La Paz sits in a canyon, and that is the first strange thing about it. The city is the seat of Bolivia's government, and it lies at around three thousand six hundred metres, with the poorer and larger city of El Alto perched on the rim above at over four thousand. From the rim you look down into a bowl of red-brown buildings spilling down the slopes, with the great snowy peak of Illimani, over six thousand four hundred metres, standing over the southern edge like a guardian. The air is thin, so arrive early, rest a day and drink coca tea, which locals swear by and which really does help a little.
The road everybody comes for begins here. The North Yungas Road, known as the Death Road, leaves La Paz, climbs to the pass of La Cumbre at around forty-six hundred metres and then drops, in a little over sixty kilometres, to the subtropical town of Coroico at about twelve hundred metres. That is a descent of well over three thousand metres, from bare grassland and cold fog into steaming cloud forest, and the road clings to cliffs that fall away for hundreds of metres. In the 1990s an international bank labelled it the most dangerous road in the world, and trucks and buses did regularly go over the edge. A modern paved road now carries most of the traffic, so the old track is quieter, and most of its visitors are cyclists and riders who come for the thrill.
Riding it needs care. The surface is gravel and rock, often wet, with water running across it from waterfalls, and the edge is unprotected in many places. Traffic keeps to the left on this stretch so that the driver on the cliff side can see the wheel, a custom that surprises visitors. Fog, rain and mud change the picture hour by hour, and late afternoon is a poor time to start. A small fee is charged at the entrance to the road, and it is wise to ride with a guide or at least with another rider.
Fuel in La Paz is easy to find, though quality varies, and it is wise to top up in the city or El Alto before leaving. Carry water, a rain layer and warm clothing for the top, because the temperature difference between the pass and the bottom is huge. The best season is the dry months, from May to October. Between December and March the rains make the road treacherous.