Uyuni and the Salt Flats, Bolivia

We departed San Pedro de Atacama for Bolivia´s border first thing in the morning. Its about a 15-20 minute drive from the town itself, and we were collected by a minivan. The border crossing from Chile into Bolivia was a joke really, just a little mud brick shed thing, with one guy stamping passports, with messy papers and junk all over the place. Because its on the border, and the last post before no-man´s land, there were 4-wheel drives out the whazoo, all gearing up for the desert crossing. There is no other way (other than flying I guess) through the desert except by 4-wheel drive as the landscape is exceptionally imposing. The border crossing itself was located on a barren plane, and the surrounding vegetation (if any) was sparse and consisted of grass tufts with the occasional shrubby acacia looking things. The smell of sulphur also permeated the air, and you could actually see sulphur grains scattered like yellow wheat all over the ground. Quite obviously its a very active volcanic area which adds to the feeling you´re about to experience "wild and untamed". The chaotic scene of the tangle of 4-wheel drives and their untidy gaggle of passengers at the border made you feel part of something exciting. Our group transferred into Toyota Landcruiser 4-wheel drives; three vehicles, four or five in each. This was to be the beginning of our three day crossing of Bolivia´s altiplano. Yes, exciting but daunting at the same time. I was so hoping I wouldn´t be bored because living in outback Queensland when I was a kid, means I am no stranger to barren landscapes and desert.

Anyway as it turned out I was to be absolutely transfixed, and there was no way any fibre of my being could feel remotely bored! The first day we drove through some of the most amazing scenery I have ever seen. Roaring geysers, flocks of flamingos on green and azure salt lagoons in the middle of dusty brown planes, horizons that go on forever, prehistoric vegetation, rock formations that look like they´ve been painted by someone with a sense of humour, and of course flanked on all sides by the the craggy angry Andes with the occasional snow-capped peak. We negotiated our way over seriously corrugated dirt roads, up mountains (sometimes very scarry, because the roads just hang off the side of shale cliffs!), down ancient valleys where there was no semblance of civilization, or animal, or bird or even tuft of grass. Just dark brown, rocky and very austere!

Uyuni and the Salt Flats, Bolivia - A 4 day adventure!

Of course, the desert crossing also meant we were going up, and up, and up to altitudes which at one stage topped 5,900 metres! This truly took its toll, you absolutely feel so strange, you know why, but there´s nothing you can do about it. Your brainbox feels like its going to burst and when dizzyness sets in its a lethal combination. A couple of the group became really sick, and I dont even think prescription drugs helped. I suffered shortness of breath, increased heart rate and dry mouth. So thankfully I didn´t get the headaches or nausea suffered by some of the others. But still I was not effect-free. Its hard to breathe at any altitude over 2000m, and you actually have to concentrate on taking more sustained breaths, else you start panting (quite embarrassing really!). Even at 2,000m its an effort to walk one block, or go up a flight of stairs without it looking like you´ve just run a marathon.

The first night we spent in this little hostel, literally in the middle of nowhere. There were about four rooms to it, and our group took two of them - a boys and girl´s dormitory. There was a small town attached to it, and I think the only business it does is from tourists passing on to the salt flats. It was my first taste of the real Boliva, and yes it smacks you right between the eyes! Women in the traditional dress (gathered skirts, white shirts and patterned vests with bowler hats), babies in colourful sacks slung over their backs, their long black plaits and swarthy skin, bad teeth eeking out an existence in poverty like nothing I have ever witnessed. I have a huge problem coming to terms with this, and sometimes I just have to turn away. Its just so hard to reconcile with my lifestyle. But I figure buying bits and pieces and spending some tourist dollars may at some point bear some fruit for these unfortunate souls. Yet, for the most part, they do seem satisfied with their lot, and are very happy to chat (even with my pathetic Spanish) and seem genuinely enthusiastic about tourists that pass their way spending meagre amounts on useless trinkets.

Maria, our cook (in traditional dress) also accompanied us for the four day trek and I think she was related to one of the drivers. She was an absolute marvel with what she could create in the middle of nowhere with cooking equipment that fitted in a small box. The first night we had a hearty vegetable soup to start, followed by a simple salad of chopped (and peeled) tomatoes, cucumber, celery, onion, corn and peas. The main course was mince spagetti bolognese (which we figured later was probably llama). It was really very tasty and totally satisfying, given the conditions she cooked in! We also purchased a bottle of wine at the local shop, which went to my head in like two sips! Blame it on the altitude, it seems to magnify the effect of alcohol like you wouldn´t believe!

After dinner we were treated to a display of local music and dancing by about ten children from the village. Their teacher played a guitar, and the children played pan flutes and drums and some other percussion type of instrument. It was an unbelievable experience really. I know it doesn´t sound that much - just a few kids in traditional dress touting it up for the tourists, but really it was another amazing evening. Fortunately I had gone to one of those tacky tourist places in Queen St Mall before leaving and bought a bagfull of koalas, flag things and other Australiana souveniers that didn´t take up much room (a Waynster tip). I handed a few of them out at the end of the performance and one little girl cried.  Initially I thought it might be a bit insensitive, but after checking with our guide, he said to go ahead. It was a pretty moving experience. They´d never seen anything like that I´m guessing.

Anyway the next morning we set off in our vehicles, roaring across the dusty planes, up mountains so high you wouldn´t think it would be possible to drive over them. As we made our way further north, there was a distinct change in the vegetation, the little valley areas becoming fertile, and even the occasional streams and springs. It was in one of these valleys that we copped our first sight of a flock of llama! The shepherd accompaning the flock must have existed somewhere, but there was no sight of any dwelling for hundreds of miles, so I have no idea. There were also vicuñas and alpacas, donkeys, sheep and goats in small flocks here and there, and simple mud brick huts with thatched rooves started to become more common. Fences, or rather barriers made of rocks make random trails through the landscape, and presumably its something to do with keeping the llama flocks together or organising them somehow. When you get up close to the llama they are decorated! Yes that´s right, decorated with colourful woollen tufts, ribbons and sometimes a plaited or braided back. I assume its to identify who´s is who´s and maybe an indication of how old they are. But they look sooo cute! We took so many llama pictures the second day, that by the end of the journey, we were llama-ed out! Now they´re just everywhere, but the first time you actually see them, particularly grazing on the Bolivian altiplano its quite a treat.

After a full day´s travel through the most majestic scenery, the second night we spent in the salt hotel, right on the southern edge of the salt flats. Holy schmoley, what a weird place that is! The building is actually constructed with large salt bricks (see the pics), and the floor was just loose coarse salt, with no floor coverings! However it was spotlessly clean and we also enjoyed a pretty amazing meal there, considering how far it is from any large town; hundreds and hundreds of kilometres I expect. Vegetable and bean soup for starters, followed by mixed cooked vegetables (peas, corn, carrots and potato) with baked meat which was most likely llama, and also rice. Both nights we also had sweets, which was tinned fruit and whipped cream. So not bad considering, eh?  By the way, lunches on both days consisted of salad, crusty rolls, either tinned tuna or little sausages with fruit and yoghurt.

Trying to sleep in a place made of salt was pretty weird I must say, and it was fairly chilly. The next morning a few of us planned to catch the sunrise over the salt flats, which we had only glimpsed the evening before (having arrrived on dusk). At 5:00am we were shuttled by 4-wheel drive to the edge of the salt flats for the first time. Ohh my God! If I never do anything interesting again in my life I will be happy with that one experience. And when I´m some geriatric in a nursing home, I will be happy if the one thing I remember is that place and that time. It was honestly one of the most awesome experiences I have ever had, watching the sun rise over the salt flats, the blue void making the horizon disappear in a sea of white. It was simply spectacular! As someone commented, its the ultimate headf*ck. After spending about two dawn hours on the flats, we returned for breakfast, which was yummy scrambled egg, rolls, museli, yoghurt, tea and coffee.

The trip over the salt flats that day is something that will live with me forever! The morning saw us tearing over the salt flats at breakneck speed until we reached the part where its covered by water of about 5cm or less. Now that is something to behold. There is no horizon because of the reflection of the sky, and everything loses perspective. I literally looks like and feels like you´re in some weird kind of void. It is like viewing the world upside down through a sheet of glass under which there are gazillions of white diamonds. We were able to take some amazing photos, which are shared by the group, so some of them that I´ve put in here aren´t mine. We also visited the only "island" on the flats (Pescado Island, meaning fish), which is covered in cacti. Another really weird place which we walked around continually shaking our heads, agog at how strange it all was - a cacti island in the middle of a sea of unending whiteness, that should be blue. (I´ve uploaded some details from Wikipedia which gives a few facts about the salt flats for those who are interested. It appears at the end of this entry ;)

All my fears about being bored were completely unfounded. Uyuni and the salt flats is truly a most fascinating place on our planet, and I feel privileged to have seen it. The last night saw us in Uyuni itself, which is a larger town about an hour´s drive from the edge of the salt flats. We stayed in this very pretty colonial hostel (yes it was pink) not too far from the centre of town. It was only to be a one night stay, so there wasn´t much opportunity to see the town really. We had dinner at apparently the best local restaurant which was run by a couple, an American and his Bolivian wife. Anyway again we were not to be disappointed by the food. It was a pizza/pasta place where you could also have steaks and all manner of (mostly Western) things. Considering the almost depressing town in which it is situated, the restaurant was fantastic. Most of us opted for pizza and salad. One of them was gorgonzola cheese, spinach and pine nuts - quite a sophisticated combination eh? It was absolutely delicious, but I ordered a spicy chicken which was also wonderful. To give you an idea about how much things cost, the entire meal - small pizza, side salad, two glasses of wine cost me the equivalent of AUD$7.00 - $8.00!

Anyway in the morning, its off to Potosi, officially the world´s highest city. I´m not sure what to expect, but I´m not looking forward to the altitude thing. Its about an 8 hour bus ride, so we should make Potosi by 4:00 in the arvo.

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"Salar de Uyuni (or: Salar de Tunupa) is with its 10,582 square km (4,085 square miles) ^[1] the world's largest salt flat. It is located in the Departmento of Potosí in southwest Bolivia, near the crest of the Andes, 3650 meters high. The major minerals found in the salar are halite and gypsum.

Some 40,000 years ago, the area was part of Lake Minchin, a giant prehistoric lake. When the lake dried, it left behind two modern lakes, Poopó and Uru Uru, and two major salt deserts, Salar de Coipasa and the larger Uyuni. Uyuni is roughly 25 times the size of the better-known Bonneville Salt Flats in the United States.

Salar de Uyuni is estimated to contain 10 billion tons of salt of which less than 25,000 tons is extracted annually. All miners working in the Salar belong to Colchani's cooperative. They work from dawn to dusk and most of them do not take a lunch break in order to take advantage of time, getting energy by chewing coca leaves. Every November, Salar de Uyuni is also the breeding grounds for three species of South American flamingos - Chilean, James's and Andean. It is also a significant tourist destination; highlights include a salt hotel and several so-called islands." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salar_de_Uyuni)