Nov 7, Monday
Bus is picking me up at 10:30 this morning so I had a leisurely morning again. I sorted out the clothes and accessories I would need for the next 3 days so that I can have my big suitcase put on the bus and not take it out again until I’m ready for the bus to Chile. I’ll just use my small back-pack for this trip. Still not sure what type of accommodation I will have for the next 2 nights; should be interesting.
The vehicle came to pick me up at the hotel at 10:30, as promised. There are 5 other passengers with me on this trek: Caroline & Solene from France, Paola from Brazil, Mike from England and Ekaterina originally from Russia but now living in England with Mike. I get to sit beside our driver Saul. The town of Uyuni (3,697 m or 3,665 m, depending on which document you read!) is quite small.
Train yard cemetary
Uyuni
Our vehicle
Others travelling as wellWe first go outside Uyuni to visit the train graveyard, then return to Uyuni and take off driving west to the town of Colchani, elevation 3,710 m. There are many other vehicles following the same type of trek.
Road from Uyuni to Colchani
Salt ready for processing. Salt is dried inside
Construction blocks made of low grade salt
Bagging and sealing the small bags
Another salt processing plant which dries outside instead of inside From this town, the people go onto the Salar to collect salt, they first pile it up in small mounds to let some of the water drain out, they then use shovels to put it on trucks and bring it to town. They continue with the drying process (either inside or outside, we saw both), then bag it for selling. Not sure how much a small bag contains (see photos) and they don’t measure or weigh these. They then put 50 small bags into one large bag and sell it as is (no cleaning process involved!) for about 13 Bolivianos (about $1.50 - $1.75). Why so little? There is competition and availability with 3 or 5 other towns that do the same thing; whoever has the lowest price sells the most salt. I took the time to visit their museum/store as well as their street vendors.
Museum constructed with blocks of salt and animal figures carved out of blocks of salt.
Street vendorsFrom here we drive onto the Salar de Uyuni: 3,600 meters above sea level, 12,000 square km, to a depth of salt 110 meters = 11 layers of salt of 10 meters each. No water on it at this time of year; if it is going to rain, it will be between Dec – Mar but there is no guarantee.
It is simply an incredible place
workers' vehicles + tourist vehicles
Piling up the salt into mounds to draw out some of the water
Siting on the salar. Check out the patterns in the salt; they are all naturally formed.We reach Fish Island (because from far away, and with the reflection of the island on the salt flats, it looks like a fish (Isla Pescado). Saul serves our lunch here, delicious chicken with quinoa and veggies from the back of our vehicle. We then have time to explore the island. There is actually a path that goes all around the island and I do try to make it, but have to turn back after only a few minutes because it is simply too treacherous for me. There is no actual “path” just a leasurely rock climb, which I am in no shape to do; it is quite narrow and steep with nothing to hold on to. So I back-track to the start of the “path” and ask if I can do the climb in reverse, climbing up the descending path where there is an actual rock staircase. The guy at the ticket table says NO PROBLEM, so I walk over to the other side and start climbing the staircase but get stopped by a second guy who says I can’t do it. Big sorrowful eyes, “Pero Señor, es demasiado dificil del otro lado”; he still says no. So I bargain with him and say I will only climb up to the second arrow on the descending path since I will not be able to climb any higher because of my lungs. He finally agrees and up I go. It’s only a short distance but at least I get a better view of this side of the island.
Fish Island
Salt flats as seen from Fish Island
Petrified coral, this used to be deep under a sea in prehistoric times
Me on Fish Island. Check out all the cactus. 1 meter = 100 years. Most of these measure 9 meters = 900 years old.When the rest of the group return from their hike, they confirm that the entire way was difficult so it is a good thing that I turned back when I did.
From there we drive north to the edge of the Salar and spend the night at Chantani 3,614 m, in a hostal made of salt blocks; It looks like nothing from the outside but is quite cozy. Time for a quick walk around the town before it gets dark
Driving off the Salar onto a mixtue of sand and salt
Vicuna licking the sandy salt.
Church in Chantani
Museum & houses in ChaltaniThe ladies at the hostal prepare our main meal, but Saul prepares a small something (hot water, variety of teas & mates to tide us over until dinner at 8:30. Only a few electric connections to recharge our various batteries. Lights out at 9:30. I’m sharing a room with Paola, who is very nice and very considerate. She is 29, married, and is having a bit of a holiday. Her mother travelled with her for the Peru part of her trip. I’m probably close to her mother’s age.
Our room for the night. Walls and bed frames made of salt blocks
Main hallway and dining area. Everthing made out of salt blocksI sleep soundly in our room which is located at the end of the main hall and away from the main area where the kitchen and communal bathroom are located.
Nov 8, Tuesday
Wake up at 6:30 for breakfast (tea, mate or instant coffee with light pound cake) and a 7 am departure. Poor Saul and Mike keep having to haul my heavy suitcase off and back on to the roof of the vehicle; it’s too dangerous to leave it out there during the night. The others all have huge and small back-packs.
The mountain behind the town is a volcano named Thunupa 5,190 m. You can actually do a 2-day 135 km walking trek up the volcano from the town of Coqueza 3,700 m, with llamas carrying all the supplies. Along the way you will see pre-inca tombs where mummies were buried. You reach the Mirador Colorado 5,100 m from where you have a view of Thunupa’s crater as well as the Salar de Uyuni. You then trek for 3 hours across the crater. It’s OK, it’s supposedly an inactive volcano ! For those who are in fantastic shape, there is an option of climbing even higher to the Mirador Blanco 5,350 m. Sounds really interesting, but I think I’ll pass.
Following along the western side of Salar de Uyuni we pass the towns of Caquena, Luca, San Pedro de Quenez, San Juan . Don’t blink, you’ll miss them completely since they are all extremely small pueblos.
Still, the sights are extraordinary. Did I mention that most of the way there are no actual roads? We are driving through desert areas and the drivers just kind of decide which route looks the best.
Is this the road? or is it the one on the right? or the one on the left?
Vicuna crossing the road at a runThere are approximately 15 to 20 vehicles driving the same circuit on the same days and we are all spread out and staying overnight in different hostels. I seem to be with an excellent tour company “Blue Line” and Saul is taking really good care of us. The people in one of the other groups are complaining that they are getting bad service, bad food and are quite disappointed; their guide seems quite surly. We quite like Saul, he is flexible when he can be but resistant if it means sticking to our time schedule. He does this trip once or twice every week so knows which routes to take and how much time he can spare in each location. If we want a longer period of time in one place it means a shorter period of time somewhere else that day. We all have a say and the majority rules on the decision, as long as Saul agrees. J
We reach an area full of volcanic rock formations . No bathroom to be found though.
Do you see the person with the light blue jacket? That's how big this formation is that looks like a skeleton head.
I am in awe
Saul, our driver & guideAnd there is an active volcano in the background !
Can you see the fumarole to the left of the volcano?We reach our first and then our second laguna where we stop for lunch (chicken steak with pasta and veggies). Of the 6 species flamingos in the world, three of them live in the lagunas of the high Andes on the Bolivian alti-plano: Chileño, Andino & James. No bathrooms to be found
Arriving at first lagoon
Flamingos
More flamingos
More flamingos
Arriving at the second lagoon. Vicuna coming in for a drink
And even more flamingosFrom an altitude of 4,278 m we climb up to an altitude of 5,100 m, the highest elevation we reach during this trek.
The views are spectacular
We can see for miles and miles
Our group: Carolina, Paola, Solene, Mike and EkaterinaFrom there we drive to the rock forest. Where we get sand blasted, just like the rocks get every day
How's that for a straight cut in a rock. And it's natural !
From there we drive to the Laguna Colorada (red) 4,278 m, 45 sq km, only about 45 cm deep on average, Red colour appears when there is wind that mixes the microscopic algae in the water. This is where the flamingos get their pink colour.
Mirador del Laguna Colorada
Laguna Colorada
It's late in the da; and it is getting cold, the flamingos are sleeping already.From this laguna we officially enter the RESERVA. Fauna found in the reserve: vicuna, llama, gato andino (Andean cat or titi), zorro andino (fox), vizcacha (same rabbit like chinchilla with the long tail found in the Valle de Colca). We only saw vicuna.
On the shores of the Laguna Colorada is our second hostel. Sorry, no Pics of the hostel, not sure why. I’m sure I took some. This one has a lot less services: only one bathroom with two stalls and two sinks. There are six beds in our room so we are all sleeping together. The meal we are served is pasta with a fresh sauce of diced tomatoes, onions & a few tiny mushrooms. I provide desert tonight since we were told that we would not be able to cross the border to Chile with any food items: Chocolates I bought in Sucre “Para Ti”, cookies covered with chocolate, coca toffees. Everyone is quite pleased and all have a nice chat and quite a few laughs. English, Spanish, French with a little Russian thrown in makes for a very funny discussion and a lot of translating. We need to wake up at 4:30 for a 5am departure time tomorrow so it’s an early night to bed for me.
At some point during the night, no idea what time it is, I am woken up by incredible cramps in my stomach. I try to stay in bed quietly for as long as I can so that I don’t wake anyone up, but finally have to give up and make my way to the bathroom. Violently ill from both ends. I stay up at one of the tables close to the bathroom and keep making several trips to the bathroom during at least one hour.
I finally think I’m empty and it is safe to go to bed. Still not sure what time it is or how long I slept but it only seemed like a few minutes before there was music playing in the hall and a knock at our door. Saul opened the door, turned on the lights and said “Hola chicos. Time to get up”. Oh God, shoot me now !
Nov 9, Wednesday
No breakfast this morning, we will have it somewhere along our route. Everything is packed, our vehicle loaded and we are off at 5 am. It is light outside but the sun has not risen yet. That’s the whole idea of the early start to the day.
We then go up to see el Sol de Mañana & Geisers 5,000 m. We are sitting in a live volcano crater 1 sq km, where there is constant volcanic activity: extremely hot lava “hirviendo” and fumaroles blowing sulphur gases.
Man drilled geiser to measure the pressure of the volcano
Don't stand too close, another geiser could open up at any time.
This was quite the hole ! Caro doesn't seem to mind though.
The sun has risen and is lighting up the mountains opposite the crater. Yes, we were in a LIVE volcano crater.
Driving out of the crater
It looks like we are somewhere on the moon
Volcan Putana (Active) 5,868 m Fumarole to the rightWe keep driving until we reach Polques, the Salar de Chalviri 4425 m and the Laguna Salada = Aguas Termales (average water temperature of 30 - 35 degrees C). Thank you God; there are bathrooms here, with toilet paper ! BONUS. I’m feeling very ill and Saul confirms that it is because of the high altitude creating gases in the body: blood vessels, stomach & intestines. No kidding !
The others enjoy the thermal waters for ½ an hour, while Saul prepares our breakfast in the dining area. I eat one cold pancake with a bit of peach jam but stay away from the cereal & yogurt. I drink hot mint tea and then run back to the bathroom.
Arriving at Laguna Salada 
and its thermal waters. It's like -10C and there is no way I'm getting undressed to get into that salty sulfurus water.Only about a half hour drive to get to the Laguna Verde 4,800 m, 17 sq km, two bodies of water separated by a channel. The green colour appears when there is wind that mixes the chemicals in the water: arsenic & copper. Unfortunately, there is no wind today, but the lagoon acts as a mirror to reflect the surrounding area. Mike climbed up to a high point where he got a beautiful shot of the volcano completely reflected in the water.
Mirror calm waters of Laguna Verde. Not as bright green as it normally looks on a windy day we are told.
Volcan Licancabur in the background (border with Chile, San Pedro de Atacama) 5,868 m
And this was the end of our trek. It was only a short drive to the Bolivia / Chile border where most of us ended our trip with Saul to go to Chile. Mike & Ekaterina were returning to Uyuni with Saul. I don’t think I even bothered with pictures here. I got my passport stamped on the Bolivian side, said goodbye to Saul, Mike and Ekaterina and caught the bus to San Pedro de Atacama, with Caro, Solene and Paola.
I settle into my room (No TV, no radio !) but there is a pool. I take a nice long hot shower and get dressed again since I need to locate an ATM machine to obtain some Chilean Pesos. I’m told by the guy at the bank that 500 pesos = approx $1, 5000 pesos = $10, etc. I therefore get 50,000 pesos and the ATM receipt confirms that this is equivalent to $300 USA! So much for the info the guy gave me at the bank, but at least the error is in my favour. So 500 pesos = approx $3, 5000 pesos = $30, and that means I have the equivalent of 300 Chilean pesos in my wallet. Will still check the internet to get the exact amount of exchange for Canadian $.
There is no mini-bar in the room either so I ask for directions to the nearest small grocery store, where I buy some water, juice, orange and banana. I return to the hotel, download and start going through my pictures and quickly fall asleep. No idea what time it is when I turn off the computer or the lights and I don’t really care. No dinner, I just need to sleep.
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