Week 9: On Tour

After the fast pace of last week, we decided to take it easy for a day in Tupiza. There wasn´t a huge amount to do but catch up on emails, go for a bit of a wander and go for dinner. We also had to decide which tour company to do the salt flats tour with. After a little shopping around we chose to go with the hostel we were staying at and had a briefing in the evening where we met the others on the tour - 3 Germans and 2 Austrians. We were in one jeep and they were in another.

Lots of llamas!

The following day was a long one, with about 11 hours in the Jeep - there was almost no legroom in the very back. The "ghost town" which was to be the main attraction of the day was inaccesible due to a road blockage although we still saw some impressive landscapes and had lunch in a tiny settlement, courtesy of our cook, Dolores. Despite being told our accomodation would be very basic, we were impressed. There was even a power outlet which was on for 2 hours in the night - just as well as the battery of my new camera is pathetic.

The second day promised a little more as we started of at some llama pens (where some highly indecent PDAs were taking place) before heading to the first of many many lagunas and a sodium farm. The next stop was "Laguna Verde."So called because of its green colouring. I thought it looked inviting and really wanted to swim in it until I found out that the reason it was that colour was because of the copper in it. Oh yes, and the ARSENIC. Laguna of Horrible Poisonous Death seems a more apt name.

Before lunch we hit the hot springs and after being well fed again we went up to the geysers at 5000m. Then, having dropped our bags at that night's accomodation, we went to the last stop of the day. Laguna Roja (The Red Laguna) was not poisonous but is coloured by the algae and microorganisms which live in it. It was pretty impressive. The evening brought more socialisation as the "vodka" (read: paintstripper) came out and we played a few rounds of cards - mostly spoons and Irish snap.

Day 3 genuinely brought more lakes than I can recall, they were all quite pretty with lots of flamingoes. However before this inundation we headed to the Boulder Park, a collection of volcanic rocks which sound hollow if you knock on them. We had great fun climbing on them, although as we were still at some altitude it was a bit of a struggle.

We had lunch in the middle of nowhere with a pile of rocks and a fair few chinchillas. I also caught a glimpse of a small wild cat that day, although nobody else saw it and I am beginning to think it was a mirage! After lunch we went to a viewpoint of a dormant but smoky volcano. It was then that we realised how spoiled we were becoming as those of us who had climbed Villaricca volcano in Pucón, Chile, thought it would be a good time to have a bit of a rest on the rocks. In the evening we arrived at the salt hotel where almost everything was made of salt (save for bathrooms and kitchens). I licked the wall just to check and it definitely was salt. When I was already in my PJs and getting into bed we decided to go for a night time walk. Well worth it! Whenever I am outside at night at home and comment on what a clear night it is my Dad tends to reply with "this is nothing Claire, you should see the stars over the desert in Africa." I think I finally know what he means. Sadly I couldn't configure my camera to take a picture which did it justice. Apart from the fact that it all looked unfamiliar - partly because there were so many more stars, and partly because we are in the Southern Hemisphere and it all looks sort of upside down - it was absolutely amazing, the stars went all the way to the horizon. To top it off Jen and I saw a shooting star.

At 0430 the next morning we were all up and ready for the main event - the vast salt flats themselves. Salar de Uyuni is the biggest salt flat in the world at over 4,000 square miles and was essentially formed from the remains of several large salt lakes. The sunrise was pretty incredible and we headed to Cactus Island before breakfast. As its name suggests it is an island in the salt flat covered in very large cacti. Then for breakfast - Dolores had saved the best for last as we feasted on yoghurt, cereal and cake. Yes, they eat cake for breakfast here. Why isn't that socially acceptable at home?!

Possibly not the best, camera struggled with focussing. Then I ran out of patience.

Following breakfast was the "crazy perspective" photo shoot - with nothing on the horizon you use the lack of perspective to warp the appearance of people and everyday objects. Which is really fun... for about 15 minutes. 30 tops. One hour later we left. 

Relaxing at the top of Sucre

After lunch we were pretty much done for the day and took an epically horrible bus journey with the three Germans to Sucre, a beautiful city quite central in Bolivia. We passed a few relaxed days here - beautiful buildings and views, lush cocktails, an impressive and huge cemetery and good company. Unfortunately the hostel we stayed in was populated almost exclusively with Germans who were working or studying in the city. It was a good hostel although there was no way to leave after about 11pm so there was something of a breakout operation which went quite badly. (Worse for some than others.) The days of relaxation could not last forever though, and on the Wednesday Edgar and the Germans went on their way, leaving Jen Eefje and myself. We had a lovely relaxed dinner after the hectic affair of the past few days in such a large group and had an early night. Although the other two were staying for a few more nights, I needed to prepare for my next stop - Santa Cruz.