Death Road | Isabella Bird

After one of the worst bus trips (12 hours on a freezing bus, bouncing around for half of it on an unpaved road) we arrived in La Paz, the world’s highest capital city (3660m). We didn’t do too much on the first day as we were so tired but had a walk around and checked out the markets. Not as cool as Sucre but they were still ok. La Paz is def one of the best places to do your souvenir shopping. It is really cheap and has the most variety of stuff. I was a bit bummed that we were here so early on in the trip as I didn’t want to carry everything with me for the next few months.

Kirst and Cesar really wanted to do death road. I wasn’t too keen being the woos that I am and was scared I was going to fall off or injure myself. I left it up to them to organise. Being the stinges they are they found the cheapest company and opted to have the cheapest bikes possible. I would not recommend this and would say it is definitely worth getting the better bikes with double suspension. I really didn’t enjoy cycling death road. It went on FOREVER and was so uncomfortable. It was i don’t know how many hours of bouncing around and hands cramping from squeezing the breaks so hard! I think Kirst and Cesar enjoyed flying down the mountain but Cesar was also not feeling well (man flu) and didn’t want us to forget it! I guess it is one of the “things to do” in Bolivia and it was really pretty and maybe it would have been more enjoyable with a better bike but I wouldn’t do it again!

It was then my turn to do something that i wanted to do. Cesar headed off the next day as he had a job in Cusco at a hostel to get to so Kirst was stuck with just me. We went on a free walking tour around La Paz. I think this has to be the best walking tour in South America (I only did 3 of them but I am still willing to make this statement). It was full of really interesting facts and good stories. It started at the infamous San Pedro Prison that was made famous by the book Marching Powder (a really good book if you haven’t read it!) that used to offer tours around the place. Apparently you can still do the tours illegally but we weren’t game enough. We then went around the the markets and the witches market and then i think it ended at some government buildings but Kirst and I ditched the tour at this point as it started to rain and we weren’t to interested in the government. That night we went to Cholita Wrestling!! I was so excited!! Kirst not so much…. It was very over the top WWE Style wrestling with clowns, cakes, some gross guy that kept spitting and of course Cholitas (Bolivian women in traditional dress). I loved it but I don’t think Kirst was a fan.