Motorcycle Explorer December 2014 Issue 3 | Page 100

That whole day I may as well have been on Mars, with just the occasional Al Paca and Llama showing their face to remind me that I was still on Planet Earth. The moon was in the sky for the early part of the day and it reminded me of something someone had said when I was on the Utah Salt flats, "Look! You can see Earth from here!” At one stage I pulled well off the road to look at some interesting looking rocks. It’s not that I’m particularly interested in rocks, it was more that I had nothing to do and all day to do it. I think there may also have been some worry starting to creep in. I wasn’t in any hurry to get to the Ruta 40 - it would be tough enough, soon enough without me rushing to get to the start of it. There were very few tracks or trails around the area and I wondered how long it had been since anyone had come over to take a look around. In a world so packed with people, it’s hard to believe anywhere could still be so empty. As the wind picked up, the view was dominated by the wind blowing the rising heat shimmer from the rocks and desert in the distance. I’ve never been anywhere like it. The Chile Argentina border at all crossing points is as easy as a border crossing as you can get. All you need is your passport, your vehicle title deed and your drivers license. There is no hassle, no fixers and no problems. Nobody spoke English at the Paso Jama crossing but I had enough Sesame Street Spanish to get by. The Argies are a great bunch, really friendly and can’t help