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Published: April 24th 2006
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ok, maybe not
everything fun has to live up to this criteria...but don't tell me there is not a parallel there somewhere!
the experience of riding a bicycle down the
world's most dangerous road is definitely helping to prove this theory. but more on that in a bit.
after sending kirsten and brian off and saying goodby to our machu picchu family (which i heard from my sick-bed, was quite the dance party!) rick and i had one more day/night in cusco, before heading back to the peruvian side of lake titicaca for a bit more island hoping. this was also the Saturday evening prior to peru's national presidential election, which is taken quite seriously. alcohol is forbidden and as evening sets in, police patrols are visible and restaurants and bars close early. upon hearing this policy, i thought - how smart, right? voting is mandatory in peru and no president is elected without at least a 50%!m(MISSING)ajority vote. good idea to make sure people are voting with a clear head.
despite the temporary prohibition, we managed to find an 'underground' soiree, held in candlelight and safeguarded with door bouncers, at every one's favorite
highest Irish pub reed boat ride
we were serenaded in about 8 languages by this trio in the world. needless to say, election day was a bit rough for this gringo, especially when the itinerary dictated a full day tour of the Sacred Valley, coupled with lack of sleep and a mild case of ruin fatigue.
(election follow up: nobody won 50%!m(MISSING)ajority, creating a run off between the top 3 candidates to be held later this year)
on sunday we bid cusco farewell and headed to puno, peru - a port city on the western banks of lake titicaca - and the gateway to the beautiful islands of uros, taquile, and amantani. the islands are best experienced over a two-day tour and an overnight stay with a local family on the island of amantani, and proved to be beautiful and tranquil places where traditional customs and the ancient andean religion and way of life are still preserved and practiced.
the islands of uros, otherwise known as the "floating islands", are made completely out of the totora reeds that grow in the bay of lake titicaca. the reeds are used for the full construction of the islands (over 30 of them), as well as all houses and boats and other construction. kind of
odd to be walking around on swishy reed mats, and there was definitely a strange feeling of tourism exploited, but the families were very warm, displaying their artisan products and giving a ride in one of their reed boats.
we then chugged (in maybe the worlds slowest boat...) to the tranquil island of amantani and were introduced to our host mom, luisa, who met us at the boat dock and walked us to our home for the night. the people of amantani are ayamaran, a distinct ancient culture and language. the society is very community based. there are no police and very little in the way of western social structure, with communal life focused on family, religion, and agriculture. we visited the sacred temples of pachamama and pachatata (mother and father earth) and witnessed a stirring and surreal view of the moon, almost full in the sky, suspended in the middle of a brilliant white circle of light. i was positive this tied into all of the pachamama energy existing on the island and was a tangible sign of the spirit of the andean beliefs. luisa, our host mom, said that it meant it was going to rain.
the highlight of amantani was a festive party, thrown for the tourists that night, where we wore the traditional clothing of the ayamara people and learned the local dances. this wasn't quite as odd as it initially sounded and ended up being quite fun...although short-lived for me due to my persistent cold symptoms.
the 2 day excursion ended with a walking tour of the island of taquille and a tasty "trucha" lunch (trout, popular local fish), while watching the local life stock pass through the main square, as well as the curious island custom of all of the men walking this way and that, knitting! hats, scarfs, sweaters...you name it. (the women are just responsible for spooling the yarn 😉
the next morning, it was time to head back across the Bolivian border, into La Paz...and back to the fun and dangerous!
bolivian safety standards are a little bit more relaxed than we're used to in the united states, and although the government has built a
new and improved (and reputedly safer) road connecting the lower jungle towns and eastern bolivia with the commerce hub in la paz....most commuting workers, truckers, and all the packed local passenger
buses, still prefer to make the 63 km. journey along the perilous scratch of gravel lip (bolivian for road) that drops one 3,500 m. over a 2 hour journey. unfortunately, due to numerous and continuous accidents, statistics are still backing up its nickname...."the world's most dangerous road".
why not switch to the safer road, you ask? well, the old one saves gas. and it saves an hour of travel time.....just apparently not lives.
it also makes for a great tourist attraction!
here's the pitch: get on a bike, put on a helmet (which unless it comes with a parachute, is solely for peace of mind), and then proceed to dodge semi-trucks, overly-confident motorists, and local buses, while careening down 4 hours of gravel switchbacks, cutting a jagged edge through the sides of the jungle mountains.
the trick, as one perfects along the way, is to stay focused, triple-quadruple check your brakes, and resist the urge for gapers disease, as you bear witness along the way to numerous near collisions and colossal maneuvering of mac trucks and buses, jockeying for position while precariously close to toppling into the jungle depths below. hats off to these truck and
getting ready for the plunge
optimistic and still smiling bus drivers, who make their sumo wrestler rigs, dance along the path with the agility and precision of a ballerina. no fear!
despite the horrid conditions of the road and the persistent threat of going over the edge, it was quite the ride and i think everyone thoroughly enjoyed the experience...especially the end! the sun was shining, the sky was a celestial blue, and the velocity of the gravity drop created a pleasant breeze. we all regrouped at the end in the town of yolosa, with about 2 inches of dust coating our lungs, sore palms and hands, from a consistent steel grip on my brakes, but in adrenaline fueled high spirits. we were then rewarded with a few hours of lounging in the gorgeous pool at the secluded hotel espmeralda, a hidden gem in the small town of coroico. unfortunately, my travel schedule dictated a bee-line back to buenos aires, but coroico and the hotel esmeralda would be a great layover if one has time to spare for a night or two.
the
worlds most dangerous road is a fun filled day trip from la paz, but just make sure to prepare for the trip back, which
ironically, follows the exact same route (!!)...but this time in a mini-van, and i have to say...it was arguably worse. we all pulled through tho, with only a few iterations of the "our father" and a couple badly negotiated hail mary deals with pachamama and the andean mountain gods.....
with only one brief stop to change a flat, we arrived back into la paz safely and within seconds of my overnight bus, beginning my multi-day pilgrimage back to the fabulous argentina!
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crazy fun!
i just got to read this again and am remembering how fun it was.. you capture it so much more eloquently than i do!