PowerCycle

09/11 It took a bit of riding around in confusion but I managed to get out of Oruro without too much trouble. Market day was Saturday and I saw some interesting things in the stalls before I left. The design, creation and production of artistic Diablada masks and costumes is Oruro’s main industry. Many of the small workshops were selling offering devil masks, headdresses, costumes and other devilish things. Some of the stranger things (to me) were dried llama fetuses and flamingo wings.

The scenery south of Oruro would probably be boring to most people but I enjoyed the vast nothingness once I got past the city limits. Most of time it was flat with just some barren hills on one side and a dry, salty-crusted lake on the other (Lake Poopo). Still too much traffic but not very many big rigs. At lunch time I pulled off into the village of Poopo but there was crap going on there. No restaurants or anything so I bought some bread and rode on.

Up until this point there had been quite a few place to camp but I kept going since the wind was cooperating and I figured it would be easy enough to find something ahead. I bought a bunch of water and a beer in Pazna and headed back onto the highway. As it turns out there’s just about no where to camp for the next 11 miles. After the village of Huancane I finally spotted what looked like an abandoned set of buildings on the left (about 2 km). I rode over to the only house within eyesight and asked if I could camp there. No problem they said. The spot is perfect. There are 2 bigger houses and a little shed. The shed is 80% covered with a straw roof and it’s plenty big enough to pitch my tent inside. This will be the first time using my tent since returning to Cusco from Florida. Very excited.

GPX track