Uyuni and the Salt Flats

La Paz - Uyuni and the Salt Flats.

We meet our tour leader Karina in the hotel in La Paz, she is from the capital of Bolivia, Sucre. The others on our trip are a fabulous bunch they are from Canada – Matt, Amber & Diane, Ireland – Roseanne, UK - Anish, Maddie & Susie, and the USA - Holly. The group has functioned really well together.

We left La Paz and travelled by bus to Uyuni –  this was a rough town, very dusty roads and with basic accommodation. The following day we loaded into 4X4’s to make our way to Salar de Uyuni – the famous Bolivian salt flats. (Unfortunately Jim was unwell and stayed in Uyuni for a couple of days by himself waiting for the group to return as the first night we went to a local pizza restaurant – no more said!)  We stopped in the town of Colchani on the way, which produces salt the old-fashioned way, before heading into the salt flats.  We arrived on the salt flats to the restaurant/refugio for lunch then travelled over the salt flats for photo ops and a look around – definitely needed sunglasses.  We then went to the Cactus Island or also known as Isla Inca Wasi, or Fish Island, this fossil-strewn outcrop was once the top of an ancient volcano.  We did a short trek and gained some information from our guide Karina.  Nothing like we have ever seen before – very cool. After a long day driving across the salt flats we arrived at the Salt Hotel.

Jim did get the opportunity to visit the Train Cemetery and the salt flats separately before the group arrived back to Uyuni.

Sunset on the salt flats. Some areas of the flats are covered with a few inches of water

One of the many fields of quinoa planted in the area along side the road driving to Uyuni
We asked our tour leader and she said it was government land that anyone could use

The area is very catholic and most towns have an image or likeness of Jesus or Mary.
Some like this are quite impressive.

Uyuni from the rooftop of our hotel at sunset - very high altitude and it got cold at night.

They called this the train graveyard where the old steam trains were taken when they switched to diesel from electric. The railway is still in operation.

On  the salt flats where they once held a Dakar race. Apparently it wasn't that successful but the salt sculpture still remains (restaurant/refugio in the background.)

The flags from the countries of the many visitors to the flats.

One of the locals having a day out.

Looking into the distance with the many shapes made on the salt by the continual movement and push from below.

Picnic on the salt flats.

Vehicle on the salt flats gives a good perspective and vehicles travelled up to 120km per hour.

Another photo of the Salt Flat landscape.

Camping anyone? Some bikers used the flats as a cross country route.

The guides called these perspective photos and were very keen for everybody to do a pose.

Yes it is salty.

Yes Jim had to do one as well.

We drove on the salt flat  to Isla Incahuasi, an island in the middle of the flat - more info

On the Isla Incahuasi are the gigantic cacti (Trichocereus pasacana) more photos below. The cactus can be up to 700-800 years old.

A few more sunset photos some great colours.

Some carvings made out of the salt blocks

Salt crystals

More carvings and a structures made out of salt blocks