Saturday 22nd March 2025 Challapata to Oruro
Still really hungry, had some porridge in the morning with loads of honey, but really need to sort out my eating, last night I was dreaming of eating anything, so made a decision going to eat meat if I have too, I just need the energy. Said to Bingo this morning, I will eat anything now, just chop it up in small bits I need to eat, can’t carry on like this, hopefully it will get better as we travel further up, just love a bit of lettuce now.

Left the hostel in the still of the morning, just as it was getting light, me already dreaming of eating anything, long straight road today, heading for the city of Oruro, even that sounds like a chocolate biscuit, shows how my mind is going, next I will be looking at the road kill feast.

Off we head, just rolling along, pan flat today which is a bonus, just eating up the miles, no towns on route as such just a few small villages, which will not have anything to support two super athletes burning up the tarmac (more of that later), me scrounging around the side walk, looking for anything to eat, I am serious, think I may need a food parcel sent out. Bingo has all the chocolate stashed away, me dreaming how can I get into that, plan A get in front then say I need a break, all sorted least I got a bit of food, also had an apple, gracious for small mercies.

Carried on going up through the valley with salt plains either side of us, still thinking of food, not keen on salted fish, tried that on the last big tour, best thing you can do with salted perch is play table tennis with it, even Bingo could not eat it in Uzbekistan! Least that took my mind off the hunger games, just a play on words.

On we pedalled, no wildlife as such even on the salted plains, stopped on the side of the road, had some rations from Bingo on the chocolate front, I thought I had pulled a wizard out of the hat packet of Bolivian crisps, just like the old days with a packet in them, not salt some sort of vinegar, not nice and took all the moisture out of your mouth, so feed the animals, with the crisps things and kept the plastic wrappers, as good travellers do.

Making good speed, traffic not so bad, you get the odd one, who comes a little bit close, but overall pretty good, the worst are the dogs, they scare the hell out of me, my little legs pumping like a good one as they chase and bark after you, Bingo had another one take a bite out of his pannier today, sorry he just has not got the turn of speed I have when you are in danger, think I am knackered get a Steven King lookalike dog Cujo running after you, I am off, like a bat out of hell, enough of the film / song references, get on with the saga.

Sat on the bridge just by a lovely village named Poopo, salty marshy river with a guy fishing for table tennis bats or salty perch, had the rest of the biscuits, then Bingo comes up with a lovely stat, less than 20 to go, what he forgot to mention was the lack of road surface, so the last 20 miles was 18 0n the “Ripo” unmade road.

It was fun bumping around all the traffic trying to keep a line, while the trucks belched out their obnoxious fumes as we headed into the city of Oruro, dust and grime everywhere, the plan was to stop a few miles just before the digs, but it was that manic, just pedal on, finally got to the junction, Bingo shouting at me it on the right, just managed to take the turning, then hit a more traffic, just went up the middle of both lanes, till we hit the dirt road to the hostel. Relax booked in with a rather miserable receptionist, can’t put your bike there, I paid the bill, then put the bikes there! with a smile, she soon came around.

Good day on the bikes, also plenty of chatter about family coming to visit us, meet Rylan in a few day in La Paz, the plans afoot to meet Charlie and Lyle later in Ecuador.

So good night, Bingo cooking a six egger feast tonight in the hotel what can go wrong!