Calama Boyz

We arrived too late to do anything and had to leave early to get to San Pedro de Atacama for some exploring. Calama was like so many mining/energy towns before it. Our hotel was basically a glorified barracks.

Some dudes from Brazil on their way back home…
Yeah, that was my early snack.
Did make it to SPDA, not the way it was a few years earlier when I was there with my buddy Aaron, much more touristy….

Helmetz – Calama

The absolute worst roads we have ridden. This was described as a “highway currently under construction with some gravel and sand”… we also heard 3 different stories about bikes wiping out, being run off the road, and getting swallowed by sand. Yeah. This made the Dalton Highway look like the German Autobahn. I think we stood for about 3 hours straight just to see what was ahead. The border was at the volcano you’ll see throughout the videos. Funny, most of the best parts of the road were packed.. SALT!

Dronez – Uyuni

Middle of absolutely nowhere. Not even kidding. Getting here was actually the easy part… a view from above.

You can see the salt flats in the distance, this was about 2,500 feet up!

Uyuni Boyz

Well, can’t say enough about the owners of the hotel – Sue & Chris. Of course, Chris is from Amherst MA! Great chef and superb host.

Now that’s a kegerator!
Straight out of the old west…
This town was finally warming up, but it was still 23 degrees at night!

Helmetz – Uyuni

Bonus footage of the Uyuni salt flats at the end!

This was a day of more than 200 degrees in temperature changes! Absolutely exhausting.

After a recommendation from Chris, the owner of the hotel, we drove out to the Dakar monument and rode back straight across the salt flats – what an amazing place!

Sucre Boyz

Sunset over Sucre, Bolivia. This was a town I was really excited about as the old capital of Bolivia… never enough time in places to really get to enjoy it, but it was great while it lasted.

Had dinner at a local cafe, I’ll share the details in the foodz wrap-up!

The hotel was pretty nice, although the city was incredibly loud – always!

Helmetz – Sucre

Leaving La Paz for Sucre, Google got us again…absolutely hilarious.

More hilarity navigating through Bolivia…

Tried to find gas, needed to get cash, nothing is ever where it should be. Made it to Oruro…

Footage on the road, it was hot! People were washing their clothes wherever there was water and using the bridges to dry them out.

For some reason, I can’t embed this? https://youtu.be/1apUgDcDNaQ

Finally made it to the hotel…

All the roads to our parking were closed off due to some cultural festival. It took us about an hour to put the bikes away.