Saturday, Feb 06, 2010 at 20:53
I am not sure if I am going of the tangent a bit here, but going through my old photos just made me try to show off a little and share the nice
places I have been in Bolivia with my VW,a and brings tears to my yes when I remember the exact spots and circumstances. Anyway here they are
This is just after I have changed the floor (yes you can buy new floor sheets)
I have also painted some bits and pieces nice blue - that air filters with the carburetors are the week link, they keep falling off on corrugations
It has been modified to be as high as it can gets
This is a road in the vicinity of lake Titicaca – highest lake in the world 3800m - failry rocky ride, I hsve driven it with a hired Patrol and one has to go really slowly otherwise you get spinal injuries, with the VW one can just fly over it.
Driving along a old inca trail with Lake Titicaca in the background
On a local ferry on the lake Titicaca
Going up to Chacaltaya, the highes sky lift in the world (5300m) That is the club house in the background, unfortunately the glacier melted away and there is no more skying there.
Road up to Chacaltaya
At the top of Chacaltaya with the left overs of the sky run - car has problems with power at 5300m, as there is very little oxygen
Going up into the Andes in vicinity of La Paz (Capital of Bolivia)
Few hundred meters higher up, at close to 5000m, very little vegetation, just rocks and clay, nut much of a road either
The road (or track rather) gets worse, a car has not passed here for a while
View from the highest point of the road (the track can be seen folloing the ridge line)
Another venture high into the moutains around La Paz, exploring some roads, this is end of one.
Another track leading to old mine - altitute around 4000m
End of yet another track, top of a ridge line at 5000m, the landscape is just fantastic. Got to the snow again - mind you La Paz is at latitute of 16 Deg 30' S which is bit more north then
Cairns, but because you get so high you get snow in these moutains.
Bush camp near a town called Cochabamba, Bolivia
On a way to a Carrasco NP which is down in the lowlands water from here drains to Amazon
Driving through the southern some what arid lowlands north of the city of Santa Cruz, reminds me bit of Africa, even though I have enver been there.
took a while to get these out of the road
Did not have to cross a dry creek this time !!
Exploring some dry hills around locality of Samaipata (huge indian fortress listed as unesco herratege site)
Some emergency repairs - lsot some nuts and gearbox got loose
Got stuck in a sand again, crossing a river bank, took me a whiel to dig msylef out and winch myself out with a small hand winch. Used that log as an anchor (i tried the tire first, the winch can be seen next to the stick)
Amboro National Park near Santa Cruz
Hit a deep hole, going too fast and my steering rod got bend, needed to take it apart and use a hammer to get it back into shape. In my VW it is under the fuel tank, which is in the front, so that had to get out too, took only couple of hours.
Amboro NP
Back on the blacktop, and going to fast (80km/h) lost a whole wheel including the brak drum, the central nut hodling the wheel to the axel came off. Found the wheel in the bushes, then managed to hammer the whell back in the position, adn got a spare nut.
This is a pit stop in Santa Cruz after I have returned form the eastern amazon (some the pictures from that trip are in the previous post), after couple of thousands kilometers on a bad roads I hsve lumbered back to Santa Cruz, and had major repeiars done on the engine (changed cylindes and valves) but
Oh well I love (and sometimes hated) that car
Hope I am not offending anybody by posting these photos here even though they have nothing to do with the subject of the original psot
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AnswerID:
403001
Follow Up By: Off-track - Saturday, Feb 06, 2010 at 23:02
Saturday, Feb 06, 2010 at 23:02
Absolutely nothing offensive there mate. Now THAT is the spirit of adventure that most here aspire to but few rarely see.
Very interesting.
Keep the pics coming!!!!
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Follow Up By: Steve - Sunday, Feb 07, 2010 at 03:05
Sunday, Feb 07, 2010 at 03:05
some fantastic stuff there mate - keep it coming and any tales of your trips would be interesting.
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Follow Up By: cycadcenter - Sunday, Feb 07, 2010 at 03:16
Sunday, Feb 07, 2010 at 03:16
KEEP THE PICS COMING.
This would have to be one of the BEST if not the best pictorial posts I've seen on the site.
Bruce
San Diego CA
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