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• Nov 4 - Rosario, Argentina. Among friends and having a blast :)

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Oruro

(DAY286 : La Paz - Oruro : 145 miles)


Once out of the minivan hell, the ride south was quick and easy. Cecilia had headed west to Chile, so it was once again just me and Katirga. We pulled in to the ugly city of Oruro and after hearing that it takes another five to seven hours to Potosi, I checked in to a hotel although it was still early.

Around here, finding a heater in your room is not necessarily good news. It means survival without it is absolutely impossible. And with it, it just barely is. Once the sun is down, Oruro is nose dropping cold.


People at the main plaza in Oruro.

[ Death Road ]

(A day trip from La Paz : 170 miles round trip)


Connecting La Cumbre to Coroico, "The World's Most Dangerous Road" is a 40 mile stretch of narrow dirt road winding at the edge of a high cliff until it reaches the Yungas. Until it was replaced by a new asphalt road, the traffic made it a truly dangerous passage with a record number of accidents and fatalities every year. Now, with hardly anyone on it, it's popular for zooming down on mountain bikes. Speed can still make it quite dangerous, as once you're off the road, you're pretty much off the map. But for coasting down at a leisurely pace, it's fairly safe and simply beautiful. Using the engine is completely optional.

One important thing to remember: the traffic on this road is reversed without any indication or warning. You should keep to the left in order not to get plastered on oncoming traffic.


Heading up to La Cumbre at 4600m.


The World's Most Dangerous Road.


It's now a walk in the park.


Coroico is hot, humid, and not at all special.