team!

Day 15 - our last day, back to the Pacific Coast - Antofagasta

After more then two weeks even this incredible tour comes to an end... Today we are riding from San Pedro across the Salar de Atacama to get on the world famous Panamerican highway. Then a little bit further we turn west and after a last stop at the so called "La Portada" and a last group picture even this trip is over... what a shame...

Totally different to the Salar de Uyuni, but still beautiful.

A last dance on the salt - Victor and Kai

Here some pictures along the Panamerican Highway - everything looks a little bit bigger...

And finally at the Pacific coast...

here "La Portada", close to Antofagasta

We made it - and here are the heroes:

Rolf, Kai, Johannes, Eva, Michael, Mark, Andres and Wolf

Jürgen, Gerhard, Jens, Andres and Martin

It was a really fantastic trip, thank you very much!

You are a great team!