The Salar de Uyuni, Uyuni, Bolivia

We headed out around 1030 in a landrover with a guide, a japanese man, a french woman and her mexican husband (they spoke french, spanish, and english), and another french woman who was from southern france and a riot. The couple had been touring the world for over a year, and were now finishing up with 3 months left to ascend from the tip of Argentina to Mexico where they planned to start a biofarm. The lone french woman had come to South America to follow the steps of her hero Che Guevera--a trip which would culminate at his place of death in Bolivia upon the celebration of its anniversary. They were great partners for the trip, and it was fun to converse with French being translated into Spanish and vice versa.

The Salar, recently named a wonder of the world by the Times UK, is a 4024 square mile expanse of salt--making it the largest salt flat in the world. At 3650m, or 12000 feet, it´s probably the highest too. There are tours of 4+ days offered of the flats, but since we were on a limited schedule we elected for just a 1 day excursion. Volcanoes, colored lakes, and bizarre rock formations scatter the corners of the flats--called Salvador Dali´s desert by some--and are accessible on longer tours. Going there in the winter is also quite frigid, with temperatures plumetting far below 0 at night and not getting much better due to wind in the daytime.



My polarizing filter and a quick shutter helped control the blast of sunlight that were the salt flats.



Indigenous locals shovel and process the salt for human consumption--exporting nearly 25000 tons a year from the flats. The salt is scooped into piles, and the piles are scooped into trucks.



About halfway through the day, after driving at 65mph+ through the flats, we stopped at an "island" in the interior of the Salar for lunch. Bizarre cacti grow there, reminiscent of southern arizona--but in a sea of salt.





At this point, I was talking with the french couple about what might be wrong with me and they told me they were having trouble with altitude sickness themselves. They were taking a "natural" red and white pill which solved their problems. After being offered one, I eagerly took it as I was starving for calories to keep myself warm and within twenty minutes my problems were similarly solved. Having lunch was nice.


able to move around again!


an arrangement of flags outside a hotel made of salt on the salar

After a few more hours, we drove back off the Salar and into Uyuni. First stopping by a desolate gathering of more than a dozen rusted train engines. Our guide explained to us that they were leftovers from the mining boom which saw the forced exploitation of Bolivia´s vast mineral resources. The mining companies simply had left them to rust next to the track that goes from Uyuni to Chile and Argentina. Another example of the abuses and exploitations Bolivians have suffered throughout history.


just a glimpse of the spread of rust


traveling

We got back into town around 630, and had wine and pizza with the french folk until our train left at 9pm for Oruru, connected in Oruru for Cochabamba at 6am, and got into town around noon today. It was an experiment in sleep deprivation, but certainly worth it. I´d like to go back again sometime and do a full 4 day trip, it has to be one of the most surreal environments I´ve ever encountered. Hopefully I´ll meet up again with the couple when they make their way through Cochabamba on their way north.