Hey, you, You there!
Trip Start
Oct 23, 2006
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99
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Trip End
Apr 15, 2009
Uyuni, Bolivia
Saturday, August 18, 2007
We took advantage of an amazing view spot of rainbow colored mountains and gorges for a lunch break. Along the way many llama herds and villages busied the landscape. Some villages looked mostly abandoned and some were just a rubble of memory.
We left the rainbow mountains behind for the starking view of the salt flats an ancient lake which takes up at least 12000 sq. kms. of south western Bolivia.
We spotted Uyuni a town on the salt flats....... what a sight to see! A grey island of humanity intruding into the great expanse of white which is the Salar de Uyuni. Tourists flock here to be driven madly across this expanse which makes this town unduely expensive for what the town itself offers.
The edges of town looked like a garbage dump as there was plastic bags and bottles and other trash strewn around. I guess thats what they think of tourists.
Once again we rollied into the nearest gas station because Dom hasn't adjusted to considering the recent dent in the gas tank which alters our range somewhat.
We quickly found our home for the night on a wide cobbled boulevardtype spot in front of a hotel and military base. Beside us there was a huge overland tour bus with young people from various places of the world. We had the pleasure of meeting the couple who work as a team conducting the tours. He drives and looks after the repairs and she is the guide and makes the arrangements.
There was a festival going on here as well and I finally asked what it is. Apparently the real festival is next weekend and this weekend is preamble and practice. The marching bands entertained us for most of the evening. We enjoyed a walk around town and a meal in a busy restaurant. It was a cold evening so we were swaddled in touques and fleece.
We toured a few artisan shops and bought me an authentic knitted hat. The temptation was to get an authentic Andean touque with earflaps but I already have and often wear my authentic Calagry Hash House Harriers touque, comlete with earflaps.
Oh, and Eve got 2 new sockets to augment her tool box and Dom got a beer.
