Salta

We took the cable car ride up the overlook in Salta The waterfalls(man made) at the overlook

"Top o' the World"

Cathederal at night

San Martin, the great liberator of Argentina

Buenos Dias, Argentina

Quick, somebody cue up Marty Robbins singing "Buenos dias , Argentina", yes, it really is a song. We crosssed the border at Yacuiba on the eastern side of the Andes. The border was busy with cart traffic, because it is easier and cheaper than trying to get a truck through here. It was like an giant ant farm display. The workers from Argentina would just dump their load in the street and the Bolivian side would load in on their carts and disappear into a side street.
A while after crossing the border, the farm fields streched out to the horizon. Large equipment was everywhere. Quite a change from the tiny hillside fields of the Andes. The MasseyFerguson dealer at Embarcacion.

We stopped at a service station/cafeteria and talked to a guy who worked on a local farm. They had 17,000 hectares, but only 5,000 were being farmed. That's give or take 15,000 acres, all no-till.

A Regional Custom

When we started to leave Concepcion, we asked if there really was a route back that was all asphalt. Everyone said "Yes, but there is this bridge......" . It turns out, to cross the river the only avaiable bridge was the railroad bridge. We were advised to wait and go at the end of the line, and if it was dry, everything would be fine. When we got to Pailon, where the bridge was, at least we were blessed with dry weather. Waiting patiently, we thought we were last, but cars kept coming. Now picture crossing a railroad bridge with random length 3x12's running lengthwise, for 1400 meters, add in slow traffic in front of you, while you ride the clutch, trying to maintain momentum. You can't go fast enough to maintain your balance, but every time you start to put your foot down, it clips a nail or bolt holding the boards down. Add in a car or truck in your rearview, it's quite the stress generator.
Lou coming off the bridge in one piece.

A second bridge in Villa Monte, near the Argentine border

The Missiones

We surived the ferry and the driving rain and the pavement ended about 40k past Concepcion, so we found the Hotel Etayo, and called it a day. The owners took us in as family and we truly felt at home. They even gave us a guided tour of the city in their four-wheel drive truck and took us to church services on Sunday evening. The restored Jesuit Mission in Concepcion

A closer look at the guy on the ladder

Evidence that the rainy season has started

Hotel Etayo

How to relax at Hotel Etayo
The bell tower at the Concepcion Mission, made entirely of wood.

The restored Jesuit Mission in San Xavier. We arrived in the rain, on Tuesday morning while they were celebrating their Feast day. It was the day after the celebration of the city's anniversary party. We got there just in time to watch the ushers throw a drunk parishoner out of the sanctuary.

Inside the sanctuary of the San Xavier Mission

All they had to say was "No,....."

But when we would ask if this was the way to Los Troncos or Concepcion they would all point in the direction we were headed and say "yes, just go straight" Soon , the road got to be just a dirt trail, but it also got to be that we didn´t even have to ask. Whenever we made a wrong turn, someone would always give us a sign to turn around or point in the general direction we needed to be headed.

Then, we came to a ferry crossing on the Rio Grande that wasn´t the most modern thing.

After a little bargaining on the price, we settled on the environmentally friendly company. Read- no motor, human power.

A little later, no worse for wear.

Safe and sound,.....and dry.

We headed off in search of Concepcion. Later we figured out that if we had gone south about 50k and then back north 50k, we could have been on asphalt the whole way. But then we would have missed all the fun

Welcome to the Jungle

Cochabamba from the hotel window

Entering the Amazon side of the Andes

So, we visited Machu Pichu, the ruins at Ollantytambo and Pisaq, and visited with Shawn´s parents in Aguas Calientes and Cusco. It was really fun, and Machu Pichu is truly a destination for people from all over the world. We met people from France and Brazil and a whole bunch of other countries, sort of an international cross roads. We left Cusco and ended up on Lake Titicaca in the town of Puno, Peru. Kind of a disappointment after the beauty of Cusco, but I guess every dog has it´s day. From there we crossed the border into Bolivia and went to another town on the lake, (ok, Ill write it again, Titicaca) Copacabana. This place was the Bohemian hideout for a bunch young folks livin´on the cheap, rooms for 3 bucks a head and dinner for arond 2 or 3 bucks. The next day we took a somewhat interesting ferry across the lake to the road to La Paz and found another hippie hideout in downtown, it kinda looked like a commune, but it was a cheap place to stay where we could get Shawn to the airport easily the next day. After some starting issues the next morning (even the motorcycle has trouble waking up at 10,000 ft) we traveled to Cochabamba over the Bolivian altiplano through sleet and 38 degree temperatures. More engine trouble occupied the evening , so we ended up working on my carburator instead of seeing the town. Today we intended on going to Santa Cruz, but no one told the map company that Bolivia has moved the major route east out of the mountains into the Amazon basin and the road ends up in Montero, 35 miles north of Santa Cruz. We got to spend the afternoon here taking apart Lou´s starter and finding out why it wasn´t working. It was just a loose piece and it worked fine after we put it back together. We´re planning on visiting some Jesuit missions, but the rains may change our plans, so stay tuned. Oh yeah, the day before Shawn left, my camera said card full, so I sent it home with him, and we´ll have to get the pic´s from Lou, sorry.

Machu Picchu

The traditional sunrise shot.

Yes, I did take this wonderful picture! ¿Como se llama?

Shawn and me at the top of the mountain at Machu Picchu

Going down was more unnerving than going up.

Shawn´s parents happened to be in town and we had dinner with them. (remember Sean Tucker is missing because he was on the "young man´s" bike trip.