So Liz and I are back together again. Just one of those hard times, both stuck in a situation and different country without money trying to make it back to one another. But as everything dose we are back together and happy. Liz made it back to Salta, and we got packed up and hit the road we made it almost a block and Liz´s bike died. I took it apart and tried to find the problem but it was beond me. The bike had just lost all power. So I took off on my bike looking for a mechanic. After about ten minutes I found one, and he jumped on his bike and followed me to Liz´s bike. After about an hour and two trips back to his shop for parts he had found and fixed the problem. We asked him how much he wanted and the grand total for an hours labour, parts and two trips to the shop cost a wapping 5 peso´s. (less then 2 dollars). So we were back on the road, we made it to the shell station and got gas but then Liz´s bike would not start. Off to the mechanic I went. It was the other side of town so I followed him because I figured he could navigate the city better. He is on this little scooter with (50,000 km) on it and a high out put exhaughst. I was on my big 650 so I wasn´t worried about keeping up with him, I was just waring a T-Shirt and my biker pants, no helmet or gloves (I know, I know) but its just so liberating. Anyway, we begin to make our way to Liz´s bike as fast as his scooter would go. We are just barreling through this city at about 100k an hour and he has no intrest in stopping for anything (red lights, other cars, intersections). One quick note the intersections in Latin America City´s work like this, the main streets have the right of way sort off and the the oposit streets have to stop for them if they want to and you never know what street is the main one becuase they are all the same size´s and it changes block to block. Anyway, so we are booting a long you come flying up to an intersecion totally blind and just sort of hope for the best and pray that you will make it just on more block. But after a lot of beeping and hand guestures we some how made it back to liz´s bike. He ripped it apart again and after about an hour decided he needed it in his shop for a day or two. He wanted to just completly take it a part and re-build it. He figured it would cost around $10 for 2 days labour and parts. Liz´s bike wouldn´t start so we didn´t have much of a choice and he seemed to know what he was doing and was very carful with the bike. So we agreed. He left to go and get someone to take the bike back for him, so we waited until he got back with a truck. To our suprize he arrived with a young boy around 12 years old. The boy proceeded to get onto liz´s bike and the Mecanic put his right foot on the passanger peg of Liz´s bike and started off down the road pushing Liz´s bike with his leg. I couldnt belive it, these guys were booting along like this similar to the way we had arrived at the gas station. I just love these countrys. So we are waiting for Liz´s bike it should be back tommorrow. Argentina is amazing. Argentina is a country that has great gas (98 octane almsot jet fule) amazing stake, beautiful senery and people that treat bikers from Canada like kings. Gas stations have resturants with better waiters then an five star resturant in Canada. The people are friendly and laid back, its a country with great pride and beautiful citys and senery. When we crossed over the Paso de Jama from Chile to Argentina the Alpaca that we had posted on the front page approced us at a gas sation and just seemed to want affection. He was really cute but when they get mad they spit at you, and its not a little spit its a huge luggy and they have great aim and amazing volocity. We both learned this oh to well. But never the less they are amazingly cool anamials. So tommorrow we get Liz´s bike back and then we are of to Bolivia. The hostal in Chile is holding my camera in Chile as collateral so we have to swing by there on our way. So we will keep you all posted. Hope you enjoy...
Caleb