Feliz navidad from La Paz

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Due to a minor planning oversight when preparing for this trip we did not have Brazilian visas. With Christmas and New Years fast approaching we decided to head straight to La Paz to lodge our visa applications with the Brazilian Embassy and then back track to see Lake Titicaca. We arrived in La Paz on 23 December and headed for the Embassy. Unfortunately we turned up to the (wrong) entrance where a sign said they were closed until 3pm. We decided to pop to a café and return at 3pm only to then discover that the visa application office keep different hours to the rest of embassy and indeed closed is doors at 3pm promptly. We were turned away and told to come back tomorrow when they would be open from 9am till lunch then taking the afternoon and next 2 days off for Christmas. After a minor meltdown we sulked our way back to Wild Rover La Pazand settled into our new home to prepare for Christmas: Bolivian style. (In the end our visas were processed with no problems and were in fact ready for collection ahead of time.)

Christmas Eve began with a self guided walking tour around the city with the purchase of our highly anticipated Alpaca wool knitted jumpers, photos outside the infamous San Pedro prison, a brilliant meal at a Mexican eatery and a rather gory visit to the Witches Markets where the stores hang dried llama fetuses from shop windows. Christmas Eve ended with Skyping the families at home followed by a big party at the hostel complete with live band, carols and too much to drink.

Christmas Day started slowly after the excitement of party-eve and by 2pm we were happily sat at the huge Christmas feast put on by the hostel. Soup, ham, turkey, roast veggies, multiple types of potatoes and chocolate mousse for desert along with a great bunch of fellow travellers sharing stories of how they spend Christmas at home was a wonderfully cheerful and happy way to spend Christmas day away from our family and friends.

Boxing Day saw one of the most adventurous day trips of the whole adventure. We were given the gift of a mountain bike ride down the World’s Most Dangerous Road (or more positively known by the locals as Death Road) by Paul’s mum for Christmas. Our guides were Adventure on Wheels, a relatively new company but one with experienced staff. We’d learnt a little about the history of the road already – several hundred people died in vehicles every year as the narrow road weaves its way along a mountainside until the road was closed to cars in early 2000’s. There have also been 28 deaths on mountain bikes in the 18 years that the adventure activity has been an option. The bike ride starts on smooth tarmac for 30km allowing us to familiarise ourselves with the bikes and build some confidence with speed. Then it’s onto the real deal with a thin, rubble track meandering its way down the valley. Our day was quite chilly with a thick mist sitting the valley that meant visibility was tough with water and mud flying at our faces and skidding a concern. The whole ride is about 64km and took us about 3 ½ hours to complete with several pit stops along the way for snacks, photos and stories. We passed many memorials along the way with crosses, flowers and plaques for riders and passengers who’d gone over the edge. Our guide was an avid mountain biker and offered the opportunity to join him on a single track for the last section of the ride. Paul and a couple of other adventurists jumped at the chance for more adrenalin. Courtney felt the slope and rubble looked far too menacing and stuck with the main road, a good choice when the stories were relayed at the bottom of how Paul had gone over the handle bars and one of the others had dropped off a small cliff near the edge of the trail. It was a bit scary but exhilarating and we had a great day and it is definitely an unforgettable Christmas present – thank you Joy!

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