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Published: August 2nd 2012
The train to Uyuni was pretty well appointed and packed with travellers. Still it jerked and rattled as we completed the 7 hour journey. Got to see three movies: all Hollywood produced but dubbed into Spanish. Only one was really suitable for the children on the train, but who cares violence is OK. Really? Soon after Oruro the train crossed kilometers of swamp land, grazed by thousands of Flamingos. All a slightly less vivid pink than we had seen in the Galapagos, but still very exotic. The
altoplano scenary continued to be stark and barren, though as we got closer to Uyuni the mountains loomed large and caught the brilliant sunset light. The temperature dropped quickly once the sun went down. Judged from the condensation on the windows, down to 0
oC and below. We finally arrived at Uyuni after 2100 and most of the passengers got off, and yes it was cold, maybe -2
oC. The train continued south. After the crush to get luggage we met our contact from Red Planet tours and went to our hostel. Again, very cosy, well-appointed rooms with, thankfully, effective heaters. The building itself was very secure from the outside, with a pleasant central
courtyard. Hacienda style. Crashed for the night. Streeties outside had it a lot tougher I can imagine.
We joined a two day tour before midday and picked up two other travellers. Travelled in an older V8 Landcruiser with spare petrol and backpacks on the roof. Hired sleeping bags, carried gas, bought water and extra toilet paper. First stop, a steam train graveyard just out of town. An earlier (1800s) attempt to ship silver-laden rock to the Pacific ports failed because English built steam trains could not make the climb up and over a 5000m pass. Several of the trains made it up toward the top but lost power in the thin air and rolled all the way back again. The trains and many of the carriages were ultimately trashed here in Uyuni. Also interesting was the link with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. This is where they finally met their ends.
Next stop along a dusty dirt track was Colchani, right on the edge of the Salar de Uyuni - the Uyuni salt flats. The track(s) were interesting in that cars and trucks rarely met head on to pass, rather one of the drivers would pull off
the main track onto a subsidiary track, presumably to limit dust. Not a bad strategy. Not much to recommend Colchani unless you are into dust and salt, but the first glimpses of the Salar were just hints of what this amazing place has to offer. We ventured the first km onto the salt and stopped where the locals were “mining” salt. Basically the miners make conical mounds by shovelling off the salt of the first say 10 cm above a dirty, wet salt base. This is allowed to drain and dry, and is then sold directly to the packers at about $US100 per ton. Back-breaking work I would imagine. The old trucks seemed to have done hard duty under extreme salt conditions. Ahead of us was an open horizon of white with the silhouettes of a mountain range in the far distance. The reflection of the high altitude sun off the salt was incredibly glary, and it certainly presented a challenge for photography. One of the things that has amazed thousands of tourists, and now us, was the realisation of perspective, emphasised on a surface that is almost perfectly horizontal and close to perfectly flat. We spent time perfecting photographs
were mini-versions of each of us are perched on Catherine’s hands and head.
We headed SW for kilometres and across blazing white salt. The salt itself changed character as we travelled. Often in large scale hexagons or pentagons, occasionally like eruptions in lava, occasionally in lumps or low ridges. The surface was mostly dry. Occasionally there were graves of travellers who had rolled their vehicles on the treacherous surface. We continued right across the Salar to the far shore where we re-joined rock roads. Closer to the shore the solid salt surface degenerated into ponds of saturated salt solution. The road continued around the shoreline and over some coastal ridges. The feeling continued that this was the most bizarre landscape we had ever seen. There was very little if any wildlife, though we did spot small herds of the rare Vicunas. Finally to the small village of Aguaquiza where we were to stay in a hotel built from salt bricks, and trimmed with cactus wood. Very exotic, and not on Google maps (but near Colcha K in one of the photographs)! Dropped our gear there and went maybe 10 km away to view the Galaxy caves. This had well-preserved
chullpas (funeral structures) presumably from the Aymara people. Also, when we revisited the next day, we saw petrified corals, algae and other unique structures. This part of the alto plano had originally been part of the sea bed, but over millions of years has been lifted to around 3500m and all the water evaporated – hence the salt. Our guide Obed, told us about other places in the Salar where other marine fossils can be found. Walking above and around the Cueva del las Galaxias we had several memorable experiences. Firstly, in climbing this small hill-let to gain a viewpoint, we struggled for breath! That’s what an extra 5m will do to you at 3500m. Secondly, the wind blew strait of the western Andes and across the Salar, and as the sun was falling it was very chilly, and very dusty. Finally, we were privileged to see one of the most beautiful sunsets. We guessed being so high, and having the sunlight filtered through so much air, the colours really come through. We were treated to a 30 min treat as the clouds went from yellow, to orange, to blue and pink. Back to the Hotel de Sal where the
temperature was plummeting. The owner, who had apparently built the Hotel with his own hands, agreed to fire up the heater. A real bonus because the outside temperature was expected to head down to something in the order of -15C. This helped. Very pleasant dinner and good conversation with our new friends from Mexico, around the heater. Off to bed with hot water bottles, two doonas, our cold weather clothes, and a sleeping bag. Despite all of this Catherine was cold in the night. The air was indescribably dry and one felt freeze-dried. Once the power generator went off at 2130, there was No sound.
Sunrise at around 0700 quickly sent the thermometer up. Breakfast was in the main meeting room, which was decorated with carved salt Llama statues. The tea with added coca leaves helped warm us up. Packed up and on the road by 0830. After seeing the Cueva del las Galaxias again, and formally meeting one of the two “stars” who discovered the caves, we headed back across the Salar. We drove to an isthmus of the “mainland” which almost connects to two or three “offshore” islands of the Salar. We walked around and across a
small lake of saturated salt water and onto the lunar landscape of the isthmus. Wonderful place for photography, but very very strange. Obed told us about how this area is in accessible during the wet season when the Salar becomes one enormous but very shallow salt lake. The government no longer promises rescue services to foolhardy tour operators who venture into the Salar during this time. Apparently the very strange Southern Viscachas live in this area. Though they look like a rabbit, the coiled tail unfolds when they vocalise, and are more closely related to the chinchillas. Sorry we missed them.
Back again across the Salar, and it interesting how difficult it was to judge distance in this landscape. All the normal frames of reference are gone. We stopped again at the Island of Incahuasi, which is almost perfectly in the centre of this large salt expanse. It has a small outpost of tourist buildings but is abandoned during the wet season. No fresh water, and no mode of exit for several months of the year. We ate a pleasant lunch and drank some Chilean Cab Sauv here. It was strange to come to a place with maybe 50
humans, two dogs, two Llamas, and a few birds. Except for the giant cacti, not much else. Then to the north towards to extinct volcano at Tahua. Again, a long time cruising across the salt – very hard to know how much progress one is making. Climbing up into the village of Tahua we bought tickets for the climb to viewpoint #1. Luckily the 4X4 took us up to about 3950 metres. On the way we visited the cave, or chullpa, where a small family of Aymara (presumably) had been mummified. Have had one small taste of the cold the previous evening, we could just imagine the cold these diminutive little people must have endured prior to death. From there the climb was persistent, but not really steep. Up along a path between paddocks the farmers use to grow Quinoa and graze Llama. This was the sort of climb we thought we would do in training for the Machu Pichu climb. Not trivial, but we all successfully got to the viewpoint #1 and celebrated achieving the 5000 metre mark. It was a windswept spot, but spectacular looking down into what had been the caldera. Rich mix of browns and reds,
and the whites and blacks of ash. We headed back after taking some commemorative photos and doing some key stretches – important for those tired muscles! Looking down on the Salar from this height was disorienting. We could see the village (green, brown), and the small salt lake at its shore (blue), then the salt flat (white with shadows of passing clouds), then the sky at the horizon (blue), then the clouds (white and grey). Like where is the horizon? Very strange, but beautiful. Back down at the village we were lucky to photograph several Flamingos feeding in the salt lake.
The last phase of this amazing journey was back across the Salar to Colchani and then Uyuni. This was something like 2.5 hours. On the way we enjoyed another spectacular, rolling sunset and took more surreal, exaggerated perspective photographs. This time people jumping above a setting sun. Not too many places on earth you can easily do this…perhaps very shallow gradient west-facing beaches?? Darkness was no problem for driver/guide Obed who continued to drive without headlights, following instead the subtle grey of the “road” vs the stark white of the undisturbed salt flat. Very interesting. He only turned
the lights on when he realised we were about to collide with one of the salt cones we had seen outside Colchani the previous day. Off the salt flats – unbelievable. Back into Uyuni and to a local pizzeria to celebrate and absorb the experience. That was experience in itself, because our chef had developed a pizza dough based on 80% quinoa flour and 20% wheat flour, and picked up a Bolivian innovation award in the process. Very nice, and not just as a novelty. Might be great for coeliacs! Maybe arthritis and impotence also. Who knows.
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Dad
non-member comment
Planting the flag
Well folks what an experience so far. It would be interesting to know where all that salt came from, and when?. You must realize by now that this endurance trip was better done now than in 10 years time. You two planting the flag is reminiestant of the famous pic of"Hill 109" WW11 by the U.S.. As a butcher I must ask ,"do they eat the Lamas?. Keep your wits about you out there at all time. Good hunting. C/ya, Dad.