At 7:30 on Saturday morning, Dan and I met up with our friends and 12 other people to go on a bike trip. This wasn't just a typical bike outing...we would be riding on what has been labeled the world's most dangerous road: Yungas Road, or more commonly, Death Road. This 64 kilometer muddy, rocky route winds through large hillsides and sits along steep cliffs. The narrowness of the road, combined with the absence of guardrails, has caused it to be the source of many accidents over the years. It has also made the road a popular tourist attraction.
Ask me to skydive from 15,000 feet or hike 5 hours up a volcano, and I won't bat an eyelash. But bike riding under even the best conditions makes me uneasy. Needless to say, I was not overeager about the outing. Nevertheless, I found myself near the start of the path, putting on my gear and being assigned a bike along with everyone else. With dual suspension, the bikes were of great quality. But that only eased my nerves so much.
Our group gathered with our bikes in a large circle as our guide explained numerous rules and tips for the ride: stay on the left side unless the road is narrow, pull over for passing vehicles, be sure to slow down prior to reaching sharp turns, etc. After a lengthy talk, he told us that because we would be riding on Pachamama, Mother Earth, we needed to show our appreciation. He took out a bottle with a liquid akin to rubbing alcohol, and instructed each of us to pour a little on our front wheel, a little on the ground, and then a little in our mouth. We passed the bottle from person to person, each wincing when it was our turn to take a swig of the vile liquid. Then, finally, it was time to ride.
The first leg of the ride was on a perfectly paved, wide road, and was meant to help us get comfortable on the bikes. The ride was really nice, and helped me ease my nerves a little bit. However, it wasn't long before we reached the start of the real Death Road. It was all downhill with steep cliffs and many bumps. At some points, the road was barely wider than the width of a small car. Even still, it was an incredible feeling to ride along. The landscape, when I dared to look up from the rocky ground, was beautiful.
We stopped several times to look at the views. The guides captured the entire day on camera, but unfortunately only told us after the ride that we would have to wait two days before we could retrieve the CDs with pictures. We would already be out of La Paz at that point, so upsettingly, we didn't have much footage of the day. We started the day in many layers because the weather was very cold at the high altitude. However, the climate quickly changed as we descended toward the rainforest. So it wasn't long before we had shed some clothing. Ironically, just after many of us had taken off our outer layers, it began to pour. The heavy rain made the ride scarier, but also felt surprisingly nice.
At no point along the ride did I feel entirely confident. The roads were narrow and rocky and the drop-off was intimidating. The speed at which everyone was going only added to my uncertainty. So, it was only inevitable that at the brief moment I took my hand from the grip to adjust my sunglasses, I lost my balance and went down with my bike. I recovered quickly, but not before picking up some painful scratches and bruises.
After several hours, we made it to the end. Despite my injury, I was really happy we had done the ride. And Dan, who is a much more avid biker, loved the whole experience. We finished the day with a big lunch and a viewing of the pictures and videos the guides had taken. They also showed us some disturbing videos of past accidents along Death Road; at least they waited until the end, I guess.
It took us several hours to drive back to the center of La Paz. By that point, we were all drained, so we had a low-key dinner before calling an end to one of the more memorable days of our trip.
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