Tupiza to Uyuni (and the salt flats)

Last day on the salt flats by which point I've obviously spent too much time around flamingos

Meeting up with Tom & Michelle, a British couple we'd first met in Torres del Paine we head to Tupiza, 10hrs and 300km south of Sucre. A return to relative bus comfort. We catch the briefest of sleeps before Berto, our tour guide for the next 4 days of 4WD exploring, shows up in the landcruiser.

It's not until you get to a place like Bolivia that altitude becomes as much a consideration in your every day travel plans as currency conversions or the next sugar fix. At 2950m, Tupiza is comparatively low but that changes quickly as Berto charges up the dirt road to Quebrada de Palala peaking at around 4600m. I've had problems with altitude sickness in the past and Nic has stocked up on pills for us both but still the headaches take effect immediately. We swallow a few more and thankfully it's soon only the lack of air giving us problems.

At the top of Quebrada de Palala

Hours away from anything resembling a shop these tiny towns defy the bleak outlook

I'll cut you a deal. My wooly jumper for your sandwich.

We stop for lunch on the first day in an open paddock where llamas are grazing. Grazing what I'm not exactly sure, there's nothing much but bare earth. In the truck we also have Berto's mum along for the ride. She is dressed in the traditional Bolivian style with plaits, pinafore and pleated skirt and she immediately adopts the four of us (insisting we call her mama). Neither mother or son speak English but they're both friendly and smiley people and speak in slow, simple Spanish for us. Mama is also our cook and soon whips up a delicious spread.

Arriving on day 1 at camp, San Antonio de Lipez, 4600m. Dinner is tasty and huge, and mama looks offended when we don't manage to eat it all. 





It's a 5am start on day 2 and we're into the truck just before sunrise. At this altitude it's impossible to be wearing the right amount of clothing for more than 20 minutes. The sunshine is searing, but any hint of wind or shade and the temperature swings below zero. We find ourselves continually stripping off and then quickly pulling jackets back on.

Laguna Verde, 4300m. Very misleading photo - weather looks warm and the water inviting. I'm freezing in the wind and out of the truck for the photo and no more. The water is full of arsenic.

Geysers at 5000m

And next to the geysers are these blocks of ice. Very weird.

Laguna Colorada - more amazing coloured lakes

Pulling into our camp spot on the second evening we settle down for a cold night at 4300m. We've been lugging our sleeping bags around since our time in Patagonia and the burden pays off. In one of the other jeeps staying at the same spot they'd forgotten to pack any for their guests. It's a cold night for these few and wheezy and airless night for all. But mama's made pancakes in the morning and everyone is happy.

Tree rock on day 3

We pass by flamingos and bizarre rocky outcrops, active volcanos and tired army outposts, abandoned railway lines to nowhere and spongey coral-like plants. It´s a weird and wonderful place.

Mama appraises Berto's tire changing technique

Sunrise on the Salar

On our final night we opt to stay at one of the salt hotels on the fringe of the salt flats. The novelty here is that it is constructed almost entirely from salt. Unfortunately it's a bit of a letdown because the cooking is not nearly as good as mama's and our group appears to be forgotten until 9.30 when they remember to serve dinner. But worst of all is the manager's 6 year old daughter who is running errands for the devil, tormenting guests and causing mayhem. When we're out the door at 5am the next morning this is all quickly forgotten however, because the salt flats are spectacular.

It stretches over nearly 11,000 square km and supposedly contains up to 70% of the world's lithium supply (which sounds like a lot but if the production output of hybrid car batteries was to match that of petrol engines currently, the world supply of lithium would be outstripped by 2015. So much for a sustainable alternative...)

Isla del Pescado, 3700m

We spend some time engineering the obligatory perspective shots (which turns out to be much more difficult than I´d imagined) and then we speed across the flats to the Wild West town of Uyuni. The less said about this place the better.

Thanks Tom and Michelle for the company. Cheque´s in the mail for the photo royalties. Onwards to Potosi!

xN&G