Heading to the Salar De Uyuni

I got my bike back from the workshop today. They drilled out the bit of the sheered bolt that was stuck in the hole in the frame that the rear pannier attaches to. A new bolt has now secured the panier back to the bike frame. The frame now rattles just slightly due to the bolt fragments inside it. So, all good to recommence the journey south tomorrow. The next big landmark en route is the Salar De Uyuni, the large salt flats in the south of Bolivia. It´s likely to be 7 days of cycling to get there.

I´m feeling good after a few days in and around La Paz. There are plenty of decent restaurants to eat in, and the 400m climb out of the city early tomorrow morning is not looking so bad now that I and my bike are in good shape. La Paz is the most hilly city that I´ve walked up and down. There isn´t a flat bit of pavement for more than 10m. The pics below are taken from an area on the ouskirts of the city centre, about a 30 minute walk, where I got my bike repaired. I´ve skipped the typical Spanish city centre Plaza De shots, those are in La Paz to be seen, but what sets the character of the city is the dramatic hills all around.

  

I took the opportunity to do some Christmas shopping in the Alpaca shops and send that home. My new schedule puts a question in my location for Christmas this year, quite probably somewhere in Argentina, but that remains to be decided. Anyway, some of the things to do for then have now been done. I´ve never before been prepared so far in advance.