Today we followed Ruta 40 nearly 100 miles north along the valley of the Rio Calchaqui. Though Ruta 40 returned to its tradition of a dusty gravel, and at times rough surface, that sometimes was barely wide enough for a single vehicle, it was a fabulous day. The scenery was magnificent, a green and mostly cultivated wide river flat surrounded by high desert mountains that had been carved into all kinds of shapes by wind and rain.

Along the way we met 5 South Africans motor cyclists returning from Bolivia. They confirmed that the Bolivian roads are terrible but that it has some of the best motorcycle touring in the word.

We stopped to ask a farmer what the red plant was that he, and many others, were drying in their yard - a form of chili was the answer.

We bought vegetables, and removed a piece of broken sway-bar from the Tiger, in the cute but dusty town of Angastaco.

We spent an hour on the internet, and photographed the Cusco style church, in the slightly less dusty town of Molinos.

And we found a great camping ground with a heated swimming pool in Cachi to finish off a great day.