Jan 10th – One less rider

Today was a ride from Antofagasta to Iquique but, sadly, Gale was unable to continue with us after a tumble in the desert the day before that banged up her shoulder and ankle. We were very sorry to leave her behind.

We are still in the Atacama Desert and, although we rode along the Pacific coast, the world is totally arid. There are not even any insects; after days of hard riding, there is not a single bug splat on my helmet. The scenery is hard to describe and impossible to photograph.

Our destination was Iquique where the rally special stage ended with a plunge down some of the highest cliffs in the world. The bikes, cars, and trucks all plunge about 1800 feet from the top of the dune; straight down, full throttle. In the picture, you can see a tiny white spec of a car with a plume of dust right in the middle of the frame. This was the Mini of the French driver Stephane Peterhansel who is currently leading the rally.