Salta

Day146, Nov 25, 2013, 474km

Tupiza, Bolivia to Salta, Argentina

Followed Hwy R9 to Salta and this takes you through a 2 hr section of desert and a couple of valleys that have some very interesting shapes, then just before you get to Salta you have a 50 km park like twisty road (La Cornisa) along the mountainous old Andes forest, that is amazing.

The border crossing was a challenge because I had no Argentina Insurance and they won't let you into the country if you don't have this. Normally they will let you get some down the road and then continue but today was a National Holiday and all the offices were closed, so the border guy kept on saying manana, and of course expecting me to leave, so I told the guy then I guess that I will have to wait here in his office till manana because I'm already checked out of Bolivia (something like Tom Hanks at the Airport), after sitting there for halve an hour he comes to me and says give me your papers and tomorrow get your insurance in Salta OK, and starts the import paper work. Luckily I had a good guy at the border but this could have been a really bad day otherwise.

Will stay an extra day in Salta and see if I can change the engine oil and differential oil because I noticed a drop on the rim today and that means change me now. I had it changed in Cali and I guess the beating from yesterday must have finished it off, so with this I have a good idea, that when your on the road and you do some off road riding, then you should change the differential oil at 10,000 km (6,000 mi) intervals to keep it good, even though the manual calls for 20.000 km (12,000 mi) changes I beg to differ on this.