Panamericana roadtrip memories 5

Team 41
How much more desert is there? This is even more desert than there was yesterday: there is absolutely nothing here. The information we have says that this is the driest place on earth. No people, animals or plants. Over 40 degrees Celsius, sand and stone (and a bunch of idiotic Dutch). Camelot is playing on the iPod: melodious metal that is quite feisty at times. I have to take a small defeat because Egbert turns the volume down and tells me: ‘This is a form of abuse!”

 

Last but not least; the breakdown update: a broken suspension, an oil filter that has come loose (discovered on time) and a clogged fuelling system. We ride on without a problem and we’re happy with the new rubber. The car has become a bit quieter too (unless the radio is on).

Team 26
The technical team fixed the exhaust pipe. After that we drove to the Valle de la Luna (the moon valley) for a while. This valley dates back 250 to 200 million years when all the continents were still attached to each other, forming one continent. It once used to be a lake but it is now a desert where there’s barely any rainfall, with high temperatures and a strong wind. Because of the constant erosion new palaeontological discoveries are made all the time. Different species of dinosaurs, reptiles and plants from days that have long gone have been found here virtually intact. The Valle de la Luna is one of the most important palaeontological sites in the world, part of the UNESCO World Heritage.