Death Road

There is a road in Bolivia. I know this for a fact. But, my silky little darlings, it isn't just any road. Oh no. This road is called Death Road, and it is exactly as it sounds. This road was built in the 1930's, christened in 1995 as 'The World's Most Dangerous Road.' A nice little 61 kilometre number, straight down, known for its extreme danger. An estimated 200-300 travellers are killed yearly along the road. There are many large crosses marking spots in which vehicles have fallen, the worst accident of which in 1983 when 100 passengers flew over the edge. Just sat, ever so politely in a bus, and boom. Quite dead. May their poor little souls rest in peace. However that wasn't me. So. You will start out at 4, 700 metres above sea level. Just to be clear, that is nearly 5km straight up in the air. Breathing becomes a bit laboured, as the air is thin here. You are riding with Australians and other Canadians, clocked at 70km/hour on the pavement, 2 lanes of busy traffic at your side. Just you, your mountain bike and the biggest adventure you might just have had yet. As you look to your side you see the beautiful Altiplano terrain, extensively masked by such a vast white murk of fog. The mountains so pleased you decided to join them, the deep valley smiles at you as you gaze down at its flowing rivers, mile after mile of green vegetation staring you so happily in the face. The air so fresh, crisp as it blows past you sitting on your bike all nice and blissfully content. You are racing the traffic, winding around bend after bend passing trucks that are passing trucks and quite possibly getting caught between the vehicle you intend to pass and the oncoming one blinking it's lights alarmingly at you, asking you politely to stay within reason and hold onto your life for just a little while longer. Suddenly you realize just how fast you've been going. Your group stops for a flittering instant to enjoy the scenery and adjust to the new changes. Gravel, no more traffic, no more guard rails. You all pick up speed again, and over the course of 4 hours you descend to 1, 200 meters. Winding atop steep cliffs you see a drop of hundreds of feet just one blink beside you, but don't look over the edge just now. That might erase your blissful ignorance. You might actually come to grips with the reality that just one small slip, one false move and... You pass numerous crosses on the side of the road, dedicated to those who have fallen before you. And then, what do you see? A bike. But of course you would see a bike, that's what you all have been riding on from the start, yes? But there was something not right about this bike in particular. It was in the middle of the road. Laying, a lone mountain bike with no one there to occupy the seat. Where had its owner gone? You investigate further, and around the bend someone appears. Two people, one holding the other as blood gushes from someone's nose, their face essentially a leaking pool of red. They are squirming in pain as feebly they hold their wrist too, for it has been broken in 2 places. This poor human being has just flung themselves over their handlebars straight onto the unforgiving gravel. A broken wrist and nose, courtesy of the harrowing road. Your sincere feelings of sympathy bubble over for this poor chap, but you must move on. The temperature climbing, you descend rapidly and strip down nearly to your knickers. The cool air becomes oxygen rich, vegetation transforms before your eyes from the cold blanketed misty landscape to hot dense rainforest as you follow the path, your ribbon of dust. Curve after curve of large gravel rocks jostle and jolt you like a little indian bobble head. And just when you think your poor backside can handle no more, you have finally reached the bottom. Congratulations, you have just ridden a bicycle down 'El Camino del Muerte' or, the Bolivian Road of Death. But what shall you do now? Zipline. Of course. And that, my friends, is how you put the perfect end to the perfect day. Miss Death Road

VIDEOS of: Death Road: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxYBnSL0oQ8&feature=plcp&context=C381596bUDOEgsToPDskLZSSXMQB_z9i0Ojvi9L2sZ Ziplining: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOaLndvJXrQ&feature=plcp&context=C39a5191UDOEgsToPDskLJqnlwGVeHCUPgGlV1EJOt