Packing the land cruiser at Teresa's place
We began our circuit of Bolivia from La Paz after hiring a very expensive land cruiser to make sure we could get through the rough roads in northern Beni in any weather.
The main roads near La Paz have tool booths
The highways are littered with billboards in a serious form of commercial pollution.
Maggi, Nescafe and Milo are all implicated
We passed throughcommercial areas in the outskirts of the city ...
and then out on to a rather desolate highway punctuated by detours and road construction
The road then passes out east over the altiplano parallel to the Andes.
We pass though a landscape of tussock and small brick farm houses and small ribbon developments towns with a stream of brick buildings.
Another desolate little road side town.
The road slowly ascends to high tussock country.
Panorama of the high country
Then in the evening we eventually descend down a steep valley to the Cochabamba area.
In the morning before setting off, we take a stroll around Cochamamba which has a rather different feel from La Paz.
The central square and gardens
Panorama of the centre of Cochabamba
Panorama of the central gardens
The "Cristo Redemptor" overlooking Cochabamba
A lake on the outskirts of Cochabamba overlooked by a bario
The road then climbs to a summit pass.
Looking back at the country around Cochabamba
Back into the altiplano high country
Cutting to an even higher level towards the summit
Eventually we come to the summit pass, nowhere as extreme as the Yungas road, because the Andes are terminating here, but still littered with "Cristo viene" and "Cristo te ama" Christ is coming, Jesus loves you!
Lost in the mist at the summit
We then pass down a steep gorge
We begin to see forest clad hills and rushing torrents
Panorama looking out over the forested hills of the Isboro Secure National Park
The road continues to wind steeply down a long valley through the foothills.
Everywhere there are signs of logging.
Logging trucks are the dominant form of commercial transport
Panorama over the foothills
The local shop sells coca leaves as well as coca cola
Highway inspection point for police, drugs and/or logging
The road now becomes a dusty unsealed affair
The hillsides now become moister and more heavily covered in semi-tropical vegetation
Tropical forest fires immediately make their presence as they will throughout our journey
A flowering tree which supports a species of bird with hanging nests
Finally we descend to the beginning of the lowland tropical zone.
Panorama of a village on the road selling varieties of tropical bananas
Sounds of the music in the market (mp3)
Panorama of "yes we have more bananas"
Locals at a festival in the village
A late lunch
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