Uyuni, Bolivia

Bolivians lining the streets of Uyuni, getting ready for their president to speak
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Waking up after a cold night, I wasted little time in trying to find a way out of Uyuni. I would search the local tour outfitters for a 3-4 day trek in Southwest Bolivia, through the Salt Flats, and down to San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. With the town filled of people awaiting the arrival of their president, I dodged the festivities and landed myself in the central plaza area for some breakfast. There I met and sat down with Eric, who teaches high school math in the ghettos of Chicago. Originally from Poland, his Eastern European accent shows as we chat it up a bit and I convince him to drop his current outfitter for one recommended to me by a woman in Sucre. So after breakfast we stopped by Colgue Tours and reviewed our options with a local rep. After some brief discussion we sign up for one of their "infamous" jeep tours.

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Being that all tours leave in the morning, I had already missed the window which meant I would be in Uyuni one more night before I could head out. So I made the best of it... Switching to an actual room in my hostel, exploring the city and participating in the local festivities, including listening to the President of Bolivia. Although it's an interesting time in Bolivia, politically, it wasn't long before he lost me and I settled on some shopping, buying an all important alpaca hat for my cold days ahead and some small gifts for my new niece (the godfather has to do his duty ;-). Later on I met Eric and Will (another American) at Minuteman Pizza for a beer and a bite to eat. Although the place had excellent pizza, it was filled with gringos - no thanks to Lonely Planet. Once again, the night returned and it became cold, but something told me I would be a little warmer tonight than last night.

Selecting a Tour and a Presidential Visit