It was very early on Sunday morning when we arrived in La Paz and the capital was already brimming with energy.. probably the calmest it was ever going to be throughout our visit. It was still dark so it was hard to get our bearings and get an early feel for our surroundings.

We took a cab up a ridiculously steep road to our hostel in the Sopocachi district where we had to wake the night staff to let us in. After a few hours of waiting around we checked in and got ourselves ready to take a look at the city now the sun had risen.

At over 3600m above sea level, and a population of just under a million, La Paz nestles itself within the surrounding mountain ranges. Due to its incredible size and unforgiving landscape, the capital is awkward and cramped, hence the need for the famous cable cars. They link the whole city together and also provide a great, cheap way to check out La Paz from high above.. which is exactly what we did.

The place really is massive and the views were spectacular.. downtown is littered with the usual skyscrapers, squares, malls etc, while the steep surrounding mountains have endless neighbourhoods built one on top of the other.

Back at ground level, La Paz is swarming, hectic, noisy, crazy and somewhat dirty.. all of which I was expecting.

The next morning I woke up early in preparation for something I'd been eagerly anticipating since I arrived in South America - taking on the the most dangerous road in the world on a mountain bike.

Yungas Road or "Death Road" as it's better known, is notorious for taking the lives of thousands of motorists down the years due to its long, narrow, winding road carved into the mountainside with huge sheer-faced drops into bottomless valleys.

It was only a few weeks ago that a cyclist fell off the edge doing this exact tour but somehow managed to cling onto a tree below and fortunately came away with only a broken collar bone.

The minibus for Altitude Bike Tours picked me up at 7.30am and drove high into the mountains for a good few hours and eventually above the clouds at over 4500m where we had a breakfast overlooking the breathtaking views.

The first part of the tour would involve us riding downhill on the "new" road from the top of the mountain for around an hour and a half.. a perfectly flat road, pretty safe with barriers either side but still with huge sheer-faced drops - a good way to get used to our bikes and surroundings before we took on the real "Death Road".

We strapped ourselves in to the unflattering safety gear, had a safety speech (no overtaking the guide at the front!) and got ourselves prepared for the ride. I was buzzing for this and straight away had the intention to absolutely hammer it downhill.

In the morning sun at the mountains peak I hit the front from the off behind the guide and leathered it down taking in the unbelievable scenery around each bend.. stunning! It didn't take long to enter into the clouds where rain started to fall and the road became slippery.

Just below the clouds with a brighter outlook it was time to shed a few garments and hit the real "Death Road". Another important safety briefing followed as we were introduced to the narrow, uneven, gravelly, winding road that would eventually guide us to safety or.. lead us to our death! Ha!

I immediately hit the front again behind the guide.. the unforgiving terrain was tough on the wrists and the road width was far more challenging. And the drops?!!!! I lost count of the amount of times I shouted "F-ME!!!" while laughing. Actually laughing at the stupidity of what I was doing and how I was so blasé about going as fast as I could. The combination of the huge drops, the speed I was going and knowing it could all be over if I made one mistake was absolutely exhilarating.. adrenaline pumping through my veins - I was loving it!
Even more so when the guide at the front could see I was streets ahead of everyone else and allowed me to take off the shackles to smash it downhill with him. We were told "it's not a race".. but it was, with myself!

The next few hours were a massive rush and a wicked breathless work-out which took me to my max. We blasted through massive waterfalls, road rivers, and eventually further on to the famous "death corner" where it was estimated over 200 people lost their lives a good few years ago when a bus tipped over the edge attempting to pass another vehicle. I remember this particular part of the road from watching it on a Top Gear special.

If there had been no deaths on this road over the years it would definitely be tagged with something more favourable as the scenery and surrounding landscapes are just mesmerising, up there with the most beautiful I've seen. I just wish I'd have had more opportunities to take pictures but I was too busy getting my kicks!

The tour eventually came to an end after 64km of awesomeness and no casualties to mention. A beer with the group was the perfect reward to finish off one of the best things I've ever done.

We continued for 15 minutes in the minibus to a beautiful hotel in the tiny mountain town of Coroico where we had a lovely dinner by the pool.

The first few hours drive over the mountain range back to La Paz were absolutely mental.. I was constantly on edge and gasping! Here, overtaking around corners where there are huge drops, while in complete darkness, doesn't seem to faze any of the Bolivians.. even those with children in the car! Absolute madness! My foot was permanently pressing on the imaginary brake.. maybe this was the actual "Death Road"!

What a phenomenal day!

Today was a much more chilled affair soaking up the culture, taking in the sights and wandering around in surroundings like those I've only ever seen in the video game SimCity.

Off to Copacabana in the morning, our last stop in Bolivia.

Caio Caio xx