I
managed to get some good sleep till about 1 when my bladder decided it was time
to get up but fortunately I managed to get back to sleep quickly only to wake
up again at 5. At 6 I got up to get ready to catch the tour to Death Road tour.
I met Tina and Sandra and took a cab to the office as it was pouring with rain.
At the office we got our gear and signed our lives away before we made our way
to get some breakfast and jumping in a minibus taxi with bikes on its roof and
heading into the mountains.

La
Paz is at about 2600m and the starting point of the ride is at 4700m. I hope I
can breathe when we get up there. Fortunately most of the cycle was down hill
and a little flat so not so much breathe needed.

We
started out on a tarred road for about 20km where we got some great downhill
speeds only breaking to corner or pass trucks and cars. The views were amazing
with mist rolling down the mountains where there were numerous waterfalls from
the recent rain. Again, I am lost for words for describing how amazing the
landscape is.

When
we started the mountains were bare with a few bushes here and there and even
some snow but looking into the valleys below I could see the tops of the trees.
After a while I was enjoying the speed too much to be able to pay the scenery
the attention it deserved but fortunately we stopped every now and then where
we could take the time to admire the scenery.

After
about 45 minutes we made our last stop on the tarred section (after getting a
taste for the gravel ahead when we had to bypass a tunnel.  At the next stop we had a snack of banana,
chocolate and an egg roll before we packed the bikes on the car for the next
uphill bit (glad we skipped that).

After
the uphill we turned off the main road and onto death Road. Shortly afterwards
we stopped for safety instructions and an explanation of why they drive on the
left for this road. The reason is that the person coming up the road has right
of way and as you are going down the cliff is on the left. By driving on the
left the person coming up can get very close to the mountain and the driver
going down can see how close they are to the edge.

While
we were having out safety instructions a few cars returned after attempting to
go down (the cars are supposed to follow their group down) but due to the
weather last night there had been some landslides and the road was closed to
traffic (it is not normally closed to traffic but is seldom used as the new road
is so much better and safer). 

We
then put our gear back on and got on our bikes and we're on our way. It was
amazing to see how narrow the road was and to think that they could fit trucks
passed each other never mind cars but fortunately we were on bikes so no
problem.

After
getting used to the new terrain (gravel road) and cycling next to the cliff
edge we hit our first obstacle where we all had to carry our bikes over some
rocks that had fallen across the road. The guys went first and we came back to
help the ladies. After we all had cleared the obstacle safely we got going
again and just as we had some good speed and more great views we hit a mud
slide. Here we used our bikes as a third leg and tried to walk through the
obstacle without getting too much mud on our shoes but this was just not
possible. The guide even laid some logs in the mud for us to use but they were
soon swallowed by the mud as was any stray foot.

Due
to these obstacles we were behind schedule so had to rush through a few stops.
The next stop was after we cycled behind a small waterfall and could look back
on it and the rolling valley below. Fortunately we had now passed through all
the obstacles that nature had unexpectedly handed us and we got going dodging
rocks, rivers and the odd slow cyclist. On the way we even had to cycle through
a waterfall which was very refreshing and helped keep me cool.

While
cycling we occasionally passed some locals who were busy clearing the road so
that cars could get up. They only had a few simple tools like spades and pick
axes. We continued to make our way down and the cliff still looked a long way
down. While crossing a few rivers (which were rather deep) my now mud covered
shoes and pants got a good rinse. As we were coming to the end of the 35km
cycle we encountered a few flat stretches and simple uphill before we reached
our finishing point where we stacked the bikes, returned the gear and grabbed a
beer!

I
went and chatted to Cheryl and Rowan who we passed along the way and were
having a drink in the place next door. We then made our way to a restaurant
just up the road where we had lunch, a swim (strange to think I was in a pool
in the jungle) and a shower before jumping back in the van and making our way
back to la Paz.

On
the way back I really got to appreciate the views again and even get a few more
pictures of the valley. After a short while I got some much needed sleep and
woke as we were entering la Paz. It took us a while to make our way down all
the hills back to the agency office. At the office we got our t-shirt and DVD
of the photos before walking back to the hostel.

On
the way we walked through a good market where they sold all sorts of meals for
under R20. We got a little lost walking around but eventually found the exit
and continued to the hostel. At the hostel I showered and grabbed some street
food before going to the bar and meeting up with some friends. 

Rowan
and Cheryl joined us as the bar where we received multiple free shots and
enjoyed happy hour but by about 1am we decided to call it a night. We have lots
of city walking to do tomorrow.