Bolivia, pt. 2: Back in La Paz & Death Road

On our way back to La Paz we had to edit our itinerary. Our initial plan had taken us to Sucre immediately after Isla del Sol. We had big plans of traveling south to Sucre and stopping in Potosi, a small mining town, on our way to do a salt flats tour in Uyuni. However, due to some semi-violent strikes in Potosi we decided to hang out in La Paz for a few days until we knew if it was safe to travel in that direction. By staying even one night in La Paz Meredith and I weren’t going to make it to Uyuni, the part of the trip we had been looking forward to most. Naturally, we wanted to do something equally as epic in La Paz… like mountain bike Death Road for instance.

Meredith and I had read about the North Yungas Road, labeled the “world’s most dangerous road,” when researching our trip to Bolivia and immediately nixed it. Before the new, asphalt road was completed in 2006 Death Road was the only route connecting La Paz to the north of Bolivia. The road is no bigger than 10 feet wide and the smallest dropoff is 1,830 feet high. Appropriately nicknamed el Camino de la Muerta, or Death Road, the passage used to claim anywhere between 200 to 300 lives a year.

I have an intense, albeit irrational, fear of flipping over in buses and vans, and being anywhere near Death Road sounded about as enticing as being the head coach of the Florida Gators during the 2010 season (Urban Meyer resigned the day I wrote this and, yes, I’m bitter). But after talking to some people our first night in La Paz, Death Road not only stopped sounding scary, it started sounding awesome. By downplaying the danger component and using Meredith’s unparalleled ability to peer pressure anyone into anything, we managed to convince Agata and Kevin that the Death Road bike ride was something we absolutely couldn’t miss if we were going to be stuck in La Paz for an extra few days.

Death Road

The day before the ride was the least interesting of our trip, and exactly what we needed. After two amazing, yet action-packed days in Bolivia, a lazy day in La Paz seemed like a gift. The city can be summed up pretty concisely: crowded, chaotic, and colorful. Walking around, I was taking in one spectacle after another. Whether it was yet another 5-foot woman with a baby strapped to her back, or llama fetuses hanging from the stands of the street vendors (the fetuses are supposed to bring good luck in business and protection to the home) there was always something to interesting to see. We spent the afternoon shopping, exploring and admiring the city from a lookout point that offered a different perspective on La Paz.

Street Market

Indigenous woman eying some new skirts

Girls doing some shopping at a street market in La Paz
L-R: me, Meredith, and Agata
(Sidenote: headscarf was to prevent further sunburn on my scorched scalp)

From the lookout point I realized that, though it’s not obvious, La Paz is quite stunning. It’s easy to be blinded by the poverty and the pandemonium of the city. But when given the opportunity to step back the glaring beauty of this place makes it easier to remember the wonderful things that were seen, but overlooked.

Beautiful La Paz

Meredith and I

The group at Mirador Killi Killi overlooking La Paz
L-R: Agata, me, Meredith, and Kevin

Early Thursday morning the Vertigo Biking van pulled up in front of our hostel. After driving for an hour, we got a quick lesson about the bikes and how to ride them. As the guides handed out our pads and helmets they explained that the first part 25% of the ride was going to be on the new road, which is paved and has more traffic than Death Road.

Riding on the new road was invigorating. Everyone who’s ever ridden a bike will agree that the only reason you exert any energy to go uphill is to reap the super fun benefit of going downhill. Riding on the new road was downhill fun without having to do any uphill work. Before we made our first stop I was feeling comfortable on my bike and, instead of focusing so hard on not dying, I actually started to take in the awesome views around me. I felt blessed to be there, thrilled that it was more fun that I’d expected and amazed at the sights around me. It was, in a word, intoxicating.



Feeling confident after an hour of riding, we dismounted and climbed back in the van to be taken to the starting point of Death Road. There, the company provided us with snacks and nature provided us with restrooms. I was eager to start riding on the Yungas Road. Thus far the experience had been much more than any of us had expected. At one point I even went so far to say, “If this tour were to end right now, it’d still be worth every penny. This is incredible.” There’s a foreboding comment if I’ve ever heard one.