Sunday 23rd March 2025 Oruro to Patacamaya
To try and feed me, Bingo cooked in the hotel room last night, all the normal ingredients, pasta, onions, garlic, sweet corn, tomatoes plus 6 eggs, hopefully that should do the trick, with two massive helping, I was definitely not hungry after that lot.

Still very cautious of the altitude, just not rushing about, taking it as easy as we can, having a room on the 4th floor with no lift did not help though.

Breakfast in the room, cornflake / frosty things with yogurt, then get all the bags and water bottles down four flights of stairs, had to make two trip each, that was me done for the day already.

On the road around 6:15, first down an un-made road for about 1/2 mile, then onto the highway heading for Patacamaya, aroud 78 miles, with a few towns and villages on route, nowhere booked to stay, but a few hostels in the town so we should be fine. Took us a while to get out of Oruro, then on to clear roads, with a very wide hard shoulder. Just taking it easy getting in the early miles before the traffic builds up, we are on a relatively new road, that bypasses, most of the villages, so took a break on the side of the road, eating as much chocolate as I could. Once again no serious climbing today, just undulating road on a plateau around 13,000 ft.

Lovely road surface and very little traffic meant we made good progress in the cool morning, still the occasional truck belting out the obnoxious fumes, but nowhere near as bad as yesterday. Had a nice little break in a little town Konani, sat outside a little cafe and had two mugs of coffee and an apple, watching the world go by, strange little place, with traditionally clad women carry all sorts of stuff around, massive bales tied onto their backs, and we think we have it hard. Then a truck of llamas turned up, all sitting elegantly in the back of the truck, looked a sight, but they were probably on their last journey.

With just over 30 miles to go, back on the bikes, with a view to stopping again for a drink and chocolate in a place called Lahuachaca, went to a little shop, lovely lady served us, then came out for a little chat as we had a soft drink and chocolate rice crispy things I bought, not the best but wanted some energy.

Final part of the ride, had a gentle 5 mile incline, nothing serious, just made you work a bit, when we got over the submit you could see the snow capped mountains, possibly Huayna Potosi “Thunderous Youth” in Aymara, over to the left of us, looked massive!

Gentle little descent into Patacamaya, managed to get some digs for the night, in a little truck stop place, guy also kept the restaurant open so we could have a meal, top man. Strange meal, Potato, boiled egg (in shell), mozzarella cheese and seaweed stuff, it was ok to be honest, then up to to the sparse room, but least we will be warm.

Only got about 65 miles to La Paz tomorrow, then a few days rest, as we wait for Rylan (my son) to join us for a few weeks, Ryaln is going to ride with us from La Paz to Lima, via Lake Titicaca and Cusco.