¡Buen viaje!: The ´Death Road´ and a visit to Coroico, Bolivia

Between La Paz and the semi-tropical region of Bolivia known as the Yungas stand 12,000ft mountains seperated by densly covered jungle clinging to the sides of very steep valleys. So forbidding was the country that until 1933 there was no road link between La Paz and the main town in the Yungas called Coroico. Essentially there was also no road link from La Paz to anywhere east, including all of the Yungas and the jungles further on. In 1933 Paraguayan prisoners taken during the Chaco War were forced to build a road that cuts its way along a mountainside with drops of 1500ft straight down. Many prisoners died making this road, and once complete the road served as a site of execution for several unfortunate politicians, at least two presidents included. Until 2007 this road served as the main route between La Paz and the Yungas. We were told that on average two vehicles a month would plummet down, killing most or all of their passengers. In the 1980s a bus went over killing all on board. These events earned the road the title of ´World´s most dangerous road´. Now there is a better paved road that connects the regions, although it experiences landslides and troubles of its own. Elise and I, along with thousands of other yearly tourists, somehow decided it would be fun to pay money to ride a bicycle down the now little used ´Death Road´ (another fun knickname). We set out early with a young Swiss couple (who work in Leichtenstien), a German and an Australian guy. We had three guides - one who stayed in the van the whole time and two on bikes, one in front and one behind - good bikes and decent weather (our company was Vertigo, we highly recommend them). We started on a paved road at around 14,000ft in the middle of freezing clouds (¨it feels like riding a snowmobile¨) and rode down for some 20km before hitting the actual 33km ´Death Road´ itself. Once there the temperature and clouds lifted and we were able to see an incredible view and get an idea of why the road was so dangerous. Often it was probably 12ft wide, with drops straight down into the forest below. At points waterfalls fell and you could see crosses left where vehicles had gone over. I was nervous for the first 15 minutes or so, but eventually got used to it and then really enjoyed it. Elise grit her teeth, gripped the breaks and made it down bravely, if not quickly. Unfortunately for her at a point just 5 minutes from the end, where it wasn´t dangerous at all (i.e. no cliffs) she bailed and scrapped her shoulder pretty nicely. When the guide applied the stinging antiseptic Elise yelled ¨oh you f**ker...sorry, I didn´t mean that¨ to which he replied ¨they all say that¨. After making it to the bottom we had nice showers and a good meal before the long ride back to La Paz. We would have stayed that night in Coroico but due to laundry delays we had to return to La Paz for one night before taking a bus back to Coroico the next day. I would redo the Death Road tomorrow, Elise, would probably meet me at the bottom.

Mike on the freezing paved road at first.

Mike and Elise doing the Llama pose - ring and middle fingers touching your thumb, with your fore and pinky fingers up.

The group before starting out the Death Road

We pedaled this for 2 hours.

Past drops like this.

Elise´s shoulder after her spill. OUCH!

This is a view of the ´Death Road´ from the new highway on the return to La Paz.

The next day, after a cramped and quite frankly equally scary minibus ride down to the Yungas town of Coroico, we found a hostel on the mountainside behind town called Sol y Luna which might as well be renamed ´Paradise´. It was incredible. Warm temperature and hospitality, nice rooms, amazing cloud forest views and lots of nice walks to do around it. We stayed there for 5 days before heading back to La Paz and then onwards to Peru. We were also lucky to catch President Evo Morales (´Hermano Presidente´) in town to dedicate a soccer field and market built with European Union money. There was a soccer game, followed by about 10 speeches from various regional and local politicians, some dancing, before he actually spoke himself. He didn´t have the strained passion I´d seen on TV during the TIPNIS road problems his government faced in October last year but he did sound like a more ´real´ politician than any of the others giving speeches. Security was non-existent as kids played on the soccer field right in front of him and anybody who wished, or was asked to, give a gift to the leader of the ´proceso del cambio´ (i.e. process of change) walked right up to him. When asked to dance he eagerly accepted and it was obvious he knew the steps and Elise pointed out ´he has rythm´. I don´t see our Prime Minister doing that. Coroico is in a region that supports the president whole heartedly but we were surprised at how subdued the audience was. There was no real emotion in the large crowd, but they all listened to every word spoken eagerly.