I survived the ROAD OF DEATH!

I have finally seen births! I'm seeing about three a day and learning a bit more so I'm more happy with work now. Only took a month :L Oh well... that is all I have to say on my placement.

So... this weekend we decided to go to La Paz. To do the Road of Death. It. Was. AMAZING! We went on the overnight bus to La Paz, getting there at about 5.30 in the morning. After getting breakfast, we were met by the guys from Vertigo Biking at 8ish to take us to the beginning of the road. This took us about an hour, climbing up from La Paz up to 4700m. It was really pretty; cloudless skies and a massive blue lake (some of which was iced over) and it was bloody freezing - even I was wearing four layers.
We left here at about 9.30 after we'd put on our hawwwt orange jackets, our elbow and knee pads and had our safety talk. The first hour and a half was easy; all downhill, on a paved road and you could just go as fast as you wanted. Once we'd reached the bottom of that section we got into the support vans to drive the only up bit of the ride. Lazy! We came through this valley above the clouds and they were like a blanket... absolutely beaultiful.Here was the beginning of the death road. The previously smooth, paved road had changed into a dusty, gravely, bumpy, pain in the ass (literally... my right bum cheek is still not the same!) road. It was all still downhill too so breathingwise it was fine, but the constant vibrations from all the bumps turned your arms to jelly. It killed.
There were alot of stops along the way for snacks, water and photo opportunities (one by a 600m drop). We finished the road at about 2.30 and after stripping off our gear (we'd descended down to 1700m into the rainforest and it was now pretty hot) we got back in the vans again to make our way to the hotel for the afternoon, where a buffet lunch, swimming pool and shower were waiting for us. It was a brilliant end to the day.We still had to make our way back to La Paz though... this time luckily along the new road that has been made. This took about four hours half of which we slept ans the other half singing all the songs we knew at the top of our voices (the Bolivian world cup song kicks ass on the UK's). When we reached La Paz again we got our free T-Shirt and our CD of all the photos and videos that had been taken on the day.

The road was great and I'd reccomend it to anyone who comes to Bolivia as one of the things to do. I can't think of another day where you begin it freezing cold and can see snow all around, to ending it in a swimming pool in the boiling rainforest. It was immense.

We still had another day in La Paz on the Sunday so we had a look around the markets and then went to this musical instrument museum where i found a piano that I was allowed to play (look how happy it made me!). I was crap... really need to practice before Chets this year otherwise it's going to be an epic fail of a week!
This weekend was easily the best weekend in Bolivia... but it may only hold that title until the next time I update as I start my travelling next week.

I also only have three weeks left. It's gone so fast and I'll see you all soon!

A x