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Showing posts with label Salar de Uyuni. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Salar de Uyuni. Show all posts

Friday, July 10, 2015

South America - Trienta y cuarenta - the tour of never say never! - the final

South America
29 March - 05 July 2015

It's a wrap
As has become standard for me when I've ended a trip I've taken to doing a last summary or a 'greatest hits' review whenever I managed to complete the final entry on the 'how, why, when and whatever else may have been alcohol related' blog series of my most recent escapades. Sticking with tradition and therefore adopting the same template that I've used in the past, see also;
I therefore bring you the close out of our South American experience which now continues within the new life of my blog, known by the name, Life in a Year Full of Saturdays. The South American tour was a while in the making, going from the original Europe-Morocco-South America adventure of 2010, there was still A LOT left unfinished and a lot left to see.

In previous tour there had always been one perspective, but now, and moving forward, there's going to be a whole lot more room for two. So lets commence!


South America - 'The Final'

Favourite place
All the usual questions here are going to be in two versions, Inga & Henry. So lets go.

Henry's favourite places

1. Buenos Aires - (Argentina) - It's probably not even fair to compare anymore, Buenos Aires is going to come out on top in any list that I put together. A home away from home that always feels special to me. It's not a stretch to say that this place has changed my life.


Buenos Aires - Argentina

2. El Chalten - Ruta 40 - Torres del Paine (Argentina / Chile) - This area is special. Vast, expansive, stunning scenery, it has an abundance of natural beauty that simply cannot be overstated. I often sit back and think of places like Mont Fitzroy, Torres del Paine and the surrounding areas, both desolate and engaging. Simply stunning.



El Calafate - Argentina

Mont FitzRoy - El Chalten - Argentina

Ruta 40 - Argentina


Torres del Paine - Chile

3.  Cartagena - (Colombia) - 'The queen of the Caribbean', old colonial architecture, cobble stone alleyways, terraces filled with bougainvillea. Warm, sultry evenings, the sounds of the Caribbean filling the night as you sit atop the city walls, drinking your favourite cocktail. There's not too much bad about that.



Cartagena - Colombia

Cartagena - Colombia

4. Havana - (Cuba) - The Malecon, old American muscle cars, cigars, rum and salsa. Havana is not just a place but a feel, and you definitely feel it when you're here.



Havana - Cuba

Havana - Cuba

5. Brazilian beach life - This is a tough one because there are so many places, from Rio de Janeiro, to Jericoacoara, to Paraty. The beach lifestyle, the culture and the mood just encapsulates you.



Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Inga's favourite places


1. Rio de Janeiro - (Brasil) - Sun, sand, golden beaches, caipirinhas, fitness bunnies and the mighty Copacabana. On a beautiful sunny day there's no place quite like it.


Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

2. The beaches of Brasil - It's hard to pick out just one from a raft of potentials, from Paraty to Jericoacoara, Ilha Grande, Ipanema - the coastal lifestyle is a pure joy, and its different to Australia. There's much more of a vibe, much more of an orientation to beach lifestyle and culture that makes it unique and special.



Copacabana - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil



3. El Chalten - (Argentina) - The mountains surrounding this little town are beautiful, especially in those transition months. The smoking mountains of Mont Fitzroy are is rugged, spectacular and dramatic as any. To me, and I think to Inga, they are more impressive than those of Torres del Paine. It's a close run thing between the two, but if there had to be a winner then Mont Fitzroy wins, just.



 Torres del Paine - Chile
El Calafate - Argentina

4. Havana - (Cuba) - Havana Club, siete anos, the warm Caribbean sea, the music and the cigars. Again, this is a place that has a presence, you can feel it when you're here - its much more than a destination



Havana - Cuba

Havana - Cuba

5. Buenos Aires - San Telmo - (Argentina) - It was the first stop on our journey, the first part of Buenos Aires that Inga saw, and a place where I think I may have had a little influence over in terms of my own excitement and love for this part of the world.



Buenos Aires - Argentina


Most Surprising


1.  Elqui Domos - Pisco-Elqui - (Chile) - The valley itself is beautiful but you don't really come here for that, its the lack of humidity and 'dry air' that delivers such an incredibly rich and magnificent night sky that leaves you in awe. Along with that there's also https://milodge.com/en/#  - here  'astronomical domes' have been created on the hillside of the valley that allows you to lay in your bed and stare out into the universe. Inga and I spent a couple of nights here, laid out on the roof of our building, surrounded by the mysteries of the universe above our head. Definitely the most surprising stop.



Elqui Domos - Elqui Valley - Chile

Pisco-Elqui - Elqui Valley - Chile

Elqui Valley - Chile

Elqui Valley - Chile




The coolest place for a night out


1.   Buenos Aires - (Argentina) - There's an abundance of everything,places to eat, bars, things to do, etc. What makes it so special however is that this is not a state where Grandma's rule the roost, if you want to grab a meal at 2am then of course you can do it. The frustration I always encountered in Australia is that come 11pm on a Saturday you encounter the inevitable 'Oh sorry, kitchen is closed, but hey, there's a Macca's nearby". Seriously, protect your night economy by actually having an economy. BA has that covered.


2. Rio de Janeiro - (Brazil) - Lapa, Ipanema, Copacabana, the party keeps rolling on way after the sun has gone down. It won't take too long to find a place to get a drink, something to eat and party on until the early hours.


3. Havana - (Cuba) - Music, great vibes, fun people. What this place doesn't have in terms of the 'newest' or 'latest and greatest', it makes up for in passion, spirit and energy. There's always a party, just pick up a bottle of rum and let the party find you.


Best drinks 


Henry's favourites


1. Malbec - Argentina - Red wine is synonymous with Argentina, more so its the Malbec that is the red wine of choice. Robust tannins, an inky dark red colour, full bodied, it just pairs so well with meat (beef specifically), it's a match made in culinary heaven. The wines out of Mendoza are glorious and that just places a full stop on the need to benchmark any more than that.





2. Pina Colada - Malecon - Havana (Cuba) - Hotel Terral - Without question, the best pina colada I've had anywhere. Sweet, rich, cold, delicious. Every single time, as great as the last one, and can I add, not only on this occasion. I have been their subsequent to this occasion and they were just dynamite!


3.  Sakeirinha - Ilha Grande - (Brazil) - any of the beach front bars - This is your Brazilian-Japanese fusion style drink and it is glorious. It's a simple drink, lime pieces muddles with sugar, add ice and then your choice of sake until it floats. It's that simply. Unique, smooth, delicious and a great slant on the traditional caipirinha


4. Caipirinha - Copacabana - Rio de Janeiro - (Brazil) - there are so many beach bars and so many beach peddlers that you are almost forced to drink them. Literally like rocket fuel, they pack a mean punch, just lime, sugar and cachaca its all it takes to set you free.


5. Negroni - Tortoni's - Buenos Aires - (Argentina) - This drink feels like home. The Negroni is not native to Buenos Aires, although it is Italian and there are enough Italians in Buenos Aires for it to be an honorary city of that country. Tortoni Cafe is an institution in Buenos Aires, literally the most famous cafe in the city. Most people come in for ia cafe cortado and medias lunas, but out drink of choice is simple but delectable, gin, campari and vermouth rosso in equal parts, serve chilled with a twist of orange peel....yum!




Inga's favourites


1.  Negroni - Tortoni's - Buenos Aires - (Argentina) - There are drinks that just remind you of places, no matter where you are, that drink will take you back to that one spot, at that time and be in that moment.  No matter where we have Negroni's in future it will always be this place that she thinks of.


2.  Caipirinha - Copacabana - Rio de Janeiro - (Brazil) - This drink goes hand in hand with beach life and culture. I know how Inga feels about Rio and I know that the caipirinha is ubiquitous with the Carioca lifestyle.


3.  Havana rum 7 years - Havana (Cuba) - this drink is a real 'drinkers drink', which is probably why I didtn't get into it as much as Inga. I tread on the feminine side of alcohol while she takes the male side. Quite often in bars we take great pleasure in ordering drinks and watching the bartender hand them to us whilst we instantaneously swap them over in front of their eyes, always makes for a laugh.





4. Daiquiri - El Floridita - Havana (Cuba) - The daiquiri's here are mass produced and therefore you'd expect the quality to be average but somehow they're not. Not only that but when the music is playing, you have a cigar in one hand and a daiquiri in the other, everything feels pretty damn good.





5.  Malbec - Argentina - Again, a drink that typifies Argentina and this varietal is just Buenos Aires distilled in a drink for us.


Can you believe it moments?


1. Urban Rush - La Paz - (Bolivia) - When you're standing at the top of a 16 storey building, perpendicular to the wall, having just empty space in front of you and a burgeoning city like La Paz, well, your reality take a might shift. 








2. Machu Picchu - (Peru) - the first time we laid eyes on this majestic place it felt altogether unworldly. The sun was still on its way up, the clouds were still re-arranging themselves around the moment, but in the moment we found that break we very quickly recognised why this place has moved into the elite list of the new 7WorldWonders





3.  Salar de Uyuni - (Bolivia) - Speaking of unworldly, this place is exactly that. I wasn't quite sure why the tour operators wanted to be on the flats for dawn but when we got there it all made sense. With the sun rising and the moon setting, the large cracked plates of the salt flats spread out in all directions. The silence that held this view was just beauty on a completely different scale. 






4. Torres del Paine - (Chile) - The whole region around Torres del Paine is so incredibly beautiful. Each place unique in what it can offer, its diversity of vistas, both dramatic and glorious. A part of the world that still doesn't quite get the attention that it deserves.








5. Flying over Rio de Janeiro - (Brasil) - Witnessing the spectacular Rio from the air is a whole other experience. Not many people get to fly around Cristo, I've been lucky enough to have done it twice now, and when that helicopter moves behind the statue, around its outstretched arms, the whole glorious city is unfurled right in front of you, the beaches, the bay, Sugarloaf, seriously breathtaking - that's not an overstatement.







Best Accommodation


1. Pan Americano - Buenos Aires - (Argentina) - I've always wanted to stay here, so it was a hell of a way to celebrate my 40th birthday. Occupying pride of place on Avenida 9 de Julio, the views from our room across the heart of Buenos Aires was absolutely priceless. The hotel itself was very good but nothing can take away from having a sweet room with the right view to match.


2. Elqui Domos - Pisco-Elqui Valley - (Chile) - A fabulous location that allows you to take in full wonders of the universe that surrounds you. We didn't stay in the domes themselves but did have a platform above our apartment/building where we could lay out our mattresses and sleep under the stars. I've not slept under the stars too many times and certainly not in an environment where I can see the universe so clearly. 


3. Casa Canabal Hotel Boutique - Cartagena - (Colombia) - There's something Moroccan in terms of the architecture here, terrace on the rooftop, open courtyard in the centre of the building, not so surprising when you think about it. There's a long Spanish history here and I'm sure the Spanish brought with them Moorish elements in terms of architecture and design. The environment is of course perfect for these style of buildings and this hotel was exquisite.


Most random but still cool moments


1. Inga arriving at Ezeiza Airport - Buenos Aires - (Argentina) - On a trip that had many, many awesome moments, the very start, when Inga walked through the arrival doors was pretty darn cool. It has been 6 months since we had seen each other, and now, meeting again on the other side of the world after months of planning was the best

2. Out in the fields - La Paz (Bolivia) - we opted for a bus from Uyuni up to La Paz. Coming into the city we encountered a protest which blocked the main roads in, so our bus driver took to the potato fields in order to find a covert way into the city. Travelling across random farm land I recall stopping alongside a random farmer and the driver asking if there was anyway he knew of how we could get into La Paz. From every perspective I'd imagine the situation would have looked a little bizarre.


3. Joining a random cross-fit group - Buenos Aires (Argentina) - We were walking through Puerto Madero one evening and stumbled across a sizeable cross-fit group going through their paces. We stood a few metres away, essentially copying the moves and exercises that the group was going through, that was until the trainer asked us 'gringo's' to join in...so we did.

4.  200 yr old ice with your whiskey - Perito Moreno - El Calafate - (Argentina) - After climbing all over Perito Moreno our group stopped on the glacier and were treated to glasses of whiskey with ice carved right out of the glacier. The ice may not have been 200 yrs old...but...there's no-one to say that its not wither


5. Cigars, daquiries and bailando, El Floridita - Havana - (Cuba) - There we were, sitting in El Floridita, cigars in hand, daquiries on the table and the local band launches into Bailando. I'm not sure what it was but everything seemed to be right, everyone in the joint appeared to be in a great mood and at the end of the song the applause was totally unexpected - so much so that you could visibly see the look of amazement on the faces of the band.

Un-coolest moment


1.  Rio Galeao Tom Jobim airport - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil - Inga and I were just about to jump on a flight to Buenos Aires, and we were sitting in the departure lounge, it was there that I discovered that my credit card had been severely compromised. In the last week my card had been fraudulently utilised to the tune of $12,000! Oh yeah! It's a completely sickening feeling, even more so when in that exactly moment there's nothing that you can do to resolve the matter. I flew to Buenos Aires with what felt like a brick in my stomach. On the 'up' side, b
ecause there is an upside to the story, when I contacted my bank back in Australia they managed to work through the issue with me and ended up refunding all monies lost...PHEW

Top 5 Photos

1. Puerto Natales  - (Chile) - I'm sure there's been a lot of photos taken of these old posts in Puerto Natales. Inga took this shot and I just love the way it draws you out into the water and to the mountains beyond.


2. Torres del Paine - (Chile) - An extraordinarily beautiful natural environment, dramatic, imposing and beautiful. Again, a very difficult place to take a bad photo, this one is our favourite from a bunch of very good ones.



3. Salar de Uyuni - (Bolivia) - it's otherworldly. Standing out on the salt plains before sunrise was like nothing else I've experienced. It's the closest feeling I'll ever have to standing on another planet. Aside being bitterly cold, which the photo doesn't capture, it does capture the large plates of cracked salt sailing off into the distance and the beautiful colours of the morning sky with the moonlight being extraordinarily reflected off the plains.



4. Iguazu Falls - Iguazu - (Brasil / Argentina) - Powerful, energising & mesmerising, the falls are an incredible sight and not one photo does them justice. Still, there's something about rainbows and water that just works, right!?



5. View from Sugarloaf - Rio de Janeiro - (Brasil) - Sugarloaf has got to be one of the greatest vantage points in Rio. The way that the urban sprawl flows like water through the weakest points of the mountains is impressive. Standing up there, waiting for the lights of the city to flick on is an experience and this photos captures the state of transition from day to night.





Travel breakdown

Total number of flights

Henry: 22
Inga: 19

Total flying hours

Henry: 72
Inga: 68

Total time spent in airports - 'Enough to know that in Brasil there needs to be more access to caipirinhas to prevent people from losing their minds'


Total distance flown

Henry: 51,406 kms
Inga:  48,518 kms

Total number of bus rides - 12

Average number of cocktails per day - 7.2

And there we have it, the wrap of an almighty tour whose genesis really came in the instant when I realised that my wallet had disappeared back in La Paz in 2010. There was a lot left to do and so much that I missed that I knew I'd return, it just mattered on timing and a little bit of luck.

So where to know? Well, life had changed for me in the last few months, quite dramatically. I was about to move to Belgrade to start a new life. What I didn't know was coming was the amount of travel that we'd be undertaking in the next 3 years, it almost became ridiculous...but the experiences we were to have, well, there's no price you could ever place on those.

Saturday, May 2, 2015

Salar de Uyuni - From moonscapes to vast seas of salt

Salar de Uyuni (Uyuni - Bolivia) via San Pedro de Atacama (Chile)
02 May - 06 May 2015

Sometimes when travelling you find yourself in the midst of one, or sometimes many, travelling stereotypes. Heading north out of La Serena, via what ''should have been" a direct route to San Pedro de Atacama was a wailing 2 yr old that had such a piercing scream it would have made Rob Halford put down his microphone and walk away from the scene. In those moments, when homocide feels more than justifiable, I usually resort to trance like medidation induced through unfocused gazing at the surrounding scenery, but, in its stead, on this day, whilst cruising up the Chilean Pacific coast, in an area where the desert meets the sea and sea mists painted everything in a shade of dirty grey, this noise just needed to be ended. Thankfully the bus gave out prior to me doing anything idiotic and possibly getting sentenced to living 12yrs in squalor and unnecessarily acquiring the attention of  random prison bum buddies named Raul and Ramon.

In typical South American fashion, when the bus broke down the driver kind of sat there bemused for a while, stepped outside, kicked a few tyres and then gazed forlornly down this empty stretch of road. It took Inga and I around 30 mins to figure out that these jokers had no clue as to what the next step should be in the process of transporting people from one predetermined destination to another after a forced stop had occurred. In my mind it should have gone something like this;

1. Call for back up bus,
2. Advise passengers of arrival of next bus,
3. Advise of likely arrival time at location. 

The way it actually went down was like this;
1. Pray for a bus from the same company to show up,
2. Pray that a bus, any bus really, shows up,
3. Advise passangers that they'll be lucky if they make it to the nearest down by the next day,
4. Advise passengers that walking would not be the worst option but neither would it be the best.

Somewhere in the midst of the organised mess we were actually delivered to the main bus station in town of Calama, several hours after our scheduled arrival time in San Pedro. There the duty fell upon the stranded passengers notify the bus company that had failed us, because no one else in the company was advised, and ask the bus company to kindly honour the tickets which now needed to take us an additional 110kms south-east from where we were to our original destination. Thankfully they were gracious enough to do this although it meant that we'd be rolling into the small town of San Pedro after midnight. Now if you're like me then you tend to run the logistics of what arriving in a small town, like San Pedro, after midnight, might hold in store for you several hours before actually getting there. You can readily assume that there will be no taxis, a tin shed bus station with two flickering 25 watt globe lights illuminating an area of 2mtrs squared around the back tyres of the bus, a map of the town that will inevitably make no sense and a broken vending machine whose only operating function will provide you with tissues...why? I don't know, it just does!

In any case, we rolled into San Pedro around 12:30am and of course its pitch black. No streets lights, no anything really. The bitumen streets give way to dirt tracks and the bus station seems like the sort of place where you used to sit down to have lunch in high school. All bags are offloaded and the small residual band of gringos that had by now become familiar with each others faces headed to the exit in search of something, anything actually. 

A large black ute pulls up out the front of the bus station, somehow we all deduce that "this is our ride". How the hell we thought that I don't know, perhaps there's some weird type of telepathy going on here in the northern parts of Chile. As we take our places in the back the guy in the drivers seat looks around with a WTF type of expression - huh, this apparently was not our ride then, this in fact was not anything but a random local that was in the right place at the wrong time. A few mins after being dumped unceremoniously to the curb an amphibious vehicle/bus emerges from the desert darkness. At the front door some words of English are exchanged and names of hotels/hostels are mentioned intermittently. It turns out that for a small fee Mr.Random amphibious guy will take us all to where we need to go. OK mate, you have yourself a deal! So off we head, the random French guy with his multi-purpose vehicle driving a bunch of foreignors to who knows where with bastardised Spanish being utilised as the conversational currency. It all makes sense, right!?


Valle de la Luna - San Pedro de Atacama - Chile

Valle de la Luna - San Pedro de Atacama - Chile

Our amphibious vehicle drops us off at the front gates of Cabanas - Camping Altos de Quitor. We buzz a few times at the front gates but there's no movement at the station. Somehow we find a way into the compound and locate the owner standing near a bonfire, beer in hand, talking to a group of Chileans, also with beers in their hands. Quickly we're offered a drink and in the same breath discover that we've arrived on a public holiday when a cross country cycle race had come to town and now that its all done and dusted  everyone is glowing brightly in their amber cheer.

The next day Inga and I utilise the bikes provided by the Cabanas and rode into town. It's relatively small, as in small in stature and size but big on enterprise. Its small dusty streets belie what truly lies behind its mainly adobe walls, that being boutique hotels, quaint restaurants, a myriad of souvenier shops and tourist agencies that go on for days. In fact many people who transiting through this area use San Pedro as a launch point for the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia and as a method of finding an interesting way of crossing the border into Bolivia, both of which Inga and I  had elected to do also. After stumbling up and down the main street a couple of times we booked a three day tour with an agent that "looked" the most appealing. When I say "looked" appealing  I think it just meant that it was the tidiest and most organised agent that we saw on first glance, because really, what the hell did we know about the quality of tours in this part of the world? Ten minutes later we were locked into a three day, two night tour through the Eduardo Avaroa national reserve with the culminating highlight to be the well known Salar de Uyuni.

Valle de la Luna - San Pedro de Atacama - Chile
 
Journey to the Salar
 
The capacity for Bolivians to organise anything kind of reminds me of the organisational skills of Serbians. The main concept or idea usually gets completed but there's A LOT missed in the finer detail. Whether that detail gets missed out of sheer laziness or re-delegation of duties, due to laziness, I'm not sure, but an example of what I mean can be garnered from our first morning. After being picked up at our accommodation quite early, (6am), we were driven by Chilean drivers to the border post where the standard administrative tasks were completed. Our Bolivian drivers then took over for the rest of the tour. Now at this stage it would have been, and perhaps should have been, nice for our drivers to advise us that we would be immediately climbing to altitude and that temperatures were going to drop significantly due to the climb. Most of us were oblivious to the topography of the area and didn't have any clue as to what altitude we'd be spending most of the next three days, elements that both our agent and drivers could have forewarned us about. Why I say this is because we had all packed and tied our bags onto the rooves, (yes, this is the old school spelling of 'roofs' that I still use), of our respective 4WD's and hence this situation nicely negated our ability to access additional clothing with ease when it was urgently required. I only realised that there might be some sort of trouble when I all of a sudden started to feel like I'd walked out of a café in Amsterdam with my need for oxygen now becoming half a breath short of what my lungs were asking for. That increase in altitude inevitably meant a significant drop in temperature also, so when we exited the vehicles at the Bolivian border post our t-shirts and light pullovers were no match for the low single digit temperatures, high winds and +4000mtrs altitude. Asking our drivers to scramble and take down our bags was also a chore especially when they had it in their minds that their "real" task was to provide us with breakfast first and foremost. Only after that would the desperate need for warmth be catered for.
 

 Laguna Blanca - Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve - Sur Lipez Province - Potosi Department - Bolivia
 
After finishing up customs formalities and an uncomfortable breakfast we jumped into our 4WD's and were off cruising the altiplano, a sparse, stark and desolate region but filled never the less with richness in terms of colour and contrast. The mountains of the Andes act as the border between Chile and Boliva, their slopes coloured uniquely with rich veins of purple, dark blue, orange/red and green soil. The sky at these altitudes also seems deeper and fuller, providing a magnificent backdrop to the rugged scenery. What a few of us  started to notice at this time was the mild onset of hypoxia (oxygen deficiency). That continued need for an additional half breath or the light headedness that we were encountering was simply due to the fact that we had made the climb to 4000mtrs+ rather rapidly that (again, something we should have been alerted to). Something we also should have been advised of was that our sleeping quarters for that evening was going to be at an altitude of 4900mtrs. Not that we could do anything about it now, we were already up and away, it just shows however that those finer details are never really at the forefront of these Bolivian minds.


Bolivian colours -  Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve - Sur Lipez Province - Potosi Department - Bolivia
 

  
I found that most of the first day I was struggling to keep warm. With frequent stops and jumping in and out of the vehicle for photo ops, there seemed to be a constant struggle between enjoyment and need for well being. The highlight of the first day was a stop at Laguna de Colorada, a shallow salt lake whose red colour is derived from red soil sediments and the pigmentation of some algae. The lake is also home to a colony of James's flamingos (yes, their really name) whose pink colour is apparently derived from a carotene rich diet, although in all honesty that didn't mean much to me other than the ability to take cool pink flamingo shots. 
 


Laguna de Colorada - Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve - Sur Lipez Province - Potosi Department - Bolivia
 
 James's flamingos (yes, their real name) - Laguna de Colorada - Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve - Sur Lipez Province - Potosi Department - Bolivia
 

James's flamingos -Laguna de Colorada - Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve - Sur Lipez Province - Potosi Department - Bolivia
 
James's flamingos -Laguna de Colorada
 
The one thing that we were advised of by the tourist agency was that accommodation on our first evening would "basic", as in, there would be running water, there would be no showers, electricity would be restricted to just a few hours and the blankets they provided would probably not be enough to keep us warm. To this they stuck true to their words. Generators powered two lights for a duration of about three hours, enough to make it through dinner and allow for a handful of dumb refugio selfies. Once the mountains were blanketed by darkness however it literally was lights out. We were all in bed at about 7:45pm wondering out aloud and in our minds as to how the hell we'd force ourselves to sleep for the next 12 hours. Not only was that concept mind numbingly boring but the shortness of breath and dull headaches brought on by our oxygen deficit meant that all of us were finding out what it was like to have a prolonged asthma attack/or panic attack, take your pick. Either way, when the first rays of sun busted through our windows in the morning we were thankful for both the alleviation of boredom and the much needed warmth - sleeping under a mound of 10 blankets does not make for a good time.
 
Day 2 of our 4WD drive adventure was relatively uneventful. It was more of that rugged altiplano terrain, shallow salt lakes, the odd interesting rock formation and a late afternoon arrival at the salt hotel/motel, the later of which was interesting in part. The salt was real, the walls were real salt and so too the floors. I wonder if it ever suffered from severe bloating? I mean from my perspective I couldn't be sure. Needless to say, even though I'm a doctor (and not the real type, just a Juris Doctor, which really isn't even a fake/fake doctor, like say, having a Phd in Philosophy isn't really a 'traditional, fix your spleen Dr', but more of that fake Phd fake/fake, like I have the title of Dr without going the actual Phd miles...anyway...that really is a whole other story), so where am I...Oh yeah, my credentials don't allow me to make any sort of accurate diagnoses from the symptoms. Anyway, the REAL DEAL, as in the real highlight, of not just the three days but one of the REAL highlights of the entire trip was scheduled for the next, so why the hell should I wax lyrical any more than I need to regarding what was a pretty ordinary salt hotel, all things considered.
 
Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve - Sur Lipez Province - Potosi Department - Bolivia
 
Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve - Sur Lipez Province - Potosi Department - Bolivia
 
Day 3 of the 4WD excursion commenced at the head spinning time of 4:30am. An awful time to commence any day of course but for me this was to be special for more than just one reason. The idea of seeing the Salar had been with me for many years and five years earlier this was to have been my very next port of call after La Paz, that part of the journey was of course was halted by the stolen wallet incident, the moment in time when my 1st South American escapade unravelled completely. This day therefore  felt like I had almost come full circle. Not a bad place to have it happen either, let me say.
 
As we headed out into the morning the moon was high and shone brightly, the night lights were on display and the sky seemed beautifully clear. With our early morning coffees wearing off quickly, most of us dosed the 40 mins of the drive until we hit the salt plains but the moment we did everything changed. The vehicle glided effortlessly along the flat surface of salt and as the sun started to awake from its own slumber we started to get a feel for our immediate surrounds, a totally surreal world that felt more like a moonscape than anywhere I knew on this planet. Several minutes later our driver slowed to a complete stop in sight of Isla Incahuasi.
 
The scene that morning on the Salar was unworldly. To use words such as mystical or transcendent to describe the scenery might seem odd but standing out in the midst of that vast,flat expanse of cracked, plated salt, the purple, blue sky carrying the setting moon on one side of us and the orange hues of the sun stretching further into the frame with each passing second, it was something else. Even the nasty bite of the cold wind running across the plain added to the rare atmosphere. It was a picture that I had waited quite a few years to see and one that in only a few seconds had surpassed all of my lofty expectations.
 

Moonset on the salar - Salar de Uyuni - Daniel Campos Province - Potosi Department - Bolivia

 Panoramic shot of Salar de Uyuni with Isla Incahuasi in the foreground- Daniel Campos Province - Potosi Department - Bolivia
 
After making a morning pit-stop for breakfast on Isla Incahuasi and then almost missing our ride out onto the salt plains due to my poor comprehension of Spanish, (we figured out something was wrong when both Inga and I walked to the other side of the island, on what we thought were the correct instructions, only to witness vehicle after vehicle shooting off into the salty sea horizon without us), we got the opportunity to stop in the middle of the blindingly bright salt plain and utilise our cameras to play around a little with perspective and depth of field.

 Salar de Uyuni - Daniel Campos Province - Potosi Department - Bolivia

"Message in a bottle" -  Salar de Uyuni - Daniel Campos Province - Potosi Department - Bolivia

 Looks like a Bolle sunglasses advert (just ignore the obvious RayBan brand name) - Salar de Uyuni - Daniel Campos Province - Potosi Department - Bolivia 

 Salar de Uyuni - Daniel Campos Province - Potosi Department - Bolivia

 Inga, Building bridges - Salar de Uyuni - Daniel Campos Province - Potosi Department - Bolivia

TOYOTA!

Dakar Bolivia - a reminder of a stop on the salt flats and a reminder that the Paris to Dakar is no longer what it used to be
 
 
Some 90 minutes after we were dropped off onto the plains both Inga and I had somehow outlasted our more energetic happy snappers of earlier that morning. I think by the time we had well and truly established our photo taking rhythm the others in our vehicle had tapped out their energy reserves by having gone too hard too early.
 
After spending most of the morning on the lake we moved on to the one street town of Colchani for lunch before heading the Cemetario de trenes outside of Uyuni in the early afternoon for a view more shots. Surprisingly a great place to take photos, especially black and whites.
 
Our three days came to an end in the small town of Uyuni, a place that was nowhere near as depressing as some of the guide books had suggested. Some of the write-ups had us worried that there may just be piles of dirt and a bus station to look forward to but it seems that the town is fully aware of the attraction residing on its doorstep. In any case, for those of you that are wondering about doing the trip that we did then here's a few handy tips should you choose to take it on yourselves;
 
1. Additional warm clothing always comes in handy
2. Be prepared that altitude may affect you in odd ways. To counter that start with anti-altitude sickness pills 3-4 days prior to heading onto the altiplano
3. Take a sleeping bag or two
4. Uyuni is not a hole
5. Take flashlights, candles, things to do when hanging out in the refugio on night one
6. Take toilet paper, you just never know when necessity will strike
7. Take additional food/drinks with you
8. The tour guides recommend taking 4litres of bottled water. It's a waste. Grab a few bottles that can easily be carried in a bag or in the car and not tied down to the roof rack of the 4WD
9. Get onto the Salar just before the sun rises
 


Cemetario de trenes - Uyuni - Bolivia

 Cemetario de trenes - Uyuni - Bolivia