Camera tricks

12,000 square kilometres is a huge amount of salt. Millions of years ago, tectonic forces shifted a once huge body of salt water upwards leaving the southeast part of Bolivia with a massive salt flat which expands with the evaporation of each rainfall. The salt in the Salar de Uyuni reaches a depth of ten metres deep in certain areas and layers of each evaporated rainfall can be seen on the striped bricks of a hotel built completely of salt. It is perched on the flats in the middle of nothingness - white plains touch the horizon in every direction.

We stopped at a small town outside of the salt flats to learn how the locals extract salt for commercial use. Beginning with a large pile of salt taken from the purest part of the salt flats, they heat the crystals for half an hour and shovel them into a grinder which pulverizes it into a fine powder. It is then bagged, sealed by hand over a flame and sold only in Bolivia. It seems a tedious job for the meager profit of a twenty cent bag of table salt, but the operating expenses of these family run businesses are low and all materials are taken from the earth.

For miles we could see our lunch destination, Isla de Pescadores, as we drove over its surrounding white desert. From a distance, the island combined with its reflection looks like a fish hovering on an undefined horizon. While our lunch of delicious llama steaks was prepared, we took a walk on the island among the twelve meter cacti and onto the silent salt, amusing ourselves by playing a few tricks with our cameras.

Only the first day of our three day excursion was on the blinding salt flats, but every day we were amazed by the incredible changing landscape as we were taken further away from civilisation. Our 4 X 4 Toyota Landcruiser contained Rudy (our driver, guide, mechanic and hero), his sister-in-law Aida (our silent cook), us and four Londoners that had just reunited with each other. Together we drove over 900 kilometres of salt, sand, coral and rock with towering volcanoes looming all around us.

Red algae of Laguna Colorado

That first night we stayed in San Pedro, a tiny community sacked during the war of the Pacific between Chile and Bolivia. Just above the town sits the ruins left from the war, where the very old and the very young were unable to flee from the Chileans and stayed in the village taking care of the invading soldiers. When the Chileans left, they set fire to the village leaving the Bolivians to burn alive. Maybe to dissuade us from going out at night, Rudy told us that their ghosts still wander the town, haunting those that travel in twos or threes. None of us went out that night and despite Tim breaking his bed, and Thomasino getting stung by a scorpion during the night, we were happy enough to stay inside as our accomodations were warm and pleasant. We heard from members of another group who stayed in a nieghboring community that they slept in a warehouse housing only their seven beds and no electricity.

The second day we saw flamingoes on white lakes, blue lakes, green lakes and red lakes. Each lake takes on the color of the different organisms or chemicals found in it and becomes more brilliant as wind stirs the surface. It was like being on a different planet. We drove over sand deserts looking at mountains rich with colours and past impossible coral and lava rock formations placed in the oddest positions and in the most unlikely places. We wondered what all the llamas and vicuñas could possibly eat in the arid landscape.

Flamingos are very shy. Every time we approached within ten metres, they would all quickly decide to eat in the middle part of the lake. At one point Brett attempted a stakeout, but a small white bird screamed at him, no doubt alerting the unsuspecting flamingos. Much to our amusement (and to Brett´s chagrin), this cheeky white bird hovered in the wind above his head squawking dive-bomb threats and escorted him all the way back to the group. You could tell that Brett wanted to run by the way he cringed with every dive the bird faked, but instead he bravely walked back to the group to avoid more laughter at his expense.

Sunrise over the geysers

The second night was sooo cold! Wind whistled through the windows but we managed to stay warm in our beds. Bundled up in all our layers, we made it out to the awaiting truck just after five in the morning, ¨Pimp my Ride¨ still written in dust on the back window. We were shivering and barely awake but when we arrived at the geysers just as the sun peeped over the mountains, we knew why were were summoned so early. The morning geysers look their best at dawn. The gurgling mud and the hot, hissing steam warmed our fingers in the cold morning air as the sun danced over its swirling clouds. We carefully stepped around the the soft craters and marvelled again at the incredible Bolivian landscape. When the cold was too much to bear, we kicked the muck off of our shoes and happily climbed back into our temporary four wheeled home.

Soaking in the thermal pools

The sun had risen and we were very hungry, but once we took off our clothes and dipped our bodies in the warm natural springs of Laguna Salada, we were disappointed to get the call for breakfast. Wading in the small rock pool, surrounded by flamingos who stood motionless in the icy lake waiting to be thawed, it felt unfair that we had to face the brisk morning air once again. Hunger eventually won us over and smelling faintly of sulpher, we finally clambered out of our rock jacuzzi and got dressed. The thermal springs were a perfect end to a perfect trip. We said goodbye to Thomas and Justine and the Chilean border and looked forward to a great pizza feast at the end of the seven hour journey back to Uyuni. The ride went quickly as we rolled over the hills and plains of the ever changing landscape.

Exhausted, we boarded our night train to Argentina and said goodbye to Bolivia, which turned out to be much different than we had expected. As we travelled throughout Peru and Ecuador, we were told numerous times that the Bolivian people can seem cold and unfriendly. We found it quite the opposite, feeling very welcomed by everyone that we met. Our time on the cargo boat enabled us to get away from those with interests in tourism and to meet some genuine residents that were as interested in us as we were in them. This helped us get a better feel for the country and we left Bolivia in the perfect way, craving more.

Click Here to see the photos