Quick info & numbers America’s

USA

Visa requirements: to enter the USA by air, a ticket out of the country is needed. Also you need to provide an address of a first night stay (hotel). I got an ESTA (visa waiver program) which gives me a 3 month stay, but you might try the B2 visa which might give you a 6 month stay.
Date: 15th of November 2014 to first of February 2015
Kilometers: about 3350
Highest altitude: 1228 meters from Ramona to Anza Borrego, California
Coldest temperature: minus 7
Least kilometers in a day: 25
Most kilometers in a day: 100
How many flat tires: none yet as I use Slime Tubes
Punctures: 5 in Therm-A-Rest air mattresses combined. 2 in Ortlieb front bag.
Maintenance: minutely cleaned chain and washed bicycle thoroughly only once
Animals seen in camp: some dead fish, grey fox, side blotched lizard, big black beetles, Californian quails…
Best burrito: shrimp burrito at La Michoacana in Palm Springs California, together with Sofia’s Mexican Food in Gila Bend, Arizona

Brazil

Visa: 3 months for free upon arrival at airport
Map: Nelles 1: 2.500.000
Date: 8^th of July 2016 – 10^th of August 2016
Kilometers: 1253 kilometer
Days of cycling: 28
Days of rest: 3 days while on the road, 3 days at the border
Problems: many itching mosquito bites
Maintenance: new screws in rear brake handle, new rear brake pads. Cleaned and oiled chain
Longest cycle day: 81 kilometer in 5.20 hours
Continuous days without rest/shower: 9/7 days
Highest altitude: about 850 meter
Nights in tent: 27
Highest speed: 58 km p/h
Cycled on gravel roads: 116 km
Lowest/highest temperature: 0/35 degrees
Average daily costs: € 12.50
Water from tap: perfectly fine
Luxury: showers (€0.75) and buffet style food at gas stations (€4.00)
Border crossed at: Ponta Pora. Immigration Brazil is at the airport, which is in the opposite direction of the Paraguayan immigration. Paraguayan immigration is right next to China Shopping, along the main road to Concepcion.

Few price indications

Hotel € 12. Tube anti itch cream € 5. Bread (Dutch style with a sugary taste) € 2. Kilo wheat flour € 0.75. Cheese (decent amount) € 2.50. Small package of black tea € 1. Mango € 0.70. 0.5 liter olive oil € 6. Porridge 500 gram € 2

Paraguay

Visa: 3 months for free upon arrival at border
Map: Reise know How 1: 2.000.000 Uruguay/Paraguay
Date: 9^th of August 2016 – 17t^th of September 2016
Kilometers: 1070 kilometer
Days of cycling: 22
Days of rest: 10 days while on the road, 7 days at the border
Problems: 4 ticks removed, mild flu
Maintenance: cleaned and oiled chain twice, new oil in Rohloff hub. Repair of air mattress (4 attempts needed)
Longest cycle day: 114 kilometer in 5.48 hours
Highest altitude: not noticeable, Dry Chaco is heavenly flat
Nights in tent: 22
Cycled on gravel roads: 457 kilometer (but I intentionally pursued the gravel roads)
Lowest/highest temperature: 2/43 degrees (sometimes this difference would occur in a few days)
Average daily costs: € 8

Water from tap: perfectly fine, although water boiled (for coffee or tea) from Concepción into the whole of Dry Chaco tastes salty

Luxury: Concepción supermarket has food, and salad, by the kilo. The Mennonite supermarkets are stocked with fresh quark and overall good products.

Border crossed at: Mayor Infante Rivarola towards Villamontes, Bolivia (the road from Ibibobo to Villamontes is for 25 kilometers in a terrible state). Stamped out 7 kilometers after Mayor Infante Rivarola. Stamped in at Ibibobo, 70 kilometer further. Ibibobo has all which is needed for the cyclist, including money change.

Stock up on food in Mariscal Estigarribia when crossing at this border. La Patria has a few food items but not much.

I entered at Pedro Juan Caballero, where everything is available. See details at Brazil.

Few price indications

Hotel Center at Concepción € 6/7. Hotel in Mennonite community € 12.50. Each ATM transaction € 4. Kilo tomatoes € 1.60. Small package of black tea € 1.10. Meals range from € 1.60 to € 5. 400 gram porridge € 1.80. Milk powder 500 gram € 3.40. Tin of tuna € 1.75 and less. Good cheese at Mennonite supermarket € 2. Liter yoghurt without sugar at Mennonite supermarket € 1.50

Bolivia

Visa: 1 month for free upon arrival at border
Map: Michelin Chili & Argentina, where Bolivia is only partly on it.
Date: 17^th of September 2016 – 17^th of October 2016
Kilometers: 670 kilometers
Days of cycling: 20
Days of full rest: 6 days while on the road, 3 days at the border
Problems: flat rear tire
Maintenance: cleaned chain once, new Slime Tube at rear tire
Longest cycle day: 70 kilometer in 4 hours (Chaco)
Highest altitude: around 4100 meter near Yunchara
Nights in tent: 16
Cycled on gravel roads: pretty much but lost exact numbers.
Lowest temperature: a bit above 0 degrees
Average daily costs: € 8.5
Water from tap and whatever source available: safe, I boiled river water first.

Border crossed at: Mayor Infante Rivarola (a few food stalls and water)/Ibibobo (anything you need is available, military camp at Ibibobo does not accept pitching your tent, they let you sleep near the control post if you need to).

For you who want to do this trail Tarija to Villazon:

Tarija – tunnel: 47 kilometer to 3500 meter altitude. From the start of climbing there is only one communidad to find water, later on one other settlement to find water. Road is asphalted.

Soon after the tunnel San Lorenzio village comes up, water and a simple restaurant should be open.

About 11 kilometers later Iscayashi is a village with everything you’ll need. Road soon after Iscayashi is gravel.

16 kilometers later the next pass comes, about 3950 meter. The stretch from Iscayashi to this pass has houses in the beginning of the route, not on the climb. After the pass the road becomes asphalted.

30 kilometer later the next pass (4034 m.) comes, water is to find only at the beginning of this 30 kilometer stretch. The road is asphalted.

About 7 kilometer after the pass is Yunchara (3600 m.), where is a hotel/restaurant and a tiny village with a few shops with everything you need (except gas and internet if you have VIVA mobile network). The road after Yunchara is gravel.

50 kilometer later the next pass arrives, after having dropped 1000 meter in altitude. Meanwhile you will pass Tojo (2660 m.) and Igeritas where is water. The latter has a river with drinkable water. The actual climb has no reachable villages to get water. The route is gravel.

Another 7 kilometer to some houses where you could find water.

Then you hit the paved road and it is 25 kilometer to Villazon. There are a few houses along the route to get water.

Argentina 1

Visa: 3 months for free upon arrival
Map: Michelin Chili & Argentina
Date: 17^th September – 20^th November 2016
Kilometers: 810 kilometer
Days of cycling: 21
Days of full rest: 10
Problems: the metal alike (plastic) design around the handlebar, where the actual brake-handle is connected to, has broken.
Maintenance: new brake pads in front, new screws in brake-handle
Longest cycle day: 72 kilometers
Highest altitude: 4463 meter
Nights in tent: 25
Cycled on gravel roads: 236 kilometer
Lowest/highest temperature: minus 10 – 25
Average daily costs: € 14.50
Water from tap and whatever source available: fine
Border crossed at: Villazon/La Quiaca

Peru

Visa: 3 months upon arrival free at the border
Map: Michelin Chile & Argentina, where Peru is part depicted a small part
Date: 21^st to 30^th of December 2016 (cycling only, I was there earlier with a friend)
Kilometers: 438
Days of cycling: 9
Days of full rest: 4, at the end of the ride
Problems: severe dehydration and diarrhea when off the bicycle. Stool test done, got medicines.
Maintenance: cleaned chain once and removed rust from spokes
Longest cycle day: 63 kilometer
Nights in tent: 9
Lowest/highest temperature: 19 degrees Celsius at night, day time 35 degrees
Average daily costs: can’t say as I have traveled nearly 3 weeks with a friend, taken many buses to meet him and lost track of expenses for cycling.
Water from tap and whatever source available: perhaps not so drinkable, as I attracted an infection.
Border crossed at: Arica (Chile)

Chile 1

Visa: 3 months free upon arrival
Map: Michelin Chile & Argentina
Date: 4^th of January to 15 April 2017
Kilometers: 2559
Days of cycling: 61
Days of full rest: 12
Problems: Ortlieb screw came loose. Changed SlimeTubes front and back for regular inner tubes: 7 punctures. Rohloff seal damaged; oil leakage. Hilleberg zipper derails. Optimus Svea 123 broken.
Maintenance: cleaned chain once, removed rust from spokes
Longest cycle day: 70 kilometer
Highest altitude: 3194 meter
Nights in tent: 66
Nights in hotels (free of expenses): 4
Invited over: 3
Lowest/highest temperature: 1 degree Celsius to 45 in the full sun
Average daily costs: € 11 (might be influenced by dad, with whom I have traveled for a month)
Water from tap: drinkable in big places and outside desert
Border crossed at: Arica (Peru) and Cristo Redentor pass (Argentina)

Campgrounds: Apparently there is a camping approximately 23 kilometers from Iquique, at Los Verdes

Address camping Calama: Avenida La Paz 1556 – Camino Cementario. Tel. 552314277. This campground (nothing fancy) cum sport ground has come forth from the mining cooperation. $5000/€ 7

Few price indications:

Bottle of water in the desert 2.5 liter 1600/€ 2.25 to 2000/€ 2.80 for 1.5 liter, liter milk 1500/€ 2.10, a meal in the desert 3000/€ 4.25, tinned fish 2200/€ 3.10, good cheese 4000/€ 5,65, Nescafe small tin 1370/€ 2, cilantro 600/€ 0.85, avocado 800/€ 1.25, a shower 800/€ 1.10, kilo wheat flour 1000/€ 1.40, 400 gram milk powder 3000/€ 4.30

Argentina 2nd/3th/4th/5th entry

First entry: scroll a bit up for earlier information about Jujuy

Second entry: 16^th of April – 16^th May 2017, border Cristo Redentor

Third entry: 4^th of June – 24^th of June 2017, border Mamuil Malal

Fourth entry: 5^th of July – 6^th of September 2017, border Huemules

Fifth entry: 15^th of October – 27^th of October 2017, border Paso de los Liberes

Problems: Magura rear brake cable snapped. Bought a new air mattress (55 euro), lasted only 3 weeks, then blew up. Hilleberg tent pole bend by wind. Hilleberg outer door zipper derailed. Odometer lost. Puncture rear tire.
Maintenance: Rear brake cable repaired (but lasted only 2 weeks), bicycle cleaned. New brake pads Shimano rear brake. Bought a fleece outdoor blanket to protect the down sleeping bag from moisture, by condensation. Bought winter socks.

Chile 2nd/3th entry

First entry: scroll a bit up for earlier information about Atacama. Or go here.

Second entry: 17^th May – 4^th June 2017, border Pino Hacaho

Third entry: 24^th of June – 5^th of July 2017, border Futaleufu

Problems: 2 punctures rear tire. Therm-A-Rest mattress blows up.
Maintenance: Rohloff oil changed (after another 5672 kilometer). New chain (after 13.090 kilometer). Taken off the rear Magura brake since it doesn’t work. New Shimano rear brake with new brake pads. New brake pads front Magura. Bought a warm woolen pullover and woolen socks. Bought two foam mattresses (fold one of them so thickness is more or less sufficient).

Totals Argentina and Chile (without earlier entries; not included Jujuy and Atacama)

Nights in tent: 109
Nights paid: 13
Nights other: 23
Kilometers: 4119 kilometer
Days of cycling: 107
Days of full rest: 34
Highest altitude: Cristo Redentor pass, 3209 meter
Most days without a full wash: 16
Lowest nighttime temperature: minus 9
Days of rain and/or snow in one month: 21 days out of 31 in wintry Patagonia
Average daily costs: around €12

Uruguay

Visa: 3 months for free upon arrival at border
Map: Reise Know-How Paraguay and Uruguay 1:1200.000
Date: 6^th of September 2017 – 13^th of October 2017
Kilometers: 852 kilometer
Days of cycling: 20
Days of full rest: 16
Problems: flat rear tire, rip in rear tire, new rear and front tire, new inner tire rear, new rear brake pads.
Maintenance: new slider in Hilleberg outer door and inner door. Chain cleaned.
Longest cycle day: 70 kilometer
Longest without shower: 12 days
Nights in tent: 22
Nights in hotel/invited: 4/13
Lowest/highest temperature daytime: around 35/15 degrees
Average daily costs: I don’t count anymore but probably around €9 a day
Border crossed at: Bella Union/Las Piedras

Brazil 2^nd entry/Argentina 5^th entry

Date: 14^th of October 2017 to 15^th of October 2017
Date: 15^th of October 2017 to 27^th of October 2017
Border crossed at Bella Union/Las Piedras and Uruguaiana/Paso de los Libres
Border crossed at Posadas/Encarnacion (with a train over a bridge, for a small fee)
Map: Reise Know-How Paraguay and Uruguay 1:1200.000
Visa: Second entry has never been stamped, not upon entry nor exit
Kilometers: 435 kilometer
Days of cycling: 9
Days of full rest: 5
Problems: holes in tent discovered, groundsheet broken
Maintenance: new slider in Hilleberg outer door and inner door.
Longest cycle day: 70 kilometer
Longest without shower: 12 days
Nights in tent: 9
Nights invited: 4
Highest temperature daytime: around 27 degrees
Average daily costs: I don’t count anymore but probably around €10 a day

Paraguay second entry

Visa: 3 months for free at the border with Argentina, Posadas. Second visa obtained at Pedro Juan Cabalero border, 3 months for free. Paraguay has a maximum stay of 6 months a year, and so I did not want to risk a 3th visa being denied and I overstayed my second visa with 6 weeks. This costed me $42 (230.000 Guarani).
Map: Reise Know-How Paraguay and Uruguay 1:1200.000
Date: 1^th of November 2017 – 6^th of June 2018
Kilometers: 909 kilometer
Days of cycling: 20
Days of full rest: 10
Total stay in Paraguay: 7.5 months
Problems: Be Free water-filter is broken. Keen sandals lost in flood. Zoom lens of Nikon camera got stuck due to sand inside. Samsung Note Smartphone needed new motherboard. Doctor visit for bacterial infection at leg.
Maintenance: New zipper inner door of Hilleberg tent, holes of tent fixed, tent washed twice and chain cleaned. 2 punctures front tire, new inner tube front. Rohloff oil renewed (4908 kilometer). Optimus Nova stove fails to work, made a hobo and alcohol stove. 3 visits to dentist, PAP test at hospital.
Longest cycle day: 95 kilometer
Nights in tent: 18
Nights in hotel/invited: 9/1
Highest temperature daytime while cycling: around 37 degrees
Average daily costs: I stopped calculating, and being on a Work Away basis I hardly spend any money as food and boarding was free for 5 hours a day/5 days a week of work.
Happy facts: a new Therm-A-Rest mattress and a new Optimus Nova stove has reached me! Thank you : )
Border crossed at: Posadas/Encarnancion. I left the country on a coach via Cuidad del Este/Foz de Iguazu. A plane brought me via Lissabon to Frankfurt. The 14^th of June the cycling trip came to an end, 3 days later a Iveco truck was bought and will replace the bicycle.