Fantastic journey to Chile


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Published: November 23rd 2009
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An amazing journey it has been, now in San Pedro Chile having just spent the last 3 days journeying through the south west of Boliva. We left Potosi on some gravel roads for another stunning journey (once the bus company could find the bus driver). This time for 7 hours to Uyuni where we had our tour booked for the following day. We had six in our loaded up 4WD. Deb and I, Rorie and Emer and two Dutch girls Mariska and Jorien. As well as a driver who persisted on playing some of the worst Bolivian music I have ever heard.
The scenery on our trip was out of this world, the colours and desolation were unbelievable. Our first day we had a quick look at a train graveyard before on to the Salar de Uyuni, a massive salt flat. Not sure what to expect it was quite surreal. It is just like flat hard white concrete. There are some natural hexagonal shapes in the flats and the white is so bright that you need to have sunglasses to stop from being blinded. We stopped to change a flat early on before arriving at Isla de la Pescadores. Sitting like a little island in the middle of a salt sea. It was full of cacti with some of them more than 1000 years old. We had lunch and a wander around the island before playing around trying to get some crazy pictures, although we weren't too good at it. Driving along the salt flats we finally reached the edges before a dusty road took us to our Salt Hotel of sorts. The walls, tables and chairs were made of salt, it was quite cool. It was windy outside and it was nice to be protected, still up at high altitude it was hard to believe the surroundings. We stayed up late that night having a few drinks (well clearing out our stocks). A bit weary for a stale bread breakfast at 7am we headed off for day 2. A long one in the car, but the scenery again was fascinating. The sandy plains, the high altitude means no trees, not many shrubs, the vicuñas are the only living things you see, the ground or sand is red, there are mountains and volcanos interspaced, not in a chain like the Andes. We stopped for a view of a semi-active volcano with smoke bellowing out on its left shoulder, we visited three high altitude lakes. The scenery stunning, there were flamingos in the lakes, the water was very high in bauxite (I think) and white sulphur which on the backdrop of red mountains looked amazing. We had a lunch with a great view before finally reaching Lake Colorada, the water looks red, there is red algae making it look a deep red colour, out of this world. We again continued on dirt tracks until reaching our accommodation up at 5000m, the temperature dropped well away but we managed to stay warm enough in our dorm.
Day 3 had us up early once again, this time at 4.30am, our lights on the 4WD kept going off which was a pain as we always had to stop and start, but as the sun came shining over the horizon we were soon not needing the lights. The temperature was still freezing when we made our first stop to see some geysers and thermals in a crater, with the strong smell of sulphur around. Again travelling on to breakfast point where you could go for a swim in the thermal pool. At 3 degrees outside temperature and 7.30am we decided against it (they use it as a selling point for the tour but do´'t mention you'd have to be a madman to get in!). The steam coming off the natural waters and the sunlight made for another fascinating picture.
After breakfast we headed out on the expanse of rock and sand, stopping at some strange sculptured rocks on the sand. Including the Piedra del Arbol or Rock Tree. We ventured to Laguna Verde up at 5000m, where the water has a pale green colour and the Volcan Lincancabur (5930m) reflects on to the Laguna. Finally to the border outpost where we awaited our collection to San Pedro. It was a brilliant way to get to Chile, the scenery out of this world something I would recommend to all.
We have had a great time in Bolivia, it was lovely and cheap, the people friendly, the altitude and scenery hard to believe and also threw up a few surprises with good food and some nice accommodation. It is a shame we missed the Pampas but it still was a great country to visit, with much more history than I had imagined. (Don't forget to go to second page foe more pics)


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25th November 2009

you suck
I am so jealous , but soooo proud of you both ,looks like your having an awsome adventure keep it up!!!! Luv Us .
7th December 2009

hi
dean you did a fabulous job you would get a job as a photographer anywhere thanks for sharing with your friends

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