04/09/2019 – Day 1 of the Uyuni salt flat excursion, Bolivia

We got up at 0700 and I used the lovely shower again to wash my hair. We had been warned that our accommodation for the following couple of nights could be pretty basic and there might not be hot water, so I wanted to make the most of it! We packed most of our things and then went down to the hostel breakfast where we made ourselves a banana sandwich (random, but we are getting used to making the most of whatever is provided for free!) We quickly brushed our teeth and finished packing before walking down to our tour operator ‘Cordillera tours’ recommended by the lonely planet. We got in and paid for the tour and the lady working there explained the itinerary. Just as we were about to leave the building she received a phone call and then explained to us that there was no longer an English-speaking guide and asked would we do it in Spanish. We were unsure what to do at first but the price got cut quite a bit so we agreed. We had some time before the tour started so we went and bought a Bolivia magnet, some water and snacks, and sat in a café for a little bit. As we headed back to the tour company we passed a little old man with a small street stall selling rings that he makes from coins. They were so cool, Josh and I ended up buying ourselves one each. I gave him some English coins that I had knocking about as a little gift, which he seemed pretty pleased with! We went back to the tour company and before long were loading our rucksacks onto the roof of a 4x4. We got into the car, Josh and I in the very back, alongside a very shy Japanese guy who speaks no Spanish, a Brazilian couple who speak more Spanish than us, and a Belgian guy with basic Spanish. Our poor Spanish speaking tour guide/driver, there really is no hope for our group! I think between us we have made it work and all seem to get along fine. Our first stop was the train graveyard. We were able to climb over the rusty disused trains, which were really cool!

Then we got driven to a local market where Josh and I spent the whole time trying on different woolly jumpers (I think I kept picking the same two up) before finally deciding and buying them, for less than £10 each! We had been advised by other backpackers we have met that this is the cheapest place in South America to buy them so have been holding on for this moment for months, we were definitely excited to do a bit of retail therapy! We got back in the car and then were driven to a big salt hotel in the middle of the salt flats where we had lunch. Our guide made us quinoa, potatoes, avocado, tomatoes and cucumber, simple but lovely. Josh and I have pretended we are vegetarians for the tour as we didn’t want to eat any dodgy meat and my tummy is still sensitive.

After lunch we got driven along the salt flats to a shallow area of water, so as to try and get some mirror/reflective pictures. I don’t know if the ground was slippery to drive across or grippy, as salt is used to grit the roads. It definitely felt a little slippy though and looked almost like slush. In the summer, their rainy season, there is lots of water and the glassy reflective photos are beautiful! It is winter and dry season now though, so it was a little trickier. It was really windy too so the water had ripples. We gave it a go anyway!

Then we drove along to a dry area of the salt flats and played around with perspective photos, which is possible because the area is perfectly flat and white. It is the worlds largest salt flat and is at an altitude of 3656m, you really can see just flat white land as far as the eye can see, with a few small silhouettes of mountains in some places around the edges. Josh has been carrying a squeaky rubber duck that Father Christmas gave him for this specific moment! Our driver got out the car and directed us with different poses and perspectives, and took a load of pictures on the Japanese guys phone – we are eagerly waiting to be emailed them all! My eyes kept fooling me and I kept thinking it was snow, as that is the only vast white landscape I know! But It was really bright, hot and sunny, and we all caught the sun – I guess the rays get reflected up off the floor

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Next we got back into the car and got driven to incahuasi – a small island of land, with gigantic cacti over 7m tall! It is the top of the remains of a volcano, submerged when the area was part of a prehistoric lake 40,000 years ago! We went for a 45-minute trail walk around the island, the rock we climbed over looked like coral. We spotted a viscacha that was being so still at first that I didn’t think it was real! a viscacha is an animal that looks like a rabbit with a long tail, it is related to the Chinchilla.

We drove along to the middle of the flats again to watch the sunset. It was beautiful but we could feel the temperature dropping quickly as the sun disappeared and I wasn’t hesitant to get back in the car! We got driven through what felt and seemed like slushy salt – the driver definitely had to concentrate. I had read it is a pretty treacherous drive, and we spent the whole 3 days of the tour off roading. Our fuel was carried in cans strapped to the roof, and we had a hand pump for the tyres etc in the car, I saw the driver check the car almost every time we stopped. We got driven to a salt hotel for our first nights sleep. Everything was made from salt bricks, it was beautifully simple but clean and comfortable. Josh and I got a double room with a shower and toilet. The floor was made from salt and so we got a little foot scrub when we walked around! We had dinner sat on stools made from salt. We ate soup, chicken and chips (apparently chicken is vegetarian!) and a warm cup of tea to finish. We went back to our room where I had a hot shower and we tucked up into bed and fell asleep watching some Friends.