One simply does not come to Bolivia without visiting the salt flats so even when we arrived back from the El Choro trek to find the road remained blocked, we still weren't quite ready to give up on it just yet. Having camped in tents for the last two nights, we could all do with a shower and a night in a bed rather than a bus anyway, so decided to allow ourselves just one more day.
And thank goodness we did! To our amazement, the following morning we were able to book tickets to Uyuni, leaving later that day and arriving the next. However, as we hadn't really expected to be going, we were left hideously unprepared for the arctic conditions on the journey. As our bus approached the town, the windows froze over along with our faces, fingers and toes as the average temperature dropped to minus fifteen degrees! It was far too cold to sleep and Hana and I were still awake at four in the morning, in a fit of giggles at how ridiculously cold we were. In this situation it would've been more appropriate to cry but I think the excitement of the salt flats helped us see a funny side. Either that, or we've finally lost it.
Our day began at the train cemetery which sounded rather glum when outlined on the itinerary but it soon became apparent that this was no ordinary graveyard. The giant outdoor area was more like an adult's playground constructed of the old freight trains which were once used to transport the salt between Uyuni and major cities. We spent half an hour clambering on top of carriages, sliding through windows and swinging from storage compartments on these rusty steam trains. It's no doubt touristy but still really fun! I've found more and more recently that the two aren't always mutually exclusive.
Back in the tour jeep we continued on in the direction of the white desert. We were incredibly tired having not slept a wink but the views out of either window were too awesome to miss. In the distance (though it was impossible to tell how far) there were a handful of mountains that appeared to be floating in mid-air as their reflections in the salt created a magical illusion. Being otherwise surrounded by such a vast expanse of nothingness was quite mesmerising.
Lunchtime was approaching so we made a brief stop at a handicrafts market (where we somehow justified buying more woolly socks) and then headed off to the famous Hotel de Sal. The building itself would not be very impressive were it not for the fact that it's made completely from salt. Inside we browsed the various salt statues, jumped on top of the giant one outside and then sat down to a meal of steak and salad (which ironically could have done with a little more salt.)
Another long drive took us to our final stop of the day, a large island mirador which when climbed gives an even better view of the flats. We decided to walk the entire perimeter, pondering along the way how rarely we get to see a sky to sky horizon. It's stating the obvious to say that the salt flats are really flat but it's worth noting what this actually means; a three hundred and sixty degree view without obstruction, the only limitation being the strength of the human eye. On the return journey to Uyuni, we witnessed the most perfect sunset and the salt darkened as the sky turned ombre. It was so beautiful.
Due to the strikes and our oncoming end date we only had time for a one day tour but we'd have loved to have explored further to find the lagoons and volcanoes deeper within the park. Nevertheless, visiting the salt flats was one of the highlights of our South American trip and was well worth holding out for. At least this way, we got to escape the cold sooner!
No comments:
Post a Comment