The smugler road / A estrada do contrabando

Saimos de Oruro, Bolivia em direção a Iquique, no Chile. decidimos ir por uma estrada que está em construção, e que economizaria cerca de 400 kms. Fomos alertados que deveriamos tomar muito cuidado com os comboios de caminhões de contrabandistas, que passam a mil, sem parar para nada. Podiamos perceber quando vinham, pela nuvem de poeira que levantavam. Depois de 13 horas e um tombo do Gildo e meu, nos arrependemos, pois foi a estrada mais dura que jamais pegamos. A maioria do trecho era areia, tao fina como talco, e profunda, dificilimo de pilotar, pois alem de ser muito cansativo, a grande altitude tirava o restinho das forças que tinhamos. Foi duro, mas a paisagem arida e desolada, criou um misto de desespero pela grande distancia a percorrer e a emoção de estar em um lugar tão distante e diferente de tudo.
PS: estas Llamas são selvagens, e tinha muita...

We left Oruro, Bolivia in the morning, via a shortcut road (The main road was under construction), trying to save around 400 km. Our destination was Iquique, in Chile.
People warned us that this road is used by the smugglers, bringing goods from Chile to Bolivia. They come in convoy, at full speed and don't stop for anything or anybody. We soon discover how to identify them, by the cloud of dust created by those big trucks, driving at full speed in the dirt and sand. (See picture below)
After 13 hours driving and 500 km later, we regret the decision and were happy to arrive in one piece in Iquique. It was the hardest road we ever drove by. The 10 hours at the Canyon del Pato, in Peru, was a walk in the park, comparing to this one. It is very tiresome to drive in sand, especially deep sand where Gildo and I felt on the ground with the bikes. To rise them up again, would consume the little strength left, due to high altitude. We were exhausted, but the arid and desolated landscape created a mix of desperation and joy. Are we masochist maybe? I can tell you that I had enough of Mountains, sand and poor countries. We are now in Santiago, in a nice hotel and we love it….
PS: those Llamas are wild, and there were a lot of them...