Jan Gerben – Harley-Davidson flathead 1943 World Travel

Sorry, this entry is only available in Nederlands.

Medellin, Colombia, december 30th 2009

Just before Xmas I’ve returned to ‘the city of eternal spring’, Medellin by plane from Santiago. Ever since I left Medellin in september I kept in touch with my love, Diana. Despite all internet difficulties of trying to keep in touch, our contact became more intense with time & distance. So I decided to spend Xmas and New years Eve together. Se here I am, living togeher with my love in a tiny but very sweet apartment in Medellin surrounded by cousins, nieces, aunts, brothers & stepfamily. Love it!

I will also use this time for preparations for the final leg of the roadtrip. Deciding about the route, bankmatters, bike parts, e mail and so on. To my surpise my Bolivian angel also sent me a mail, in the days after my nighttime mountain adventure in the south of Bolivia I asked myself wether I had dreamed her up.

The bike, El Libertador, is safe in Santiago in the garden of on ald house next to a 1954 Chevy. Kiwi Dave and his men keep a watchful eye on her.

The picture is taken in the Atacama desert, about 50 miles south from Antofagasta, Chile and 150 miles from the next gas station.

Wish eveybody a superb and healthy 2010.

Thanks for taking intrest in my writings and website!

Sorry, this entry is only available in Nederlands.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Nederlands.

<!– /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:”Cambria Math”; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:1; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:”"; margin-top:0cm; margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:”Calibri”,”sans-serif”; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:10.0pt; line-height:115%;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:70.85pt 3.0cm 70.85pt 3.0cm; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} –>

Potosi, Bolivia, november 28th (I guess) 2009

From Peru I entered Bolivia along lake Titicaca. Still at high altitude, so it´s cold and rainy season has started. Mostly it rains now in the afternoon, evening and night.

From La Paz I rode to Oruro but had to bypass a roadblock. Altough it rained we took the dirt roads. In the beginning all rocks and sand so no big problems. Then the mud started. No complaints, I only fell once and two times the bike got stuck in the mud but I managed to get out by myself. Then the dirt road ended …… Just had to go through the desert, once I got stuck and didn´t have the energy to pull the bike out so I needed a little push. We reached the road but it took 3 hours for a stretch of 10 km´s.

Tomorrow I head out from Potosi to Uyuni with 3 off road bikes. The road will be dirtroad. In Uyuni I have to make decison about crossing the salt desert to Chile, which is about 300 km´s. If the desert wil be wet it´s undoable, if it´s dry I’ll take a try.