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Up, Up and Away
As soon as we arrived in the Atacama and heard about the trips across the border to Bolivia we knew this was something we really would enjoy. Many companies in San Pedro, Chile advertise these trips by jeep to Bolivia. There are many reviews on the many companies. A couple of these reviews are favourable. After a little research we opted for Estrella Del Sur, a slightly more expensive choice but we haven't looked back.
After getting our passports stamped we headed up the road to the border. Going from 2400m we went up a couple of thousand meters to the altiplano. The change in temperature was definitely noticeable and so was the thinness of the air - just a short walk and we were out of breath.
Day 1 - One of the best days of our whole trip
As soon as we entered Bolivia we were stunned by the scenery. Lakes of amazing colours surrounded by volcanoes and blue skies. The edges of the lakes were frozen and the wind was pretty strong - we had quick stops jumping out the jeep to have a look and then climbed
back into the warmth.
Reaching just less than 5000m we stopped by some fumeroles which were belching out some revolting gases and making jet-engine style noises. Then it was a downward drive to 4270m where we were to stay the night by the Laguna Colorados, a lake which changes colour from white through orange to red each day.
Before having a closer look at the lake we were treated to an amazing lunch. Between the three of us we had 6 pork chops, 20 sausages, a big pan of mash and lots of veggies. We didn't finish (although Pete made an impressive dent in the food). It was at this point that we really got chatting to the other person on our trip and found out he was a travel agent from Santiago sussing out the different tour agencies and that our agency knew. That explained why there were just three of us lounging in our jeep whilst others were crammed in 7 to a jeep. It also explained why we were treated so well over the next couple of days. So much for the stories of grumpy drivers, poor food and running out of petrol. We had
Afternoon tea with a view
Coca tea and biscuits at 4270m. a great guide/driver (who we understood some of the time as our spanish hasn't come on too much), great food and wine and anything else we needed.
Day 2 - Lakes, Volcanoes and Lots of Fury Animals
Temperatures go down to -20 C at night apparently. We didn't notice it too much tucked in our sleeping bags and covered in blankets. Sleeping well at 4270m isn't that easy if you're not acclimatised but drinking coca tea and chewing on a big ball of the bitter leaves the night before seemed to help a little.
On the second day we visited more picturesque lakes surrounded by volcanoes and saw a surprising amount of wildlife. Not sure how they manage to survive in the cold and sparsely vegetated land but there were quite a few vicuñas, llamas, loads of flamingos, some strange rodents and even a hungry fox.
That evening we arrived at one of the hotels made from salt which surround the huge Salar de Uyuni. After some more great food and wine (I know, we shouldn't drink at altitude but we were only now at 3700m) we tasted some of the salt from the floor,
overcame the temptation to lick the walls and headed off to our salt bed (with a normal mattress)
Day 3 - The Amazing Salar De Uyuni
We left the salt hotel early to reach the Isla de Pescado, a cactus dominated island in the middle of the Uyuni Salt Plains, for sunrise. The cacti seem to thrive here and manage to grow into extraordinary shapes. We spent most of out time playing around with the giant tub of Marmite and jumbo dog on the salt plain. The Salar de Unuyi is so vast and looks just like snow/ice. Fortunately it is not that cold or slippery.
Soon it was time to leave the salt plain via a salt mine and head to Uyuni where, after a brief visit to the Train Cemetery (?!!) we finished our tour.
It was a fantastic three days, we are so pleased we braved the altitude and cold to see these amazing sights. Definitely a highlight of our trip so far.
Butch Cassidy and Two Saddle Sore "Kids"
Deciding not to head north to La Paz (we had just met 2 people, travelling separately, who had
been held up there) we caught a train south to Tupiza. The train route was through stunning gorges and reaching Tupiza was like arriving in the Wild West. The area is famed for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and so we felt it was time to climb back into the saddle and see some of the local scenery.
We opted for a 3 hour trek and were delighted with our obedient horses (they didn't necessarily do what
we were telling them but followed every instruction of
our guide). At less than a fiver each for the morning this is probably the cheapest place in the world where you can ride a horse.
Adios Bolivia
The time had come to move along as our target is to reach Buenos Aires by mid June. We bid farewell to the friendly people and wonderful landscapes of Bolivia and with excited stomaches passed through the border to Argentina. Beware grass-fed cows, we are hungry...!
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Faye
non-member comment
Looks amazing....
I'm so jealous you're still away. The weather here is crap, been raining for the last 4 weeks...no joke! I'm just avoiding marking at the moment! Looking forward to your return. Can you believe Fionas news? Crazy! See you at Becs wedding! Yey! I'm going to Ibiza with Hannah.... last day back at Guilsborough on Friday, starting my new job on Monday. I'm scared. What's the weather like in Rio? I want to be there. Big hugs, Faye xxx p.s. nice to see my jumper is still getting lots of wear. Is it holey yet??