Date: Sun, 19 Jun 2005 08:01:00 -0700 (PDT)

OK , thanks for the reply. One important consideration is that when one is

buying motos in Argentina and wanting to travel to bordering countries and

beyond, one must have a residence in Argentina. Not the official residence

status, but reasonable proof that one will be returning with moto to

Argentina. We had no problem crossing into Chile at Jama, on to San Pedro

de Atacama and now going into Peru, but others have been prevented from

leaving Argentina. There is much confusion, even at aduana in Buenos Aires,

the Tourist Bureau literature plainly states there is no problem for foreigh

tourists buying in Argentina and visiting paies limitrofos (bordering

countries) Dr. Elisa Rosales, she is riding an XR 250 tonado (Honda) I am

riding NX400 Falcon (Honda) did three days research and found in the aduana

itself, (Buenos Aires), there was a 3 agents to 1 difference of opinion...3

customs agents stated emphatically it was OK and 1 customs agent said

foreign tourists cannot leave

Argentina with Argentine registered vehicles.... Buquebus (ferry to

Uruguay) routinely permits foreign tourists with cedula verde (proof of

ownership) to ferry from Argentina to Uruguay. We are working with Honda

and FITAC Fereration of Automobile Clubs Argentina to Canada and

researching border crossings. By the way, insurance for Peru is not

available in Arica , Chile and one must taxi to Tacna, Peru, buy insurance

and return to get motos into Peru.... More later Enjoy PS we experienced

earthquake in Calama, Chile roads were down to one lane Tocopilla to Arica,

but well patrolled by sag and carabineros... Lost tract of Nick, Jill and

Stewert and Sharon who we have met along the route... Ed and Elisa

Tynda, no time, copy of message going out to new list members and current report below that.... Ed and Elisa

Ola, Estimados Amigos, disculpame. I am sorry for not having written sooner. You are a very special group of people to Elisa and I. Among you are three university professors, a grad student doing his doctorate in archeology, a Brittish lass specializing in conflict resolution whom Elisa and I met at a Tango/Zen workshop in France, a professional tour guide, a friend whom I went to High School with in Ankara, Turkey, a producer of motion pictures, and 5 fellow motonetistas (new word) touring South America, como Elisa y yo. I would very much like to include you all in the international list of equally interesting people to whom I send, when ever possible, regular updates on our journey across South America on two Honda motocycles.

Currently, Elisa and I are in Ayacucho, Peru. We rode from Buenos Aires to Lima, Peru and then over all kinds of terrain to here. Hopefully we will continue toward Cuzco via Andahuaylas and Abancay (more mountain rippio). From Cuzco, we plan to circle Lake Titicaca and on to La Paz then down through LaChiaca to Salta and return to Buenos Aires, where we will store the motorcycles until next year. If the cocaleros finish their PARO (roadblocks) we will begin again our journey in the morning. Cocaleros are upset here because of US inspired crackdown by government of Peru on production of coca leaves. It is a complicated situation of which I am sure you are all aware.... Below is a copy of my last report to the group. Please advise if I might include you in our not too often updates.... Pending opening of roads, we plan to arrive Cuzco this Saturday...ploease reply if you would like future updates....Your friends Ed and Elisa

Stuart and Sharon..., family and friends....Ramon, our landlord, lawyer friend in BA proclimed us Motonautas when he heard we are going to cross Lake Titicaca by ferry....and I am adding good friend Dan to our list...he was also a United States Peace Corps Volunteer (Africa) .....Alcides continually providing us with geo/political/historical facts that have made our ride so much more interesting...we rode into Ayacucho, Peru last night after as the loney planet says a tough ride on a rough road, really rough with landslides occuring all the time, rocks everywhere...from Huancayo we had an overnight at a small peblo (set our tent in a small courtyard. It was safe in a land where 20 days ago, the torsos of two foreigners was discovered missing arms and legs... And torsos missing from piles of heads, arms and legs regularly..... personally I think a little organ harvesting for medical market is going on. Or it is aftermath of alien abductions... At this point I began to feel sad

for the fear this kind of modern world activity has on rual populations...and we endured about 100 k rough rippio over mountains with sheer drops of thousands of feet. Absolutely no guard rails and when the occaisional truck passed we plastered ourselves and bikes tight against cliff wall... It was a ride worth doing and worth remembering. Very rual Peru at its best. No police, no army no electricity practically no road we crossed rivers by getting very wet and on wooden bridges that required balacing the bikes on little more than narror planks... tied together.... Little children , the old ladies in clorored skirts and all with hats..., the field workers, the prideful men, the horses, burrors pigs dogs chickens all in the road and inumerable sheep. We rounded hairpin curves carefully, as more often than not there would be a flock of sheep or a couple pigs or people walking with large loads...to the ferrias, the Wednesday Markets to which people trek for miles to sell their

wares. It was all incredible and I feel we found the real South America. The colors, the smiles as we rode by very isolated huts. Apparently, there is some kind of communication between peblos,(certainly not telephone) probably a signal system from mountain top to valley... for there was always a group waiting us at each village. They would wave us on and smile and if we stopped plied us with questions. All hands on bikes and with absolutely no mal intent...with great interest that Elisa, a woman, was so brave to do this trip. All eagar to give us what they knew about the next family which sold gas out of a barrel...etc and if they didn't know something, they just made up an answer to be friendly. Wow, this is really it for mototouristas The central Andes of Peru has it all. I am forever changed. What we saw and are seeing is humanity almost untouched by TV and coca cola- Family units very much in tact, children as young as 4 or 5 tending sheep and cattle woman

preparing healthy home grown food for their families, men hunting growing crops herding horses for sale at Markets...it all is alive and well in the central andes, after a while I just stopped taking potographs and became part of it all. Elisa crying at the site of a little girl belly over a burro waving her on.... Me crying when elisa recited Machado`s poetry to the appreciative very bright daughter of a woman who took us and our motos in for the night... me crying now at the thought of it all. I can´t wait to see Bolivia... your motonetistas/motonautas Ed and Elisa

ps Stuart, we will do rippio from here to Abancay and then broken paved highway Abancay to Cusco...we are approx 350 k from Cusco...see you there around the 8th write for details. Last rippio was through a valley, next is back up to 4,200 meters for a short while and down to valleys again..forgive disjointed ramblings, but do this ride and you will understand... note for foreigners...rippio means dirt and rock road...ususally two track but often only a single track to follow...

Family, (and friends) Today is Sunday 10jul05.........the ride from Huancayo, Peru to Abancay was full of adventure and some danger. I have lost tract of how many days it has been since Ayachucho, but when the cocaleros retreated and the people removed the big rocks blocking the road our plan was to continue on the dirt mountain road to Chincheros in one day, but that was not to be.

I had employed a trusted taxis driver to follow us to Ocros....a small village deep in a valley. After arriving at noon, we three sat in the small plaza surrounded by many small children and a few curious adults. Very few foreigners have past this way. We heated up some fried rice we bought in Ayachocho and enjoyed a break from the mountains and the dust, curves and thousand foot drop offs. The views were incredible and the people, very rual and of course in typical Puruvean dress of many colors. The spanish was combined with the native language of the region Kethua...(sp).

We bid farewell to our escort as we were now out of the coc growing region and the cocaleros. Wlisa and I after taking many fotos, headed again into the mountains. Everything went well until I realized we were not going to make it to chincheros by nightfall. We tried to hurry and my motorcycle fell on loose rocks, broken windscreen and a hole punched above the head light. I hurt my elbow, and decided to camp as soon as we could find a safe place. It was almost dark and we still at least an hour out.

I found a horse pasture, with horses, and since I know they alert to any danger figured sleeping near the herd was a good idea. We set the tent with the motorcyles as a barrier to keep the horses away and had a wonderful night under millions of stars...

Next morning we made it to Chincheros only to find a police roadblock because 5 mini buses going from village to village had been stopped and robbed. We decided to rest up a day, and set the tent near the roadblock and slept as armed police stopped and checked out everyone passing. That night a little boy brought us a soup of hominy and some homemade cheese, he said his mother thought we might be hungry... the consideration and goodness touched us both deeply.....I offered to pay for gas and a few bucks extra if the police would escort us out of the robbery area. We all became friends and I am glad we could support the good guys a little. They had worn tires and worn out uniforms and very little pay, but there they were trying to protect the villagers. For them to get a new whistle is a big deal... They left us at the top of a mountain and explained there are two ways to get to Andahuaylas, our next overnight. One way was the narco trafficantes smuggleing route, and the other

was out of their jurisdiction, but could still be dangerous because of bandits. We choose to risk the bandits and since everyone else was afraid to travel we were the only ones on the now slightly improved dirt track.We made it to Andahualas without incident and treated ourselves to the best hotel in town. $20.00 US. and had a great night sleep. Life is tough in rural Peru.

Next morning we covered the 138 k to Abancay. The last of the dirt roads until Bolivia. I am up early to write to you. Now that we will be on pavement, broken, but not dirt, I can remove our air cleners again and we can treat our oxygen starved engines to some 3300 meter high mountain air. The motos will run much faster and we should be able to cover the 200 k to Cuzco by tonight.

As we are now back on the main tourist route, I doubt we will need excorts and we will undoubtably meet and make many friends with others of our nature. We hope to meet up with Stuart and Sharon, another couple (Britist) on two motorcycles... Elisa is thrilled with this trip as I am and we are very close to each other. Know we will be ok I look forward to learning more about the Incas. After Cuzco we will ride around Lake Titicaca as the ferry to Bolivia is no more, except for a catamaran taking tourists without vehicles. Then we will cross into Bolivia and to La Paz. E mail Hope Tom and Patty and families enjoyed Costa Rica, sorry we could not be there. (I will cc this to English speaking friends as I do not have time to write to my Spanish friends) Love ed

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