Salar del Uyuni

OK, Linn and I decided to take a "better" (that means more expensive) night bus to Uyuni, but if you ever plan to do it: Save your money and get a crappy cheap one ... the result will be the same! The road it a mess! Actually, I am not even sure, if you could call it road! It was a dirt road almost the whole way (OK, it wasn´t the whole road, but the first 3 hours of an "OK" road you hardly can count if you go through hell for another 8 hours!

Anyway, we made it to Uyuni and found also an agency (with help from Eoin (Irish), who we met on the bus), which offered the exact tour we wanted to do. Three days and two nights, starting point in Uyuni, finishing point in San Pedro, Chile for $70 ... that sounded just perfect ...

So, our Jeeps (I would guess it was a 1972, definitely older than I am) arrived, our backpacks were put on the roofs and we found all a more or less nice spot in the jeeps ... we were 11 people, so we were split up into two groups ... in the jeep I rode in were also Linn, Michel (German - from Hamburg!), Eoin (the Irish guy we met earlier on the bus), and a Spanish couple (can´t remember their names and to be honest, it doesn´t matter anyway!) and in the other jeep were four Israelis (also don´t know their names - who cares? So far, I am still waiting for an Israeli Backpacker, who proofs, that they are not all that bad!) and Seth from New Zealand.

Opps, gotta go ... write more soon ...

OK, I am back to try to catch up with my travel blog ...

Our tour started at 11:00 AM and first they took us to the train cemetery ... a place where they put old trains for their last rest ... well, Linn, Michel, Eoin and I were done with it within 5 Minutes, the Spanish couple needed a little longer, but eventually they were done as well ...

After that we had a longer ride in the jeep ... it was really interesting to see how the scenery changed from desert to real desert ... and than we arrived at the Salt desert, Salt lake or how ever you want to call it ... it was AMAZING!!! If you ever make it to Bolivia, this is a number 1 must!!! It is just GREAT!!! As far as you can see it is just a white salt field - over 400 kms. Soooo AMAZING!!! I hardly can describe it ... just go there and see it with your own eyes and you know what I mean! It was kind of sad to have the highlight of the tour that early - we all were wondering, what else could come after such a wonderful and amazing site ...

I could have stayed there forever, but we had to go on ... we stopped at the Salt Hotel (very famous, but closed - since the Salt desert is a national park by now, the Bolivian Government has a law, that it is not allowed to stay inside of a National Park ... which can't be really correct, because just two nights later we stayed inside of a Park ... but that are details ;-) ...), and we also stopped at an Island where we had lunch ... Island in a Salt desert? Yes, and it was an interesting Island ... after driving through the Salt desert for over an hour we suddenly had a mountain in the middle of the Salt Lake, without any other islands in sight and on top of this mountain thousands of cactus (or cacti?) were growing and blooming ... just so weird ... but beautiful ...

After a nice lunch (which was cooked by our driver) we head of to our first over night stop ... just another three hours in the Jeep (we left the Salt Desert and just drove through "normal" desert) and we arrived it. And it was really cool! The walls were made from salt, the bed frames were out of salt and even the little night stands were salt stones ... the floor was covered with salt and also our tables and chairs were salt blocks and rocks  - really nice!

We had a real nice evening / night and we were spoiled as well ... we all just had to share two bed rooms with one other person ...

After an early breakfast our group head out first (7:00 AM) and we drove through the desert ... yesterday we saw a little green plant here and there but as longer we went through the desert as less green we saw ... and still, here and there we saw animals (lamas, ... *can't come up with the name) and ... (don't know ow it is spelled - so will update this later ...) ... I have no idea from what they are living ... I didn't see any grass or other food for them to eat - but who knows, maybe they can live from dust and love or so ...

Anyway, we drove to several lagunas (lakes) and saw many, many wild flamingos ... when we saw the first ones, we were really excited, but after seeing them all day, we actually were totally bored ;-) ... but it was good, don't get me wrong!

Some lagunas had the weirdest colors and shapes ... but they were all very interesting - some more than others, but at the end it was nice! Also we saw some interesting stones and landscapes! But to be honest, you couldn't compare it to the salt lakes ... that was definitely the best EVER on this 3 day trip!!!!!!! And just to mention one other thing: We always waited for the Spanish couple!! ... wherever or whenever we stopped (sometimes they insisted to stop) they took their time, took a million photos (I thought, I was bad, but believe me, compare to them I hardly take any pictures)

That night we had to stay in a different location than our other half of the group, but we met really nice Irish and English people and had a great night - even the beds were extremely soft, and the Spanish guy snoozed! I finally learned the names of a couple I have been running into since Cusco, Peru ... Dave and Laura were from Ireland and were traveling for already 21 months.

After an extremely short night (we had to get up at 4:00 AM!!) we started and drove straight to the geysers. They were OK, but I had seen much more impressive ones in New Zealand and Yellowstone, so I would say it was nice ... but not more ... it was freezing cold and we really wanted to go, but again, our Spanish amigos needed their time ...

When we arrived at the Hot Springs, I hardly could wait to get into the hot water - I couldn't feel my feet anymore and so the hot bath was just perfect! After driving through the dusty desert it felt great to just relax in the hot water. Our driver served breakfast, while we dried off and than we had to hurry up to get to the next stop ... and that wasn't easy with having the Spanish in our group!

We arrived at the famous Laguna Verde just in time (WONDER!!) and after a stop (longer than necessary!) we got back into the Jeep and our driver drove us to the border to Chile. Here Linn, Michel, Eoin and I got into the Bus to Chile, while the Spanish couple would go back to Uyuni.

As soon as we drove across the border I could tell the difference!! Honestly! After riding on a really bad dirt road for over three days, the asphalt felt like a comfort road! Gosh, it was just great ... We (all Gringos) drove for a little bit over an hour and than we arrived in San Pedro, Chile. Here we had to get of the bus and had to go through the pass control ... easy piece of cake for Germans! Than we had to take our luggage through the control ... interesting and tough! Some people had to unpack everything and the control even checked the socks for forbidden things like tea-bags, fresh fruits or coca ... it is strictly forbidden to bring these kind of things into Chile and they are picky!!

But since I am such an honest person they didn't even look into my backpack ... I could have smuggled my coca leaves into this country, but of course, I gave them away in Bolivia ... well, I am not sure if I was suppose to bring coca candies into Chile, but they didn't find them and so I got something for Bill and Martina to try! :-)

San Pedro is a nice little town in the desert and hot like hell!! ... it just wasn't possible to get any cash in this town! Well, at least if you have Visa, you have a problem ... Eoin had Master and was able to become a rich man (500 Pesos are one Dollar!). During my first week in South America I had such a hard time to learn and understand the Spanish numbers and especially when you buy something it really helps if you understand the price and really became great in numbers!! But now, the numbers are so freaking high!!! I mean, how am I suppose to understand 93.350 Pesos??? Well, I guess, I better learn to understand the high numbers as well - and I better do it quick!!! Funny, Linn experienced the same problems with Spanish numbers ...

So, Linn, Eoin and I got a Bus ticket to La Serena (at the coast, we wanted to stay at the beach for one day ... I need WATER and SEA LEVEL and NO MOUNTAINS!!!) and when we got on the bus it was like early Xmas. The bus was so luxury!! Unbelievable!! I mean, we spent a little bit more than usually for the tickets (it is a 17 hour bus ride and overnight!!) and we got rewarded for it!!! Only three seats in one row (normally there are for), the seats were so comfy!, the bus had no motors (or at least I couldn't hear it!), we had leg room like a king, the food was great and I really slept on the bus more than 5 minutes! It was so great - I think, I am spoiled from now on ... :-)

Fresh and happy we arrived in La Serena ... but what a bummer!!! Clouds and rain and just not beach weather at all!!! That was not fair!!! I wanted my Beach fix!! Oh well, at least I was able to get money out of the ATM machine and we all decided to take a Bus to Santiago ... that is life!!

So we had another Bus ride of 7 hours and arrived in Santiago late afternoon. We split a taxi and went to an hostel in Downtown. There, Linn and Eoin decided to stay. I took a shower there (great experience after not having one for 5 days) and I called Francisco, a friend of Bill and Martina who lives here in Santiago and where Martina and Bill already were staying.

I got a hold of him and so Bill and Francisco picked my up from the hostel ... later that night I also hugged Martina ... it was really great to see them again and I am really looking forward to the next two weeks with them :-) ... but that is another story and will be told another time ...

By the way, while I am sitting here at Francisco's Laptop and writing this (Tuesday night), I survived two earthquakes (OK, they weren't that bad, but still, I could feel them!!) ... it seems like Santiago has plenty of little ones all the time ...