J
ason was itching like a kid on Christmas
morning to unwrap the quadcopter from its box
and take it for a spin over the near-vertical abyss.
The space between the dry highlands’ Altiplano-
bound clouds and the steaming, forested depths
of the humid lowlands. I guess it’s every drone
pilot’s dream to capture the airborne essence of
such a dramatic scene. Alas, the pervading air of
hard-won tranquility ceased and resulted in a
rather c alamity-led crash. Inches away from
plummeting over the precipice, the unit dropped
towards us like a gannet dive-bombing its prey.
That high thin air left little and less for the drone
to push against. Hey ho, Jason had still managed
to shoot a few microseconds of aerial gold.
Hugging the walls of the sheer valley, we snaked
our way beneath rocky overhangs and
elongated cascades. It’s impossible to ignore
the reminders of fatalities as we rode past
shrines, memorials and crosses that pop up at
chillingly frequent intervals. All marking the
tragedy of the vast number of lives lost to the
road. It humbled me from the inside out.
High in lush elevated jungle, riding through
100-meter high waterfalls, streams and by coca
fields was a ride like no other. As I got power-
showered through the waterfalls, the terrain
became its most rocky. And slippery, washing
away part of the road. I rallied. I had better go
through with it, Pearl had pride. More than me. It
was easier than I’d anticipated, as if I were an
oyster already loosened within the shell. I held
onto the little thrill this gave me. A needlelike
pleasure in my stomach, just below my ribcage.
Close to the road’s connecting town of Coroico –
a town that takes its name from the Quechua
word coryguayco meaning ‘golden hill’ – we
convened at the second river crossing. More
rocky than the former river’s pebbly version, the
latter was also longer; a 20-metre stream
gushing water half way up our wheels as we
wended through. Two locals had parked up in a
shallower section, utilsing the free resource to
clean their cars and themselves. Why not? The
water looked fresh and sparkling, pure enough
to drink I’d imagine.