Bolivian altiplano and salt flats
On 4 May 2006, we crossed into Bolivia at an altitude of 4300m above sea level for our 3 day tour. The border post was as uneventful as any deserted hermit's house high up in the mountains and snow could be. After the formalities, we drove to a high altitude lake (Laguna Blanca) where we changed over into a 4x4 which we shared with a friendly French family. They were so kind as to stitch some panoramic fotos together for us.
From here we visited 3 different coloured altiplano (high plane, ie above 4000m) lakes - Laguna Blanca (white), Laguna Verde (green) and Laguna Colorado (red). The scenery was out of this world - beautiful, clear, clean and quiet with flamingos to complete the picture. Accommodation was very basic the first night although the quality and quantity of the food was a wonderful surprise. Sleeping was difficult due to the altitude and cold.
The 2nd day was another perfect day without a cloud in sight. The sun is very fierce at these altitudes and we had to apply sunscreen regularly. We stopped a few times to experience the solitude and strange rock formations of the desert. Our driver later decided that racing another 4x4 would be the right thing to do. This was quite scary and although we won, we ended up with a flat tyre.
Every now and then we would see vicunas (similar to llamas) in the wild. Apparently they are can be aggressive and can spit with deadly accuracy, so we kept our distance. We then stopped in a small dusty village for the driver to drink a few beers (!).
We eventually arrived safely at the Salt Hotel on the edge of the largest salt flats in the world, the Salar de Uyuni. The whole hotel, save the bathrooms and kitchen, is made out of salt - the floor, the walls, the beds, the tables, the chairs, etc. Much more luxurious than the previous night's accommodation and also much warmer.
After a good night's rest, we awoke to another clear day. This day turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip. The Salar is approximately 12000 square kms of perfectly flat salt. During the rainy season, much of the flats is covered with a few centimeters of water, creating spectacular reflections. We were fortunate enough to drive through water for a few kms before hitting hard salt. The reflections were unreal.
In the middle of the flats is an island covered with cacti where we enjoyed amazing panoramic views of the flats. We then walked into the salt flats where Johan tried (unsuccessfully) to find the rare Uyuni salt lake snail. From here we headed towards Uyuni where our tour would finish and we hoped to rest for a day or two. Upon driving into the dusty, windy, unfriendly town, we decided there and then to catch a bus to La Paz the very same night!
The 2nd day was another perfect day without a cloud in sight. The sun is very fierce at these altitudes and we had to apply sunscreen regularly. We stopped a few times to experience the solitude and strange rock formations of the desert. Our driver later decided that racing another 4x4 would be the right thing to do. This was quite scary and although we won, we ended up with a flat tyre.
Every now and then we would see vicunas (similar to llamas) in the wild. Apparently they are can be aggressive and can spit with deadly accuracy, so we kept our distance. We then stopped in a small dusty village for the driver to drink a few beers (!).
We eventually arrived safely at the Salt Hotel on the edge of the largest salt flats in the world, the Salar de Uyuni. The whole hotel, save the bathrooms and kitchen, is made out of salt - the floor, the walls, the beds, the tables, the chairs, etc. Much more luxurious than the previous night's accommodation and also much warmer.
After a good night's rest, we awoke to another clear day. This day turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip. The Salar is approximately 12000 square kms of perfectly flat salt. During the rainy season, much of the flats is covered with a few centimeters of water, creating spectacular reflections. We were fortunate enough to drive through water for a few kms before hitting hard salt. The reflections were unreal.
In the middle of the flats is an island covered with cacti where we enjoyed amazing panoramic views of the flats. We then walked into the salt flats where Johan tried (unsuccessfully) to find the rare Uyuni salt lake snail. From here we headed towards Uyuni where our tour would finish and we hoped to rest for a day or two. Upon driving into the dusty, windy, unfriendly town, we decided there and then to catch a bus to La Paz the very same night!
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