“…incredible roads, cinematic landscapes, extreme terrain, abandoned villages. We really discovered Bolivia...” - Henry von Wartenberg
Keeping our motorcycles from sinking was not an easy task. Luckily, our REV’IT! suits were waterproof. Again, night fell, and we had to make our way down almost 500 curves before reaching the town of Independencia, our final destination.
Day 6 Independencia – Morochata – Cochabamba – Aiquile Sleeping in a comfortable place became a rule during the REV’IT! Bolivia 2011 Tour. As soon as we arrived in the village, Boni got us a huge apartment for only $B18, breakfast included. A room for each became essential to unfold and dry some of our equipment drenched in the river. We woke up thanks to a rooster crowing so loudly it seemed under our beds, and we had real coffee (breakfast in the other places included a dark liquid that came from a bottle and looked more like tar than coffee). Since it was really early, we decided to devote some time to our motorcycles. Boni changed his front brake pads. I tightened the chain and devised a piece it had broken to prevent the exhaust pipe from burning my REV’IT! Apache boots. Surrounded by students who were about to start classes, we said goodbye and headed southeast towards Morochata first and Cochabamba later. More bends (never a straight road) awaited us. In an attempt to keep up with Boni, who was always ahead of me, I sped up and landed on the gravel, falling sideways on a curve bathed by a mountain spring. Nothing serious – only embarrassment, in front of a team of workers fixing a lamppost who had seen the whole thing. Once they stopped laughing, they came to help me lift my motorcycle.
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I met my partner, who was waiting for me in town, wondering what had delayed my arrival. We had meat, corn, and onion soup for lunch, and then drove towards our next destination: Cochabamba. The road was once again full of turns and ups and downs. With the city already in sight, the dirt gave way to gravel first and asphalt later on. We were suddenly amidst trucks and SUVs, as opposed to the goats, donkeys, and sheep who had accompanied us all along. We headed directly to the main square. But after a quick ice cream and an orange juice, we got back on the road.
Note: The hotel cost $B60 and we ate for $B24 Booster Chicken (again!).
A few kilometers away, we stopped at a town named Totora. It was an unforgettable place, with architecture radically different from anything we had seen. It looked like one of those towns in Spain or Portugal with two centuries of history on their streets, but no one to tell their stories. We followed one of the strangest roads, which was built with stones carefully arranged in clear-cut lines. It was very easy to fall, since these stones were extremely slippery, but we got used to them. Some donkeys later, we arrived in Aiquile, our next sleeping stop. We were welcomed with music, for it was the celebration of the Lord of Burgos. This time, we encountered more sober people!
Day 7 Aiquile – Sucre – La Quiaca We started for home. It seems everywhere in Bolivia is under construction, so the road was full of detours, stops, and unfinished bridges. We rode on riverbeds at times and from there changed to the most incredible asphalt. We arrived in Sucre, one of the most beautiful cities in Bolivia, known for its architecture and history, and headed directly to the main square. The narrow streets and its typical colonial wooden balconies took us back in time. We had our traditional squeezed orange juice and hit the road once more. Boredom was impossible. We went from gravel to dust, from pebbles to asphalt… back and forth, all the time. One of the fords we crossed left me completely muddy, so I had to stop at a ditch to wash myself. Boni drove on along a detour made of tree trunks. Miraculously he did not fall or break any tire. And so we went on until we reached the Villazón-La Quiaca border. Finally, after 12 more hours of riding, we passed immigration, left Bolivia, and entered Argentina. We had been there exactly 7 days and seen 2000 tough kilometers. The REV’IT! Bolivia 2011 Tour was ending, but our enthusiasm for future adventures was as strong as ever.
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