Hola from the Highest Capital City in the world... La Paz..

We arrived in La Paz around 4:30 and the bus took me to my hostel.. It was a mini coach so wasn't that big of a deal..

I checked into the Wild Rover hostel that is an Irish Hostel, I check in and go to my room... it looks pretty cool and seems to be a lot of people around which are cool..

As I was checking in the two Danish guys I met in Cuzco that were talking to me about the Inca Trail were also checking in.. South America is a very small continent.. I placed my bags down and went to the bar.. On my way I bumped into Tim the kiwi from the Inca Trail.. small small world.

At the bar I ordered a beer and chatted to some Irish Kids as well as an English guy.. The English are everywhere over here, they are like the Aussies in Europe, we YouTube's the simonchelli crash which I am aware is morbid but we kept hearing about it so were naturally curious...

Anyway had a few drinks and then ordered some food... Sunday night was quiz night so I joined the team with the Irish... the quiz went forever... I had to be up early in the morning like 6am to mountain bike down the world's most dangerous road... yet there I was sitting at the bar drinking 2 for 1 vodkas.. On the positive we won the quiz... the quiz night then turned into karaoke night... at about 3am I decided to sneak off to bed... 3 hours sleep before death road.. Stupid stupid stupid the Irish guys thought it was hilarious..

So alarm goes off at 6 and for the first time in a long time I had a hang over... massive fail.. I was bragging the night before about how I don't get hangovers... I guess this was my karma.. I still had not received confirmation about the rode today so I was hoping I didn't wake up for nothing.. I went to the bar area to get wife to check my emails and there it was confirmation.. 7:30am meet at cafe Alexander and the list of things to bring..

I slowly dragged myself around getting ready.. Then just past 7 grabbed a cab and headed to Cafe Alexander.. Met the group I was going with and there were 4 other aussies... how typical of Australians to jump at the chance to do something stupid like bike down the world's most dangerous road.. There were 3 Melbournians and a Perth guy.. It was a really good group there were also a couple of English, French, Irish and that's about it can't really remember to be honest.. Our guide was a crazy Kiwi guy who I think was still drunk from a couple days earlier from the rugby world cup which New Zealand won.. He was a chilled guy who had a million inappropriate jokes to share with the group.

Anyway we head off in the bus up to the start of the ride and we have a bit of a get to know each other game.. You know where you are from, what you do at home, what your travel plans are and an embarrassing story from your travels so far.. There were some funny stories of people thinking they were getting bitten by something in the jungle and tearing all their clothes off (Irish girls) and on the Inca trail one of the Melbourne guys picked up alpaca poor thinking it was coffee beans.. Idiot.. Typical... our kiwi guide said his most embarrassing moment was when the all blacks nearly lost to the French and my most embarrassing moment was Australia loosing to Ireland and New Zealand.. I'm sure I had worse stories but I thought that went with the theme..

We arrive to the top of the mountain and get briefed, geared up and ready to go...before I knew it we were on our way.. The first part is asphalt as it is the new road and we take off.. We get to some insane speeds as we weave around the downhill concrete road, over taking other groups, cars, buses and trucks.. we stop a few times along the way to be briefed about the next section and take in the view as you can't really look as you are going what feels like a thousand kilometres a minute. We clear some check points and then we hit the dirt and death road..

We started on the dirt and it was much different.. There were a few ruts and loose gravel bits and quickly learnt to take it a little easier than we did on the asphalt. After a few sections I picked up the speed a bit.. We would stop every now and then to be briefed on the next section.. About half way down I hit a rock and my tyre slid out and slightly over the edge was by far the scariest thing ever!!!! I didn't freak out until after I had somehow straightened it back up... afterwards though I freaked majorly.. Hyperventilated a bit and panicked...

Anyway after a near death experience.. Tad dramatic, we stopped for a snack.. And continued on.. Going down death road was awesome it was such a rush and it was scary but not as scary as I thought.. There was so much adrenaline... we finally got to the bottom and what a relief it was.. We went to an animal sanctuary for lunch.. Was really cool.. Everyone went to the monkey enclosure.. Not me I just chilled out.. Monkeys are far from my thing!!!

After lunch we headed back to Lapaz.. We got back and I had a shower and got some food.. I chatted to Dafydd an English guy that I randomly met on Lake Titicaca whilst watching the sunset.. Then again were randomly in La Paz at the same time.. That's the funny thing with sth America.. You keep catching up with people you meet previously.. He also did the death road ride but with a different company..

After some food and a drink I couldn't keep my eyes open so called it a night.. In the morning I woke up, got ready and explored La Paz. Did some shopping and wandered around.. I quite like La Paz which is weird as everyone I have met hates it.. After shopping and wandering for a few hours I went back to the hostel and checked out.. I spent the remainder of the day in the hostel bar chatting to Dafydd who was also leaving that day on a flight to Santa Cruz to do a volunteer program.. Anyway had some food and a drink and then it was time to head off.. Shared a cab with Dafydd and it dropped me off at the bus station and he continued onto the airport..

I found the bus company and checked in and sat and wait.. This is where I met Charlie.. an aussie guy from Sydney (by the way I am starting to think no Australian girls travel alone as I have not met any) Charlie was travelling until he ran out of money I guess.. We also met an Israeli girl and some Belgium guys.. We waited for the bus chatting away and then boarded.. When we got on Charlie was behind me, Israel was across from me and one of the Belgium's were beside me.. The bus was much nicer then imagined as we were on a local bus.. But it was semi cama and had a TV and blankets.. Much nicer than expected.. We made jokes about the movie playing and then it was someone with Dwayne Johnson in it.. Aka the Rock.. It looked good but as it was in Spanish with no subtitles I can't be too confident about that.. but what I gathered from the little Spanish I have picked up and watching the acting the rock was I some sort of trouble with his friend and some guys killed his friend and thought they killed him but he survived a shot to the head.. He then got out of jail, again no idea why he was in Jail but when he got out he went on a rampage.. Well a calm rampage to take out all of the people involved in his friends murder.. I won't spoil the ending.. In case you care to see it.. I think it may be called the runner but again I have no real idea.. Anyway the bus took off from La Paz and the next stop would be Uyuni and the salt flats.