Blogs from Salar de Uyuni, Potosí Department, Bolivia, South America - page 9

The morning was upon us, the Toyota Landcruiser was over packed with four large packs, food supplies, gas, numerous bottles of water and coke, sleeping bags, one guide, one cook and four travellers ready to start the next adventure of our travels. We set off in the direction of the hills on rocky, uneven, cracked roads and I knew that the days ahead would bring more excellent memories. Day One We climbed from Tupiza upwards to reach higher ground to see views of splendid valleys, passing traffic jams of llamas, stopping at wide open yellow grassed plains (with me using the natural toilet with very little hiding space, altitude is tough on the bladder btw). We stopped for a quick lunch prepared efficiently by our cook, Nilda on the roadside, all the time Chris, John, Tamsyn ... read more

La première aventure en Bolivie, c’est une balade de 4 jours dans le désert du Sud-Lipez, dans le sud Ouest de Bolivie, à la frontière avec le Chili et l’Argentine. On loue les services d’une agence et on part à 4 dans une jeep, en traversant des paysages à couper le souffle, auxquels les photos ne rendent jamais complètement justice. On est sur les contreforts de la Cordillère, entre 3600 et 5000m d’altitude, en terrain stérile, traversant des hameaux reculés, des déserts de pierres, de sable, avec toujours en arrière-plan des montagnes multicolores qu’on croirait peintes par un artiste halluciné. On passe par des lagunes dont les couleurs changent au gré du soleil et du vent, qui prennent des teintes de vert et de rouille, et sur lesquelles se restaurent des centaines de flamands roses et ... read more

After once again enduring the tediousness of Chilean customs, we were on our way to Bolivia! I was excited to be entering a country for the first time and before another hour had passed, we were already at over 5,000m above sea level. Bolivian customs was a sight to behold, for we were nowhere near any form of civilisation, yet there before us stood a squat rectangular structure with faded blue paint in the middle of this vast expanse. Nearby was the rusting shell of a bus that was the toilet. Once the formalities were out of the way, we clambered into our Toyota Landcruiser, along with our driver, Wilson, and we were on our way to what would be three days of some of the most scenically breathtaking landscapes of my journeys thus far (accompanied ... read more

Monday 23rd April - Sucre to Uyuni Thank god this would be our last bus trip on one of Bolivia's excuses for transportation as we made the 9 hour journey to the Salt flats of Uyuni. Amazingly a British couple sat in front of us had brought along their 3 or 4 year old son who clearly wasn't ready to cope with the arduous travel as he proceeded to be sick continuously for the whole journey, the poor little lad. Uyuni is the original and archetypal dustbowl of a town as it sits on the edge of the salt flats and a large desert and is probably only in existence to service the hoards of gringos who come to marvel at the largest salt flats in the world, a dried up salt lake from prehistoric times ... read more

Kid, the next time I say we go someplace like Bolivia,let's go someplace like Bolivia" A classic line from one of my favourite films, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It was with some trepidation that I decided to book a round trip tour to the salt flats of Bolivi in a 4x4 vehicle from San Pedro. When I obtained my emergency passport I did not mention this country at the time and so it is not recorded as I country I intend now to visit. However I am assured by a very reputable tour company that I will be no problem crossing over and then back do I can then drop down to Iquique so continue north in chile. There are three reasons for going. First santiago is going and speaks Spanish so any communication ... read more