Pictures of the truckers at work...

You may remember that some of the best people we met were the truckers who had hauled a huge load over Paso de Jama into San Pedro de Atacama.

We saw their rig at the aduana station but didn't get any photographs.  I've now been in email contact with Robert Carlos and he kindly forwarded to me the cool photographs below of their rig.  Enjoy!

GPS Track for those GPS Geeks out there

The complete unedited GPS track from my trip.  The link is to a gpx file of the track.  You can open it in Google Earth, which is easy to use and free, or any other gpx editor.  The track is quite complete, I set a trackpoint every second.  You can tell my speed, altitude, where we stopped.  All my riding sins are laid bare!

Gobs more pics

I was going back through the blog trying to see what I missed.  I've sorted through the photos for a best of.  There are a few that were posted before, but many new ones as well.

I realized I missed some things I said I'd do.  For example, I enjoyed the hospitality of JP's parents and was able to spend some time with them at the beach.  I told them a pic would make it to the blog, but it hasn't happened...until now!

This is a huge posting,  you may want to go get a latte while this one loads!

Videos to follow!

Chilean side of Paso Agua Negra

At the beach in Arica, Chile.

JP in Lima.  He lives life to the fullest.

Coffee sin pierna in Santiago, Chile.

Agent P does Santiago.

Probably my favorite artsy pic from the trip.

USNA '89!  Carlos & Gerry

Our hosts for New Years.  It was delightful being included in their family for a night.  Thanks, George and Paula!

No Bikes...but rum and pisco!

I smile funny underwater too.

Lucas!

Josefa!

Good food (Peruvian) in Chile.

Carlos and Josefa.

Argentinian BBQ.

Kids love my bike.

When there is no water plants don't get in the way of seeing the innards of the planet.

The room key in San Juan de Jachal, Agentina.

Typical attention at a gas stop during the Dakar Rally.

Laugh at yourself!

Tiny tiny van in Mejillones, Chile.

Bikes, kids and a really cool diesel Toyota.

Sunset from the porch of the cabana in Camana, Peru.

Iglesia in Pisco, Peru.

Parked in the hotel lobby about 6 hours before the guys broke into our room. They were not ready for the big pissed off Gringo in Nasca, Peru.

Our hosts, all my thanks to the Brousset family for their hospitality.

USNA '89 in Peru.

The Bolivian Ambassadors.

Pretty town, worst hotel ever, Sicuani, Peru.

Iglesia in Sicuani, Peru.

Super twist beautiful rural road in Peru.

Buying gas at a grocery store in Putre, Chile.  The funnel had a prior life as a coke bottle.

Is it a rock? Is it a coral? It's a plant on Nevado de Putre in Chile.

See the crazy rock plant up close and personal.

The Atacama Desert south of Antofagasta, Chile.

Love the ad lib road (and accurate) road signs.

Hundreds of miles of dirt.  Ya, it was good.

Some of those hundreds of miles of dirt had shoulders that were hundreds of feet down.

KTM Bicycles in La Serena, Chile.

Coffee in La Serena, Chile.

Anna, Frank & Gerry.  Maule River Valley near Talca, Chile.

All those little brown lines in the distance are dirt rode I got to ride. Yay!

Anna & Gerry and the Maule river.

Anna & Tuomo.  Making their own Steam of Life.

Switchback dirt!

Grow your own barbed wire in Central Chile.

Twisty dirt to the horizon in Central Chile.

Not many cats with so many dogs about.

Swimming at the big drop...Maule valle by Talca, Chile.

Swimming at the big drop....

The Andes are HUGE.

Highest peak in the southern and western hemispheres, Aconcagua.

More kids on the bike, near Los Andes, Chile.

Looks like I'm trying to wash my hair in the Maule River.

Argentinians have a thing for tree lined roads.  This is south of Uspallata, Argentina.

The view from the shower in Malargue, Argentina.

Great, unusual, scenery.

More Suess trees in Patagonia.

Canadian bikes, of Peter and Paul from Vancouver, in Malargue, Argentina.

Salto de Laja, Chile.

Salto de Laja, Chile.

Chile felt like home.  It was nice to be back.

Lava, sandstone and crazy trees in Patagonia, Argentina.

Rural roads in south-central Chile.

Rural roads in south-central Chile.

A gift someone put on my bike in Salto de Laja, Chile.

Maule River, Chile.

Falls on the Maule River in Chile.

Falls on the Maule River in Chile.

Falls on the Maule River in Chile.

Falls on the Maule River in Chile.  I was walking so it was easy to take pics!

Sliding into the swimming hold.  The next drop was almost 500ft.

Gerry  & Tuomo!

Falls on the Maule River in Chile.

10ft further back and it would be a great fall with a BAD landing.

The wind was working to move the water up.

Condor!

The swimming hoel was on the top of this falls.

The ride to Dallas.

This is the Maule River in Chile, makes a nice desktop.

The swimming hole falls.

Fresh bikes ready to leave Carlo's house.

We made friends with the Argentinian Police, this was their F650.

At a gas stop while lost in Argentina.

Vincente and his wife.  Thanks!

Road near Vincente's house in Argentina.

Road near Vincente's house in Argentina.

Doors in San Juan de Jachal, Argentina.

A local hero or Jeremy Clarkson, not sure which, in San Juan de Jachal, Argentina.

San Juan de Jachal, Argentina.

New construction in San Juan de Jachal, Argentina.

A ruin on the Argentine side of of Paso de Agua Negra.

Doors in San Juan de Jachal, Argentina.

Doors in San Juan de Jachal, Argentina. 

Doors in San Juan de Jachal, Argentina. 

Stuff at the top of Paso de Agua Negra.

Robby Gordon north of Vallenar, Chile.

Racing truck north of Vallenar, Chile.

Sunset north of Taltal, Chile.

Dirt roads north of Taltal, Chile.

Salt roads north of Vallenar, Chile.

Room with a view in Antofagasta, Chile.

In Chile, used to be Bolivia...

Kids on bikes south of Antofagasta, Chile.

Robby Gordon, close, loud and fast.

Those poor Carabineros were there all day.

Kids on bikes.

The hand in the desert.

South of Arica, Chile.

That awesome diesel Toyota.  Loved that truck.

Kids in Peru loved the bikes.

After the climb out of Nasca, Peru.

Plasa major, Nasca, Peru.

Lunch stop somewhere in Peru.

Snow in Peru.

Great roads everywhere in Peru.

And scenery in Peru.

and terraces  in Peru.

Abancay, Peru.  Watch out for missing manhole covers!

View from the worst hotel room ever in Sicuani, Peru.

View from the best hotel in Puna, Peru.

A geyser in Peru.

Arrival in Putre, Chile.

Sand and volcanoes at 15,000 feet in Peru before descending to Moquegua, Peru.

Peruvian geysers again.

Road to Putre, Chile.

On Nevado de Putre, Chile.

Me.

The Altiplano in Chile.

Sunset from La Chacana Lodge, Putre, Chile.

Sunset from La Chacana Lodge, Putre, Chile.

On the Altiplano.  People loved the bikes everywhere.

Salar de Surire, south of Putre, Chile, on the border with Bolvia.  Flamingos apparently like it up here.

Scenery along Routa 1, Chile, west of Iquique.

The approach to San Pedro de Atacama, Chile.  The road  flows through formations shaped like shark's teeth.

East of San Pedro de Atacama, Chile.

Polar opposites of the Ice Road Truckers.  These guys had just hauled a piece of mining equipment over Paso de Jama.  It took eight days using a push and a pull truck and a man on the trailer for coordination.

Switchbacks and dirt, whee! Near San Pedro de Atacama, Chile.

Up in the hills above San Pedro de Atacama, Chile.

The gang at the Hostel in San Pedro de Atacama.  The guy on the far right had the good fortune to break down right in front of the hostel.  The pushed his car in and drove him to Calama for parts.  He is an Argentinian school teacher that was on his way to the beach.

The shippers in Belleve, Washington, described this crate as fitting like a glove.  They must like their gloves really loose.

In the Atacama desert somewhere south of Antofagasta, Chile.

Some nice hotels, some garbage.  This one in Antofagasta, Chile was nice!

Kids on the bike!