Original subtitles

It's regarded as one

of the most dangerous roads of the world.

La Carretera de la Muerte, the road of death.

Year after year, many people die here.

(chanting in prayers)

Some go looking for adventure.

Others depend on this road.

For all of them, it's a risky ride.

(upbeat music)

South America, Bolivia starting in Ixiamas situated

in the tropical lowlands.

The road leads 500 kilometers up to

the plateau of the Andes at almost 5,000 meters altitude.

The destination is the mega city of La Paz.

(chanting prayers)

At the peak of the road Lacum La Paz spiritual healers

of La Pachamama, mother earth.

Their shamanic powers are supposed to cast

out negative harmful energy.

(chanting prayers)

The Schemas sacrificed their offerings to Pachamama.

People are supposed to remember what they are doing

to mother earth.

Roads curve themselves into the soil like scars.

The priests beg for forgiveness

also for those driving on these roads

they want to protect them from accidents and harm.

Omar Peria has been working

as a truck driver for more than 20 years now.

There is hardly a single road in Bolivia

that he hasn't traveled.

The road to La Paz is his home road.

He transports timber from the jungle.

His load weighs 25 tons.

Without any incidents, the journey takes him three days.

It's still is dry season at the end of October.

So the road is quite dusty.

In a few weeks, it'll start raining.

The road will be drowned in mud and morass

and there is hardly any kind of movement possible.

But for now the drivers are fighting the stifling heat

and the dusty air.

Omar is driving quite fast.

He's using the opportunity to make kilometers.

His co-driver hardly knows the road.

He wants to learn about its pitfalls from Omar.

There are dangers everywhere.

You must not make mistakes.

The truck could break down.

There's a lot to be sorry about.

When you're on the road anything can happen.

The truck is stuck.

The wheels are spinning.

It's deep, really deep.

Put it in there in there.

I have to see for myself

Anil is looking for holes in the ground

and fills them up with stones.

On the other side is steep too

put these leaves underneath.

The Palm leaves supply the necessary grip.

Only Omar skill and the full force

of the engine can help to get the vehicle out.

It rained in the morning, the road is muddy

the rain has made it worse.

Wheels and shaft have sunk in.

That's why the truck wouldn't move.

It was as if someone pulled the brakes.

Omar has to be especially careful

with river courses.

If water penetrated the engine, it would destroy it.

The trip would be over before it even started.

Only few roads that are passable

for trucks lead through this sheer endless jungle.

The humidity of the tropical rainforest

evaporates Misty clouds from the thicket.

The truck feels its way through the wall of fog.

Only a few meters of visibility.

A collision with an approaching vehicle would be fatal.

Timing is always fun here.

Always

You have to pay attention, you could get lost.

We are losing a lot of time.

We have to drive slow, we can't see a thing.

Rurrenabaque lies on the banks

of the Rio Beni on the inflows of the Amazon river.

Trucks are waiting to cross the river here.

The ferry consists of a simple wooden pontoon.

The Patanero instructs the truck drivers.

The crossing takes half an hour

and only two trucks can go on at a time.

(engine revving)

(indistinct) is responsible for bringing trucks

and people to the other side safely.

He's been shipping the Rio Beni for many years now.

He also knows when operations should come to a halt.

This river needs a certain level.

You can't always cross.

At high tide, the current would carry the flotsam

wood and junk and everything that destroys

the engines of the boats.

As soon as the ferry lands on the bank,

(indistinct) must anchor it tightly.

Iron chains will make sure the pontoon doesn't break loose

When the trucks embark,

the ramp consists of only two logs.

They have to carry the weight of many tons.

It takes expertise

and good judgment to position them properly.

By now, Omar has arrived at the ferry.

Now it's all about steering the truck across the ramp.

We'll have to be very careful soon when the truck drives

onto the pontoon, it has to be driven slowly, very slowly.

If he doesn't do it right there would be an accident

and that is bad for all us.

Then we have a problem.

One has to learn to drive onto the pontoon.

You always have to shift to the so-called cramer gear.

That's the right combination of braking and driving.

So, as not to push pontoon away.

Omar and the Patanero had known each other for many years.

During the ferry ride, they start chatting.

A truck has slipped from the pontoon just this morning.

It was tedious work to pull it back out.

The drivers always make the same mistake.

It's slippery.

That's exactly what happened.

The log you drive on moves just a tiny bit.

There's a small margin with the gears.

It's horrible.

It's worse when the weird wheel spins

in the other direction and that's how it slips.

That's the problem.

(upbeat music)

Just around the corner

from where the trucks are crossing

the Rio Beni fishermen are hunting

for the biggest freshwater fish of the world.

(upbeat music)

Antonio Lee Munchi and Alphonso Carbahan

are focusing on the tasty giant catfish.

Where do we throw our net?

Where?

Here?

Because the dry period lasts longer.

The Rio Beni carries less water.

One of the reasons why the fishermen catch less.

But soon the fishermen's luck is on their side.

A nice ruby.

Today it's difficult.

The water levels should be higher.

But it's low because this year it's been so dry

unlike last year.

Once you throw thrown in the net

you've got four or five up to 10 fish.

Now it's still too dry.

Omar has long left the river behind.

His path leads him across gravel roads

from the lowlands to higher regions.

The road is winding from the humid tropical lowlands

to the dry high plateau of the Andes.

The road is mostly unpaved and it leads

through the breathtaking landscapes of the Yungas.

The drivers have to overcome deep valleys

and vast canyons on the way

is left-hand driving on the Yungas road.

The ascending vehicles should not stop.

Otherwise they'd get stuck.

Omar has to fully concentrate,

his truck just about fits between the cliff and the canyons.

One driving mistake would be enough to make him fall

into the Canyon.

The brim of the road is unpaved, no guardrails at all.

And what happens if Omar faces

an approaching vehicle?

Backward driving is too dangerous.

There are only few passing places between hope and fear.

Look out and off you go.

It's a very dangerous spot.

Many people have died here.

It goes down 150 meters.

We wouldn't live to tell the tale.

We have to be very careful.

The Truck meanders through the Canyon.

The road was rested from the rock using dynamite.

Along the road there are countless roadworks.

It's being broadened wherever you look.

The construction vehicles scratching meter after meter

from the soil.

It's all about the trucks reaching

their destinations faster and safer.

Even though rich in natural resources,

Bolivia still is one

of the poorest countries in Latin America.

The expansion of the road networks

and an improved infrastructure is supposed

to help change that.

Because of the roadworks, whole sections

of the road are being blocked for many hours during the day.

As soon as the road is clear a true car rally begins.

(upbeat music)

Everyone tries to make up for the time lost.

That's when many lethal accidents occur.

Whoever doesn't own a car and has to cover long distances

must rely on buses.

They are comfortable, but not less dangerous.

Many are bus drivers risks the passengers' lives

with overtaking maneuvers.

There are people who are afraid.

They come from Kadamba, from Santa Cruz.

People who don't know how to drive

or come here for the first time.

They're afraid,

but not me.

I enjoy this.

(hooting)

We pray to God to reach our destination.

My family is worried.

If someone from my family travels

I also worry until they've returned home safely.

Fascination and fear are closely related

for most passengers.

They enjoy the unique view of the spectacular canyons

but often they are only centimeters away from the abyss.

(baby crying)

It goes down a hundred meters or more.

For whoever suffers from fear of heights,

this tour will become a nightmare even without an accident.

It's so hot.

Let's go Anil.

Let's have lunch.

What's for lunch Dona.

It's so hot Anil,

what are we having?

A full course menu.

I'm starving, and I need to drink something refreshing

We've juice and sparkling water.

They're having the usual regional dish

with a soup as a starter.

Omar, Anil have an appointment

with Anil's brother.

He's got a special mission for them.

The two are meant to bring Mon Cheeto,

a little monkey, to a friend in La Paz.

The monkey is coming along.

It's not the first time he's going there.

I don't think he is gonna like it.

I hope he doesn't freeze to death.

But he has to help us if the truck breaks down

or else we run him over.

Okay.

We'll take him along.

(upbeat music)

But Mon cheeto likes the trip.

In Omar, Anil can finally relax for a bit,

but the ease of life as a truck driver,

doesn't last for long.

Anil, I think we have a flat tire.

One of the overused tyres

has peeled itself when it was stuck in the mud.

Obviously the rubber mantle was destroyed by the spinning.

It's the tyre down a piece got torn off, no rubber left.

You can even see the thread and a piece is missing,

we need to change the tyre.

Luckily the nearest garage isn't far off.

Omar has the tyre changed

in the village of (indistinct).

The repair works are time consuming

but Omar has allowed for minor incidents.

He uses the opportunity to relax.

A few coca leaves have their part in it.

They keep him awake and happy.

I'm taking precautions.

Otherwise this might later cost us two to three hours.

Now I only lose half an hour, that's much better.

But I don't stress myself out.

I even have some Coca leaves to calm me down

and to rest since the trip will be tiring.

(upbeat music)

The farmers in the Yungas harvest

the Coca leaves just like tea or tomatoes

are harvested elsewhere.

Albertine Mamani and her husband Valerio are two

of the thousands of legal cocaleros.

The cocoa farmers don't regard coca as the basis for cocaine

but as a holy plant, which already the Incas knew

and which has a therapeutic effect.

Sometimes we're hungry

and the leaves of the Coca help us get over,

hold out till lunchtime.

Almost everyone here on the Yungas use coca.

We didn't have the money to send our kids to school.

We didn't go either,

there was no money.

Coca used to be so cheap.

A pound for one Boliviano.

Nowadays we get 30, 35 or even 40 bolivianos per pound.

The value of the Coca leaves

that other Latino dries and prepares

for transport has increased considerably in Bolivia

Over the past few years.

The growing up Coca is supported

from highest ranking political officials.

President Evo Morales an ex Coca farmer himself

propagates coca as an economic commodity

of the same value as coffee and other fruit.

He wants Coca to be internationally recognized

and not demonized as a drug.

Albetino and Valerio make relatively good money

with the coca plant.

About 2,500 euros a year.

They bring the sacs to La Paz where the Coca leaves

from the region are especially appreciated.

(upbeat music)

Omar and Anil have found a place to sleep by the road side.

Anil We need to get some sleep.

We have to get up early tomorrow to continue on.

When we arrive, we still have to unload the logs.

See you tomorrow.

I'll dream of the angels.

(upbeat music)

The Altiplano, a high plateau in Western Bolivia

is bordering on the Yungas.

Llamas are grazing on the meager fields.

There are only few paths leading through this area.

A thousand years ago the Incas used to live here

on the Altiplano plateau.

Today It's easiest to visit their parts

and cult sites on a motor cross bike.

Fernado Alden is following the old paths

accompanied by his friend, Mauricio De Soraya.

They both share the passion for nature,

culture and motorbikes.

You know, this is part of the old Incas roads.

This whole area they set off from here.

Yes, they walked across these mountains

and found gold over there.

It's not the first time that Mauricio

and Fernando explore the area.

They are familiar here.

None of the two would set off

on a trip like this on his own,

that would be too risky.

Heavy rain fall over there.

But we still have to go across here.

Let's search for a different routes.

We go there and then we return our fare.

I hope it doesn't rain as much over there.

Yes. Look, there are clouds over there

and the wind is blowing them in this direction.

We have to hurry.

Let's come in...

The roads are very dangerous

and there's no help in sight,

But good people...

If something happened,

it would take us hours to find help.

That's very dangerous

because something could happen any time.

Motorcycle accident would be a bad idea,

That's why a helmet, protective clothing

and a well-oiled bike are essential.

(motor bike engine roaring)

The higher up the bikers get

the thinner the air gets.

They ride their bikes even above 5,000 meters of altitude.

There is an icy wind coming from the mountains.

And on top of the wind and the cold

there are wild Llamas as additional obstacles.

(upbeat music)

(motor bike engine roaring)

We come across new things every day.

And that's what I love about this country.

You will still find new things.

Things we can share.

For me being here is something very special.

500 years ago, our ancestors walked the same paths

to find gold for their jewelry.

Driving my motorbike here, amidst the Llama trails

I feel the energy of this place.

Omar finally continues his rollercoaster ride.

At clear road section,

he sees sacks and bags at the road side.

His assumption quickly becomes horrible certainty.

What happened Anil?

I'm so sorry.

Whatever happened here.

Has someone seen anything?

Did this happen last night as someone died,

where there two people, is the driver dead?

The driver is alive

they're saying the co-driver is dead.

I'm sorry.

It happened because he had to let an approaching car pass

and he came too close to the edge.

The road broke off.

You have to be so careful with that.

One has to drive carefully and stay awake.

If you're tired, it's better to stop and rest.

Some drivers are very tired, but they drive on

and fall asleep.

That's when this sort of thing happens,

it was the driver's mistake.

You can make mistakes on this road,

but this wasn't one.

If the road breaks off and you just try to

let someone pass who's to blame?

No one.

Lethal accidents are a common occurrence

on the mountain roads in Yungas.

Omar has lost friends and colleagues too.

The fact that nothing has happened to him yet

is surely due to his caution,

but also to do with luck.

His truck is Omar's home for many weeks and months

of the year, all the more welcome

are the short breaks in which he can refresh himself.

Tie up the monkey over there.

So he get some fresh air.

Even if mon cheeto complains about being left

on his own for a little while,

a short break outside the driver's cabin

will do him good too.

For Omar and Anil the crystal clear mountain water

is better than any shower or bath in a hotel room.

They get to wash themselves

for the first time in one and a half days.

And they wash thoroughly.

(mon cheeto wailing)

That's after a very exhausting day, you are naked.

You have to keep focused the whole time.

After having seen this accident,

the best when it's relaxing

and most beautiful thing to do is to have a good wash.

Now I'm ready to go back on the road.

It feels as if I washed off kilos of dust.

That's great.

Isn't it Anil?

(Anil groaning)

(upbeat music)

Omar leads the life of a trucker.

And as you would expect from a captain of the roads

he has a different girl in every town.

You get to know new people,

new attractive women if you're on the road.

Not only in this country,

but also in others.

Truth is, I have two wives.

The first one I have two children

and one with the second one.

There are some difficult moments.

I've only got one pair of hands, you know.

Omar stops in Puerto Rico

to meet his second wife, Veronica

He only sees her a couple of weeks,

she knows about the situation she's in.

Yes, I am jealous.

I've traveled with him and seen many things

beautiful women talking to him.

They come, smile at him and talk to him.

Yes, I'm very jealous.

At All Hallows people commemorate the dead

at the cemetery of Puerto Rico.

The family has come to put

down flowers at the graves and to commemorate the dead.

Omar also uses the short stop over

to decorate Veronica's father's grave

and pray together with Veronica and their son.

(praying in foreign language)

Amen.

We are in touch with the souls.

And I always pray not only here

but also if I'm on the road.

So they'll accompany us and keep an eye on us.

(upbeat music)

All Hallows' is a very jolly celebration at Bolivia.

Even marching bands play at the grave sides.

The tune slabs serves as a table.

So, if in fact the deceased actually wanted

to join the celebration, food and a table are provided for.

Figurines made of bread, sweets, fruits

and alcohol are available too.

(chanting prayers)

Children and adults go from grave to grave

and pray for those whose names are being called

out by the relatives.

They in return are rewarded with a gifts on the graves.

(upbeat music)

For Omar It goes without saying

that he too visits the graves

of strangers and prays for them,

that's the custom.

The celebration goes on until nightfall

but Omar has to get a move on.

The passage that brought about

the roads by name, road to death is still to come.

The Carretera de la Muerte leads

from Puerto Rico, 65 kilometers

across almost all Bolivian climate zones.

It surmounts 3000 meters of altitude.

(upbeat music)

Within a short time, the weather changes.

Rain clouds appear from the depth

and turn the often only three meter wide road

into a dangerous track.

(upbeat music)

Little rivulets turn into torrents.

Water is coming from everywhere.

The ride turns into a skidding slide.

I'm not afraid, but I don't trust the road.

With this rain, the road is wet and uncertain.

It can break off at any moment.

There could be rockfall.

If another car approaches,

it may well get too narrow.

We won't be able to pass each other.

Up until a few years ago

the road was seen as the most dangerous in the world.

Each month cars would fall down.

There would be many deaths and injuries.

For a few years now there is a bypass,

but still Omar takes the Carretera de la Muerte

because it is shorter and saves gasoline and time.

Welcome to the road of death my friends,

I like this section best.

It takes about two hours to drive it.

You should be extra careful.

There are huge rocks and potholes.

90% of the accidents occur in the curves.

So, slow down when you get there.

(upbeat music)

What truck drivers consider to be Work

is pure love of adventure for the mountain bikers.

Many agencies have discovered the Carretera de la Muerteas

as tourist attraction.

(upbeat music)

With guides to accompany the tourists.

They sell the ride into the depths of the mountains.

As a special experience.

(upbeat music)

The road to death is considered to be one

of the main tourist attractions of Bolivia.

It leads downhill all the way,.

Even so the cyclists let's concentrate hard

as to not let the tour end in a free fall.

A few photos are being taken for the family album

or rather the online friends across the globe.

It's been one of my dreams ever

since I came to Bolivia to ride the Yungas road.

In the beginning, I didn't dare.

But with full of adrenaline.

And so I just do it now.

It's great fun.

The kick you get out of riding down

once you realize you could fall down 1500 meters

is incredible.

This feeling when you're riding close to the edge,

it's like flying.

It's impossible to explain.

(upbeat music)

Omar has almost made it.

He must never lose his concentration or get careless.

The road is unpredictable to the very end.

The weather has improved,

but the road surface still is uncertain spongy.

(upbeat music)

Then, finally Omar leaves the death road

and reaches the final section of his route.

From here onwards the last kilometers to La Paz are paved.

The first thing I do is to thank God for sparing my life.

I beg him to grant us a safe passage.

To help us stay concentrated, have no accidents,

We make no mistakes.

The royal court De la Sierra accompany Omar

to the peak of his journey.

Omar makes a short stop at Yacuma La Paz

in 4,650 meters of altitude.

In the freezing cold.

He commemorates the dead whose lives this road has claimed.

He thanks Pachamama, mother earth, for sparing him so far

and prays for mercy and his family's wellbeing.

(chanting prayers)

La Paz, the journey's destination.

Is the highest mega city of the world.

It's houses are built

at an altitude between 3,200 and 4100 meters.

Omar has to go to the opposite part of the city.

His client is already waiting for the logs there.

In the meantime, Anil is taking mon Cheeto

to his brother's girlfriend,

where he is eagerly expected.

After having mastered all the adversities

that the road to death holds

one last challenge is awaiting him.

Driving through the city is the most exhausting part

of the trip.

There are many small cars.

The streets are narrow.

The cabs just stop wherever they want,

the minivans too.

That makes me angry.

The ride ends in El Alto

outside the city gates.

This is where the lumberyard is.

Omar has fulfilled his duty.

He delivered the logs safely and on time.

The goods have been delivered to their owner.

He's happy and so am I.

I already need to start thinking about the next tour.

I have to see where I can find a new load

and then drive back.

But it feels like a victory to me.

I did it.

(upbeat music)