I am finally there. So close. Uyuni salar flats are were one of two reasons I am in South America. It took me 3 months though to get there.
24/05, Saturday. Town of Uyuni.
Guide books were right in one thing: night bus ride on unpaved road in Bolivia is an adventure on its own. As we were travelling all day yesterday, decided to stay one night in town to rest.
Interesting fact about Bolivia: hotels normally are not available through onine booking, it is walk in or phone only.
Note to myself: do not trust guide books recommendations for hostels and check few places before choosing.
Unlike with hotels (we stayed in the first that we found and that was open, we were choosing tour carefully and it took us all day. At the end we ended up with 3 companies, 2 of which were closed when we finally decided to make a choice: it made it much easier.
Cannot wait to see Uyuni! This was one of the two reasons I am in SA! It will be amazing! And I am so happy Sophie is here to share my happiness. Again, because of the winds, no electricity in town: candle dinner and candle in hotel room. Welcome to 21 century!
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25/05-27/05, Sunday-Tuesday. Uyuni tour
It is Sunday, market day and still no electricity. Because of that there are some problems with filling up the cars as well. This means that tour may not start. We were waiting for hour after agreed start time for our car to arrive. Luckily, it did arrive and 6 of us, American couple, 2 Israeli guys and us, got in!
I (as the most active and annoying one, as I asked for full itinerary) got front seat close to the driver. He appeared to be talkative quechua from south of Bolivia close to Argentinian border with english name Richard (his farther named all kids with English names).
American couple could communicate somehow in Spanish, but the rest of the group could not, so I ended up translating and that what I was doing until the end of the trip. I also at some point had to make decision who will be sleeping in the only available double room in or second night accommodation. Hate when everyone is trying to be nice and hence can't take responsibility for (maybe) unopular decision. I thought my days of being 'that girl' are over, but I keep doing it.
First day we visited Uyuni solar flats. I cannot believe I am here! It is absolutely fantastic, beautiful (as much as endless white flat field can be) and unbelievble. Because of visual effects, mountains look like they are flying in the air, sun is so bright I cannot take my glasses off (did not forget them this time), when we arrived to cactus island in the middle of solar, it looked unreal: huge cactuses in the middle of white dessert!
My 5 centivos to bad perspective/jumping photos of Uyuni tour
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We passed the village where inhabitants produce salt, all operations are manual, tons and tons of small kitchen size packs of salt, dried, ground and packed manually.
Salt package sealing
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We have stayed in hotel made of salt, with beds, chairs and tables made of salt.
Next couple of days we were visiting lagunas with flamingoes and lamas, seen hundreds of vicunas (anoter modification of guanaco), fox, stragle looking rabbits, birds, canons, mountains, volcanoes, small indigenous villages with happy kids and adults who actually notice you, friendly and helful people unlike in horrible Uyuni-town.
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It was sad when the tour was over, hated coming back to the town. So we left rapidly for Potosi.
I miss the Solar, I have enjoyed our so carefully selected tour, despite the fact that carwas nothing like the one we have seen at the office door a day before our tour started.
Lesson learnt: it does not matter what company you are going with, chances are that few tours would be combined as there are not enought people, the car will belong to a driver who is contractor, hotel choice would depend on availability at the moment of checking in and where the night catches you. The most important is the group and the driver. We were quite lucky with both, n'est pas, Sophie?
More photos are in picasa, sophie promised to add hers too. One box ticked, one to go.
24/05, Saturday. Town of Uyuni.
Guide books were right in one thing: night bus ride on unpaved road in Bolivia is an adventure on its own. As we were travelling all day yesterday, decided to stay one night in town to rest.
Interesting fact about Bolivia: hotels normally are not available through onine booking, it is walk in or phone only.
Note to myself: do not trust guide books recommendations for hostels and check few places before choosing.
Unlike with hotels (we stayed in the first that we found and that was open, we were choosing tour carefully and it took us all day. At the end we ended up with 3 companies, 2 of which were closed when we finally decided to make a choice: it made it much easier.
Cannot wait to see Uyuni! This was one of the two reasons I am in SA! It will be amazing! And I am so happy Sophie is here to share my happiness. Again, because of the winds, no electricity in town: candle dinner and candle in hotel room. Welcome to 21 century!
25/05-27/05, Sunday-Tuesday. Uyuni tour
It is Sunday, market day and still no electricity. Because of that there are some problems with filling up the cars as well. This means that tour may not start. We were waiting for hour after agreed start time for our car to arrive. Luckily, it did arrive and 6 of us, American couple, 2 Israeli guys and us, got in!
I (as the most active and annoying one, as I asked for full itinerary) got front seat close to the driver. He appeared to be talkative quechua from south of Bolivia close to Argentinian border with english name Richard (his farther named all kids with English names).
American couple could communicate somehow in Spanish, but the rest of the group could not, so I ended up translating and that what I was doing until the end of the trip. I also at some point had to make decision who will be sleeping in the only available double room in or second night accommodation. Hate when everyone is trying to be nice and hence can't take responsibility for (maybe) unopular decision. I thought my days of being 'that girl' are over, but I keep doing it.
First day we visited Uyuni solar flats. I cannot believe I am here! It is absolutely fantastic, beautiful (as much as endless white flat field can be) and unbelievble. Because of visual effects, mountains look like they are flying in the air, sun is so bright I cannot take my glasses off (did not forget them this time), when we arrived to cactus island in the middle of solar, it looked unreal: huge cactuses in the middle of white dessert!
My 5 centivos to bad perspective/jumping photos of Uyuni tour
We passed the village where inhabitants produce salt, all operations are manual, tons and tons of small kitchen size packs of salt, dried, ground and packed manually.
Salt package sealing
We have stayed in hotel made of salt, with beds, chairs and tables made of salt.
Next couple of days we were visiting lagunas with flamingoes and lamas, seen hundreds of vicunas (anoter modification of guanaco), fox, stragle looking rabbits, birds, canons, mountains, volcanoes, small indigenous villages with happy kids and adults who actually notice you, friendly and helful people unlike in horrible Uyuni-town.
It was sad when the tour was over, hated coming back to the town. So we left rapidly for Potosi.
I miss the Solar, I have enjoyed our so carefully selected tour, despite the fact that carwas nothing like the one we have seen at the office door a day before our tour started.
Lesson learnt: it does not matter what company you are going with, chances are that few tours would be combined as there are not enought people, the car will belong to a driver who is contractor, hotel choice would depend on availability at the moment of checking in and where the night catches you. The most important is the group and the driver. We were quite lucky with both, n'est pas, Sophie?
More photos are in picasa, sophie promised to add hers too. One box ticked, one to go.
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