Uyuni - Bolivia!!!!

Yes BOLIVIA!!!!!!! It was not in the plan but because of some recommendations of friends we decided we couldn't miss it.....

We booked a 4 day tour with Colque Tours, to Uyuni , Bolivia...

Last wednesday at 8 am we had to be at their office and we were brought by buses to the Bolivian border.... The first stop was the Chilean border, as the public functions were in strike we had to wait 1,5 hr to get our passport stamped.... Around 10.30 we finally arrived to the Bolivian border and got our stamp... for 30 days!!! Yes!

Here we change to our jeeps, we have a group of 6, Colm, Marie, Bernie, Sarah and us.... We drive off to our first stop, Laguna Branca.... here we have breakfast and take some nice pictures... The next stop is Laguna Verde (green lagoon) and it is really green and amazing...

Last stop before lunch is "aguas termales" hot water spring, we are allowed to take a bath, which is lovely about 35º degrees :-) The lunch is ok and we continue to see Laguna Colorada (red lagoon) there where hundreds of flamingo's and the scenery is just amazing....

After lunch, we went up to 4900 meters to see the geysers. Temperatures can rise to 180 degrees and people must be careful not to get to close.

We also see the Dali rock formation before arriving to Villa Mar where we spent the night... This village is really small, we saw a lot of Bolivian traditional dressed women...they look pretty with the colourful clothes..

Unfortunately Carlos felt really bad in the evening, probably combination of altitude sickness and warm weather and not enough fluids....

2nd day - 8.30 we left Villamar, Carlos feels a bit better so that's great news... Our first stop is "Ciudad Italiana" (italian city) It is a beautiful rock formation with amazing views... On the way we saw many many Lama's (they didn't spit at us :-)) and some other nice rocks... and a Cascada (waterfall) Sitting on top of the mountain looking down it is just wonderful....

For lunch we went to the town of our driver, Villa Alota, the lunch was ok, but Carlos got sick again trying to eat something... In the jeep Carlos tries to get some sleep which is difficult with the bumpy bad roads...

In the afternoon we mostly drive..... our last stop was a ghosttown, most people left and only 16 people live there currently!

We drive to our accomodation which is much better than the first day and even the food is lovely... Carlos goes to rest immediately to recover a bit...

Warm showers are hard to find in Bolivia and after 2 days we can take a shower, but cold :-)

3rd and last "real tour" day... This is the highlight we are going to the Salar de Uyuni (salt flats) Our first stop is to make some pictures, aren't we creative?????

We drove a bit untill we got to Ilha IncaHuasi (house of the inca's in Quechua) On this island which is in the middle of the salt flat they have many cactus, the oldest one is 1200 years and just died last december... We climbed up the hill for a view over the salar!!!

After this we took many more creative photo's (just have a look)

The next stop is the salt hotel, this is an illegal structure, but still standing, everything is made from salt... even the clock!

We also saw the extraction of Salt, Bolivia only uses it for own consumption..... and doesn't export any of it, because it is not profitable.... The "real" tour ended in Uyuni... we got a lunch there which was not so amazing... and then we walked around town and had some drinks...

At 5pm we were leaving to go back to San Pedro... We drove for 2 hrs and had dinner in Villa Alota... and then another 1,5 hour to Villamar where we would spent the night.

The roads where so bad and it was so dark that it was a bit scary, at least we were 6 people + the driver... Finally at 10 pm we arrived to the accomodation.... we went straight to bed, because we would have a 3.30 am wake up call...... :-(

4th day, 4 o clock we are all in the jeep ready to go, even though we are tired... At 6.30 am we arrived to the breakfast point, some warm tea (temps were under zero!) and cereals.... Around 8 am we arrived to the bolivian border.... the exit stamp was quickly arranged... Within 1,5 hour we are in the bus to San Pedro de Atacama... there we have a nice hostel and a warm shower after 4 days!!!!

This was a really unexpected trip, but AMAZING, we saw beautiful things and the real South America, no hot water, light and electricity during certain hours, and bumpy roads....

It was all worth it because we saw some wonderful things that are high on our Highlight list!!!