{"id":3559,"date":"2016-06-10T19:22:47","date_gmt":"2016-06-10T19:22:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/isobaresoffit.com\/?p=3559"},"modified":"2016-06-10T19:22:47","modified_gmt":"2016-06-10T19:22:47","slug":"al-camino-de-la-muerte","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/isobaresoffit.com\/2016\/06\/10\/al-camino-de-la-muerte\/","title":{"rendered":"al Camino de la Muerte"},"content":{"rendered":"

We went back and forth on whether we would do “Death Road” while we were in Bolivia. Part of it was due to how much time we had while we were in La Paz and part of it was due to the reputation of how dangerous of an adventure it could be. In the end, we decided that we didn’t want to miss out on the experience, so we chose to be another couple who survived this treacherous experience. As we look back, it was definitely a worthwhile, but not without incident.\u00a0 It is a gravel road that is extremely narrow with blind turns and 1,000 meter (3,000 foot) cliffs all along the edge, which is why so many vehicles have plummeted into the jungle killing all of those inside.\u00a0 It certainly isn’t to be taken lightly, but it isn’t as bad these days as it was in the past.<\/p>\n

\"Sign<\/a>
Sign at the Start of Death Road<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Looking<\/a>
Looking Down from the Van’s Window<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Turkey<\/a>
Turkey and Rooster on Death Road<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

About six years ago, Bolivia built a new road that is a more traditional highway, so other than for the people whose villages are along the old road, taking death road is now a choice.\u00a0 These days, most people ride down death road on mountain bikes, which can be dangerous, but only if you decide to throw caution to the wind and go faster than you should and don’t listen to your guides.\u00a0 We drove down the road in a van and it is probably more dangerous in a vehicle than on a bike, but still not as bad as it was before they built the new road because most vehicles go down the old road and come back the new road, so there isn’t the same risk of running into traffic coming the other direction, forcing you to try to pass on a road that isn’t wide enough for two vehicles.<\/p>\n

\"Our<\/a>
Our Van at a Wider Spot on the Road<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"View<\/a>
View from the Van<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Creepy<\/a>
Creepy Shack at the Start of Death Road<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We left La Paz, which is at about 4,000\u00a0meters (12,000 feet) and went over the mountain pass at 5,000 meters (15,000 feet) to get to the start of death road.\u00a0 As we reached the top of the mountains, we were met with a dense fog and clouds from the hot, moist, dense air from the jungle meeting the cold air from the Andes mountains.\u00a0 It wasn’t the rainy season while were in Bolivia, but apparently someone forgot to tell the Yungas rain forest as it was cloudy and rainy during our entire drive from the top of death road until we reached the bottom at\u00a0about 2,000 meters (6,000 feet).\u00a0 Very early into the drive we came across a skull on a stick, which seemed to be a clear warning of the danger that lied ahead.\u00a0 We asked our guide, Ricky, if this was always there and he said that it was the first time that he’d ever seen it.<\/p>\n

\"Skull<\/a>
Skull Warning<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Foggy<\/a>
Foggy View<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Cross<\/a>
Cross on the Side of the Road<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The thick cloud cover that hung over the jungle trees that were below us were both a blessing and a curse.\u00a0 On the one hand, it kept us from seeing the true depth of the sheer drops that were inches away from the wheels of our van, but they also brought rain, making the road even more slippery and dangerous than it would have been if it were completely dry.\u00a0 We’ve added a video in addition to the pictures, but nothing will truly give the full sense of what it was like to wind down the narrow road as we worked our way to the town of Coroico where we were to have lunch.\u00a0 The winding road, steep cliffs, and dense fog created an almost surreal and eerie atmosphere as we drove our way down death road.<\/p>\n