The world´s most dangerous road

Tuesday morning we woke at 6AM. we went to another hostel for breakfast at 7AM (it was across the city). the breakfast was the most amazing bolivian breakfast we have had (considering that mostly we just munch on fruit or what ever else we have lying around). they had hot coco, tea, coffee, bread, jam (apple=yum!), etc. we ate and then put on bike shorts and bike shirts. we got into a huge van with 10 other tourists, two guides and a driver. our bikes were stored on top of the van. we drove to la cumbre, which sits at 4.700m above sea level. from there we mounted the bikes in preparation to bike the ´world´s most dangerous road.´ it was chilly at la cumbre, but not that cold. we started the biking and pretty soon came upon the first of two government checkpoints. we went through this one, but sierra got a bloody nose, so that took a little while to stop. at this point we were biking on paved roadway, which was curvy and entirely downhill, so it was fun and i went super fast. i even passed a truck...which was such a rush. we had to pay a tax at the second checkpoint, which sucked. then the road went uphill for a little bit, which made my asthma act up because of the altitude. i also couldn´t get my bike into a lower gear, finally did and then couldn´t get it to change again.

after the uphill bit, we arrived at the turn-off for the dirt road, which was actually the ´dangerous´ one. it used to be the only road between coroico and la paz. that meant that trucks, buses, cars, and bikes all had to share it (this is not a two lane road....its a two way road, but its more like one lane with maybe passing room in some spots). now, there is a new paved road, so only bikes use this dangerous road. that takes most of the danger out of it (which i was pissed about). the road used to see at least 100 deaths a year because of the curves, the dirt and the entire thing is downhill....oh yeah, there is no guardrail and its on the side of mountains, will the jungle below (and by below i mean that when we started we couldn´t actually see that far down because of the fog and depth). at times my wheels were only about a foot from the edge. you have to ride on the edge side incase anything is coming up the mountain (that way they can see you and vice versa).

the first 1.5 hours were fun and i went pretty fast. it was kind of difficult because i kept feeling like i was going to fall off because i kept hitting rocks that would alter the direction of my bike. then we rested for a while and i slowed down, after almost falling in a waterfall. there were waterfalls along the way and i had no choice but to go through them. the last 1.5 hours went slower because my hands were so red and sore from having to use the brakes so much. also the rocks caused me to bounce and made it harder to hold on.

the sceenery was beautiful and the ride was really nice, but intense. the final 20 minutes were fun. we had to ride through two rivers (not deep, but i got really wet). then we had to go over a speed bump. they had warned us about it, but i didn´t realize i was at it until i was in the air above it. we finished the ride in yolosa, at 1.100m above sea level. the entire route covers about 80 km and took us 5 hours or so.

then the guides took us to a fancy hotel in coroico (this vacation destination near la paz). we showered with hot water and had a buffet lunch/dinner. the food was good and we were so low that i could eat like a human again. at higher altitudes its harder for me to eat a lot. after hanging out there for a while with our group, sierra and i went and found a cheap hostel in town. we went to bed super early because we were exhausted.

wednesday we woke up early and took a bus to a town about three km from coroico, from there we walked in the hot morning sun to the cascadas, three little waterfalls about 3 km from the little town. the road was dusty and narrow, so it was hard to breathe when cars passed. again, we had to cross the waterfalls which meant getting wet becuase the water crosses the road to go down the cliff on the other side. the waterfalls were nice, but not that worth it. we couldn´t find a bus back to coroico, it passed us in the other direction, so we walked the entire way back. we grabbed our bags (just our little backpacks, we left the big ones in la paz) and headed for the bus station. i got a coffee to go because i wanted to try the local coffee, which was good. we had to wait an hour at the bus station and i played cards with some guys (aussie, brit and kiwi), while sierra watched because she didn´t know the game.

then we got on a little bus (more like a van) to la paz. i had the window open and was reading when some little kid threw a water balloon at the van (they do it all over peru and bolivia...it happened today too). my book survived, my shirt was soaked as were my pants. luckily the passport and money were in a plastic bag in my money belt because that was soaked. the water actually felt good and made me ´cleaner´ than before. the bus ride sucked because i was so crammed in and uncomfortable. also, it got progressively colder as we got higher. i dried off pretty quickly though. at one point we were in a tunnel that was so long and dark that i could not see sierra next to me...not even an outline of her. it was sooo scary. it also rained most of the way back to la paz and was still raining when we arrived and had to find a micro (local bus) to the center.

we finally found one to the center, but the center was a distaster becuase the miners were striking. roads were blocked everywhere and there were firecrackers being set off. we bought tickets to sucre. then we went to the hostel where we did the bike tour. we got our free shirts and CDs with pictures from the trip...we still haven´t checked them out though. then we had dinner at a bolivian fast food place - hamburgers and fried chicken...there are a million of these places. the burgers were good and this was basically the first real food we had eaten all day, so we didn´t feel too guilty about the calories. then we went to our hostel, but had very little time left before our bus left. we changed (we were sooooo wet; some little girl on the street asked her mom why we were so wet, that was hilarious), grabbed our stuff and ran out the door. we jumped on a micro headed to the terminal and got there 6 minutes before our bus left.

the bus to sucre was really nice, esp. for bolivia, but it was even nice for argentina. the seats were too big and they gave us blankets, however, i didn´t sleep much.

La Paz

Sunday, we went to Tiawanacu (that is so spelled wrong), which are pre-inca ruins outside La Paz. They were interesting, but not super fabulous. they are also not completely excavated, so you climb up one point and think you´re on a hill, but you´re really ontop of a temple. some of the temples were really cool, one had heads sticking out of the walls and another had the puerta del sol (gate of the sun), which was ornately carved with a calendar. we met lots of people on our tour group and had a good time. that night we went back to the city and called Sierra´s friend - Xime (she had been an exchange student at sierra´s school). she picked us up and drove us to the nice section of la paz, which is about 1/2 hour south of the center. we went to her house, which sits on a hill overlooking the city and is three full floors. she took us to a mexican restaurant, which was yummy, but had the smallest portions i have ever seen. then we went to a bar/restaurant with one of her friends. first, we stopped at the friend´s apt building, which i swore was a hotel. the bar was full of gringos, mostly aussies and brits. they were all glued to TV screens, watching some football game. we sat at a table under one of the screens and finally figured out that they were watching the superbowl (unfortunately we missed 1/2 time and the commercials were in spanish). we didn´t stay late and the friend drove us home. both girls drive american made suvs (xime a jeep grand cherokee and her friend a dodge durrango). they wear abercrombie and speak english pretty well. they are super rich, especially for bolivia.

monday, we walked around the city a little. we went to a really pretty church in the center and some markets. one was the mercado de hechiceria (witches market), which was bizare and had animal skeletons for sale, along with other charms and herbs and stuff. we also walked through the mercado negro (black market), which was just like any other market in bolivia, aka you can buy everything there. then we took a cab to xime´s neighboorhood and went to lunch at her house. we had bland food - corn, meat, boiled potato. it was ok, dessert was great- apple compote, made from apples from the tree in the backyard. her house was a palace. i think her bathroom was the size of my family room. the room with the toilet was bigger than my parents entire bathroom. we showed her facebook and just hung out a little while. then she drove us to the valle de la luna (valley of the moon), which is about 10 km outside la paz. it was super cool. its this valley with these sand/dirt formations that look like a moonscape. we wandered around a little while, taking pictures. then we drove around looking at the mountains for a while. during the drive xime declared that total eclipse of the heart was the best song in the world (the bad dance remake version); she also announce she was going to convert to budhism, but then realized she would have to give up smoking. she dropped us off at our hostel and we went to bed.

copacabana and isla del sol

copacabana was insane. we went to the festival for the virgen of candelaria....basically the patroness of the town. there was a parade that basically lasted all day, then we went to eat dinner, then there was dancing in the streets and it smelled like beer. it was like a college homecoming weekend....tons of music, alcohol and dancing tourists and bolivians. it was hilarious....this is supposed to be their biggest religious holiday and they spend it getting drunk. anyway, they also constructed a stage 1/2 a block from our hostel. the music began at around 11pm on that stage and when i woke up at 7am, they were still playing....sierra woke in the middle of the night when they played mana (mexican band she's obsessed with).

so, we left early friday morning for the isla del sol (island of the sun). we got there at 10.30ish and began our hike. we went to some inca ruins as well as the rock where the inca believe their religion started (it was a rock...kind of like plymoth rock....just a rock). the walk was about 5 hours in the hot sun...the island is basically a desert. parts were uphill and we were at 3800m to begin with...needless to say, my asthma had a great time. some other tourists gave me coca leaves to chew and this mint plant to breathe, which along with my inhaler, helped. anyway, so we arrived at the little town and found a place to stay (after bargining with some local boys, we paid 1.25usd). then we walked to some other ruins but they were closed and not that interesting. then we watched the sunset, which was amazing because it was across the lake and there was rain in that part of the lake. the sunset looked like black lines (almost stripes) touching the ground.

this morning we woke up and climbed down the escalera del inca (inca stairway) to the port, which was a muddy, slippery challenge because it had rained. we took a boat to copacabana and then a bus (more like a mini van) to la paz. the ride was pretty, but tedious...3 hours. la paz is interesting. we entered from above...this may be the largest city i´ve been in....its absolutely gigantic. its in a valley and when you enter, you can see the entire thing...its so ugly. everything is red brick buildings....not like nice bricks, more like the bricks you would use on the inside of a house because they are so ugly.

so far, we've lounged at the hostel and been to dinner. the food we ate was super yummy...i had this mix of onion, tomato, meat, hot dog, and french fries all cooked in a tomato sauce with spicy sauce added....its all food they can do in argentina, but don´t bother with because they don´t do spice. it was simple and yummy. then we went to a fruit market...it was insane...just crossing the streets and there are people everywhere...also we have to climb uphill to get to our hostel....i´m not looking forward to that. we´re at 3400m or something...

copacabana, bolivia

so, getting back to arequipa, peru: i saw a frozen mummy that had been found in the mountains above the city. she was preserved because of the humidity and temperature. somewhat gruesome, but still kind of cool at the same time. i also went to a convent which was basically like a small city. it was old and very interesting because all of the nuns had private houses inside and they were really wealthy. then, we took a bus to puno, which was a lousy bus ride because it was day time and puno is at 3800m above sea level, which is really really high. in puno, we stayed at this super cute hostel and in the morning we went to see the floating islands on lake titicaca. the aymara people built islands on the lake (out of fungus and reeds) to escape the encroaching spaniards. the islands are still there and people still live on them, but they are super touristy at this point. the people are very set up to welcome tourists with songs and shows and lots of stuff to sell. sierra and i even tried on their clothing. we also went for a ride in a boat made out of reeds. in the afternoon, we crossed into bolivia. it was the first time i'd had to walk across a boarder. we went through peruvian immigration and changed money (there is no atm here), then walked uphill to bolivian immigration...that meant i was actually pretty winded onces we entered bolivia. the guy in bolivia actually had trouble finding space in my passport because the stamps are bleeding through the pages and the first 9 pages are full. once in copacabana, bolivia, we found a hostel for $1.25 USD. óther travelers have told me that it has hot water....a nice surprise. we have a room on the 4th floor, aka i'm winded by the time i make it to the room, but we have a superb view of the lake especially of the sunset, which was really pretty. so far we've tried the trout (from the lake) and haven't really done much else. today is a religious holiday, so we're going to check out the festival later. there are a lot of travelers here in town and a lot of people going to the isla del sol (incan religious birthplace) and then la paz. we've met some really cool people and are having fun. bolivia is pretty damn cheap, which is awesome, but the altitude sucks a lot. more later....chau chau

arequipa and puno

yesterday we got to arequipa at 5 am and walked around a little. the city is amazing....its super old.full of spanish architecture with a volcano in the background. went to a lot of churches, and a really cool convent. also saw a frozen mummy that was found in hte mountains outside the town. a lot to tell, but the keyboard im using is sticking and i cant type....arequipa was fun, the ride to puno, 5 hours, sucked....we're so high up here, 3800m.....a little tired and dizzy....going to floating islands and then bolivia tomr.

Nasca lines

so, after many tears and a latin american send-off sierra and i have left lima. we went to the bus station in two cars because the entire family (of Moises, sierra's friend...where we were staying), including the older brother's girl friend had to see us off. sierra cried, moises cried, moises's mom cried....i did not, but then again i had only been there 48 hours. the bus ride was 8 hours long to nasca, which was fine because it was an argentine style bus...aka nice, with a bathroom, food and movies. once in nasca, we found lodging and a tour company, then slept.

we woke up really early this morning to take a flight over the nasca desert. first we watched a movie, then we boarded a 4 person plane to fly over about 15-20 designs in the desert. researchers know that the lines were constructed more than 1000 years ago, but dont know why. they are volcanic rock and have not moved because the rock is so warm the wind doesnt move it. the designs are mostly animals, but some trees, hands, and one that people call an astronaut. they were really interesting to see from above.

now, we're chilling in nasca, really boring town. a guy selling toothbrushes asked us for our email addresses, we told him we dont have email addresses....people in latin america can be so sketchy....actually it was more funny than sketchy. nasca has nothing to do, we've already walked the entire town. the main plaza has the designs from the lines as statues, parts of benches, and on the sidewalks...clearly this is a one-attraction town. thats all for now, its off to arequipa, which is way high up in the andes....9 hours on an overnight bus!

dinner: chicken soup with boiled plantains

on saturday i boarded the boat. having no idea how long i would be on the boat, i bought 5 liters of water, cans of tuna and crackers. it was raining when i got to the port and the boat was absolutely insane. two guys helped me hang my hammock, but that a woman asked me if I could move my hammock next to hers because she was also travelling alone. the tricky thing is you really have to watch your stuff while the boat is still at the port. there are a million people on board: families of travelers, travelers, and people selling things. its noisy and chaotic and raining outside. you have to be careful of the people selling things, esp the children, becuase they will try to run off with your bags. so, i piled all of my stuff into my hammock, spread my raincoat on top of it and read for the few hours until we actually left (which was about 1.5 hours behind schedule). the first night we didnt really do much, except they blasted peruvian music from the jungle region. the trip wound up being three days and four nights, all of the food was included in the $25 per hammock price. the food was pretty bad. well, it was fine. except breakfast. i never even tried it. i think one morning was rice floating in milk. i gave my breakfast to the people around me who had tons of children. lunch was rice, chicken and some form of veggie. dinner every night was chicken soup with a boiled plantain floating around in it. dont boil bananas. its not worth it. theyre really bad.

the bathrooms on the boat were rather gross. the showers were above the toilets and constantly dripping when i tried to pee. the water was brown, not because of garbage dirt, but because of all of the vegetation...the water was water from the river. i took one shower because it was pretty pointless. the boat itself was made out of metal, which meant that it creaked and made horrible noises. we also made stops at 5 am two of the days, which meant there was no sleeping. even if we hadnt made stops, i was sharing a room with 150 peruvians, at least 30 of whom were under the age of ten. we all had hammocks, but people were all over the floor and always running and yelling.

i was the only gringa on the boat. it was actually kind of humerous. at first i told people that i live in argentina, then some of them started to catch on that i was an american. that meant that i had to spend about an hour telling a 9 year old boy the english word for every part of the boat....because i really know my boat parts and all. then i had two girls come up to me while i was in my hammock and just stare at me. that was all. just stare. i asked them whats up and all that. they just wanted to see a gringa. one of them had to touch me. they all wanted to know if i was pure gringa and if my family was gringa also. then they had to know why i wasnt married and why i dont have kids yet. the woman next to me wanted a picture of her 1 month old son with the gringuita. every time i would get up to go to the bathroom it was like a parade of just me. every man on the boat would watch my every move. i dont know if it was because i was white or because i was female....or both.

we got to pucallpa at 3 AM on wednesday, but i stayed on the boat until 6ish. at 4 they began to blast more music. same group. same songs. i think they only have one dvd in concert of this group. so i went into pucallpa, found a bus to lima and spent the next few hours walking around, using the internet, buying fruit, and water for the bus ride. the bus ride was 24 hours long. it was amazing though. you have to cross the mountains, which means you go up on the jungle side, with waterfalls everywhere and really beautiful vegetation and you down the desert side with cacti and mining towns. i really love the andes; theyre such beautiful mountains. the waterfalls were so beautiful and the scenery was generally georgous. the roads were sort of difficult in that we would go around a 90 degree curve on mud to swing onto a one lane bridge over a waterfall. i generally loved the bus ride except the part where we were decending towards lima. my left ear is still blocked from that. i got to lima and realized that even though the names are the same, i was not in the same part of the city as sierras friends house. they came to pick me up, i went to the apartment and had my first real shower in peru.