Today, we left at our usual 8am departure time after a surprisingly nice breakfast in our bare-bones hotel in the middle of nowhere (Apui).
We knew today was going to be challenging ... 275 km all dirt through very remote areas. The locals said it was indeed a tough section.
At the beginning, we ran into the thickest smoke covering the road and everything around. Reminded me of thermal inversions in Mexico City in the 80s. Close to no visibility, eyes and throat burning, eyes watering ... had to stop and get my Covid mask out to wear under my helmet ... and went on and on for an hour or two.
The road quickly turned into a mess with sand, gravel, deep holes, hills and drops, and deep ruts. At least it was all dry and hard. I cannot imagine trying to do this when it is wet. Absolutely impossible on a heavy motorcycle like this one.
Because of the dust, we keep a few kilometers between motorcycles so unless somebody stops, we do not see each other for long stretches. After riding for a couple of hours without seeing anybody or any civilization I was glad that we had a chase vehicle coming behind (hopefully ... the chase vehicle has had its own issues also : )
We eventually all made it to Jacareacanda, our stop for the night, and the recounting of the adventure began. Guy's motorcycle frame cracked in two and the engine dropped to the ground ... touch roads indeed ... he is OK. Rebecca fell over her motorcycle and twisted her ankle and leg ... she is limping but OK. We now have 2 motorcycles with cracked tail racks unable to hold the tail boxes anymore. The front forks on all the bikes so far are holding miraculously. And so far we have had 8 flat tires.
After a few hours of riding, I saw a hut with some people outside and stopped to get some water. Sat down with them to rest. The 3 of them had been at this hut for 2 days already. Apparently their bus broke down nearby and they were waiting for a new one. They slept on the floor the night before. Reminded me of a Cuban movie I saw a long time ago with a similar story.
The worst event was that my phone flew off of its cradle and I lost it. I flew blind for the last 2 hours ... no maps, no GPS, no phone numbers, no destination hotel names ... back to basic navigation by feeling alone : )
Tomorrow is a long day again all the way to Itaituba 400 km away. Lets see how it goes. I will add some pictures from today's ride soon.
And, here they are ...
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