0:00:02 > 0:00:06There are over five billion kilometres of roads on the planet.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09Now, even the most inaccessible places can be reached by car...
0:00:09 > 0:00:11Oh, God!
0:00:11 > 0:00:13..over high mountain passes...
0:00:13 > 0:00:15Confront your fear.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18..across vast lunar landscapes...
0:00:18 > 0:00:21This is mad! Oh, my God!
0:00:21 > 0:00:24..and along bone-shaking jungle tracks.
0:00:24 > 0:00:25Oh, my God!
0:00:25 > 0:00:29Slowing down would be complete madness.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31These roads may be seen as a sign of progress,
0:00:31 > 0:00:34but driving them requires skill...
0:00:34 > 0:00:37What would happen if the wheel came off the edge?
0:00:37 > 0:00:38..stamina...
0:00:38 > 0:00:41- Look, there's a cross there.- Yeah!
0:00:41 > 0:00:42..and a steady nerve.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46That was the most frightening thing I've ever done in my life,
0:00:46 > 0:00:48I might burst into tears now.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57Comedians and good friends Phill Jupitus and Marcus Brigstocke
0:00:57 > 0:00:58are in Bolivia, South America.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02Whoa, keep it roadside, brother!
0:01:02 > 0:01:06These two funnymen are taking on a deadly serious challenge -
0:01:06 > 0:01:09to drive from the depths of the Amazon jungle
0:01:09 > 0:01:11to the high altitude city of Potosi.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13I can feel my heart pounding away.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16I'm not sure how much further I want to go up this baby.
0:01:16 > 0:01:21On the way, they'll have to survive Bolivia's infamous Road of Death...
0:01:21 > 0:01:25You know what? The fact that you can't see how much is down there...
0:01:25 > 0:01:28- Makes it worse? - Is... Yeah, is terrifying.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30..run the gauntlet through bandit country...
0:01:30 > 0:01:34- Have we got police on our tail? - We have, we've got coppers.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37..and put their lives in each other's hands...
0:01:37 > 0:01:40- Wow!- Can't see a thing. - We are driving blind.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44..as they take on some of the world's most dangerous roads.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47How do you feel about just driving into a lake, Phill?
0:01:47 > 0:01:49I feel very weird.
0:01:49 > 0:01:57This programme contains some strong language
0:02:06 > 0:02:08SPLUTTERING
0:02:08 > 0:02:11- That's dusty!- It's a dusty country.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Phill and Marcus are used to being on tour,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17but Bolivia is way off their usual circuit.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid died here,
0:02:20 > 0:02:23and Ernesto "Che" Guevara died here.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27Yes. The people who are most famous have died here.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29Seems a bit...
0:02:29 > 0:02:32Luckily, you've got Buzzcocks, I'm Radio 4.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34PHILL LAUGHS
0:02:36 > 0:02:38They start their journey
0:02:38 > 0:02:41outside the town of Coroico in the sub-tropical Yungas Valley,
0:02:41 > 0:02:46the location of some of Bolivia's most remote and notorious roads.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49But before they go anywhere,
0:02:49 > 0:02:52they'll need a car that's up to the challenge ahead.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54Here's our man! Hola.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56- All right? Phill.- Marcos. - Nice to see you.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58- Marcus.- Marcos. - Good to meet you, man.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02- OK, I would like to show you the car.- Yeah, yeah.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05It's a very typical Bolivian car,
0:03:05 > 0:03:08everybody use one, especially on these kinds of roads.
0:03:08 > 0:03:09Yeah.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14They'll be driving through rough and remote country,
0:03:14 > 0:03:17so they'll have to be prepared for any eventuality.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21Some places, it's not possible to find a gas station,
0:03:21 > 0:03:25so you are going to need to buy a couple of extra plastic tanks,
0:03:25 > 0:03:30and the hoses for transport the fuel from your roof to your tank.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34That's quite manly. I'm not sure I can do it.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36'I'm a terrible driver.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38'The Friday before I left,'
0:03:38 > 0:03:40I smashed my car up, at home,
0:03:42 > 0:03:46on a garage forecourt and took three cars out with me.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49You're going to need some extra tools for driving in Bolivia.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51- Tools?- A complete kit for repairs.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Here you have all the things that you may need.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56It's just not going to happen!
0:03:56 > 0:03:59I can barely deal with my own bicycle!
0:03:59 > 0:04:01Yeah. Oh, my God!
0:04:01 > 0:04:02'This is a grand adventure.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05'We've never sort of done anything like this.'
0:04:05 > 0:04:08I'm excited about that, though. I mean, he's a, you know,
0:04:08 > 0:04:10Phill's a good mate. Now.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12This is day one.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15What I'm most worried about is edge-of-mountain driving.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18You know, death. There!
0:04:18 > 0:04:21There, that side of the car - death is there,
0:04:21 > 0:04:23You do that and you're dead. That.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26- Marcos, thank you, my friend. - Have a nice trip.- Thanks a lot.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29- Enjoy Bolivia.- Do we have your number if we're in trouble?
0:04:29 > 0:04:31- Just in case.- Because mobile reception's solid, right?
0:04:31 > 0:04:35- Yeah, it's good coverage everywhere, mobile?- You never know.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39Phill plucks up the courage to drive first.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43MARCUS LAUGHS
0:04:43 > 0:04:45- Drive!- Still in neutral!
0:04:53 > 0:04:56I think we should establish which side of the road.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59- Ha-ha!- It says... - Can we just be clear?
0:04:59 > 0:05:03It says here, "Most Bolivians use the middle."
0:05:03 > 0:05:06- It is that side, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15Their journey will take them 850 kilometres across Bolivia.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18Starting in the low-lying jungle town of Coroico,
0:05:18 > 0:05:21they'll have to ascend over 3,000 metres,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24to the peak of the silver-mining city of Potosi.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30They'll drive up steep forest tracks, over desert roads,
0:05:30 > 0:05:34across salt lakes and terrifying mountain passes.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39Their aim is to reach Potosi and its historic silver mine,
0:05:39 > 0:05:41almost five kilometres in the sky.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44But before they do anything,
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Phill and Marcus face a truly deadly challenge.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51The road between Coroico and La Paz
0:05:51 > 0:05:55is known locally as "Camino del Muerte",
0:05:55 > 0:06:00and recognised all over the world as Bolivia's infamous "Road of Death".
0:06:00 > 0:06:02HE BREATHES DEEPLY
0:06:02 > 0:06:06I can't begin to imagine how they built the damn thing.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08- That's what's getting me.- No.
0:06:08 > 0:06:14I can only assume it was a path that was used by horses, wagons maybe.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17- That they just shored up.- Yeah.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19You're not hooting at the corners, my friend.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22- TOOTS HORN - Ah, shit! You...
0:06:22 > 0:06:25- You OK?- No, yeah. No. Yeah. No!
0:06:26 > 0:06:29This narrow road clings to the mountain edge
0:06:29 > 0:06:31for a hair-raising 64 kilometres.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35The slightest mistake means a lethal drop of over 1,000 metres.
0:06:41 > 0:06:42HE SIGHS
0:06:42 > 0:06:46- I'll-I'll say it - I'm anxious. I am anxious.- Oh, man! This is now...
0:06:46 > 0:06:48I-I feel, I feel anxious.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50PHILL GROANS
0:06:50 > 0:06:52I'm just going to take this real easy.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57Whoa! Someone comes... There's a car, there's a car!
0:06:57 > 0:06:59Yeah, we get the inside here.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02- Do we get the inside and...? - Yeah, we do.- Do they have to...?
0:07:05 > 0:07:07This road is so dangerous that
0:07:07 > 0:07:10the normal rules of the road don't apply.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12Luckily for Phill and Marcus,
0:07:12 > 0:07:14they have to drive on the inside track uphill,
0:07:14 > 0:07:17while vehicles coming down drive on the outside
0:07:17 > 0:07:19so they can see over the cliff edge.
0:07:19 > 0:07:20- Watch, um...- Yeah, yeah.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23- You all right?- I'm watching the ditch on this side.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25- You got it?- I'm good. Are you good?- Yep.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27- Gracias.- Gracias, amigo.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29- Wowsers!- Oooh!
0:07:38 > 0:07:40I mean, that arrow is so redundant.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43Yeah, we'll keep left. We will keep left. Oh!
0:07:45 > 0:07:47- Beep! - TOOTS HORN
0:07:47 > 0:07:49You're finding the beeping comforting.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53- There's something coming. I see smoke on the road.- I agree, I agree.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55Here's a passing point. Shall I pause here?
0:07:55 > 0:07:56Well, no. We... We carry on!
0:07:56 > 0:07:59I know, but given that it's a passing point...
0:07:59 > 0:08:02- Seems reasonable, right? - OK, all right. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:08:04 > 0:08:05Are you keeping well?
0:08:05 > 0:08:08It's... I-I shit you not...
0:08:08 > 0:08:10Being on the outside there, yeah.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14It's, er, it's a bit spicy.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23We are a long way up in the sky!
0:08:24 > 0:08:28That's... That's what this is! How are you holding up there, brother?!
0:08:30 > 0:08:32Need a little quiet time?
0:08:32 > 0:08:35Oh, man, look at your face!
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Come on, come on. Let's just hug it out.
0:08:38 > 0:08:39MARCUS LAUGHS
0:08:39 > 0:08:41PHILL BREATHES DEEPLY
0:08:41 > 0:08:42Mandingo!
0:08:47 > 0:08:50I'd rather be driving the dangerous bit,
0:08:50 > 0:08:55than sat in the passenger seat, having this constant fear whiplash.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57HE GROANS
0:08:58 > 0:09:02It's weird. It's just...weird.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06- The beep feels very arbitrary at this stage.- Oh, yeah.- Doesn't it?
0:09:06 > 0:09:08It's like...
0:09:08 > 0:09:11If anyone is coming in the opposite direction,
0:09:11 > 0:09:14I'm getting out of this car and just punching them in the headlights!
0:09:17 > 0:09:19I know we're worried about the plummet-y side,
0:09:19 > 0:09:22- but the high side is a bit loose. - That could slide. Yeah.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24It could fall on us.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28- Wow! Waterfallage!- Whoa!
0:09:28 > 0:09:29Waterfallage!
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Bloody hell! Baba O'Riley!
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Um, do you want to watch the old, er...?
0:09:40 > 0:09:43- Yeah, I'm looking... - Oh, fuck off!
0:09:49 > 0:09:51- Look, there's a cross there.- Yeah!
0:09:51 > 0:09:53Jesus!
0:09:53 > 0:09:56- Don't stop, man! Just get by the fence!- Yeah?
0:09:56 > 0:09:59Whoa, whoa! No, no, no! To the left, man.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Do we want...? Do you want to jump out and look at that?
0:10:02 > 0:10:05- I kind of don't, no. Not now. I'm a little queasy.- Oh, right.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12What have we got there?
0:10:12 > 0:10:15- This is...- Where people have died.
0:10:16 > 0:10:21Fernando Larico and Deysy Larico Poma.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23- 2002.- That's 2002, dude.
0:10:25 > 0:10:30They're memorials of people that have, er, plunged over the edge.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40- Oh, mountain bikers! - Here we go, mountain bikers. Whoa!
0:10:40 > 0:10:43TOOTS HORN You cock!
0:10:44 > 0:10:48Wrong side of the road, looking the wrong way. Amazing!
0:10:48 > 0:10:51Before 2006, when a new bypass road opened,
0:10:51 > 0:10:56it was estimated up to 300 people a year lost their lives on this track.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02It was also the scene of Bolivia's worst ever road accident.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06In 1983, a bus veered off the cliff, killing 100 passengers.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09I hope they're expecting...
0:11:09 > 0:11:12Look, look! Orange men, climbing on a rope down there.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17The local search and rescue team are on standby 24 hours a day,
0:11:17 > 0:11:19and are often on training exercises.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23There he goes.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26- Oh, wow! He's away.- He's down.
0:11:27 > 0:11:32- Oh, man!- I wonder how many people survive, if they do go over?
0:11:32 > 0:11:36My feeling is, if you went over in a vehicle, you would be so
0:11:36 > 0:11:40washing-machined and crushed inside, it's game over then.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45How long have you been working the road as a rescue team?
0:11:47 > 0:11:49Voluntary? Si?
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Wow! Are you always looking for more volunteers?
0:12:13 > 0:12:18When was the last big emergency you were called out to?
0:12:34 > 0:12:36When was that?
0:12:39 > 0:12:41- Ah, man!- Whoa!
0:12:41 > 0:12:44That's a big one and that's recent.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47Is it difficult emotionally, sometimes, this job?
0:13:16 > 0:13:20What's your advice to us for the road we're about to drive up?
0:13:31 > 0:13:34- Senor, muchas gracias.- Yeah.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36- Amazing.- Yeah. Thank you so much.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38PHILL LAUGHS
0:13:38 > 0:13:40- All right. - So, we have his number, right?
0:13:40 > 0:13:42We've got... Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45That was a bit much for me, just cos you could see that he...
0:13:45 > 0:13:47and he started crying. and it wasn't...
0:13:47 > 0:13:49the emotion of the situation -
0:13:49 > 0:13:51you knew that that guy had gone down the cliff
0:13:51 > 0:13:55and found a car with a dead family in it, you know. It's just...
0:13:56 > 0:14:00It's beyond, you know, my level of comprehension.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09- When you look at that road over there, right?- Yeah.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11You see where that's all cut away
0:14:11 > 0:14:14beneath the road that we're just about to go on?
0:14:14 > 0:14:16- Yeah, yeah. All right, yeah. - That's a ridge and a ledge.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Yeah, I needed that pointed out, thanks(!)
0:14:24 > 0:14:26HE BREATHES DEEPLY
0:14:26 > 0:14:27OK.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29How is it down there?
0:14:29 > 0:14:32That's... That's ex... That's ex... That's some excitement!
0:14:32 > 0:14:34MARCUS BREATHES DEEPLY
0:14:34 > 0:14:35PHILL LAUGHS UPROARIOUSLY
0:14:39 > 0:14:41MARCUS BREATHES DEEPLY
0:14:43 > 0:14:47So what we need is for this road to get narrower and tricksier.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50It's a lot colder, eh? I mean, it's coming...
0:14:50 > 0:14:51It's getting on for evening.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54Yeah, it's getting dark and we don't want to be...
0:14:54 > 0:14:56I don't want to be on this road when it's dark.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58We want to at least get to the tarmac.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02They are now 3,000 metres above sea level and,
0:15:02 > 0:15:04with the weather closing in,
0:15:04 > 0:15:06they've got the added pressure
0:15:06 > 0:15:09of trying to navigate through low-level cloud.
0:15:13 > 0:15:14Jesus!
0:15:14 > 0:15:18You know what? The fact that you can't see how much is down there...
0:15:18 > 0:15:21- Makes it worse? - Is... Yeah, is terrifying.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23It's terrifying.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25Especially this bit! Jesus!
0:15:27 > 0:15:29Mother...Lord!
0:15:30 > 0:15:31Now... Oh, God!
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Shit the bed!
0:15:40 > 0:15:41PHILL LAUGHS
0:15:41 > 0:15:42Are you all right there?
0:15:42 > 0:15:45I'm OK, I'm OK, but it, but it, but it's a bit...
0:15:45 > 0:15:47PHILL LAUGHS UPROARIOUSLY
0:15:47 > 0:15:48Wowsers!
0:15:50 > 0:15:55I can actually feel you trying to brake...with your feet.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59Look! Look at the road we have driven.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04- Yeah, I feel a bit sick.- That's an incredible, incredible view.
0:16:04 > 0:16:05PHILL SIGHS
0:16:05 > 0:16:09So I wonder if we're not about to hit tarmacadam.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Oh, is this the other end of the Road of Death?
0:16:12 > 0:16:13- Easy, tiger!- Oh, right.
0:16:19 > 0:16:25After five terrifying hours, they reach the main road into La Paz...
0:16:25 > 0:16:26much to Phill's relief.
0:16:28 > 0:16:33Thank you, thank you, thank you.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36Lovely normal road! Thank you.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40MAN SPEAKS SPANISH
0:16:40 > 0:16:42(He's crazy, he's crazy.)
0:16:42 > 0:16:43La Paz?
0:16:45 > 0:16:46Gracias.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52Tragically, just three days later on the same stretch of road,
0:16:52 > 0:16:56a bus plummeted over the edge, killing 18 people.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04With the death road behind them,
0:17:04 > 0:17:08they've still got a 70-kilometre drive to reach the city of La Paz.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10Look back down that valley at the cloud.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12At the top of the cloud.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14We'll be looking down on land-o.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16MARCUS CHUCKLES
0:17:20 > 0:17:23Eventually, they reach the city limits.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27How are you doing there, yawny?
0:17:27 > 0:17:30Yeah, I'm tired man, tired.
0:17:30 > 0:17:31It's been a long day.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46Bolivia's second largest city sits in a natural bowl
0:17:46 > 0:17:483,600 metres above sea level.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53It's the country's main commercial hub and all roads lead here,
0:17:53 > 0:17:56creating heavy traffic and a free-for-all,
0:17:56 > 0:17:58for both drivers and pedestrians.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01I don't know what the deal is with zebra crossings here.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03Whoa! Let's let that dude go.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07I imagined same rules but who knows?
0:18:07 > 0:18:09- CAR HORNS BEEP - Whoa!
0:18:09 > 0:18:11Lady, you go!
0:18:11 > 0:18:14Yeah, yeah, beep me. Beep me all you want!
0:18:14 > 0:18:17I think that if the famous actor Richard Wilson ever came here...
0:18:17 > 0:18:19What's that over there?
0:18:19 > 0:18:21That's a zebra, my friend.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24- Get in!- That's a happy zebra. - There's another one!
0:18:24 > 0:18:26In an unusual road safety initiative,
0:18:26 > 0:18:30the city of La Paz is employing people to dress up as zebras.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36Animals ushering people across these busy streets may look ridiculous,
0:18:36 > 0:18:40but it's saving lives and creating employment.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42So the zebras, it turns out,
0:18:42 > 0:18:44a great many of them are, like, troubled kids,
0:18:44 > 0:18:47got into trouble with drink and drugs,
0:18:47 > 0:18:50and the programme gets them on the straight and narrow,
0:18:50 > 0:18:53and then helps them to help out other people.
0:18:53 > 0:18:54It's properly cool.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56Oh, indeed, yeah.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59I'm looking forward to getting out onto the open road.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02We have got a long-arse drive today, haven't we?
0:19:05 > 0:19:09Today, Marcus and Phill must cover 350 kilometres
0:19:09 > 0:19:12over the country's vast southern Altiplano.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17The route will take them along bandit-ridden highways and
0:19:17 > 0:19:21isolated desert roads to the edge of the world's biggest salt lake.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29The road out of La Paz is one of the best in the country.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31It's a trade route for natural resources
0:19:31 > 0:19:33like cocoa leaves, zinc and tin.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36But Phill and Marcus have been warned -
0:19:36 > 0:19:39it's also used by dangerous criminal gangs
0:19:39 > 0:19:41transporting drugs and stolen cars.
0:19:44 > 0:19:45Have we got police on our tail?
0:19:45 > 0:19:47We have, we've got coppers.
0:19:47 > 0:19:48Shit.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55- I'm not even sure what the speed limit is.- Yeah.
0:19:57 > 0:19:58Um...
0:19:58 > 0:20:00The authorities are with us.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02How much Spanish have we got between us?
0:20:02 > 0:20:06- Not enough. No, it was an ambulance! - It was an ambulance!
0:20:06 > 0:20:08You were gawping in the mirror,
0:20:08 > 0:20:11saying we've got police on our tail, it was a bloody ambulance!
0:20:11 > 0:20:13I don't know what "ambulancia" means!
0:20:16 > 0:20:17We need fuel.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20- Do we?- Yeah.- How badly?
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Well, we're OK for a little bit
0:20:23 > 0:20:27but we just passed a lot of places where we could have refuelled.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38- This will be the new road, eventually.- Yeah.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40They've got some work to do.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53I've got to tell you, my friend,
0:20:53 > 0:20:56- that after all that, this is quite fun.- Yeah.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02Oh, there's something coming the other way.
0:21:04 > 0:21:05Oh!
0:21:05 > 0:21:10- Hello, oncoming!- No number plates. That's a stolen one.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12- Oh, hello, there's a few of them! - Yeah, three in a row.
0:21:12 > 0:21:19Four stolen cars came absolutely tear-arsing down that dirt road.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21They were motoring.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28This remote desert region is almost impossible to police.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31Close to the Chilean border, it's been a rat run
0:21:31 > 0:21:33used by criminals for centuries.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37Today, stolen cars are smuggled into the country
0:21:37 > 0:21:38and sold on the black market.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45A few kilometres down the road, Phill and Marcus stumble upon
0:21:45 > 0:21:48a military operation aimed at stamping out this illegal trade.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52There are the federalis.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56OK, so the military truck set up a little roadblock.
0:21:56 > 0:21:57We're just passing them now.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59They've put a load of soldiers
0:21:59 > 0:22:02the other side of the road in the scrub.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07Curiosity gets the better of them,
0:22:07 > 0:22:09so they decide to stop and watch the action.
0:22:11 > 0:22:16It will be well worth waiting here to see what happens,
0:22:16 > 0:22:19- if one comes screaming along. - Yeah. God, yeah.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27The army is setting up an ambush for car thieves
0:22:27 > 0:22:30by blocking the road with rocks.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33Soldiers are hiding in surrounding ditches, ready to pounce.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39Well, if I didn't need a shit before, I do now.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44With the trap set, the military hide the truck out of sight.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09But 20 minutes later,
0:23:09 > 0:23:12Marcus and Phill are beginning to feel uncomfortable.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16They are waiting for a stolen car to come along.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21I'll be honest, there was a bit of me hoping we'd see some carnage.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27That's bad, isn't it? It's not a nice thing to wish for!
0:23:29 > 0:23:30Did you wish for that as well?
0:23:30 > 0:23:32I didn't wish for anything. I've just never...
0:23:32 > 0:23:36You'd be curious, though, right?
0:23:36 > 0:23:37I am, yeah.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40You must be running scenarios in your head.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43I've never seen any. It would just be awful.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48Men appearing from that side would be shooting in this direction,
0:23:48 > 0:23:50precisely where we are.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56It dawns on them they could be in the line of fire,
0:23:56 > 0:23:57and they decide to get out of there.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09They still have almost 100 kilometres to travel
0:24:09 > 0:24:13and desperately need to stock up on fuel.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15Now, this could be... this could be the spot
0:24:15 > 0:24:18where we get the jerry cans filled up.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21But from our own vehicle, because you're not allowed
0:24:21 > 0:24:24- to fill jerry cans... - From the pumps?- From the pumps, no.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28It's illegal to fill up jerry cans at petrol stations,
0:24:28 > 0:24:30as black market traders have been using them
0:24:30 > 0:24:33to cash in on cheap petrol prices.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37They've been told they'll have to carry spare fuel,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40so their only option is to siphon fuel from the car
0:24:40 > 0:24:43into the jerry cans, then refill the tank at the pumps.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47It's pretty easy to do, yeah?
0:24:47 > 0:24:51Well, it is - the only tricky thing is, you need to check,
0:24:51 > 0:24:55if you pull the end out... No, you see, it's not wet.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58A lot of the tanks have, like, a tube
0:24:58 > 0:25:00and then it goes into a thing underneath.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03So you can't get a hose in and this...
0:25:03 > 0:25:05What do you mean, you can't get a hose in?
0:25:05 > 0:25:07Well, it's not coming out wet, is it?
0:25:07 > 0:25:10If it doesn't come out wet, I could sit here and suck on this,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13but all I'll do is take in a load of petrol fumes
0:25:13 > 0:25:16and it won't actually draw the...thing, and to be honest, mate,
0:25:16 > 0:25:18with my tum as it is,
0:25:18 > 0:25:22I don't really want to drink petrol as well.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24I'm going to call Marcos.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29No, that's bone dry. It's not...
0:25:29 > 0:25:30Yeah, all right.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32Phill discovers there is a solution,
0:25:32 > 0:25:36and it means one of them is going have to man up.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39- We can't do that, it's silly. - It's all we can do.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41- What, underneath?- Yeah.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49A bit more. That's got enough clearance under it now, I think.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51Are you in?
0:25:53 > 0:25:55Yes, but wait till I give you the shout.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57- It's closed.- OK, good. Hold on.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03Jesus, mate, you're covered in petrol.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05Fucking hell!
0:26:07 > 0:26:08OK?
0:26:08 > 0:26:12Yeah. How will I know when this thing's full?
0:26:12 > 0:26:16Tap it on the side. You'll feel it. You OK?
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Good job, man.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22I mean, this is, by a country mile, the butchest thing I've ever done.
0:26:22 > 0:26:23Sure, yeah.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27I think this one's full, Brig.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29How much petrol are you wearing?
0:26:29 > 0:26:30I don't know.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33Let me see this side. Yeah, you're soaked here.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36Well, now we have to get them up on the roof.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47With the jerry cans on full view, Phill and Marcus
0:26:47 > 0:26:50must now hope they're not mistaken for fuel smugglers.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53Another petrol station, ha-ha!
0:26:53 > 0:26:57They know nothing of our gringo-loading ways here.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59Yeah. Although there are two police vans there.
0:27:00 > 0:27:01Yeah, well...
0:27:01 > 0:27:02Three!
0:27:03 > 0:27:05They don't know us.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08"What's that on your roof, there, fellas?" they might say.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10"Nothing. That's nothing, sir."
0:27:16 > 0:27:18The police are everywhere,
0:27:18 > 0:27:21so the attendants decide it's best not to serve them.
0:27:24 > 0:27:25Don't serve the gringos.
0:27:25 > 0:27:26That's not great,
0:27:26 > 0:27:30because we just stopped to get gas, having emptied our tank.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32Have we emptied it? Is it empty?
0:27:32 > 0:27:34We haven't got enough, because we're going
0:27:34 > 0:27:37where there's no petrol stations. That's why we have done that.
0:27:37 > 0:27:43- Right.- So, yeah, we're now on the hunt for another petrol station.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55Diesel.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58Gasolina Especial.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03"No, we had a phone call about you. You're not welcome here."
0:28:06 > 0:28:08Gasolina, por favor?
0:28:14 > 0:28:16It's 37 pence a litre. Cheap, innit?
0:28:16 > 0:28:17Yeah.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23They've got their fuel, but they've lost so much time,
0:28:23 > 0:28:25they now face the prospect of driving in the dark.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32I think it's blocked down there. Let's go down along here.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34- Across there?- Yeah.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40The telegraph poles seem to be our clue as to where we're heading.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44Keep them in sight, I think.
0:28:44 > 0:28:46Uh-oh, I see dust rising.
0:28:46 > 0:28:51- Is it more el criminali? - They've got that look about them.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53Are there plates on this?
0:28:53 > 0:28:55No, that's nicked. No plates.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58Oh, man, I wish I was back at that roadblock now.
0:28:58 > 0:28:59Just tonking along.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06All right, boys. How are you doing?
0:29:06 > 0:29:08He waved back. Hey!
0:29:08 > 0:29:13We got waved at by car criminals! Ha-ha!
0:29:13 > 0:29:17Ah, the cheery wave. Oh, my Lord.
0:29:17 > 0:29:22- Yeah, a lorryload of blokes with AK-47s await.- Jesus.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35Hang on, that's a big bus full of people.
0:29:40 > 0:29:42They manage to make up lost time,
0:29:42 > 0:29:45but suddenly hit a traffic jam in the middle of nowhere.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50To get through, they're going to have to make a detour.
0:29:50 > 0:29:55- There's a protest.- Yeah.- And there is blockade of some sort,
0:29:55 > 0:29:58of, I don't know, lorries or something.
0:29:59 > 0:30:01Road blockades have become a common form
0:30:01 > 0:30:03of political protest in Bolivia.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08Getting around this one means taking some interesting diversions.
0:30:08 > 0:30:12So we seem to be going through a river
0:30:12 > 0:30:15- and into a field of some sort.- Yeah.
0:30:18 > 0:30:19Oh, it's a tyre someone's lit.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23- OK.- Nice, that's what we need, smoke as well as dust.
0:30:23 > 0:30:24- Wow.- Can't see a thing.
0:30:24 > 0:30:25We are driving blind.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29We're trying to go by the lights of the car in front.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31That's better.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36I keep thinking when you see other vehicles that we must be...
0:30:36 > 0:30:38just watch yourself on the right here.
0:30:38 > 0:30:43- Whoa! Fuck. Sorry, man. - It's all right.
0:30:43 > 0:30:48Eventually, they manage to get back onto the main road.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51Oh, hello! Oh...ouch!
0:30:51 > 0:30:56All right, so there's been a big, nasty-looking car crash here.
0:30:56 > 0:30:57Oh, that's a mess.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02Jesus. Are you OK?
0:31:02 > 0:31:05- Yeah.- That was some stressful shit for this time of night.
0:31:05 > 0:31:07Yeah, yeah.
0:31:07 > 0:31:08With the traffic clearing,
0:31:08 > 0:31:11they can now carry on to their hotel for the night.
0:31:17 > 0:31:23Yeah, I'm in bed wearing thermals and a couple of layers, my pyjamas
0:31:23 > 0:31:27and a hat and it's freezing cold.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30So, yeah, salt lake tomorrow, hopefully.
0:31:30 > 0:31:34Basically, we might get on the salt lake,
0:31:34 > 0:31:38if it's not too flooded, on top of the salt.
0:31:38 > 0:31:42So I'm really hoping we can get on, but it's dangerous.
0:31:42 > 0:31:49If the car gets stuck, there's no way of getting help out there.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51You have to deal with it yourself,
0:31:51 > 0:31:54and that may well be beyond Phill and I.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05The vast Uyuni salt lake covers 10,500 square kilometres
0:32:05 > 0:32:09and is the largest of its kind in the world.
0:32:10 > 0:32:14Formed over 12,000 years ago, it has a crust of salt
0:32:14 > 0:32:15of up to ten metres in depth.
0:32:17 > 0:32:18The boys are in an upbeat mood
0:32:18 > 0:32:21and decide to dress up for the challenge,
0:32:22 > 0:32:25Phill opting for the late Cuban revolutionary leader
0:32:25 > 0:32:28Che Guevara, who was killed in Bolivia in 1967.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34I think, without context, we might be upsetting some of the locals
0:32:34 > 0:32:35when they see us in here.
0:32:35 > 0:32:39"Ah, Che! I thought he was dead." "I thought he was thinner."
0:32:39 > 0:32:42I was just reading that apparently,
0:32:42 > 0:32:45I've inadvertently come dressed as Colonel Percy Fawcett, who came
0:32:45 > 0:32:49out here to Bolivia in search of El Dorado and died in the attempt.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52- Good Lord.- Yeah.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54Their aim today is to reach
0:32:54 > 0:32:55the town of Uyuni
0:32:55 > 0:32:57on the opposite side of the lake.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00But the area is so remote, they're going to have
0:33:00 > 0:33:03to rely on unfamiliar technology to get them there.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05Are we going the right way?
0:33:09 > 0:33:13This is weird, cos the GPS is showing a very, very straight road.
0:33:13 > 0:33:14We're not on it.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18A) we're not on it, and B) it doesn't exist on the GPS.
0:33:18 > 0:33:20- One thing's for certain.- Yeah?
0:33:20 > 0:33:24We don't have enough fuel to take too many wrong turnings
0:33:24 > 0:33:26and get all way across the lake.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30And it ain't no place to run out of gas.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33It's possible to drive on the flat surface of the lake,
0:33:33 > 0:33:36but you have to know where you're going.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38Even getting onto it can be tricky.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41Wah-hey, whoa!
0:33:41 > 0:33:43Mercy, Lord.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46Oh, my God.
0:33:46 > 0:33:47Just keep driving, Thelma.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51- I'm Louise.- Are you?- Yes!- All right.
0:33:51 > 0:33:56It's estimated the lake contains 10 billion tonnes of salt.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58Below the crust lie pools of brine
0:33:58 > 0:34:02thought to contain over half the world's lithium reserves.
0:34:04 > 0:34:06As the surface edge is flooded,
0:34:06 > 0:34:09entering the lake is a dicey proposition.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11I'm nervous about that, actually.
0:34:11 > 0:34:12That's quite a way, isn't it?
0:34:12 > 0:34:16That's a way in water, and there's now way of seeing how deep that gets.
0:34:21 > 0:34:27Look at it, look at this! Look at the sodium chloride!
0:34:28 > 0:34:33- I really want to taste some. - I have, it's salty.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35You just tasted?
0:34:35 > 0:34:36Yeah.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38Bold.
0:34:38 > 0:34:43This is unbelievable. It's so crunchy.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48I'd come across, but I'm wearing suede shoes.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50It's dreamlike, it's so weird.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54For a kick-off, the brightness. It's the brightest place
0:34:54 > 0:35:00on the planet I've ever been, and it's just...there's a beauty to it.
0:35:00 > 0:35:05Over my shoulder there, there's a line of horizon
0:35:05 > 0:35:08you can't quite make out. It's just absurd and beautiful
0:35:08 > 0:35:11and wonderful and I can't wait to get on it.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16- That's deeper than it looks. - It's loose as well.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19Right, OK, so that's how it's going to be for the wheels as well.
0:35:19 > 0:35:20Yeah, yeah.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24We're just going to need to take it very steady because also,
0:35:24 > 0:35:27if you flick this water up into the engine and stuff,
0:35:27 > 0:35:30not that I know what happens, but something bad happens.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32I've seen some things in my life
0:35:32 > 0:35:35but, my God, this is just... and the volcano.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43How deep do you think that gets?
0:35:43 > 0:35:46Well, we'll find out. We've got to go real slow,
0:35:46 > 0:35:49but we've got to keep moving.
0:35:56 > 0:35:57It's been an honour, sir.
0:35:57 > 0:35:58Likewise!
0:35:58 > 0:36:01Right, keep it under 10 miles an hour, we were told.
0:36:01 > 0:36:02Yep, nice and steady.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08How do you feel about just driving into a lake, Phill?
0:36:08 > 0:36:10I feel very weird.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16- Yeah, that's pretty deep, man. - Yeah.
0:36:18 > 0:36:22- Ha!- This is mad.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24Oh, my God!
0:36:24 > 0:36:26Careful, man. What are you doing?
0:36:28 > 0:36:31Water ballet, my friend!
0:36:33 > 0:36:36- Easy, don't spray it up into the engine.- I won't, I won't.
0:36:41 > 0:36:42What way are we headed?
0:36:42 > 0:36:45We're going in exactly the right direction.
0:36:45 > 0:36:46Yeah, so this line here.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48You see the end of that headland there?
0:36:48 > 0:36:51I'm going to keep pointing at that.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55Very occasionally I get a surge of fear that it's going to crack,
0:36:55 > 0:36:59and we're going to disappear into many metres of water beneath.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01- A lake of brine.- Yeah.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04It's kind of scary, I've got to say.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07They say you can see the curvature of the earth
0:37:07 > 0:37:10once you get out here to the middle. Isn't that crazy?
0:37:10 > 0:37:14Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong could see this from the moon.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22- Just keep a steady speed, yeah? - Shall do.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27Oh, my God!
0:37:27 > 0:37:29Phill, it's incredible.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34I'm so glad I'm dressed like this.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40Dude, you're going to have to try this when I drive. It's awesome.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43- Marcus?- Yeah?- I'm 50 this year.
0:37:43 > 0:37:47Also, it's quite a small window.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49You'll be fine.
0:37:58 > 0:37:59I don't know how it works.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01I don't know how you zoom out
0:38:01 > 0:38:04or find where you're supposed to be going.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09That white arrow is where it wants us to go, yeah?
0:38:10 > 0:38:14What's that glinting away over there? Is it another vehicle?
0:38:17 > 0:38:19Where? Oh, yeah. Probably, yeah.
0:38:19 > 0:38:20Chilean.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26- They're plateless. - Stolen. Making the run.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30What if they're armed, and I'm wearing army gear?
0:38:30 > 0:38:33I asked at the hotel last night.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36Apparently, the way it works
0:38:36 > 0:38:39is that cocaine gets taken to the Chilean border
0:38:39 > 0:38:41and stolen cars get given as payment.
0:38:41 > 0:38:42Oh, right.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50My strongest feeling now is that it's a car either on fire
0:38:50 > 0:38:55or heavily smoking, driving away from us.
0:38:55 > 0:39:00Right, OK. I think it's one of the Chileans.
0:39:00 > 0:39:04- It looks like his amigos may have departed without him.- Yep.
0:39:05 > 0:39:06If you did get marooned out here,
0:39:06 > 0:39:08what do you head for? Where do you go?
0:39:08 > 0:39:11I would head straight for the volcano.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15- Yeah?- Yeah. That's the only thing where I know there's folk.
0:39:15 > 0:39:16Yeah.
0:39:25 > 0:39:29The volcano's over there that we came from. That was two hours ago.
0:39:32 > 0:39:33Is that it there?
0:39:33 > 0:39:34That's the volcano.
0:39:40 > 0:39:41Is that the island back there?
0:39:41 > 0:39:44Yeah.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48- I tell you what, it's cold. - It is, isn't it?
0:39:48 > 0:39:50As soon as that sun starts to drop.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56I'm glad we got that extra insurance.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05They must find their way off the lake soon.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09As darkness falls, temperatures here plummet to an Arctic minus 20.
0:40:10 > 0:40:165.25, so actually, the sun's going to be going down
0:40:16 > 0:40:19because we lose it so quickly at this altitude.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22I wouldn't mind still being out here to see that,
0:40:22 > 0:40:24except that the rest of it would be terrifying.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28Can you see what our destination is on that?
0:40:29 > 0:40:31I haven't got my glasses.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41Do you know how to centralise this?
0:40:41 > 0:40:43No, I don't. Sorry.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48I see things on the edge of the lake over there, I see nothing...
0:40:52 > 0:40:56I'm heading for where that vehicle is to see if that's anything.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00Just ahead, they see someone
0:41:00 > 0:41:03and it could be a chance to get some directions.
0:41:04 > 0:41:08Wow! Look at this. Hola, senor.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11Como estas?
0:41:18 > 0:41:19It's beautiful. Hola, Marcus.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21Phill.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24- Julio.- Julio.
0:41:24 > 0:41:25What are you doing here?
0:41:31 > 0:41:32You sleep in here?
0:41:38 > 0:41:39Is it cold at night?
0:41:46 > 0:41:48Most of the salt mined from the lake
0:41:48 > 0:41:52ends up on Bolivian dining tables, but it's also used for building.
0:41:54 > 0:41:58These blocks are destined for a tourist hotel entirely made of salt.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01Does the water make it easier to cut?
0:42:04 > 0:42:07How much do they pay for a block of salt?
0:42:21 > 0:42:24Yeah. You've got it going on!
0:42:29 > 0:42:32You have a strong grip on your hands. Easy, tiger!
0:42:32 > 0:42:35Muchas gracias, Julio. Thank you so much.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37We need to get out of here before it gets dark.
0:42:40 > 0:42:44You too, you need to light your fire. You're going to freeze, man.
0:42:45 > 0:42:49With directions to a nearby exit route, the boys can safely
0:42:49 > 0:42:52head off to the town of Uyuni, where they'll spend the night.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05I'm going to need to learn Spanish for, "I have not slept.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07"Show me mercy."
0:43:13 > 0:43:18Uyuni dates back to 1889, when its railway links to Peru
0:43:18 > 0:43:20and Argentina provided an export route
0:43:20 > 0:43:22for the silver and tin mined here.
0:43:24 > 0:43:26But before they can hit the road again,
0:43:26 > 0:43:29Phill and Marcus take their lives in their hands
0:43:29 > 0:43:31at the local car wash.
0:43:32 > 0:43:35- Oh, right, here we go.- Humdinger! Have you got to get us up on there?
0:43:35 > 0:43:38Do you know what, Phill? I'm going to jump out.
0:43:38 > 0:43:43Otherwise, I'm just going to plummet off the side. Wait, stop.
0:43:43 > 0:43:46See you later. Good luck.
0:43:46 > 0:43:47You'll be fine.
0:43:51 > 0:43:52So glad that's not me.
0:44:02 > 0:44:04This is horrible. Yep, I know.
0:44:10 > 0:44:13Oh, God, this is worse than the death road!
0:44:13 > 0:44:14Has anybody ever fallen off?
0:44:17 > 0:44:19Yes? Someone fell off the side!
0:44:19 > 0:44:21Just here? Oh, man!
0:44:21 > 0:44:22Easy, Phill.
0:44:28 > 0:44:30So what are you doing here?
0:44:46 > 0:44:48I think that might be coming through the bottom.
0:44:48 > 0:44:50My feet are wet.
0:44:50 > 0:44:54Now, we've have seen some cars from Chile come haring through
0:44:54 > 0:44:56with quite dodgy-looking drivers.
0:45:11 > 0:45:14Do the stolen cars from Chile ever come here to get cleaned up?
0:45:30 > 0:45:31The car is now ready for the road,
0:45:31 > 0:45:35but first, Phill needs to bring it safely back to earth.
0:45:39 > 0:45:40This is horrible.
0:45:42 > 0:45:46He's doing well. Oh, he's done that perfectly. Muchas gracias.
0:45:46 > 0:45:51Oh, yeah, let's hug it out. Good man. Nice to meet you.
0:45:51 > 0:45:52Gracias, adios.
0:45:53 > 0:45:55Man, that was worse than the death road.
0:45:55 > 0:45:58Really? I'm not surprised.
0:45:58 > 0:46:01They're not much wider than the tyres, those bloody runners.
0:46:01 > 0:46:03At least the death road had a middle.
0:46:03 > 0:46:07- You had so many options for falling off.- It was horrible.
0:46:12 > 0:46:14On the final leg of their journey,
0:46:14 > 0:46:17they literally face an uphill struggle
0:46:17 > 0:46:20as they head for Potosi's historic silver mine,
0:46:20 > 0:46:23almost five kilometres above sea level.
0:46:23 > 0:46:25- You make sure you drink enough today. - I shall do.
0:46:25 > 0:46:27I don't want to be your mother,
0:46:27 > 0:46:30but this altitude ain't going to be kind to you, brother.
0:46:31 > 0:46:32Shall I open you one?
0:46:32 > 0:46:35Yes, please, Mum. How high are we, by the way?
0:46:35 > 0:46:38- Have you got the old doodah there? - Yes. I'll have a look.
0:46:38 > 0:46:41- Flick it into action.- I think we're at 3.7. That's my guess.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44No, I think we might be at four plus.
0:46:44 > 0:46:45OK, we're at 3.82.
0:46:47 > 0:46:49I told you we'd done some climbing, because I'm feeling giddy.
0:46:49 > 0:46:51My ears just popped.
0:46:51 > 0:46:54Yep, I'm having to do a lot of swallowing.
0:46:54 > 0:46:56- Is that stationary, that lorry? - Yes, it is.
0:46:56 > 0:47:02- Good.- Wow, how fucked up are you exactly?- Erm...- Should I know?
0:47:02 > 0:47:06- I was just explaining to you. I feel woozy.- OK.
0:47:09 > 0:47:10It's not only altitude
0:47:10 > 0:47:12they have to worry about.
0:47:12 > 0:47:13The mountain roads
0:47:13 > 0:47:14are ancient llama trails,
0:47:14 > 0:47:16no more than narrow tracks
0:47:16 > 0:47:17with death-defying drops.
0:47:23 > 0:47:26Whoa! OK, a little ravine there. Oh, God!
0:47:26 > 0:47:27You all right there?
0:47:27 > 0:47:29I'd quite forgotten.
0:47:29 > 0:47:34It's been days since we've done the Road of Death.
0:47:34 > 0:47:35And here we are, doing this!
0:47:35 > 0:47:40Wow! This is some alarming bigness.
0:47:41 > 0:47:45I'll tell you what, it's made me feel quite woozy.
0:47:46 > 0:47:49It's already late afternoon and with no hotels in the area,
0:47:49 > 0:47:52it's been arranged for them to stay at a llama farm.
0:47:52 > 0:47:54But first, they need to find it.
0:47:56 > 0:47:59We're quite lost and it's getting dark.
0:47:59 > 0:48:03- Oh, no. - Whoa! Keep it roadside, brother.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06Oh, shit.
0:48:06 > 0:48:12- So, how's our axle holding out? - I don't know. It was a hefty bang.
0:48:12 > 0:48:14Dear God.
0:48:18 > 0:48:23Hello. Is that a little house? Is that a little...?
0:48:23 > 0:48:29- Hello!- Is this where we live? Wow. Lot of llamas.
0:48:29 > 0:48:30A paddock full.
0:48:30 > 0:48:34Hola. How are you doing, you all right?
0:48:34 > 0:48:35Hola!
0:48:38 > 0:48:42Hey, how's it going, hola! Wow, are you twins?
0:48:48 > 0:48:51The family has farmed here for generations,
0:48:51 > 0:48:54breeding llamas for their meat and wool.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57Tonight, they've made space for Phill and Marcus
0:48:57 > 0:48:59in their outside food store.
0:48:59 > 0:49:03Can I come in? It's OK? I'm a little nervous.
0:49:05 > 0:49:08Ooh, we've got some traffic. How old are these little ones here?
0:49:12 > 0:49:16For centuries, llamas were the only method of transport in this area.
0:49:16 > 0:49:20Historically, thousands were used to carry salt from Uyuni
0:49:20 > 0:49:22and silver from the mines of Potosi.
0:49:22 > 0:49:23So you know all their names?
0:49:33 > 0:49:35This one is beautiful.
0:49:38 > 0:49:40The fur is so soft.
0:49:43 > 0:49:45She's whacking his knackers, going "hombre"!
0:49:47 > 0:49:49I like the ear tags.
0:49:50 > 0:49:52I've got one. You've got one for me?
0:49:52 > 0:49:57Yeah. I've pretty much been welcomed into the herd already.
0:49:57 > 0:49:59Yeah, I'm going to be El Gordito.
0:50:00 > 0:50:02LAUGHTER
0:50:08 > 0:50:09As special guests,
0:50:09 > 0:50:13they are being treated to Nicholasa's home-made llama stew.
0:50:13 > 0:50:15You like?
0:50:15 > 0:50:17This is delicious, thank you so much.
0:50:17 > 0:50:19It's like a classic sort of British stew.
0:50:19 > 0:50:20Did you get a bit of llama in there?
0:50:20 > 0:50:22Huge chunk.
0:50:22 > 0:50:23- I... Did you miss some?- No.
0:50:23 > 0:50:25MARCUS LAUGHS
0:50:25 > 0:50:27Oh, God, this is fantastic!
0:50:27 > 0:50:30How often do you have to go down to get supplies?
0:50:42 > 0:50:45To round off the night, Raymundo gets out his charango.
0:50:55 > 0:50:57- THEY CHEER AND APPLAUD - Yes!
0:50:57 > 0:50:58Come on!
0:50:58 > 0:50:59PHILL LAUGHS
0:51:04 > 0:51:07At over 4,000 metres above sea level,
0:51:07 > 0:51:10dawn temperatures remain well below freezing.
0:51:17 > 0:51:19CHILDREN SHOUT
0:51:22 > 0:51:23Oh, God.
0:51:23 > 0:51:26Mmm.
0:51:26 > 0:51:28Not the best sleep I've ever had.
0:51:28 > 0:51:35This particular little hut has a lot of pieces of dead llama in it.
0:51:35 > 0:51:38So it smells a bit sort of biltong-ish.
0:51:38 > 0:51:39HE CHUCKLES
0:51:39 > 0:51:41I don't know that we've helped with that.
0:51:41 > 0:51:44It probably smells worse in here now than it did.
0:51:44 > 0:51:47WHISTLING AND CALLING
0:51:54 > 0:51:58Before leaving, Raymundo and his wife
0:51:58 > 0:51:59perform the ancient rite
0:51:59 > 0:52:01of burning a llama foetus,
0:52:01 > 0:52:03meant to bring Phill and Marcus good luck
0:52:03 > 0:52:07on the final leg of their journey.
0:52:07 > 0:52:09That is a good start to the day.
0:52:09 > 0:52:11Wow. That's a bold start.
0:52:11 > 0:52:12- Patchamama.- Patchamama.
0:52:14 > 0:52:15SHE LAUGHS
0:52:15 > 0:52:16Yeah...
0:52:18 > 0:52:19You all right, brother?
0:52:19 > 0:52:20- Mmm!- Yeah?
0:52:20 > 0:52:22Si, si, bueno.
0:52:22 > 0:52:23That's a lack of sleep, really.
0:52:23 > 0:52:24That really kicks in now.
0:52:27 > 0:52:30- Adios.- Adios!- Adios!
0:52:32 > 0:52:34PHILL LAUGHS
0:52:34 > 0:52:36Oh, man.
0:52:37 > 0:52:41- How are you holding up there, brother?- I am in, er...
0:52:41 > 0:52:43Quite a loopy state, but, er...
0:52:43 > 0:52:44Right.
0:52:45 > 0:52:46Let's do it.
0:52:47 > 0:52:48So we're blessed.
0:52:48 > 0:52:50How do you feel?
0:52:50 > 0:52:54I feel that the blessing was very beautiful,
0:52:54 > 0:52:56- and I'm very honoured they did it for us.- Yeah.
0:52:56 > 0:52:58Having had that little sleep...
0:52:58 > 0:53:01- I don't want to be ungracious... - PHILL LAUGHS
0:53:01 > 0:53:04- ..about anything, but oh, my Lord, the smell.- Yeah.
0:53:04 > 0:53:06The smell of burning...
0:53:06 > 0:53:08I believe they were sweets and biscuits.
0:53:08 > 0:53:11- And a little bit of booze... - And a llama foetus.
0:53:11 > 0:53:13A llama foetus just to top it all off.
0:53:13 > 0:53:14- The cherry, if you will.- Yeah.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21- I've got to tell you, the state I am in...- Yeah.
0:53:21 > 0:53:27The idea of adding 1,000 metres of altitude is less than appealing.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30Yeah, yeah. I'm a little mindful of that myself.
0:53:35 > 0:53:38Their aim is to reach the Cerro Rico mountain
0:53:38 > 0:53:41above the mining city of Potosi.
0:53:41 > 0:53:43Silver was discovered here by the Incas,
0:53:43 > 0:53:45but when the Spanish took over in the 1500s,
0:53:45 > 0:53:48they plundered most of it.
0:53:48 > 0:53:52In fact, it's estimated a third of the Spanish empire's wealth
0:53:52 > 0:53:56originated from this one mountain.
0:53:56 > 0:53:58But it came at a massive human cost,
0:53:58 > 0:54:03as around eight million men died mining the silver.
0:54:03 > 0:54:05I wonder who figured out
0:54:05 > 0:54:09which out of all of these mountains was laden with silver.
0:54:09 > 0:54:10Silver from Bolivia.
0:54:10 > 0:54:12Well, what would happen is,
0:54:12 > 0:54:15silver will show up downstream of rivers that run off a mountain.
0:54:15 > 0:54:20- So the natives...- Ah, OK.- ..would have found silver in the river
0:54:20 > 0:54:21thousands of years ago.
0:54:21 > 0:54:25- Spanish have turned up, seen the locals all in bling...- Yeah.
0:54:25 > 0:54:27- There you go. - Literally dripping in it...
0:54:27 > 0:54:28And off they go.
0:54:29 > 0:54:33I think Potosi might be about to rear into view.
0:54:35 > 0:54:38The city of Potosi lies at the base of a mountain
0:54:38 > 0:54:40that was once rich with silver.
0:54:40 > 0:54:45Its huge peaks stand almost 5,000 metres above sea level.
0:54:46 > 0:54:48Oh, look at that, man, look at it.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52Are we really going all the way up there? Mercy, Lord.
0:54:54 > 0:54:57This is... Corporation Mineral De Bolivia.
0:54:57 > 0:54:59In we go.
0:54:59 > 0:55:04To get to the summit, they need to climb another half a kilometre
0:55:04 > 0:55:06up its steep and crumbling shale tracks.
0:55:06 > 0:55:11There is apparently not very much of it now that hasn't been mined.
0:55:11 > 0:55:15- Yeah.- Underneath us now it's loose, it's honeycomb.
0:55:15 > 0:55:18- Right.- Just tunnel after tunnel after tunnel after tunnel.
0:55:18 > 0:55:21- You're telling me this now. - Yes, so this could easily collapse.
0:55:21 > 0:55:23Oh...careful, careful...
0:55:23 > 0:55:25- We got us a view!- Oh, man!
0:55:26 > 0:55:29Oh, Christ!
0:55:31 > 0:55:35This was once one of the richest cities on earth,
0:55:35 > 0:55:38but now most of the silver has gone.
0:55:38 > 0:55:41Today, there are still 15,000 men, women and children
0:55:41 > 0:55:43working inside the mountain.
0:55:43 > 0:55:46The conditions underground are so poor,
0:55:46 > 0:55:50the miners have a life expectancy of only 40.
0:55:50 > 0:55:53They get a thing called siliconosis,
0:55:53 > 0:55:57- basically their lungs fill up with a concrete-like substance.- Oh...
0:55:57 > 0:55:58God.
0:56:01 > 0:56:04And I believe at the top, we will be, if not on,
0:56:04 > 0:56:09- very close to five...- Oh. - ..five kilometres above sea level,
0:56:09 > 0:56:12- which given we have both been struggling around four...- Yeah.
0:56:12 > 0:56:15- ..is going to be interesting. - Plenty of room my side.
0:56:15 > 0:56:16I'm so twitchy. I'm so sorry.
0:56:16 > 0:56:19It's all right, no, don't worry, mate, it's all right.
0:56:19 > 0:56:23- I can feel my heart pounding away... - Yeah?
0:56:23 > 0:56:26Just trying to get enough oxygen into my blood.
0:56:31 > 0:56:33- Bit headrushy now.- Yeah?- Yeah.
0:56:34 > 0:56:36Jesus Christ, man.
0:56:39 > 0:56:43I'm not sure how much further I want to go up this baby!
0:56:43 > 0:56:45- Got to finish it.- I know. - We've got to finish it.- I know.
0:56:45 > 0:56:46- We've come too far.- I know.
0:56:46 > 0:56:48- Don't go so fast, babe. - All right, mate.
0:56:50 > 0:56:54- Look out, not down.- I know... I am. - It's a joy. It is a joy.- I am.
0:56:54 > 0:56:56- Out, not down.- Don't look at anything,
0:56:56 > 0:56:58- you just concentrate on the road.- I won't, only on the road.
0:56:58 > 0:57:00- Thank you, sir.- Only at the road.
0:57:00 > 0:57:02I'm hugging this side.
0:57:05 > 0:57:07Oh, that is not nice.
0:57:10 > 0:57:11Oh.
0:57:13 > 0:57:17- We must be nearly there, I mean... - We have to be.
0:57:21 > 0:57:24This, sir, has been an honour and a privilege.
0:57:24 > 0:57:26Well, likewise.
0:57:26 > 0:57:28An extraordinary thing to have done.
0:57:29 > 0:57:31This is the end.
0:57:31 > 0:57:33This is it. We've done it!
0:57:33 > 0:57:34Get out real slow.
0:57:34 > 0:57:36It's been absolutely amazing.
0:57:36 > 0:57:38I mean, I... You know, I was excited,
0:57:38 > 0:57:39and I did a bit of research about Bolivia,
0:57:39 > 0:57:41and I thought, "Ooh, good, you know, salt flat,
0:57:41 > 0:57:43"and dangerous road and up mountains and
0:57:43 > 0:57:45"lots to see and all the rest of it."
0:57:45 > 0:57:48And it has totally and utterly
0:57:48 > 0:57:51blown all of my expectations out of the water.
0:57:51 > 0:57:53And everywhere we've been has just been...
0:57:54 > 0:57:55..mind-boggling,
0:57:55 > 0:57:58mind-boggling, and defies, um...
0:57:58 > 0:58:00defies my vocabulary, anyway.
0:58:00 > 0:58:03I loved every minute of it, I really did.
0:58:03 > 0:58:06Certainly one of the most extraordinary experiences
0:58:06 > 0:58:08of my life...easily.
0:58:08 > 0:58:10Oh, mate!
0:58:10 > 0:58:11Good job.
0:58:11 > 0:58:13Yeah! Wow!
0:58:13 > 0:58:15- What do you reckon?- Oh, my God!
0:58:15 > 0:58:19I have had a whale of a time with Brigstocke, and, er...
0:58:19 > 0:58:22I'd do it again in a second, I really would.
0:58:23 > 0:58:24We did it!
0:58:24 > 0:58:27THEY CHEER
0:58:27 > 0:58:29Yes!
0:58:29 > 0:58:31Wow, that made me dizzy!
0:58:56 > 0:58:58Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd