Three days in the high Bolivian mountains

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STOP PRESS: You might just find Sally´s comments on the last entry amusing !! Sal: Not sure you realised the whole world can read it...

This is the story of how Steve and Lou travelled across the Bolivian mountains in a 4x4 with a driver, a cook a guide, a Columbian teacher from Canada, an Interpol policeman from Switzerland and two Nuns from Ecuador !! Chuckle....

So, one of the main reasons we wanted to come to South America was to see the world´s largest salt flat, high up in the Bolivian mountains...and boy was it worth it. Luckily we are writing this blog a week or so later, or else it would be full of superlatives from start to end.

Our adventure started by booking a tour in Potosi..which was a bit of a gamble, (Uyuni is where the salt flats are) but we were talked into it by a lovely English lady, and the main thing was she said her husband would be the guide (lots of talk of drunk drivers and broken down vehicles seem to make this a good option. It was - we met a group who became stranded in the middle because their car broke down and the two young kids driving were useless).

The next day we got the bus from Potosi to Uyini....a brilliant 6 hour trip...which Steve spent most of the day with his head hanging out the window, looking at the amazing scenary. But the best was yet to come. Our guide was also on board the bus, and helped us along, including helping us to sort out a place to stay in Uyuni.

Uyuni was cool. A typical dessert town, with little attractiveness and loads of character...made more so by the fact that about 100 french people were in town driving their 2CVs across South America....now there´s an adventure.

So, we got up early and met our guide. We knew there were 4 additional people, and we quickly met Pascal (the Swiss copper) and Sonya (the teacher from Columbia). We were all standing around exchanging pleasantries, and wondering who the other two would be. We suddenly noticed the two Nuns beside us...and yep...we were off. They were great fun...as the pictures will show...full of fun and adventure...we shared lots of laughs despite the language, cultural and social gaps. They tucked into the wine we bought one night and regalled us with tails of dancing until 2am in Unuyi (me and Lou were in bed at 10...after the best pizza in for many a year).

Anyway..the trip was amazing. Three days stuffed into a 4x4 travelling through real dessert and mountains...not a road, village or pertol station in sight. Hopefully the pictures will tell the tail..it was all about just being there....but some highlights were

- The salt flats themselves....miles and miles and hours and hours of blinding whiteness

- Fish Island...in the middle of the salt flats, with the world largest catctus, the most stunning 360 view from the top...and Lama steak for lunch

- Roast chicken in the Salt hotel that evening, sharing wine and laughs with the A team

- Getting up at 5am to watch the sunrise over the salt flats (I know what the Incas are getting at with their sunworship)

- Driving through the volcanos, the mineral lakes and the weird Dahliesque rock formations

- And the best....a breakfast swim in the hot springs, under the shadow of a real snow capped volcano...just us around...simply amazing



So...it was fantastic. If you get a chance...do it..before it become accessible to all...it´s still a true adventure. Bolivia is cool..

Steve and Lou

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Photos

Thomas the Tank Engine
at the railway graveyard

The "A" team
...can you spot George Peppard x 2 (Hint..he was in the Habbit of getting dressed up)

The salt hotel
Steve testing to see if it was true

Steve on Fish Island
in the middle of the salt flats

Lou at the salt hotel
...all beds and walls made of salt

Steve at sunrise
.. 5:45 am !!! (lou still in bed)

A real volcano
...spot the smoke...

Laguna Colorada
(red mineral lake)

Comments

[Russ]

Uyuni
I like the sound of a dessert town, everyone sounds like they'll be really sweet, there's probably a few tarts knocking about. Just make sure you dont go pudding your bags on any dodgy looking walls or they might crumble and you'll both look like fools.

[Dad]

When's the TV Series/ Book coming out ?
Absolutely fantastic ! It looks better than Palin

[Stuart]

Horse Play
What I want to know is was the horse that Sally was referring to the horse you were about to ride ? You do realise that Enfield and Islington will never ever feel the same again. You are the only people I know who prefer to have their breakfast next to a latrine.

[Jim C]

Phenomenal
What an amazing record of your adventures. Makes me want to book a holiday tomorrow. Steve, I still find your attention to detail slightly scary - would this win the travelblog best ever write up competition??!! Enjoy the rest of your trip.