Saturday: Back to Cochabamba

From Oruru we set off for our final day of riding and Cory says we'll have a little bit of off road at some point. First tarmac of variable quality with the inevitable dusty roadwork detours and then we turn off onto the real dirt.

At first the track meanders across the undulating landscape. It's still a little muddy after the rains a few days ago so there are some patches we need to negotiate very carefully. Then we hit water; a couple of small rivers to be precise. Thankfully we all find the shallowest spots to cross and remain upright, but the water still covers our boots. Those that cross at the right speed (or enjoying the benefits of Gore-tex lined boots) remain dry. The support jeep/truck follows and has no problems with the slippery rocks that cause two wheeled problems. That's more than can be said for Steve Dent on the Africa Twin, whose V-twin engine is only firing on one cylinder - poor Dr Rosie has to walk uphill in some sections.  HT lead?

The last straw?

The road climbs into the hills and we pass a few remote villages. Cory has to confirm directions at some of these as this road is not well documented and he hasn't travelled it for two years. In one of the villages the locals have set an unofficial toll that we have to pay before passing. But it's worth it, because after this the road is amazing. At some point we merge with a disused railway line. This once connected Cochabamba with the western parts of Bolivia, so we know we're on the right..... umm, track!

These roads were fun

The track winds its way through the ever rising hills in spectacular scenery straight from a Hollywood western: rich reds, rugged rocks, deep ravines and dried up river beds; real Butch and Sundance country. The rails cut their way into a hill and we stop at the tunnel entrance for lunch. Noodles, so maybe this is a spaghetti western!

Wild (South) West country

We follow the route through other tunnels as we ride along and across the steel rails. Mostly the rails have been covered in earth and are easy enough to ride along, but in places they are uncovered and become extremely hazardous if you cross them at the wrong angle.... as Steve found out and has the aches and pains to prove it. This coupled with Graham's off in the mud demonstrates the real challenge of this il frequented route. On other parts of the track the rails are completely uncovered so the route deviates onto an adjacent path; or you can ride the sleepers and experience the same violent vibrations as the corrugated tracks near Uyuni.

Probably best not to follow the track at this point

We leave the rail line eventually and climb again, this time topping out at almost 4500m; we're getting used to these altitudes by now. As we reach the high point we experience the most breathtaking views we've seen on the entire trip: 'surround sound' rolling hills fading into the distance, leading to snowcapped peaks. With fluffy clouds and blue sky this really is beautiful. We could stop to soak up this view for much longer, but we have to move on as there are still big miles to be covered.

Wild West country? I guess that makes me a cowboy!

A road crew are repairing the road in places and the tailenders have to stop while a digger scoops earth and tips it over the edge. We corkscrew downward on the switchbacks and dirt and gravel are replaced by pristine cobbles. In the wet these would be lethal, but they are dry now. Phew!

The road meets a main road and we're back on tarmac. It's 100km to go and we need to get to Cochabamba before dark. This road is busier than most we've travelled so there's a fair bit of overtaking. A coach is overtaking a crawling bus uphill and there's oncoming traffic. Eager to make progress the obvious route is offroad to the inside of the bus. Danny follows me, but his route back onto the road becomes a high step and he ends up having to wait for both the coach and bus to pass before rejoining the road. Further on, Steve has an encounter with a coach being driven by Stevie Wonder. Luckily it's only Mr King's good shoulder that makes contact, but it's only a glancing blow and he's unharmed.

We arrive in Cochabamba and the light is fading fast. Traffic is thick and the air black. Before we reach Cory's place it really is dark and Gerard, without lights on his bike, feels particularly vulnerable. Eventually we get there and we're all a bit shell shocked and sit unusually silently while Cory's wife hands out refreshments and his kids enjoy their dad being home before they have to go to bed. We reflect on what was probably one of the best days riding any of us have done. That disused rail route is a real treasure that we'll remember forever. What a day!

We say goodbye to the bikes and get off to the hotel in taxis. We meet later for dinner in a sports restaurant, have good meal and share goodbye words. In the morning we fly to La Paz.

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