Serenity Now

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28 Mayo - Salar de Uyuni
Well, made the overnight trip to Uyuni. Cold. Long. Uncomfortable. I didn't sleep much and Nikki was still ill. But we are all looking forward to this escape from reality.
I am in yet another ancient place, this one more of a dreamscape. These salt flats are so extensive, they go on for days. I saw the name Salvador Dali on a map and I can completely see him here, “The Persistence of Time” and other surrealist pieces could easily be set here. Throw in some San Pedro and there you have it.
We are in the middle of nowhere, in a cold-ass part of the world where not much lives or grows. The people who do live here are only here for the salt. It is their life, and a hard life at that. They scrape it off the top, crusty layer of the lake with a pickaxe. And they get paid squat. The place we are in now is a sleepy little town that is supported by the few tourists who come here to visit the flats. I feel like we’re in an old-west town, or a Mexican mining town. It is barren and desolate here.
We went out and saw the stars tonight. Had a “Star Walk”. How incredible! They are so bright! Even more so than they were on the Isla Amantani. In a short period of time, I saw 5 shooting stars. I am so drawn to the stars. I need to be sleeping, but could just as easily go lay outside, light a small campfire, and stargaze for hours. I know there will be tomorrow, and then another night for stargazing, plus some long days ahead of us in the jeep.

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