Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Lagunas, Flamingos and another way to enter from Bolivia into Chile with a dog and a sidecar

Beautiful scenery, catastrophic track especially with a broken front fork but nonetheless I found an innovative way to enter Chile ;)

Some more info on crossing the border from Bolivia to Chile with a dog.

Your pet needs to be vaccinated against internal and external parasites (my dog got medicine designed for swines but I only figured that out later)!

Based on my (horrible) experiences here is what I recommend:
1. Your pet needs a health certificate from a vet stating the rabies information (date, vet who gave the shot) and the vaccination for the parasites (date and vet who gave it). Most likely your vet is incompetent so you need to make sure everything is ok, even the tiniest details! This paper is supposed to be valid for 30 days but I would not go beyond 10 days! The parasite treatment and the health certificate together were 80BOB.

2. Besides that you need an export permit for your pet from the Bolivian Senasag. This paper must state the rabies info (date and vet), the parasite info (date and vet) and better put ALL info you have about your dog into THIS paper (like all vaccines with date and name of vet, and whatever else you can imagine). This paper is supposed to be valid for 30 days but I would not go beyond 10 days!

Note that there is only one vet in Potosi who can make this export permit and this vet might be out on an inspection (or coffee). Better reserve time for this! Most likely this vet is incompetent (or lazy) so you need to make sure everything is ok, even the tiniest details!

Senasag Potosi: S19.55927° W65.76094°
(check their webpage http://senasag.gob.bo/ for other locations, there is no Senasag in Uyuni!)
The paper costs 50BOB and you need to pay at the bank and come with the receipt to the Senasag office.

The actual border crossing:
Bolivian side does not care at all about pets going in or out.

The Chile SAG has all the power to let you in or not. They can be very very naughty - a level of naughtiness which I would call arbitrariness as well as abuse of the SAG position (Other traveler's stories confirm that in regards to bringing animal products/souvenirs into Chile). Based on my experience there is no proven recipe for dealing with this. If they do not like you, they do not let you in, so be prepare to get access denied with your pet even though you believe you have all papers correct.

Potentially if you have a SAG paper from Argentina you might be able to compare and get a similar paper from Bolivia (just to be sure).

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Which way to go from Bolivia to Chile and then this happened again...

If you thought my misery was over, watch this episode...

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Phuck you SAG, Senasag - drama at the border Bolivia to Chile

The beautiful landscape and plenty of shit I had to take while trying to get from Bolivia into Chile with my dog...

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

My sidecar is falling apart and I am stranded in Uyuni, Bolivia

Enjoy the ride from Potosi to the Salt lakes of Uyuni. These roads are hard on my old bike and I am beginning to wonder if I will make my journey to the end?



Saturday, March 12, 2016

Riding from La Paz to Potosi and enjoying vegan food in the "magic apple"(Bolivia)

The difference between cities is amazing but watch for yourself. I also found a vegetarian restaurant in Potosi in walking distance from my hostel. Watch for yourself...


Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

From Copacabana to La Paz (Bolivia)

A smooth ride from Copacabana to another traffic nightmare big city - La Paz.




More info on the bike insurance:
I got the contact data from http://www.smboilerworks.com/
Name: Seguros Illimani
GPS: S16.49903, W068.13338
Address: Loayza No 233 Edif Mcal de Ayacucho (this is the name of the building) Floor 10
You need copy of: passport, vehicle title, Bolivia import paper.
I paid 100USD for 3 months and it covers: Bolivia, Chile, Argentine, Brazil and Paraguay (the others paid 160USD for 5 months). It could also cover Peru if wanted.

Peru - Accommodations, tracks and waypoints

The track
About 3500km, Total Ascent 47161m, Total Descent 44155m

The tracks and waypoints can be found here in gdb and in gpx format.

Accommodations (for one person, 100sol≈27EUR):

San Ignacio - Hotel Zumbilla

Type: Room with single bed
Costs: 20sol
Dogs: free
Bike parking: secured in garage besides the hotel
Contact:
GPS: S5.14505° W79.00707°
Comment: hot shower, TV, no Wifi, no shower curtain, not sure about the name

Jaen - Hotel Imperial Palace

Type: Room with one bed
Costs: 40sol
Dogs: free
Bike parking: secured in garage
Contact: Av. Pakamuros 828, 076-431169, 947895195
GPS: S5.70820° W78.80307°
Comment: hot shower, TV, very slow Wifi, fan, other rooms with more space and/or A/C cost more.

Cutervo - Hotel Megadi

Type: Room with one bed
Costs: 30sol
Dogs: free
Bike parking: secured in garage
Contact:
GPS: S6.38299° W78.81633°
Comment: hot shower, TV, fast Wifi in hallway,

Cajamarca - Hotel Cuenca

Type: Room with one bed
Costs: 35sol (50sol for double)
Dogs: free
Bike parking: secured in garage
Contact: 076-313002, 976885856, 993482604, El Inca #511, hostalcuenca@hotmail.com
GPS: S7.15861° W78.50937°
Comment: dungeon, hot shower, TV, Wifi,

Huamachuco - Hotel Dubai

Type: Room with one bed
Costs: 35sol (50sol for double)
Dogs: free
Bike parking: secured in garage
Contact: Av. 10 de Julio #222, 991122268, RPM#959653697
GPS: S7.81766° W78.04337°
Comment: dungeon, electric shower head, TV, slow Wifi,

Santiago de Chuco - Hotel Restaurant Yordy

Type: Room with one big bed
Costs: 30sol
Dogs: free
Bike parking: secured but a few blocks away (5sol /night) (S8.14341° W78.17183°),
Contact: Miguel Grau No 1421 - Tomas Ganoza No 706
GPS: S8.14573° W78.17305°
Comment: window, hot shower, TV, no Wifi,

Tauca - Hospedaja Santo Domingo

Type: Room with one big bed
Costs: 20sol
Dogs: free
Bike parking: Across the central plaza at the church. It was free and locked during the night.
Contact:
GPS: S8.46980° W78.03833°
Comment: dirty, raw walls, window, electric shower head, TV, no Wifi

Chuquicara - "Rooms"

Type: Room with one big bed
Costs: 20sol (first they wanted 30sol)
Dogs: free
Bike parking: in front of room
Contact:
GPS: S8.65494° W78.23670°
Comment: dirty, window, cold shower (well it was hot), sandflies, water extremely dirty (from river), no toilet paper and no towel (lady got bitchy and said it is not included in 20sol),

Caraz - Hotel Luchita

Type: Room with a single bed
Costs: 30sol
Dogs: free
Bike parking: half a block away in somebody's home
Contact: 043-391569, Jr. Pumacahua 2do. piso
GPS: S9.04520° W77.81049°
Comment: cleanish, decent, windows, hot shower, good Wifi, TV, (felt like luxury hotel compared to the last shithole)

Huaraz - Hostal Quilla Star

Type: Room (martimonial bed, single occupancy)
Costs: 35sol
Dogs: free, but had some trouble to get Peto in.
Bike parking: 3 blocks away and it costs 5sol/night
Contact: Av. Centenario No 571 - Independencia, 043-422320
GPS: S9.51920° W77.52996°
Comment: cleanish, bathroom window, hot shower, slow Wifi, TV. Basically three hotels denied to host pets. This last one only allowed after some discussion. The other hotel which was quickly saying ok was the Real Hotel Huascaran but the prices were 90sol for a single and 120sol for a matrimonial.

Huallanco - Hotel Nancy

Type: Room (martimonial bed, single occupancy)
Costs: 25sol
Dogs: free
Bike parking: free in backyard
Contact:
GPS: S9.89923° W76.94227°
Comment: cleanish, window, hot shower, no Wifi, TV.

Huanuco - Hotel Tito's

Type: Room (martimonial bed, single occupancy), shared bathroom
Costs: 35sol
Dogs: free after some discussion and the fact that Peto is a small dog.
Bike parking: free in garage
Contact: Av. Universitaria No 1348, Cayhuayana Alta Huanuco, Huanuco, 515123
GPS: S9.95643° W76.24843°
Comment: window, electric shower head, no Wifi, TV, balcony, they seem to have another hotel in the centro. There are about 10 hostal nearby this one.

La Oroya - Hostal Nuevo Pablo

Type: Room (martimonial bed, single occupancy), private bathroom
Costs: 30sol
Dogs: free
Bike parking: secured garage nearby (5sol)
Contact:
GPS: S11.52048° W75.90153°
Comment: window, hot shower, good Wifi, TV,

Lima - Affirmate Camera

Type: Room (martimonial bed, single occupancy), private bathroom
Costs: 20USD
Dogs: free
Bike parking: garage in the house
Contact: booking.com
GPS: S11.94857° W77.08665°
Comment: window, hot shower, Wifi, no reception! (looks like a private house)


Review booking.com
+
I stayed there for three nights/days to get some stuff organized in Lima. Pets are for free and private parking where the garage was in the house. The owner was very friendly and helped me fixing a puncture in my tire. The internet was good speed especially in the hallway. I could use the fridge. The room was very hot and later during the first day the owner brought a fan. The room was big and the bed was huge - very comfortable. The place felt more like a private place than a hotel since there was no reception and I got the keys to get in and out by myself which was good. Besides the issue with the water (I noted it was fixed when I left), it was a nice stay. The neighborhood looks average to me, plenty of kids playing in the streets in the evening. There is a Tottu's supermercado a few blocks down the road.
-
The room (the one with the Jacuzzi) was pretty hot. Other rooms do not even have a window towards the outside. On the first day I wanted to test the Jacuzzi but there came no hot water as the hot water seems to come only around 6PM. The next day there came no water at all, after complaining there came only warm/hot water and no cold water. Anyway the flow was so little that the Jacuzzi would have taken hours to fill up (normal fill time is 60min). In the end I could not use the Jacuzzi.

Ica - Hotel Villa Carino

Type: Room (matrimonial bed, single occupancy), private bathroom
Costs: 40sol
Dogs: free
Bike parking: garage in the house
Contact: Av. Los Maestros urb. divino Maestro B-40, Ica, 227495, 956991334, hvillacarino@hotmail.com
GPS: S14.07830° W75.73761°
Comment: window, hot shower, good Wifi, TV,

Nasca - Hospedaje Huerto de mi Amada

Type: Room (single bed), private bathroom
Costs: 30sol
Dogs: free
Bike parking: garage in the backyard
Contact:
GPS: S14.82783° W74.94622°
Comment: electric shower head, Wifi, TV

Puquio - Hostal Los Andes

Type: Room (single bed), private bathroom
Costs: 40sol
Dogs: free
Bike parking: garage in the house
Contact: Jr. 9 de Diciembre 286, Puquio, Ayacucho, 066-452323
GPS: S14.69528° W74.12404°
Comment: window, hot shower, no Wifi, TV,

Abancay - Hotel El Peregrino Apart Hotel

Type: Room (matrimonial bed, single occupancy), private bathroom
Costs: 90sol
Dogs: free, Peto was ok after the receptionist called the manager
Bike parking: secured in backyard
Contact: Andres Avelino Caceres 390, 083-502610
GPS: S13.63418° W72.87558°
Comment: Luxury hotel!, bedroom with separated kitchen/living room, window, hot shower, good Wifi, TV, kitchenette with micro, fridge, breakfast, helpful staff

Ollantaytambo - Hostal Las Portadas

Type: Room (matrimonial bed, single occupancy), private bathroom
Costs: 25sol
Dogs: free
Bike parking: secured in backyard
Contact: Calle Principal S/N, Cel 984620989, 064-204008
GPS: S13.25906° W72.26200°
Comment: window, hot shower, Wifi (was switched off during night), TV, helpful staff

Cusco - Inkita Boutique Guesthouse

Type: Room (matrimonial bed, single occupancy), shared bathroom
Costs: 13USD
Dogs: free
Bike parking: secured in backyard
Contact: booking.com (no reception, private house)
GPS: S13.52500° W71.90044°
Comment: beautiful view, outside Cusco, peaceful, secure, hot shower, Wifi, TV, helpful staff


Booking review
+
The place is almost idyllic and 8km away from Cusco center (taxi takes 15min and costs about 12sol) thus ideal for folks like me who loves to walk with the dog. Plenty of green around and its a delight to have a walk in the neighborhood. Dogs are for free even though the owner might not allow your dog inside the room (at least she hesitated to allow my dog into the room or it was a language misunderstanding). Parking on the lawn inside the yard. very nice garden to sit, relax and enjoy the great view over Cusco. The big rooms are absolute fantastic and are really worth the money. The tiny one (which I had in the 2nd night) is about average. Wifi was fast. There was drinking water available in the kitchen. I had a small medical issue and the owner was so kind to find out an English speaking doctor who was on duty on Saturday.
-
The upper security gate was closed in the evening and the taxi had to take the lower one (if you come with your own vehicle or the taxi does not know it you have to walk). I did not get a key to the property door so I had to knock on the main door and wait for the mercy of the owner to open. I had booked a twin room (25m2) but it was still occupied. So I got in the first night a big room (25m2) with private bathroom (which was nice) but in the 2nd night a very small, hot room (12m2) without proper air circulation. I have slept in smaller rooms but this room was far below my expectations compared to what I had booked! Shared toilet was not cleaned, had no toilet paper and there came no water in the shower. On the second evening I tried to get out to have an evening walk but the door was locked and bolted thus I could not get out by myself.

Puno - Hostal Inka Tours

Type: Room (matrimonial bed, single occupancy), private bathroom
Costs: 45sol
Dogs: free (after some discussion and I told them that I will stay two nights)
Bike parking: in garage
Contact:
GPS: S15.84469° W70.01783°
Comment: near Lake Titicaca, hot shower, Wifi, TV, no drinking water



Monday, March 7, 2016

Bordercrossing Peru Bolivia with a dog and a motorbike

There is no entry fee for EU-citizens into Bolivia, but what about the bike and the corrupt officers? And what about Peto?

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Fantastic vegan food in Cusco

The only reason I went to Cusco was the fact that there are three vegan restaurants and the food was fantastic.


Tuesday, March 1, 2016

I am 116 years and walked Machu Picchu

Inspired by the magic of Machu Picchu I did manage to have a great time besides the fact that I am 116 years young ;)