3 day Bolivia Tour-Uyuni Salt Lakes

As per yesterday (well it was yesterday when I started this, took a bit longer to finish!) was telling ye all that we have just completed another "mighty tour"

DAY 1 FRIDAY

Things kicked off Friday morning about 11am from our HI Hostel in Uyuni. We were ment to be picked up at 10:30 and were getting a little worried about the $65 we had paid when up roared an old, blue Toyota Landcruiser......I know, I know, were on South American time and nothing goes on time but you still get a little doubtful!

Out popped Edgar (our driver/guide/cook), we loaded the bags on top and the 6 of us (6 being the usual 5 - Aussie, Eng x2, Irish x2 - and the new addition Marjet from Holland!) bailed in full of excitement.

Our first stop was at in a small town at the edge of the salt flats, only 90 families living here, all the usual tourist goodies, only this time all made of salt - dices, ashtrays, ornaments all the good stuff! The girls went into the loca free museum, but found out that free here means free in- as it cost B5 to get out. Some geezers for squeezing money out of you here, youd have to be up damn early in the morning to catch them out!

Then we drove onto the salt flats (ie Salar of Uyuni), which was at more than 3.600 meters above the sea level and with more than 12.000 km2 of surface, it is the biggest mirror of salt in the world (yip and one of those stupid claims for ye to remember!). Quite a bizarre place really, impossible to put into words but will try..... we felt as if we were driving on a giant ice rink. As per above the size is unbelievable and its one of the few places in the world where u cant tell when the horizon. One of those place so flat etc that the sky and horizon just merge!

To give u an idea of the size of it after a stop off for a cup of tea (!) at a Salt Hotel, (all made out of ...salt, bla, bla, bla) after that we drove for about 2 hours to our next destination he was cruising between 50 and 70 kph and we didn't get anywhere close to the end (go on do the maths to see how far we went!).

Also around this time I was wondering how he knew which direction to go. No need for GPS here I tell you, just a case of lining up a 2 mountains and dividing the windscreen into 1/4s and picking your spot!

Most tour companies turned around at this point, and head back in the same direction, but our chief organisers (Moya and Naomi) found one of two companies (out of about 50) that were doing the tour through the Isla Pescadores. The reason being its rainy season and there is alot of water on top of the 20m deep salt flats. Most companies think its dangerous, ya right, not with our crazy Edgar at the wheel!

After the Salt Hotel the water did get deeper, but with that the amazing sights just got more amazing (if thats possible!). Now were were seeing twice as many great views (ie everything reflecting off the water as we drove through).

Next stop was an island called Incahursi where we had lunch after a nice climb up to the highest point on the island (oh this place is also famous for its giant cactuses). Good oul Edgar had a fine feed ready for us on the return -lovely steak, quinoa and veggies. Oh did I mention all meals were included in the deal aswell!

The final trip through the lake was through water again, while we were being like kids in the back pointing out all the great sights we finally noticed that the waters got quite deep (half way up the wheel). But we made it back to dry land after only breaking down once, oh the breakdown was linked to some smoky and radio issues (not mentioning how they happened..!) Just after darkness fell we arrived at the "hostel" (well, there was no sign up, no electricity and we were the only people staying there!). But a generator for 3 hours was enough to get dinner and tidied up!

DAY 2 SATURDAY

So day 2, and we were up bright and early at 7am, most of the time being reminded that it was Suzies birthday! The first few hours were through mad mountainy roads, although "road" is a bit generous. Hard to believe that these jeeps are able to traverse these roads.

So had a lot of stops wont bore ye with the details, so briefly.... first off a active volcano, amazing lava rock formations, then to a number of lakes, all with Flamingos another stop was to show us a few of the local favorite medicinal plants, and a famous Arbol Piedre - a huge rock formation in the shape of a tree! Also other strange rock formations there that u needed a bit of imagination to see that they looked familiar!

Final lake of the day Lago Colorado was the most impressive and it was here we put our heads down for the night. The hostel was a lot worse than the previous night- no showers, awful smelling toilets (yes and guess whos room was beside the toilets) and beds that have could not be more hard!

Regardless we tucked into dinner (a variation of Spag Bol, God Bless Edgar!) then the birthday celebration started - consisting of a few games of cards, rum and coke and 2 birthday cakes in honor of Suzies birthday! Electricity was turned off at 10.30 but that made things all the funnier, playing cards games by candlelight and listening to tunes on the MPS (and those great speakers I got in the US)

DAY 3 SUNDAY

Up at an ungodly hour this morning (5am) which was half an hour late due to over exersions the night before. We finally managed to get on the road, journey took us to some geysers - guess who was the only one with the energy to walk around the stream- ME!!

Next stop was the best at the aquas calientes - hot springs, threw on the togs and into the water at about 7:30am! For the record this has to be one of the best hangover cures ever experienced!

Once out of the water and dried off, Edgar had the breakfast of egg sandwiches and a cups of tea

Final stop of the trip was the amazing Laguna Verde. Got there a little early as still misty, but it was great seeing the mist clear and both the Lagoon and volcano behind it appear.

Final drop off and goodbyes to Edgar was done at the Bolivian border, as he was such a legend we left him "a few bob" and the balance of our Rum (ie bottle and a half!). After an hour or so our last journey of the tour (this time a bus) left the border and brought us into Chile took ages to get through the border crossing (bad timing as few buses just arrived before us!). Regardless we got through and here I am in chile...........