On this page we keep some notes from our trip.

Hostals

Some hostals we really liked, with of course a kitchen.

• Argentina, Bariloche, La Bolsa del Deporte, 12 pesos pp. A nice place to meet other people and to hang out.
  

• Argentina, Cafayate, Utama, cabaña for 12 pesos pp. A nice place to rest. Sacha is a biker himself.
  
• Peru, Cusco, Estrellita, Av Tullumayo 445, 12 sol pp. Free coffee and tea the whole day.

Routes

• The altitudes and distances from Cusco to Huancayo (info via via via). Click with the right mouse button (save link as...) on the excel logo to download the excel sheet.
  
  Cusco-Huancayo
  
  
• The altitudes and distances from Huancayo to Trujillo (info via via via). Click with the right mouse button (save link as...) on the excel logo to download the excel sheet.
  
  Huancayo-Trujillo
  
  
• From Uyuni to Potosi (Bolivia) a small cycling path goes along the railroad. This way a lot of climbs are avoided.
• At the last part to Uyuni from the north a cycling path goes along the railroad avoiding a very sandy washboard road.

Post

• From Mendoza (Argentina) to Eindhoven (the Netherlands)
  5 kg for 184 pesos

• From Mendoza (Argentina) to Arequipa (Peru)
  3 kg for 87 pesos
• From Den Haag (the Netherlands) to San Pedro de Atacama (Chile)
  2 kg for 20 euro
• From Iquique (Chile) to Eindhoven (the Netherlands)
  2.3 kg for 18550 cpesos
  
• From Den Haag (the Netherlands) to Lima (Peru)
  2 kg for 11 euros
  

Calling

From the Netherlands you can call very cheap via telediscount. Call: the number for the corresponding country-wait for connection-land code number-city code number without the first 0-abonement number. 

Peru: 0900-1527 for 0.25 euro per minute.
Argentina: 0900-1523  for 0.15 euro per minute.
Chile: 0909-1833 for 0.03 euro per minute. 
Bolivia: 0900-1525 for 0.20 euro per minute.

 Look for other cheap numbers at the page of telediscount.

Money

• No ATM in Uyuni, but cash on Visa is possible.
• No ATM in San Pedro de Atacama, cash dollar change is possible. In Calama is a ATM.
• Only a Visa ATM in Huanuco, cash dollar change is possible.

Bikeshops

• Salta (Argentina), 1 street of the Plaza. Sells inner tubes with franse valve.
  
• Santiago (Chile), a lot of shops with good stuff.
  
• Iquique (Chile), 2 shops, very good high quality stuff.
  
• Calama (Chile), some very small shops, with some luck...
  
• Arica (Chile), Wilson, no quality stuff.
  
• La Paz (Bolivia), 1 shop but more for motors.
  
• Santa Cruz (Bolivia), 1 shop but more for motors.
  

Dogs

From Sacha Gaus (the daugther of the famous Martin Gaus):

• A dog on the street you should ignore completely. Don´t look it into the eyes, because this will make the dog agressive.
  
• An agressive guard dog, will defend his own terrain, and nothing can be done against it. It is a natural behaviour of the dog and the animal will defend his terrain at live and death. In south-america this behaviour is prefered by the owners. In the Netherlands a dog is never allowed by law to bite, but in South-America this is called self defense and the owner is not responsible. A Dazer is the best solution and pepperspray (forbidden in the Netherlands, but free in the USA) in emergency; not animal friendly, but the only save methode.

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This page was last updated on Friday September 23, 2005
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