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Published: December 1st 2008
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Most say "Machu Picchu is an absolute must", many say "Iguazu is unmissable". The Galapagos Islands, the rainforest and others are usually close behind and while I find comparing these sites in South America both difficult and also almost irrelevant and pointless, after seeing the Uyuni Salt Flats and Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve, it boggles the mind why they aren't raved about on the same scale that the other gringo 'must see' sites are. My opinion, after seeing this wilderness, is that if they cannot be compared on a par with Iguazu and Machu Picchu then it can only exceed them. The Uyuni Salt Flats and Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve are not beautiful, they are utterly magnificent. They are not calm and welcoming, but they are utterly savage. They are not green and lush, they are utterly barren and (almost) lifeless. They are not littered in majestic feats of human engineering, they are other worldy and utterly desolate. Without plagerising Lonely Planets, Rough Guides etc it really does feel like you're on another planet. There are Dali-esque landscapes (again a bit of plagerism, but I can't find a better word myself), red stained lakes, green stained lakes, flamingoes, thermal pools, desolte
and treeless mountains.
The town of Uyuni reminded me of one of those American ghost towns. Wide, empty, dust filled streets. Adobe, single floor buildings. Very ugly, but the gateway to what has to be one of the most astonishing landscapes in the world, never mind just South America.
Our first port of call was a train graveyard just outside the town that was kind of eerie, but showed just how important this town used to be. They are all rusting and lifeless, a bit like the landscape we were about to enter. The Salt Flats are fantastic. Literally blinding, flat whiteness as far as the eye can see. Far away buildings, gliding, effortlessly over shimmering horizons and jet black, distant mountains floating on there reflected mirages. Here is where the comedy buys from La Paz came into use as you can see from the photos. We were a little wary of the company we had gone with to do this expedition and the 4x4 that turned up an hour late wasn't exactly in great condition and after driving for about an hour into the Salt Flats the car slowed, slumped forward and the axel gave way and we were
stuck. The heat was intense and the glare from the salt was blinding, but it gave us a great opportunity to get the photos. After nearly 4 hours of waiting and a lot of suncream later, our replacement 4x4 arrived and we were on our way to Fish Island, a small hill in the middle of the salt flats covered in huge cactuses and comanding great views over the landscape. Night one was spent in a hotel made entirely of salt and this is where perhaps the greatest view of all wall was seen. After some food and nice Chilean red wine (you'll notice that wine has been involved in most things we have done from the beginning of the trip 5 months ago!) I ventured out for a glimpse of the stars as I guessed that this was probably the remotest place I had ever been in my entire life and so light pollution would be minimal and because we were so high the star light wouldn't have to travel through as much atmosphere and these 2 factors should mean a beautiful night sky. As I stared out I was a little dissapointed at the few stars I could
see twinkling on the horizon and decided that the view didn't warrent the frozen fingertips I was getting. I went back in to the wine and card games then suddenly it dawned on me that I actually saw stars on the horizon! When do you ever see stars on the horizon in England?! All I needed was a little more time for my eyes to adjust from the light inside the hotel. I went back out and after a few minuites I was rewarded with an awe inspiring view. I wished so much that my Dad, who loves astronomy and trully appreciates the beauty of the stars, was stood next to me. I slumped on the Salt in perfect lonliness and wandered amounst the twinkling stars. Never have you ever seen a night sky like it. There was more star light that blackness. Muzz came out and soon after Louise and Ston came out and we all got transfixed by the beauty above us and waited for the moon to rise.
The next day was a completely different landscape. We had left the whiteness behind and now we were in desert. Barren desert flats and mountains several shades of brown
for hours and we arrived at an active volcano though it was only just active with a small plume coming out of one side. A stunning lake was the next port of call, filled with flamingoes. How they survive here I will never know, but they were very elegant. Then onto the Siloli Pampas to see the´gravity defying´ Stone Tree, the Arbol de Piedra. It was then onto Red Lagoon, another bizarre, but superb coloured lake. The views were fantastic and I just hope you appreciate the magnificence of the place from the photos.
Very early the second day we were up and away, before sunset, to the Geyser fumaroles called Sol de Mañana. Fortunatly, unlike other countries, Bolivia has minimal health and safety laws and we were ables to wander around the pools of boiling hot water. The stench of sulphur was unbearable, but it was a great, if slightly scary experience. It would have been so easy to slip into one of these pools. The final stop was the most amazing of all the lakes; the Green Lagoon or Laguna Verde as the locals call it and me being a local had better do the same! Green with
arsenic and micro organisms, this lake was surreal. It reflected the majestic mountain behind it (Volcan Lincancahur) in its strange waters and the colours were mesmerising. We could have stayed for hours. The final stop was the hot springs and our freezing feet got a lovely toasting in the hot water.
This place isn't beautiful in the classical sense, but it is out of this world and surely one of the most magnificent environments that this world can provide. It is one natural phenomenan in South America that I would return to without a shadow of a doubt and the perfect way to finish off Bolivia.
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