Bolivia
Episode 6 of Long Way Up begins in Laguna Colarado, Bolivia. The electric vehicles continue to cause problems, needing to be towed thanks to a lack of charge. The Siloli Desert is brutal and the boys have a good 60 miles of these bumpy roads to tackle. After Charley’s previous accidents, these roads unsurprisingly take on a whole new level of danger for him. Unfortunately his worst fears manifest and Charley falls off the bike. Thankfully it’s not too bad a fall and the boys are able to continue on. The landscape is absolutely breathtaking. As they ride across the salt flats, solitary mountains in the distance stand out as guardians to the horizon. After a brief hiatus to help Dave’s car off some boulders, the duo continue on their way again. Pushing through the night, they make it to the city of Uyuni for a good night’s sleep. In the morning the salt flats continue but this time they’re traversing through the largest one in the world. It really is incredible scenery, with lots of establishing shots showing off the vast expanse of nothingness. Traveling through to the other side, they make it to a UNICEF center used to teach children. It’s amazing to see these kids knitting and they put on a show for the pair as well as discussing family heritage and knitting patterns. From here, it’s time to press on to La Paz. It’s a bustling metropolis of colour, vibrancy and cultural influences. So of course the boys had to get something for Claudio’s bike. That something comes in the form of a nice fluffy llama. After a busy day, the boys press on and race the sun. They’ve got a ferry crossing at Lake Titicana (the highest lake in the world) to catch and need to make sure they get there before sun-down. Thankfully they make it just in time but the altitude really starts to hit Ewan and Taylor. Both are forced to check in with a doctor, as the episode comes to a close.
The Episode Review
Bolivia is such a gorgeous country and these salt flats look so alien but so beautiful. The camera crew have done an excellent job capturing this while dwarfing Ewan and Charley against the sheer scale of it all. If I’m honest, the cliffhanger endings are a little cheesy and not really needed here. If anything, the scenery speaks for itself. Still, the episode reinforces the troubles these guys have had with electric vehicles and how far away we actually are from making this a viable transportation method. Quite what’s in store for the boys moving forward remains to be seen.
