Waiting for Jaques

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Have just taken a three day trip into the Salar de Uyuni. Hadn´t really researched this at all, mainly went because people said it was good. On the back of such strong endorsements we left for Uyuni on a crappy little bus that refused to stop for hours causing many a strained bladder. The locals were unmoved and weed into bags which were then passed forward to be lobbed out of the window.
Uyuni is a godless place and exists solely as a jumping off point for the impressive salt flats. Day 1 of the tour and we meet our travel buddies for the next few days (see previous entry!). Head off in a knackered 4x4 with our hygienically challenged driver and before we know it we´re in the glary world of the Salar, a massive salt flat that could be a snow field. It is impressively boundaryless and white and actually worth the effort of getting there. Stop at a cactus covered island for lunch of deep fried Llama and ketchup. The island is amazing but unfortunately my pictures are rubbish so you´ll have to take my word for it. Stop on night one at a bizzare little mud hut village called Colcha K. tried to figure out why anyone would live there only to come to the conclusion that they don´t know any better. That night the altitude finally gets the better of me causing a tremendous headache that refused to go all night literally reducing me to tears. Some strong painkillers, coca tea and a diuretic later (to reduce the pressure in my head I was informed) and I feel almost human again. day 2 on the truck is actually quite dull as we just drive about with seemingly little purpose. The day was made interesting as the diuretic made me need to pee every 20 minutes or so. We did see some lovely lagoons with Flamingos in and such and there was some excitement when the tyre went flat in the arse end of nowhere.
At this point I´ll introduce Jaques. day 1 we seemed to be being followed by an odd guy on a motorbike whom we had assumed was the cook or some such. Turns out it was Jaques, a Belgian with a bung right arm who was riding his way across South America before he was no longer able to. It only became evident that he was really with us at lunch on day 2. He is a lovely guy and a sight braver than I could ever be. It seems madness to lug a huge BMW tourer around some very rocky terrain without your full strength but he coped amazingly and never complained. Trouble was that he couldn´t keep pace with the 4x4 especially on the sandy desert which meant we stopped frequently and played ´spot the Jaques´. Poor bugger even fell off while trying to admire the impressive scenery.
Night 2 and we´re forced to sleep fully clothed due to the freezing conditions of the desert. A very early start to catch sunrise at the Geysers. Again very exciting bubbling mud pools and shooting plumes of steam. Very similar to Rotarua in New Zealand but bearing in mind this is Bolivia there are no fences or boundaries, you could jump into one if you wished. Next to a hot pool and we stripped to our bathers in the freezing desert and clambered in, it was well worth the freezing again when we got back out. Back to Uyuni via a couple more impressive Lagunas and we rock up coated in dust with minutes to spare before our bus to La Paz departed. Absolute hell journey to La Paz but that is for another blog!
Have just signed up for a mountain bike ride down ´The most dangerous road in the world!´ I´m guessing it´s not so dangerous as scores of backpackers seem to return daily sporting T shirts.

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Photos

Endless salt flats
Nearly a clever illusion and a photo that nearly everyone takes!

Laguna Verde
looking colouful and not at all touristy.

Comments

[barb]

message from an interloper
Accidently came across your blog as you are doing a similar journey to my son at the moment. Just couldn't stop reading - you are hilarious. You must be horrendous to live/travel with (poor Em) but enormous fun to read. You give Bill Bryson and Pete McCarthy a run for their money. Carry on blogging!!

[Chief and Wife]

Thanks Interloper!
I´m not really such a grumpy bugger and Em doesn´t find me too hard to live with. I fear there may be more rants in the future though as sometimes, like today, things don´t run ever so smoothly ( currently waiting for a plane that has been cancelled numerous times due to mystery reasons ). So watch this space as they say!