From La Paz to Coroico and Back Again

Now that I've opined about the culture shock coming into Bolivia gave me, I should probably catch you all up on what I've actually been doing because I'm sure you're all dying to know. Aside from the walking tour which I've already told you all about, there's not all that much to do in La Paz except of course shop in the markets where they sell everything (yes that includes the llama fetuses, they're sold to use as offerings to Pachamama or Mother Earth when a new house is being built). Luckily La Paz is a good point to organize tours of the area from and there's lots to do nearby.

I've been making up most of this trip as I go along, but I did have a list of a few things I definitely wanted to see or do in South America and biking down the World's Most Dangerous Road aka Death Road was one of them. The road got its name because at some point it did indeed have the most deaths per year on it. This is due to the fact that it's built along a cliff, there are no guardrails or supports against landslides because that would be silly, and the road is officially two way though a casual observer would tell you that definitely only one car could fit across the road at one time. A few years back a new road was built to replace Death Road which promptly cut the number of annual fatalities. Today the road is mostly used by tourists biking down it, but it is still officially open to traffic so you do have to be on your guard against cars.

Despite the alarming moniker, I honestly didn't feel too afraid biking down the road. It's one of those activities that if you're not stupid about it and you pay attention to your guide, you're going to be fine. Going down I was too focussed on braking early enough in the turns and watching out for rocks to pay much attention to the 600 meter drop to my left. Of course the reason I was focussing on braking correctly and avoiding rocks was to prevent myself from going flying over that drop. The ride was fun and the little scenery I saw as I went whizzing by was beautiful. And clearly I survived, the only casualties being sore arms and a sore behind from spending three hours riding over rocks.

I had already vaguely planned to do a trek, called El Choro trek, while in La Paz, since I had read it was beautiful and ended in Coroico, a little jungle town that had been recommended for a visit. The Death Road bike ride took almost the same route, and since I didn't really have the chance to enjoy the views while biking, I definitively wanted to revisit the area, this time at a more leisurely pace. Being the great planner that I am, I spent a morning going around to agencies, asking which had a tour leaving the next day. The one that said they did was the one I went with. This could have backfired rather spectacularly, but luckily I had a kind guide, friendly hiking companions, and most importantly good food for the trek. The views were incredible, moving from snow into jungle over the course of three days, and the whole area was much less developed for tourism than other treks I had done, which gave it a bit more of a wilderness feel.

 The trek ended near Coroico, a small peaceful town in the yungas. Because the exchange rate is wild, I was able to get a private room in a hotel with a gorgeous view to relax in on the super cheap. It was nice to enjoy the quiet and clean air especially after the noise and pollution of La Paz and to have a bed after a few nights of sleeping in a tent. After relaxing there for a day, I left Coroico, and went back to La Paz to connect out again. That will be the story coming up next, complete with the worst bus ride ever and dinosaurs! Hasta luego!