I've been in some awful Andean roads in Peru, but NOTHING as bad as this, in next door Bolivia!

Bolivian Road of Death

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

Top Gear UK and Ice Road Truckers have done shows on that road. Not a place I would ever like to go.

I got scared just looking at pictures of it . . .

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" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

yeah, me too..

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On some nights I still believe that a car with the fuel gauge on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. - HST

1983 300SD - 305000
1984 Toyota Landcruiser - 190000
1994 GMC Jimmy - 203000

https://media.giphy.com/media/X3nnss8PAj5aU/giphy.gif

Bolivia's Death Road - Top Gear - BBC - YouTube

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

Probably my favorite special aside from the us one, I wonder how they got some of those shots

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TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

They made this road one directional allowing downward traffic for a certain amount of hours, close it and after the last vehicle comes thru at the bottom, they open it for upward traffic.

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Peruvian roads throughout the Altiplano are actually paved amazingly well. If you take the bus up to Machu Picchu from Aquas Caliente you will have a 2 way dirt road that's pretty gnarly.
The good thing though, they have Mercedes busses running, which makes you feel a lot better.

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That makes excellent sense. Removes the biggest problem. I saw some footage of a tunnel in either Peru or Bolivia where people sometimes had to back up in the tunnel to make room for another truck, depending on whether going up or down hill, I forget.

I'd like to hike some of those roads, though I can imagine some of the drivers being hostile to pedestrians. You'd really have to be on your toes, so to speak.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

There's a new highway as of 2006 I think. I know a retired teacher who lives in Coroico. Princely life on his teacher retirement he claims. The old road is now used mostly for biking. I would hike it or ride a mule, but anything with wheels, no thanks.

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You're a daisy if you do.
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84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
04 Honda Element AWD
1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler
1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4
1993 Toyota 4wd Pickup 226K and counting

South America is pure adventure, no matter where you are. The pulse of life is so different from our "civilized" demeanor.

the Globe Trekker series is quite fun to watch, unfortunately not free on the web. Globe Trekker - Globe Trekker- Bolivia featuring Ian Wright - YouTube

Driving there is a high risk endeavor, even or esp in the cities, at least to me.

The Altiplano are without question among the most pristine parts of the world, I have seen to this day.

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No, it doesn't make me feel better, their tires are always as smooth as an egg.

First time I took the TRAIN from Cusco to Aguas Caliente on the way up there, the train horn on the Diesel locomotive got stuck and they couldn't turn it off.

That was pretty funny -- at FIRST.


Finally a Peruvian railroad employee with a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of San Agustin in Arequipa fixed the problem.

He cut the wires to the horn with some snips.


Este es la verdad.

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

By "South America" we know you mean "South Texas".

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

Cool road!

So is it safe to go to Maccu Piccu these days?

Anybody gone recently? What does it cost?

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

For recent reports, poke around in HERE:

Americas - South America - Lonely Planet travel forum


Compared to everything ELSE in Peru, Macch Picchu is a rip off, overprioced hotels, food and transportation.

But if you get the chace it is TOTALLY worth it to go.

I have been to Peru so much because I was married to a Peruvian.

I have seen a lot of it.

My favorite place though was up north, in the Callejon de Huaylas area.

Known as the "Switzerland of Peru", the mountains and lakes up there are gorgeous. Popular with rich Peruvans, that like to vacation there, foreigners are pretty scarce. If you are ging to Peru, for SURE spend some time up there.

Don't miss the ruins of the town of Yungay, it was destroyed in seconds in 1970 when a volcano above erupted and a tremendous river of lava went down the hill and iped out the town below instantly. The upper part of the town Cathedral spire is also visible from above the fiel of lava, it sticks up right through it. You would never forget the sight of this.

Above it all a cemetary has be re created that overlooks where the town was.

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)