Hi all,
So here's a few days worth of blog because we've been in the desert and had no wifi! I'll try to include as many photos as possible wifi permitting because it's been a beautiful few days.
Tuesday 3/2 5.36pm
After I posted yesterday we had dinner at a pizza restaurant. The pizza was the best I've had since home! Then we went to the supermarket to buy some snacks and water. Rachel and I decided to go back to the hotel and then go for a walk as we haven't been too active recently! Just as we got back to the hotel though, a desert storm began. The wind was horrific to that point that we couldn't see and it hurt my skin!
We made it back to the hotel and hung out in the common rooms with the others while the storm passed through. Mid conversation lightning struck outside the hotel and the power went off! The hotel staff were quick to give us candles though which was good, and unexpectedly the power only took an hour to come back on!
We had a bit of an early night and were up early for our 4x4 salt flats adventure today. First we stopped in a town called Colchani where a man showed us how they dry out the salt with fire and then package and sell it. Then we stopped at a hotel in the middle of the salt flats, but due to environmental impact it is no longer operational.
After this we arrived in the heart of the salt flats. We had been warned that due to all the rain we may not see them properly, but today was beautiful, blue and sunny and we were able to see them properly! Rodrigo told us that 25,000 years ago this area was a salt lake, but due to tectonic plate activity it was pushed up and turned into a salt flat. The salt flats are about 6-10m deep of salt and span over 10,000km squared. We spent a couple of hours doing what tourists do at the salt flats - taking visual illusion photos! We started off pretty crap to be honest but ended up getting a couple of really good ones! I'll just include the best. The salt flats were so beautiful and bright and unlike anything I had ever seen, but due to the reflection of the sun off the sand some of the others got quite badly burnt. Even though I sunscreened twice I still managed to get burnt, typical pale me.
We got back in the car and drove to Uyuni for lunch. All of our legs were covered in salt and we felt gross but I enjoyed a ham and cheese sandwich! I literally have $4 Aussie left in bolivianos so I'm rationing it for the next couple of days. Still under budget - yay!
After lunch we got back in our 4WDs - I was in one with Courtney, Rachel, Anthony and Hannah. We made a stop at a train cemetery where old trains from the 19th century have been left to sit and rust and have their photos taken!
Apart from a few stops due to car issues (engine and tyres) our convoy of four then continued to our accommodation for the night. It's a simple dorm. I'm sharing with Rachel, Courtney, Sarah, Sareina and Molly. Dinner was basic but good.
It's been a good day. Not only were the salt flats even more amazing than expected, but we had a few occasions in our 4WD where we laughed so hard we cried. It's good to feel like we are seeing and doing lots again!
Wednesday 4/2 4.12pm
This morning I woke early but had the longest sleep of the whole trip so far - over nine hours! I was ready an hour early so decided to go for a walk as I've hardly exercised recently. This may not seem like such a big deal, but we are still 4000+m above sea level. Josh went for a run this morning and ended up coughing up blood, and I got puffed speed walking! I walked down a beautiful deserted road and even saw a llama.
We had breakfast and then set off in our 4WD groups again. On the way back we saw my llama again, but it was dead!! It had looked a bit out of it when I saw it, still sad though :(
We had a few different stops along the way today. Our first stop was to a canyon called Cañadon. The views were amazing, see below photos. Next we stopped at Rock Valley, I felt as if I could be in Arizona! Then we stopped at a lagoon called Turquiri, and finally at another lagoon surrounded by volcanoes. Here we saw James Flamingos, they were so bright and pink!
Now we are at our accommodation for the evening. It's literally in the middle of nowhere again, next to a lagoon and more volcanoes. We had lunch and then a few of us went for a walk. We could see a storm coming but went anyway. Walked for about 15-20 minutes and then the huge lightning bolts and thunder claps began! I ended up running back because the hail hurt my face. As I said earlier, running I'd not easy here. I ran 2 minutes maximum and thought I might throw up! Hopefully once we are back at sea level my fitness isn't that bad haha.
Now I'm off to have an unexpected shower (didn't know there would be here!) before dinner later on.
Thursday 5/2 4.04pm
Last night we had dinner and then a fairly early night as we had to wake at 5am today. My stomach ache is back, but again I'm attributing it to altitude. We are making our way back to sea level slowly so hopefully soon I'll be ok!
Our first stop was the Stone Tree, a rock formation made of volcanic rock that looks like a tree. Then we went to the red lagoon and saw lots more flamingos, it was really beautiful! Our next stop was to some geysers, it smelled like Rotorua in New Zealand here.
Most of the day today was spent driving on a very bumpy road, but finally we got to the Bolivian "border crossing". It's in inverted commas because it was literally a shack in the middle of nowhere. We got our passports stamped and were on our y on a one hour bus to the Chilean entry point. Apparently these two countries hate each other because of a war over 100 years ago that saw Bolivia lose access to the ocean.
We then arrived in San Pedro de Atacama. It's just as hot as I remember Chile being a month ago!!
I loved Bolivia but I'm kind of glad to see the end of it and explore new things. We have spent a lot of time in a car recently and sitting around, so bring on Chile for two days and then Argentina :)
Three days of love to all
Claire
Xoxox
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