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Up to the bus ride from Cusco to La Paz our travelling from place to place had been relatively pain free. We had taken some very nice overnight busses, which had included fully reclineable seats, meals, a steward, blankets, pillows-all the amenities one would expect from a first class flight. We were begining to wonder what everyone (including the guidebooks) were talking about when they said that the overnight busses were freezing and were less than comfortable with most of the cheaper companies. Well, now we know.
The first clue we got as to how cold everyone expected it to be was when we noticed everyone else on the bus from Cusco to La Paz was bundled up in many layers of clothes. Everyone had winter jackets and gloves on, most people had a couple of blankets and a few were already inside their sleeping bags before we had even left the station. We knew that the bus would not be quite as nice as our previous busses as it was much cheaper, but we were not prepared for the bitter cold that woke us up and kept us from sleeping from about 3am to 5am.
Our exciting bus trip does not end there however. As we were crossing the border between Peru and Bolivia (you have to get off the bus, walk to the Peru immigration office, them walk accross the border to the Bolivia immigration office, then get back on the bus) Collin and I were pulled into the Peruvian Police office as we were walking accross to the Bolivian side. It quickly became apparent, through the officers limited english and our limited Spanish, that he was searching us for drugs. He took us into a room individually and went through our bags, had us empty our pockets and take off my hoody. He then performed a very thourough pat down. After this was done to the both of us we were allowed to continue on our way. While a little scary he did seem professional and was legitimitely looking for drugs, not looking for a bribe.
The rest of the bus ride was not so eventful and we arrived in La Paz and quickly signed up for the Death Road bike trip the following day. Known as one of the most dangerous roads in the world, it hugs the sides of mountains with a straight drop down one side of the very thin gravelled road. It was up until a few years ago used by traffic of all sorts, including bikes, trucks and taxis, but with the opening a newer, safer road it is now used by the numerous bike companies and some local traffic. Deaths of bikers is not uncommon and the road is littered with crosses and placques. We did all survive (not without crashes, at one point my bike hit a huge rock and stopped, I unfortunately kept going. Right over the handlebars i tumbled, but luckily no injuries) and made it home safely after an amazing day. We started biking at well over 4500m elevation and biked all day through different climate zones, finishing at about 1500m elevation.
Tonight we are taking a night bus to Uyuni, where we will begin a tour of the Salt Flats for a few days and then end up in Chile.
- comments
kim omg, don't like the sound of the thorough pat down!, you aunt had that going into spain and out but it was all her bling, bling that did it.... the death ride sounds scary, and shame you had to have a rude awakening with the cold bus ride, makes you appreciate the good ones for sure... hope you don;t get any more trips over the handlebars! did you check your head? love mum, rascal and megs. xxxxxxxxxx