Day 82 - Bolivia Salt Flats
February 5 - Uyuni, Bolivia
We woke up at 4am in Uyuni. The drivers for the tour work so hard each morning to load the SUVs with luggage and food for the day. Our driver had told us we were leaving a half hour earlier than we actually were, for our slow group members... which meant we could have slept another 30 minutes.
After the vehicles were packed, we traveled to the flooded salt flats for sunrise. Definitely one of the most amazing sights we have ever seen. The 4x4 vehicles drive across the salt flats, which expand endlessly in every direction, covered with a few inches of water. The salt bottom is slightly impermeable, so the water sits on top, for three months out of the year, during the rainy season. The rest of the year it is dry.
Chelsea explored barefoot, despite the frigid water and rough salt surface, while many others stayed put on the salt "sand bars".
After breakfast we did what tourists do in the salt flat- we took photos using forced perspective and props. It seemed rather cliche at first, but we had way too much fun.
After about a thousand photos we left salt flat and hung out in a small village nearby that sold a lot of local goods like sweaters and rugs. We ate lunch in the village- baked chicken and potatoes with bananas (???), with pasta and steamed vegetables. Apples for "postre", dessert. Evan devoured the chicken.
After lunch we visited a train cemetery of old trains from the early 20th century. We climbed all over the trains like kids at a playground.
One couple in our group was pretty hilarious. The lady from Brasil brought a Wonder Woman costume, and she definitely fit the part.
By the end of the day we were a bit crispy from all the playing in the salt water. We still don't have all the salt out of our shoes 4 days later.
We finished our tour back in Uyuni, and moved our bags into hostel Reina del Salar. There was a lot of rain coming so we quickly went and got a delicious vegetarian pizza with quinoa crust! We got it to go and sprinted home just as it was starting to rain. The pizza was delicious!
What an awesome day, and awesome tour through Southern Bolivia!
We woke up at 4am in Uyuni. The drivers for the tour work so hard each morning to load the SUVs with luggage and food for the day. Our driver had told us we were leaving a half hour earlier than we actually were, for our slow group members... which meant we could have slept another 30 minutes.
Chelsea explored barefoot, despite the frigid water and rough salt surface, while many others stayed put on the salt "sand bars".
After the sun was completely up and the colors mostly gone we ate breakfast in hotel turned museum in middle of salt flat, which is made mostly of salt. They've tried to build other structures in the salt flat, but our driver told us the salt just eats everything.
Chelsea also found a llama to play with in the museum.
After about a thousand photos we left salt flat and hung out in a small village nearby that sold a lot of local goods like sweaters and rugs. We ate lunch in the village- baked chicken and potatoes with bananas (???), with pasta and steamed vegetables. Apples for "postre", dessert. Evan devoured the chicken.
After lunch we visited a train cemetery of old trains from the early 20th century. We climbed all over the trains like kids at a playground.
By the end of the day we were a bit crispy from all the playing in the salt water. We still don't have all the salt out of our shoes 4 days later.
We finished our tour back in Uyuni, and moved our bags into hostel Reina del Salar. There was a lot of rain coming so we quickly went and got a delicious vegetarian pizza with quinoa crust! We got it to go and sprinted home just as it was starting to rain. The pizza was delicious!
What an awesome day, and awesome tour through Southern Bolivia!
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