Into Boliva - 4WD Border Crossing

---

Another touch and go border crossing with Bolivia closed due to heavy snow fall the day before we left San Pedro De Atacama on route across the Salt Plains to Uyuni.
The only way to cross into Bolivia from San Pedro is a 3 day 4WD tour.... This was are first taste of real altitude as we crossed the alti plano (high plain) which stretches across Bolivia and the high plain.
Spent the first night at Lago Colorado (Red Lake) which is 5000 meters above sea level...... with no heating in the basic accomodation I almost froze to death.
The second night was spent at the Salt Hotel, yes a hotel made from salt..... it was an amazing site and a little warmer than the previous night......
Without wishing to bore people with detail, sit back and enjoy my photos of the Southwest circuit from the Chile-Bolivia border across the Salar De Uyuni (salt plains/pans) .... the largest in the world.

---

Photos

Lago Verde
The Green Lake, what a reflection!

Hence 4WD
Difficult terrain which got much worse, this was Day 1

In Hot Pursuit
The tour group utilised two Toyota Land Cruisers... ours was the most basic and the omni present dust got to the lungs

Bolivian Geysers
For all those geyser fans that couldn´t get enough of El Tiato, Chile

Lago Colorado
The Red Lake

Llama
Llama roam the edge of Lago Colorado

More Llama
Mans best friend in Bolivia and Peru

The Rock Tree
Forgive me I´ve forgotten the espanol for this

The Rock Tree
Alternate view from a rock I climbed

Rock Climber
Reflection in sunglassed proves I was Billy-no-mates up here

In dust we trust
More 4x4 alti plano action

Lago Onda
The Deep Lake

Lago Onda
It was early and the lake was frozen

Lago Blanco
Flamingos on the white lake... in fact there were flamingos on most of the lakes we visited

Bolivian Fox
Self explanatory really!

Smouldering Volcano
Lo Siento! Forgotten the name of this one, but the vent to the left of the peak was smoking

A rail road runs through it
The railway cuts through the salar, but no sign of the train

Hotel De Sal
The Salt Hotel, the second nights accomodation

Sunrise on Salar De Uyuni
Our group had the bright idea of getting up at 5:30am to make sunrise... it was freezing

Frozen Gringo
Strangely worth the early start, but very very cold

Isla Pescado
Fishermans island, a rocky outcrop in the middle of the salt pan covered with giant cactus

Vast Expanse
No thats a lot of salt!

Bolivian Salt Miner
Hard work out here