hey just a quick holla to tell you that i´m still alive after taking on the worlds most dangerous road...been there, done it, got the t-shirt (its red!!) and get the dvd of my time tomorro morning before heading to potosi!!

it was amazing! i loved it, so exhilirating, one of best things i´ve done on my trip so far purely because quite a few times it took me out of my comfort zone.... picture this, a steep mountain, a one way road size gravel track with rocks everywhere, on the right is the mountain on my left a severe drop which if you go over you are definately brown bread! to add to that you are taking hairpin turns every 10-60 metres... going through water..from waterfalls falling down mountain side to streams crossing the path!!

ok.... and the start at 4700metres above sea level.... well that was an experience as it started to chuck it down and i was the coldest i have been in such a long time...i could hardly feel my body let alone my fingers -so the thought of braking hurt! it certainly brought out peoples true characters and two of girls from my group decided to opt out and sit in bus....altho did join us a few hours later when it got easier and drier!

discovered i really can be quite an upbeat person even when cold, irritable and most people around me are adopting negative attitudes! even when i manage to lose my bike chain...stopped and realised i´d lost it (i was going down hill so pedalling wasn´t essential at this point before i get blonde comments=thank you!). was given a new bike and then within an hour had to ask for a new tyre as my back one got a puncture and went from full of air to flat in 2 seconds!

had a few hairy moments where i thought i was going to be flung off my bike, but despite in these incidences my feet flying up towards my head and my bum lifting off the seat my hands remained on the cross bar and i was still balanced! fuinniest was when i didn´t see a speed bump at end of route and am pretty sure i became the first human to fly for 5 seconds!!!

by the time we finished the bike ride, lower altituide and jungle vegetation, we were hot hot hot!!! such a contrast of weathers today but been lots of fun! altho absolutely exhausted now!!

bed time i think, heading to potosi tomorro to go to a silver mine, than on to uyuni for the salt flats and christmas! know i´m not going to be able to use internet now for certain until chile so i wish one and all a happy xmas and i´ll be back blogging in 2008!!!

lots of festive cheer!! x x x