March 13, 2000
Day 143 To Uyuni
It rains a bit during the night and when Patrick gets up just after sunrise a thin film of ice covers Rachel’s panniers. We eat our cereal, pack up camp and set off again following the tracks. We have to walk a couple more kms before the sand gets firm enough again for us to ride.
All the way to Tolampampa, where the railroad again meets the road, we are frequently bothered by sand dunes that make riding impossible. It’s hard work. Tolampampa is a forlorn windy dusty grouping of adobe houses along the railroad. We see no sign of water, a few people peek through their doors or over their walls, but no one comes close enough to talk. We continue along the track, but change our minds as we see a cyclist ride to town on the parallel road. It’s a bit of a push back to the road, but after that we have firm, though very bumpy surface to ride on. Another 30 km’s to Uyuni, the ride seems to last forever. We can see the town from about 15 km’s away, but a strong headwind makes progress hard.
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As we enter town and find the main street, we almost immediately see Tonito tours, recommended by the American cyclists in La Quinca. Patrick checks it out and books a four day tour starting tomorrow. Then we find a nice recommended hotel, a room on ground level, and settle in. Nice hot showers!!! Uyuni is full of backpackers, going or returning from tours. There are several good value restaurants. We have pizza for dinner.
Today's ride: 50 km (31 miles)
Total: 4,733 km (2,939 miles)
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