Greg Thomson , from Melbourne , passing a herd of llama in the Andes on the way to Quime , Bolivia
they managed to fix it , getting approval for us to travel , so we stayed on track . Despite travelling on roads that were not , staying at altitudes with a worrying length of zeros behind them , suicidal livestock and incomprehensible instructions in rapid fire Spanish from the everhelpful locals , I felt safe . A blocked fuel pump , fixed , a piece missing on an engine , bogged , blagged or made to materialise out of thin air . Trailer trouble ? Stick the load on the car . Winch playing up ? Improvise . With these people I was safe . The roads we travelled were rough and fair wear and tear caused , not unexpected , minor malfunctions , but nothing seemed to faze these people . They simply got on with the job in hand ; all the while telling you a humorous story about a really big problem two trips ago !
Legends . At the pre-tour briefing I was greatly reassured to find they operate something called the ‘ corner man system ’. One of my fears had been losing Cpt Grumpy on route . This system involves getting the second rider of the group to stop and wait for everyone else to go through whenever there is a direction change . They are supposed to position bike and body to indicate which path to take . The cornerman rider checks numbers , following on when all others are through . It is a simple system that works well . Friendly enough , although never overly effusive , the locals often wandered over when they saw a solo motorcyclist waiting . Rounding the corner , I once discovered a young woman proudly showing my husband a piglet . The riders soon earned nicknames , due to
28 KIWI RIDER