Welcome to Where To Find, our growing guide to those little-known places that never seem to show up on the travel radar--until now. We're not saying they're undiscovered, but you may need to look 'em up on our WTF Map.
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by pbb
Since summer trip driving season is about to go into full swing we figured why not take a look at the world's most dangerous roads. Know a road rage inducing strip of asphalt that puts normal highways to shame? Send it along.
Do you really need any more evidence than the above video to prove that this road belongs on the World's Most Dangerous Roads list?
Every year, 200 to 300 people die along a stretch of dirt road less than 50 miles. Locals know The North Yungas Road, as El Camino de la Muerte, or "Road of Death." Packed buses regularly plunge off cliffsides. The 43-mile road leads northeast from the La Paz to Coroico, in the Yungas region of Bolivia. Along the way, it winds up and down through the Andes Mountains.
First, the road ascends to a nausea-inducing elevation of over three miles, before plunging down to a height of 1,079 feet. Stop for a minute before the descent -- as long as no cars are coming -- to glimpse an untouched mountain landscape.
Travelers, many of whom must maneuver tractor trailers and buses, contend with sharp dropoffs (with no guardrails to break the fall) and single-lane width. Frequent rain and fog reduce visibility, make the road surface muddy, and loosen rocks from the hillsides above.
Extreme mountain bikers have taken to riding the stretch of road, dodging diesel trucks and jumping roadblocks. Let's just hope they wear their helmets.
Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking runs mountain biking tours on the road, definitely a summer vacation with an edge if you attempt it.
Related Stories:
World's Most Dangerous Roads [Jaunted]
Travelers to high altitude areas of South America are always being warned to take care of their health when they get up high, and are always whining for months about their ill-health when they come back. And the risks at altitude are nothing to be ignored--you might remember the guy who didn't make it back from Tibet on the new railroad, a victim of altitude sickness.
So let's say you're up in the mountains of Bolivia, or more specifically in the town of Potosi, over 13,000 feet above sea level. Should you be prepared to play a game of soccer? The answer's a very strong no, according to Brazilian team Flamengo who reckon that "allowing teams to play at high altitude was a form of doping."
Of course, it wouldn't be anything to do with the fact that they didn't win the game (to their credit, perhaps, they did manage a draw). Flamengo is refusing to play again under such circumstances. Perhaps they just wanted to head home fast for Carnival.
[Photo: nutak]
Related Stories:
· No More High Altitude Matches [Guardian]
· Death on the Rails [Jaunted]
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by amandak
