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Published: January 21st 2008
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Llama's are not bikes.
I was disappointed to learn that is was a downhill mountain bike tour and not downhill llama riding. Maybe I will return to Bolivia and set up a tour agency... So we managed to cross the border from Peru to Bolivia, minus drugs attached under our seats of the bus, (which apparently is a favourite way to trap tourists.) The only problem was John's dodgy South African passport and invalid visas. It turned our alright, but some estupido in the Bolivian consulate will be getting a beating for there inability to write the correct number days on a visa.
Next stop was Copacabana (the Bolivian version) for a pit stop on our way to La Paz (the world's highest capital city) After being assaulted by various women and their dead, but extremely fresh traucha (or traut or trout, depending is spell check is working when the menu was written) all telling us that their kiosk was the best to eat at. We settled down and I surprisingly enough was the only one to eat traucha. I was the one who was surprised though went it came out head and all. Like eating fish isn't gross enough.
We left on our 5 star bus with air conditioning and water closet, except the aircon only worked if the windows were open and to use the toilet you had to go before
The Death Road
This was one of the most dangerous parts of the world's most dangerous road. When cars and trucks meet on a narrow part. Sadly the road isn't used by trucks or that many cars more so it took the adventure out of it. the bus left. Never again will I believe pictures, no matter how pretty or happy people look in them!! Somewhere along the way we crossed Lake Titicaca, but to do this we had to catch a barge. So everyone off the bus and pay another tax for the tax before that one, just in case it didn't cover something or other. The 4 of us somehow managed to be the last of our bus to arrive on the other side, only to see our bus pulling away from the curb and gaining speed up the hill. Thankfully it stopped about 300m away and waited for us. Only after this did they let you write your name and passport details down on their passenger list.
We eventually arrived at our hostel in La Paz. To be welcomed by hot showers, usually I'm not to bothered about the shower thing, but it was nice to have a shower where turning on the cold tap was not the only option. Our next quest involved finding a tour company that takes bike tours down 'the world's most dangerous road,' where according to BBC around 300 people die each year. Hence the nickname 'THE
The edge
This edge isn't the worst drop, but it pretty much shows you how sheer the drop is. DEATH ROAD.' Thankfully there is a whole street in La Paz dedicated to tour companies that provide willing and probably unwilling tourists the opportunity to test the nine lives theory. They range in price from US$100 to about US$30, Lonely Planet tells you that remember cutting costs may also be cutting the brakes and strongly advices against any company willing to take you down in the wet season (Dec to Mar). We at least have now established that Lonely Planet was written by Nancies and since this the No Nancy Tour, we decided that the t shirt looked cool, 'so what time do you pick us up from the hostel?'
So at 7am we were picked up and taken to about 4700m high. Did I mention it was the date was the 13th on this particular day... (let me know tell you how hard core we are, you can all pay me out later when I get home... if I make it) It was so cold. There was still snow on the side of the road. We put on some funky pants and a jacket, tried our bikes. They tightened my breaks, at least we knew they had the
The jacket was kind or waterproof.
This was a set up photo opportunity. Only we didn't have an option of the path we took. There was van parked in a position that forced you thru the waterfall, but it makes us look tough! tools to do so. The death road is only about 60kms long, but would it be too long (insert deathly scary music) The first 20km is all bitchumen, it was also the fun part where we got to overtake trucks in fog and on blind corners, or be overtaken by buses. The next part was the real beginning of the death road. We left the sealed road behind and headed down the dirt, rocky, muddy and at points only 3.2m wide track. After gripping the breaks and seeing your knuckles go white, you realise that this is as much as the breaks do and just get used to the speed. The next fun part is trying to take in the scenery while concentrating on the track ahead of you, know that if you go off the edge, its about 600m till the landing site. Since this company didn't provide parachutes, it was highly recommended to stay on the track. After about 30km of constant hairpin turns, waterfalls over the path (remember it is the rainy season, which makes us extra hard core) a few cars to make it interesting, one of our group members stacking it near the edge, at
The cloud forest strikes again
Until we got to about 2000m, this was pretty much the weather. It would rain on and off, just enough to keep you cold and uncomfortable. We realised that paying US$100 meant you actually got water resistant jackets. least 20 crosses (that I saw) experiencing all kinds of weather, overtaking other groups or being overtaken we arrived at our snack stop. This was also the end of the downhill and I had to figure out how to change gears on the bike. The 10km, was the most beautiful part of the ride, this was because you could actually see the scenery instead of being it covered cloud or mist. We even got to ride through a few deepish streams. Contrary to the name of the road we arrived safely in the little village that signals the end of the road. No suprise that the trip back took longer than the trip down. I was disappointed to find out that we didn't take the same route back but the new and improved highway. Which is why we met so little traffic on our descent.
Meanwhile in another part of town, an industrial accident occured. Little did we know how it would effect us till later that evening. The beers have never tasted sweeter than at the hostel that night, knowing we didn't get ripped off and pay US$100 for peace of mind and that we can now brag
Not Nancies
We fulfilled our last requirement to prove that we weren't Nancies! about how hardcore and tough we are.
So now onto the important lesson how to make a buck in Bolivia. Firstly assume that your hostel uses a reputable laundry service and trustingly put your socks and undies (in Maja's case one third of her clothing) in to be cleaned. Wait one day and go to reception at the alloted pick up time. Go back to your dorm and make sure that all your clothing is there. Discover that there are some items missing and go back to reception to inquire why this is the case. Then be shown another bag that has your items of clothing in there, but they are burnt. Yes burnt like they were in a fire or dried in a pizza oven. OMG!! I can understand shrinking or discolouration of clothes, but burning. How on earth do you burn clothes. The next trick is to then actually go over your 'not burnt' clothes only to discover that they actually singed. We discussed these issues with the owner of the laundry and he generously gave us a small compensation for our clothing. Being compensated was really the issue, for me it was how on earth does such a thing happen... industrial accident apparently.
Like Peru, Bolivia was a whirlwind tour and we only spent 2 nights in La Paz and then headed to Santa Cruz. I wish we could've spent more time in La Paz, it was a very nice city and dirt cheap. The markets were pretty awesome, especially the Witches Market (petrified llama anyone?). My favourite part was walking past banks that had guards out the front, which is pretty standard, but only in Bolivia do they get to wield sawn off shotguns, pump actions or various rifles. The amount of riot police standing around just waiting to beat someone up was also amusing. The night of our departure came round to quickly and boarded our bus for our next destination. It was only an hour into our 14hr trip did we discover that the toilet wasn't accessible. Never trust photos of toilets!!!!!!!!! especially on flyers for bus lines!
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elisha
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CAAZZZAAA!!!
cazza! ps i love reading your blogs! i'll have to set one up before i leave. Love it! see you spoon slurry mc sluzzilla