27th January La Paz – Arapatal 79 miles

Tried to do the blog differently today but it will take a week, so sorry some of this you will have read with the photos

Today we are going to travel down the world’s most dangerous road. We eventually leave La Paz at lunchtime and have a slow journey out of through the city traffic. The road then becomes a climb and we encounter road works on the way but are able to find our way to the front of the queue and Martin even gets one of the workmen to take a photo of us

We end up travelling in cloud and the road looks as tarmac does when it has just been laid in the rain with wafts of mist rising from it, more road works and we encounter a lorry which Martin manages to overtake, the mist is now thick fog, the radio crackles and Martin said it was clear if I wanted to overtake, I replied that I couldn’t even see the lorry at the moment.

As we started to decend the fog/cloud eased and we went passed some spectacular waterfalls and you can see one in this photo.

We stopped to eat in a little place still right up in the mountains and also put on some more clothes as it was now really cold having climbed above the snow line.

We got to the point where the road starts and we are stopped by the police, as is everyone, and we notified them of our intention and they allowed us through saying take it slow.

The new road is mainly paved and we turn right onto a rough stoney road and start our decent. The road winds down and is quite steep in places with a sheer drop off one side, as the road narrows we come across traffic jams as lorrys and coaches jostle near the edge to allow each other to pas.

Here you can see that we have little advantage trying to pass on a motorcycle.

You can see some of the flora and fauna we saw en route.

We carry on along this road and can see the vally a thousand feet below us and there seems no end to this road, it should only be about 30-25 miles long but this is still going. There has been a landslip and we wait whilst a bulldozer attemps to move the surplus mud and rock and then we are allowed to continue on our way.

We finally reach the end of the road and have to turn left on a narrow track, somewhat like a farm track at home, some of the route is fine and easy going and other bits are wet clay type surface which is very slippery.

We have still not reached the original target town even though we have travelled much further than it was supposed to be, Finally we come to a reasonable sized town and Martin checks directions with a local. Not far now but it is dusking and we are driving off road. It is now pitch black and although we have good lights it is very difficult to read the road as the surface is constantly changing. Suddenly we come across a local with a motorbike which has a puncture and he is repairing it with the light from his phone screen, we offered assistance but he assured us he was fine.

Eventually we come across a small village and look for some accommodation, having enquired at a cafe a small child is despatched to run in front of our bikes and show us where the ‘hotel’ was. It turned out to be the general store, which stocked everything from food, shampoo, toilet fittings and gas, to name but a few.

We were offered secure parking and the doorway looked a bit narrow so we removed a pannier or two only to find that the handlebars wouldn’t fit through, no problem stick it on full lock and get Martin in front with a strap and ease it in, both bikes in safe and we went back to the cafe to thank them and have a bite to eat.

The accommodation cost 4 pounds 50 and the meal 1 pound 80 and both of those prices are for both of us.