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Published: January 21st 2007
After lake Titicaca we had some serious bum-blistering travelling ahead of us with a day bus to La Paz (4 hours) - night bus to Potosi (11 hours) - day bus to Uyuni (8 hours while being shaken at between 2-20 Hertz all the way.... Enduring memories of Bolivan mountain roads remain.)
We arrived at Uyuni around 4pm and were accosted by many people wanting to help carry bags or sell us trips to the salt plains. Obviously low season had intensified the competition. We decided to take the offer of a short lift to a hostel we had in mind from Celia of Blueline Tours ( a recent start-up) in exchange for a no strings attached introduction to the tour her company was offering. We first checked in and went back across the road (yep, Uyuni is a small town with a wild west feel - flat straight streets and a constant wind blowing) to listen to what Celia had to offer. With a bit of checking with other agencies that San had researched before arrival it appeared that there was not a lot between them on price and (promised) quality at least, so we went with Blueline and
paid our 60USDpppd.
See San's top tips for choosing a tour put together after our experience several days later on a separate publication. A casual start saw us set to go around 10am. The jeep arrived and we met our travelling companions for the next 3 days for the first time. A couple from Columbia (Roberto and Anna) and another from Denmark (Tina and Effe) both of whom were taking a month break from work.
The first stop was only a few kilometres outside the town at a graveyard for old rusting steam trains from the 19th and early 20th centuries from Peru, Boliva and Chile. Next we drove only 20mins or so to the edge of the salt pan and took a look at the traditional collecting of the salt that takes place on a small scale for trading with other parts of Boliva and North Chile.
Next we were travelling across the dead flat salt pan with nothing but white-brown salt all the way to the distant mountains on the horizon. Areas of the pan had been flooded with very shallow layers of water and at some locations you could see water bubbling up through
breaks in the salt. Where the salt is crystalline it forms a hexagonal pattern looking like a endless expanse of salt tiles. The whole salt pan is the remnents of an ancient inland sea. Beneath the 10 metre salt crust there is a substantial depth of supersaturated salt water. Scary! We were convinced by the guide however that it was more than sufficient to hold the weight of a vehicle and 7 passengers.
Not long into our journey we stopped for several hours while Tina, who was a student doctor, helped attend to a jeep full of Bolivians who had had a high speed rear left blowout, flipped their 4WD and wound up with two dead, two badly injured and two with scratches. A stark reminder that travel anywhere can be dangerous and when Mrs. Reaper comes for you there's not a lot you can do to change her mind.
We arrived at Pescado (Fish) Island, (or Incahuasi as it is known locally,) quite late and took a strole amongst the giant cactus' while lunch was prepared. After our fill of basic but hearty food we continued on to the other side of the Salar to the Hotel
de Salar - literally a hotel made of blocks of salt with salt crystals on the floor, tables and chairs of salt and, get this, a bed made of salt blocks with a mattress on top! Amazingly insulating the several feet of salt and 3 local blankets warded of the sub-zero temperatures outside and a deep sleep insued.
The following day we began the big climb from around approx 3000 metres on the Salar through the Siloli desert to Laguna Colorado (Red Lake) at 4278 metres via several other beautiful lakes and the stunning surrounding desert scenery.
I couldn't help being amazed at the geology of the place - here was a remenent of an ancient sea 4000m now above sea level with coral formations clearly visable all along the surrounding hillsides as we left the Salar. I could not help but spend the whole ride envisaging myself diving the endless shore reefs and deeper coral outcrops.
At our lunch stop at Laguna Celeste we spotted a Andean fox sculking for the leftovers after we departed. We also stopped part way at the base of Ollagüe, the only volcano still active in the region. Here we walked
amongst the weird rock formations and sparse vegistation for an hour just lapping up the silence and remoteness. One plant which stands out is the Yareta, which looks like a soft mossy dome is as hard as stone and grows on rocky outcrops adding a eye pleasing splash of green amongst the many tomes of brown. Locals use the long-lived and slow-growing plant as heating and cooking fuel. It grows about a half inch each year. The final interim stop of the day was at a site with an interesting collection of rocks that had been sand blasted at the base for millennia - one is called the stone tree (or Arbol de Piedra) and it's only a matter of time before it literally has its feet swept from underneath it.
Destination for the day, Lake Colorado in the Reserva Eduardo Avaroa, we reached by 4pm and we were quick to head out in to the incessent, cold, 50mph wind to view the lake and its resident flamingos, some of which are of the rare James flamingo species. Couldn't tell which was which though... The lagoon is 60 square km in area, so we only got to see a
One of the tallist volcanos in the altoplano and the only one still active...
In the foreground is a dense coral-like, slow growing plant that the locals burn for fuel. Atop is a green coloured reptile that feeds off the insects that, in turn, come to feed on the small white flowers and the sweet amber it produces. small part of it. You could however see the rich red colouration of its water stretching out into the distance. The colour is apparently derived from a high concentration of algae and plankton which thrive on its mineral rich waters. The distant shoreline was fringed with brilliant white deposits of sodium, magnesium, borax and gypsum.
That night was spent in basic group size dorms provided for in the reserve. Rising the following morning at 4am in the dark we took a 1 hour drive to the ‘Sol de Mañana’ a site of intense volcanic activity. Here, at 4850 metres, lies a geyser basin with bubbling mud pots, hellish fumeholes and a thick aroma of sulphur fumes lingers in the cold air. The cold was so intense despite all the steam about us. The views were spectacular as the sun rose, clipping the surrounding hillsides. Another surreal experience....
After another amazingly scenic drive past vast mutlicoloured hillsides and through bolder strun valleys casting long shadows in the early morning sun, we stopped for brekky at some hot springs where most of the group went for a much needed bath in the warm sulphurous waters.
After crossing a pass
at 5000 metres (our highest point during the trip) we arrive at Laguna Verde (Green Lake - never quite has the same appeal in English does it!) at about 10 a.m. The green colour of this lake arises from high concentrations of some really nasty stuff like lead, mercury, sulphur, arsenic, magnesium, etc.. Behind the lake rises the cone of the inactive Licancabur Volcano, with an altitude of 5960 metres, its mirror image cast in the still waters.
After dropping Tina and Effe at Hito Cajones, the Bolivian-Chilean border post, we picked up a clinical, super efficient Austrian women in their place for the return journey. We then prepared ourselves for the long 8 hour bum-blistering slog back to Uyuni. We traced our tracks for several hours back past Laguna Colorado and lush mini-valleys brought to life by springs just appearing from nowhere from the hillside. After a few hours we joined a smoother dirt road which was the shortcut back to Uyuni. This took us down through an amazing valley called the valley of the rocks where endless wind eroded rock formations lined either side of the road as far as the eye could see. Then it was
out into relatively flat and greener lowlands for the rest of the morning and all afternoon. We arrived back in Uyuni stiff and ready for a shower and comfy bed. We treated ourselves to a deluxe 9USD room and headed straight out to 'Minuteman pizza' in the Tonito hotel for a slice of luxury.
I can't help thinking rereading this that it is boring compared to the experience we had (Yeh bring on San's literary skills I hear you cry!) - I guess yet again it is a 'need to be there' type of thing - the photos do not do any of it justice, believe me. All we can say is that if you don't mind ruffing it a bit and like adventure and spectacular scenery like you have never seen before VISIT SOUTH WEST BOLIVA. Its cheap and you are helping one of the poorest nations on the planet to make ends meet.
Check out the
satellite view of the trip with key points of interest and this site for a cool video
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