Salar de Uyuni

Our trip to the Salar de Uyuni (Salt flats) in Bolivia has to be the highlight of our trip so far. The salt flats are part of the Altiplano - a high plateau. The plateau has many fresh and saltwater lakes and salt flats and is surrounded by volcanoes.

We left San Pedro on 30 September for a three day tour of the Salar and Altiplano. After reading horror stories about drunk and dangerous drivers and not getting enough food on the trip we were a bit nervous. But we need not have worried as we had the most fantastic driver and guide who navigated us through some serious 4WD country, did not get us lost in this vast desert, cooked us amazing meals and was very knowledgeable about the area. Our guide Gilmar did not speak English but I was able to understand a surprising amount. We were also helped by Alexis from Argentina who kindly translated many things for us. In addition to Alexis we had Alexis partner Stine from Scotland (they met in New Zealand of all places!) and Bea from Germany on the trip with us. We all got on famously and everyone was  very considerate which is pretty important when a bunch of strangers are thrown together for three days for what was a pretty intense trip. We were all dealing with being at high altitudes (we went as high as 5000m), extreme cold and wind and driving long distances in a 4WD vehicle.

Sue waiting outside our hostel to be picked up for our trip to the Salar  de Uyuni.  In every town and city we have visited  there have been dogs roaming and sleeping in the streets. Many of them don´t even have owners but they are very friendly and they survive because the locals feed them.

Bolivian Immigration centre in the middle of  the desert. This is where we started our three day Odyssey.

Bea (Germany), Sue, Gilmar (our Bolivian guide), Alexis (Argentina) , Stine (Scotland)

Laguna Colorado - this lake was partly frozen.

Our 4WD vehicle is the white one on the right.

Laguna Blanca on the left is coloured white because it contains borax which is used in lots of industrial processes. Laguna Verde on the right is coloured green because it contains arsenic, lead, copper and other heavy metals.

Solar de Manaña geyser basin (4850m). The Geysers were near the highest pass which was about 5000m above sea level

Laguna Colorada is coloured  red by the algae that live in it,  which the flamingos feed on. The Bolivian Altiplano is a major breeding ground for several species of pink flamencos.

On our fist night we stayed at a very basic hostel in the desert (see picture below). There were no hot showers or heating apart from  one small ineffectual log burner. The temperature was well below zero once the sun went down as we were still at over 4000m above sea level. We all slept together in a dorm and we slept in all our clothes. Sue was the best prepared  for the frigid temperatures as she brought thermal leggings that she got from the hospital after her hip operation. She modelled this  fashionable attire for us as you can see in the picture above. As ridiculous as they looked (and we were all in hysterics when she put them on) she was the warmest of us all and had the best sleep.

Arbol de Piedra (tree of rock). This area was called the Desierto Dali because it resembles the paintings of Salvador Dali.

Very strange snow formations in the Desierto Dali.

Laguna Hedionda

Our last stop for the day was at San Juan de Rosario village. Here you can visit mummies in these tombs pictured above. The mummies were the Inca nobles who when they died were placed in the tombs alongside items they would need for the after-life. The tombs were built from the coral which covers the ground as this area used to be under the sea. The tombs have been opened up so that you can see the skeletons which are still fairly intact. This village also used to be an important trade route from the interior to the coast. As in the past the people here grow quinoa and potatoes (papas as they call them here). In Bolivia quinoa is one of Bolivia's most important exports. They supply 46% of the world's trade in quinoa which has become very popular in Europe, North America and even in NZ because it has a higher protein content than wheat, maize, rice etc.

After eleven hours of travelling we arrived at Villa Martin Hotel. The hotel is made entirely from salt and could not have been  more of a contrast from our first night.  I shared a room with my Mum and we  had our own ensiute, warm showers and heating.

On our last day we were up at 4.30am to go and see the sun rise over the Salar  de Uyuni. The salt flats are vast and look like snow. Thirty minutes after leaving our hotel I realised I had left my passport and credit cards in the hotel room. When I told Gilmar this he explained that he did not have enough petrol to go back and get them and continue the tour. Luckily for me he had a satellite phone and we still had reception so he was able to call the hotel and arrange for them to put the items on a bus that day. They arrived in the town of Uyuni where we finished the tour and were delivered to me when we arrived. I have to say I was very, very lucky.

Cyclists on the Salar de Uyuni.

Isla de los Pescados, or in the indigenous language Quechua this island is call la Isla Incahuasi. This island is in the middle of the salt flats and is formed from fossilised coral and is covered in 1000-year-old cacti. These cacti grow at a rate of 1cm a year and can grow as high as 10m. 

Mining salt

Looking back at the Salar de Uyuni

This was the last stop on our tour - a visit to the Train Cemetery

The town of Uyuni, Bolivia where we finished our tour. After having a farewell dinner with our travelling companions Sue and I caught the overnight train that left at midnight. Our next destination La Paz (the capital of Bolivia).