Day 456: 2011年10月24日

Sucre (Hostal Pachamama)
41,131km to 41,138km = 7km

朝5時にポトシ到着。寒かったので1時間置きに目が覚めてしまったので、眠い。バス・ターミナルで早速スクレ行きのバスを探します。幸い6時発のバスの最後の座席を入手(17ボリ）。

6時出発の予定ですが、全員集まったので5時45分に出発。8時ごろにはスクレ郊外に着きましたが、ここからが長い。ターミナルに到着したのは8時半ごろ。ここから歩いて宿まで。

慣れ親しんだ宿「パチャママ」では幸い個室が空いていたのでチェックイン。保管しておいた荷物を取り出し、準備が出来次第「Motoservi」へ。

Motoserviに着いたのは10時ごろ。久しぶりにエスペランサと対面です。ハイメさんは学校に教授いっているので不在でしたが、ジミーとワシとでショック取り付け作業。

10時半には取り付け終了したので、試運転。ちょっと走ってみて、見てみたら、ショックのロッドにオイルが!!!　ええええっーーーー!!!って感じです。

オイルを拭き取り再び走り、またチェック。オイルが・・・。悪夢が再びですか・・・。

しかし、もうボリビアにいる時間も無いので、オイル漏れしてようが兎に角前に進まないとです。とりあえずカルロスに連絡し、サンティアゴまでエスペランサで走っていくしかないですね。

Motoserviに戻り、ハイメさんが戻ってくるのを待って、結果報告。明日か明後日にはスクレを出発すると。ハイメさんには色々お世話になりましたが、なんと工賃無料!!と。なんてやさしいんだろう。ハイメさん、ジミー、シャンと記念撮影し、必ず戻ってくると約束して別れました。本当にありがとうございました!!

さて宿に戻り、カルロスにメール。直ぐに返信が来て、「200キロ走ってまだオイルがロッドに付着しているようだったら問題だけど、それ以降付着していなかったら、工場で組み立て時のオイルだよ。」と。なるほど、オイルシールが壊れた、と断定するにはまだ早いってことですね。

それから昼飯を食べに街へ。洗濯物も洗いに出して、移民局へ(Migracion)。28日まで、というのはおかしくないか?と言ったら、時間はかかりましたが11月7日まで滞在許可を伸ばしてくれました。まぁ、バイクの滞在許可が10月30日までなのでそれまでには出なければいけませんが、これで急がずに済みます。

宿に戻り、一休み。夕方日記を書いていたら、バイクがやってくる音がしたので部屋を出ると、白いアフリカ・ツインが。彼はアルゼンチン在住のミカ。話を聞くとWTN-Jの講演にも参加したことがあるとか!　アルゼンチンで多くの日本人ライダーがお世話になったホルへさんのお友達でもあるとか。彼は3週間の休みでボリビアを走りにきたそう。しばらくミカお歓談し夜は深けていくのでした。


Day 456: 24 OCT 2011

Sucre (Hostal Pachamama)
41,131km to 41,138km = 7km

The bus arrived Potosi at 5am. It was really cold night. I woke up every 1 hour... tired. At the bus terminal, I had to find a bus to Sucre. Luckily I could the last seat for 6am bus! 17Bs.

The bus left at 5:45m as everyone was on board. The bus got to the fringe of Sucre by 8am, but it took long time to get to the bus terminal from there.

Arrived at the bus terminal around 8:30am and walked to "Hostal Pachamama" the place to be in Sucre. Luckily a private room was available, so I took out all the luggage from the storage and got ready to visit "Motoservi" to install the Wilbers shock.

I got to "Motoservi" around 10am. Jaime was not there (he is teaching at a school every monday morning), so Jimmy and I started to install the Wilbers shock to my GS. We fiished the installation around 10:30am.

I took my GS fora short spin. After a few kms, I checked the shock and I saw oil on the rod of the shock!! Why!!?? I wiped the oil off and continued riding for another few kms. And I saw oil on the rod... I could not believe my eyes...

As my visa and permission of the motorcycle is running out, even though oil is leaving from the shock (?), I have to ride to Santiago to fix it. Anyway I will contact Carlos @ Santiago to ask his opinion on this.

I went back to "Motoservi" and talked to Jaime. Jaime did not charge me at all! He had done so many things for me, but he did not charge me. How kind he is!! Thank you so much. With Jaime, Jimy and Shan, we took photos, and I said good-bye to them. I will definitely come back to see them in the future (hopefully in 5 years).

Back to the hostel, I sent an e-mail to Carlos. He replied to me immediately and saying it could be oil left from the factory. He suggested me to ride about 200kms and see if oil still on the rod. If yes, the oil seal failed. If not, there is no issue. So at this moment, it is not certain if the new shock is good or bad.

I went out for lunch. I dropped my laundry to a laudromat, and went to the immigration office. I asked if I could get more days to stay in Bolivia as until 28th of October would be too short. It took more than 1 hour to process, but I got the permision to stay until 7th of Novemember! Anyway my temporary permit for the motorcycle will expire on 30th of October, I have to exit out of Bolivia before then. But now I have a little longer time, so no need to hurry.

Back to the hostel and I took a rest. While writing diaries, I heard a motorcycle was coming in. I went out side and there was a Honda Africa Twin. He is Mika living in Salta, Argentina. He took 3 weeks off and will ride around Bolivia. He went to Japan and joined WTN-J meeting!! What a small world. We talked till late.

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