Worldly Napservations 3
Nuestra Señora de La Paz
Time now to hop on the airplane from Queens to La Paz, the capital city of Bolivia. Back in my youth (a.k.a. early 20s) my now wife and I spent two months backpacking through Bolivia and Peru with a sense of freedom that I can only yearn for now twenty years later.
In La Paz, an advertisement caught my eye: Bike Down the World’s Most Dangerous Road! Back at age 23, I immediately wanted to conquer this feat (now at age 43 I’d probably opt for just about anything else) and signed up with a bunch of German tourists to meet the next morning.
The road, dubbed by UNESCO as the world’s most dangerous road, sees over twenty cars a year fly off the narrow road to their imminent death below. Adventurous tourists like myself hear that and crave the thrill. So I signed multiple waivers, put on a helmet, and made the downhill journey from La Paz to the jungle several miles below.
The journey on the world’s most dangerous road did not disappoint. I really don’t understand how such a byway actually could exist, as buses and cars would somehow maneuver around one another, their tires seemingly hanging off the edge of the cliff.
The nap afterwards also did not disappoint. We found a great little Israeli cafe (yes, in the middle of the Bolivian jungle) where I had a couple of beers and closed my eyes, enjoying the world’s most incredible nap.