Nibs & Salt... quite the simulator for El Camino de la Muerte aka the Bolivian Highway of Death, known locally as the North Yungas Road. Generally acclaimed as the most treacherous route in the world. (Bobsledding around perilous ‘Shady’s Corner’ at “Lake Placid”, NY on the old upper track -- a gnarly hairpin bend of ancient creaking, built before computer models solved all mathematical equations related to engineering physics -- amounts to a cheap thrill & quick amusement park trick by comparison).

Back on N Yungas Rd... fathomless drops, infinite climbs, & high winds along a single mud-surface lane supporting 2-way traffic (forget brakes; practice your sliding technique). The only guardrail is la cumbre or the summit statue of Jesucristo! (highway-code for ‘send the ambulance’ except there’s no way to get there in time) ... add rain, fog, falling boulders & canyon ledges (oh, & waterfalls create landslides)... makes for the ultimate game of chicken & a biker’s dream chute (soft-tail rear suspension mandatory lest your bottom feel more sore than a night at a max-security pen).

A deathline & literally a rite-of-passage, natives pray to bless the journey prior to venturing forth & some even perform a challa or offering: ritual effigies of cars & trucks + a horrifically desiccated chicken; sprinkle cocoa leaves on the pile, then build a fire to burn the lot. Finally, break out some chibcha (beer) & get drunk before attempting the crossing... where crucifixes & makeshift shrines dot the artery, marking the spots of those who careened & were discarded, despite most of them hemmed-in by the false-security of wearing a seatbelt.

"If you go over the edge," one truck driver says, "jumping out the door or window is sometimes the only chance."

Might as well be driving on thin air.

Also, along the way wild dogs watch people pass with “hunger-bred intensity”. As a precaution, locals customarily carry maraqueta bread crumbs to ensure safe passage.

But the awe-inspired scenery makes it all worthwhile, so many ooohs ‘n ahhhhhs, OMGs + wows, the non-stop beauty almost becomes boring, if you can calm the panic for a second or two to enjoy it.

Heed the warnings; wear a crash helmet.

(Thanks to Jonathan Derksen & DLJ for sharing in the experience.)