Distance to Date: 5855 km, 3630 miles

Like his predecessors, this man harvests salt the old fashion way. The only new added technology is the truck. Piles of salt wait to be picked up. Salt and snow - sometimes it's hard to tell the difference. Images that can be centuries old. We find another structure where we think we might camp for the night, but on closer inspection it turns out to be a makeshift outhouse. We ride on. The edge of the salt flats has a hotel that's downright fancy. Tourism might just be a better way to make money than shoveling salt. Riding back to the pueblo near the salt flat, we remember the joys of the road that brought us here. We decide to focus on the scenery instead of the riding. Mounds of salt decorate the landscape. Loading up for a delivery. We reach the salty pueblo where it's warmer than on the salt. We wonder what life would be like for the people of this town: cold, frozen nights, no running water or central heating, and hard days shoveling salt. We cross the train tracks that run through town. Tauru takes a moment to fuel up so we can ride on. Home for the night. We wonder what this building used to be: Who lived here? Where did they go? Why did they leave? The next day brings us more of that wonderful dirt road. Christi pushes the bike down a sandy side-road to avoid the bumpy, broken main road where trucks whiz by, leaving a cloud of smoke. Back in town - what a relief! The joys of traveling - street vendors with "chicharones." Page 1 Page 2