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Burma. These peasants stoically walk a bridge few of us would care to trek. (Above)
This breathtaking bridge now
links France and Spain. (Above) |
After these unusual roads, all other roads seem tame
<--->
Believe it or not, some people take this road for FUN.
Daring mountain bikers come here from all over the world to experience the thrill of riding down Bolivia's notorious
"Road of Death"
Now that's an
unusual hobby
Many cyclists reach sustained speeds of 50 mph, hurtling downhill among spectacular scenery for mile upon mile, sustained coasting at breakneck speeds --
with NO pedaling required.
..And that's an extreme sport
...because you never know what's around the corner
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Camino Del Morte
It must take a lot of nerve to drive Bolivia's Road of Death.
Starting high in the Andes at over 15,000 feet, this narrow, bumpy, mostly unpaved road plunges 12,000 vertical feet
in just 40 miles.
On most of the road, there
are NO guard rails.
A
sheer
cliff drops thousands
of feet to a valley below, a guarantee of almost certain death to anyone
venturing too near the edge.
Contrary to normal Bolivian driving rules, vehicles
on
this
part of the road keep
to the left,
so the driver
with the
best
view
of his outside tIres
drives
closest
to the
precipice.
There's a number of small tunnels blasted out of
the
sheer rock face.
Here a waterfall
makes
the surface unexpectedly slippery. This is one of the few areas that actually has a
guard rail.
In some areas the road
is smooth blacktop. Then
without warning it changes
to a stony, unsurfaced
track hacked out of the
sheer mountainside, thou-
sands of feet above
the valley floor.
Along the way, travelers
often see llamas and
wild
dogs. Other common
sites include frequent crosses, flower bouquets and other memorials.
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A fatal accident once
every
other week is quite
common on
the Coroico road.
They say that even
when you
can hear oncoming traffic, you can't
tell how far away it is --
or
even which way it's going.
Above: The notorious San
Juan section, with its
rough, unpaved
surface
and extremely narrow
track, has
frequent landslides
and
washouts. Those who are willing to brave the danger Road
of Death are rewarded with some spectacular views.
But who could enjoy the scenery? The narrowness and
the total lack of any guard rails
is enough to
frighten
even the most
stout-hearted. Being the driver would be bad, but being
the passenger might be even worse. Either way, being in the outside vehicle must be quite a memorable experience.
 The
scenery on the entire road is spectacular,
but
the anxiety toll for drivers
(and for passengers)
must be off the charts.
Their fear is well justified:
On average, 150 people
die on this road every
year.
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