North Yungas Death Road
Yungas Death Road is one of the scariest roads in the world, where people pray before driving on it. Although the road is only 70 kilometers long, every year, about 300 travelers and locals are killed and more than 30 cars and buses are crashed on the steep mountainsides where it is paved. Along the road, one can see numerous ominous evidences of the tragedies that have occurred here – wrecks of cars and trucks, broken trees and makeshift crosses erected by relatives of the victims.
Background
The most tragic and famous accident happened in the summer of 1983 – a bus with more than a hundred passengers fell into the abyss. In the winter of 1999, a car with 8 tourists from Israel fell into the canyon.
The Yungas Road was built in 1930 by inmates of Paraguayan prisons, during the war. The paved road connects Bolivia’s capital La Paz and Coroico, a city in the tropical Amazon region. It is almost 70 kilometers long, with an elevation of 3.6 kilometers at its highest point. Along the entire route, the average depth of the abyss under the road is about 600 meters, its width barely reaches 3.2 meters. In many, especially narrow places, it is difficult to pass even one car, hovering wheel over the abyss.
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The Jungas road is also complicated by the very difficult stone and clay pavement, which is slippery, muddy and in some places crumbling. Constant threats of derailments and accidents are also contributed to the challenging weather conditions of the Amazon – thick fogs, heavy rains, landslides. Drivers’ moods are also dampened by the remnants of previous accidents – parts of wrecked cars, broken trees.
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There is no way to bypass this road by another one, as it is the only possible way from Coroico to La Paz. Buses and cars continue to cross this difficult obstacle, risking their own and their passengers’ lives every minute. Locals always pray for life-saving prayers when crossing it, as getting to the nearest hospital is also almost impossible.
.Bicycling
Tourists who want to ride a bike and get an adrenaline boost should contact a travel company that organizes bike rides. One of the most popular companies in organizing bike trips is Vertigo Biking. They provide the bikes and all the equipment needed to make the trip safe to avoid the risk of accidents. Such a ride is simply superb and the surrounding scenery of nature is stunning. But this kind of vacation is not suitable for everyone. If you go on this trail, you should realize that you have to go all the way, and there is no room for fear.
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