As the World turns in circles, so do our wheels.

By Camille

25 January 2012
100 Miles
Copacabana- La Paz, Bolivia


We heard that gas in Bolivia might be hard to get, being a forgiener. It was. But luckily they gave it to us at a much inflated price. What could we do? My tank was EMPTY. Just give me the gas. After a little research we found that the gas is subsidized from the government for the locals. Due to people from the surrounding countries coming across the borders and getting cheaper gas. So anybody without a Bolivia plate has to pay the price on the pump and an additional price per litter. Which adds up to be more than the price in the States. We have no choice. It is this way at every station in Bolivia so far.

Now it is time to head to the big City of La Paz, 13,oof the highest capital in the world, so they say. We always LOVE driving into big cities and finding our way around with no way to know where we are going. Always fun. After driving around for a hours, asking people and taxi drivers for a hostel that Paul knew the owner from Mnt. Biking last year in Peru, only to find a new hostel name with a new owner with reservations required. No Luck there. Time to find another with parking and a fair price. Cities are always hard to find an affordable place with parking especially cities that are built on hills with steps everywhere. As is La Paz. We got lucky and found one with parking and HOT water! Finally, to dry off and warm up as it was raining and cold the whole way.

26-27 January 2012
0 miles
La Paz, Bolivia

What the heck do people do in these big cities besides look at more churches and museums?
Paul and I are not really into that everywhere we go. So Instead...Lets get tattoos and ride the most deadly road in the world!

28 January 2012
70 Miles
La Paz, Bolivia
Yungas Road (aka "The Death Road")


The Yungas Road is legendary for its extreme danger and in 1995 christened as the "world's most dangerous road. estimated that 200 to 300 travellers are killed yearly along the road. The road includes crosses marking many of the spots where vehicles have fallen.
It is one of the few routes that connects the Amazon rainforest region of northern Bolivia, or Yungas, to its capital city. Upon leaving La Paz, the road first ascends to around 4,650 metres (15,260 ft) at La Cumbre Pass, before descending to 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) at the town of Coroico, transiting quickly from cool Altiplano terrain to rainforest as it winds through very steep hillsides and atop cliffs.
Thank you Wikipedia. Sounds like fun.
The road north has mnt. bike tours on it now and due to the new highway no trucks or buses take it anymore. But the South Road is still used by a lot of vehicles, so still dangerous and narrow.
Due to our late start and no tour guide we take the south road. There was large buses running on this narrow, switchback road, dropping down into the lush jungle. We really enjoyed such diverse landscape in a short amount of time. Around one corner a bus in front for Paul pulled over at one of the few pullouts, Paul pulled out also, I tried to catch up but was to far behind, enjoying my ride. The bus and I could not pass each other and I had no room on the right side to move over. The bus was able to back up a couple of feet, it had room on it's right side to scoot by me. Crazy narrow road. Really amazingly beautiful, fun and I guess still a little dangerous..."Livin' on the edge" in Boiliva.

29 January 2012
0 Miles
La Paz, Bolivia

We did not leave today as planned. Cold pouring rain all morning really made it hard to get motivated to try and get out of this city.
We found the new MegeCenter, Mall, Bowling alley, cinema with a few movies in english. We went to see Sherlock Holmes 2. It was in english but only in the VIP lounge which cost $6.50 Each. Nice reclining seat, servers that bring you food and drink and you get to choose your own seats before you go in. We bought tickets early and got the best recomended seats. Never enjoyed a theater so much in our life.

30 January 2012
La Paz-Viacha, Bolivia
66.6 Miles total, 6 hours
Only 24 miles outside La Paz.

Lesson learned. When asking and looking for a CITY make sure there is not a major NEIGHBORHOOD nearby with the same name.

Driving literally in circles for hours today trying to get out of La Paz. We rode a total of 66.6 Miles to fianlly make it to Viache, a small military, cement factory town, only 24 miles outside La Paz. One hotel in the town up 6 flights of stairs (our legs need the work) and no parking for our motos. We had no other choice seeing as it was getting dark and an industrial city with no place to camp.

31 January 2012
Viacha- La Paz, Bolivia?
125 Miles

Today we start packing up the bikes getting ready to go check out "The Stone City". Sandstone pillars and buildings built in cliffs. Our hotel is on the center plaza of town and many of the locals are asking questions, they do not see many gringos in these parts. They ask "where are you going".
"Well We are going to Calacoto."
Laughing they say "Why are you going there? There is nada there. You are tourist aren't you? There in nothing there."
Well we want to go and and check it out. We think it might be like The City of Rocks in Idaho. We plan on camping and enjoying the peace and quite after being in La Paz.
After we wait again at the gas pump for a half hour and hold up the line, we find the right road out of town. The road is open and beautiful. Feels so good to ride again on the open road.
We come to a river crossing. The bridge is washed out and not rebuilt. The river in flowing a little fast but not too deep. We watch a van cross down stream a bit and we follow. No Problem. The river bed is all rock. We ride down the road enjoying the scenery and the serinaty for there in nothing and nobody around. We make it to Calacoto, where our turn off is Of course the there is no highway any more. The road turns to mud and rock. no way to find the right road. A Man and his family is nice enough to show us to the road. There is NO WAY we would have ever found it without him. He tells us the first part of the road is fine but at the fork the road need to take is no good but we should be fine with our motorcycles. We thank him and start down the road, which is muddy, slick and washed out in places. We come to another river crossing. This one is much deeper and muddier with nobody around. This is supposed to be the good road. We decide that we have no idea what we are getting into and decide that we should turn around. After a nice lunch of crackers and tuna, we have to go all the way back to La Paz. This means Riding through the slowest polluted traffic in El Alto to get on the main highway south. After literally scraping off of a few vans in the traffic. We can't find a hotel here and decide to go back to the heart of the big city. At least we know the route now.
So now we are back in La Paz. A full circle that neither of us expected or wanted. Sometimes that happens. That is part of the motorcycle adventure. Keep smiling and enjoy the rotations of the wheels, even if it takes you in a circles.