Salar de Uyuni

  Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
Thursday, March 29, 2007

Salar de Uyuni in Southwest Bolivia is the world's largest salt flat - it covers 12,000 square kilometers at an elevation of over 3,600m.  It was part of a prehistoric salt lake called Lago Minchin which covered most of the area.  As the elevation of the land gradually increased along with the Andes the area became drier and eventually burned the entire lake off.

What remains is one of the most stunning and otherworldly places I've been to date.

It's pretty typical for backpackers cruising through this region to book a three or four day 4WD tour including highlights from the tri-border and the famous Salar.  The whole thing is very similar to the tour I did from Lhasa to Kathmandu.  I was lucky to run into three others who seemed tour-worthy the night before I wanted to leave and we all prepared for four days of dirt roads at high altitude.  Duncan and Amanda are 30 y/o Ozzies on their way to Canada for a 12-month working holiday.  Felix is a 22 y/o Brit who's traveling a bit before returning to the UK for a new job.  Most groups include six or as many as seven people but the four of us were happy to pay a little more for more room.  We met our driver and cook at 9AM and set off (no, we were not spoiled westerners...every tour brings someone to cook as the area is so remote that we would otherwise starve!).

I've heard Southwest Bolivia referred to as the "Tibet of South America" and now I know why.  The scenery at altitude was stunning and in many ways similar to the higher-altitude regions we traversed in Tibet.  On the whole, I'd have to tip my hat to Bolivia.  I'm not sure what I previously imagined when someone referred to a "painted desert" but I now have an image permanently in place.  The time-worn land formations and diverse mineral deposits create landscapes that are surreal.  One area has been dubbed the Dali Desert and it's justified...throw in a few melting clocks and you're there!

The pinnacle of the 4-day journey through the wild west was the time spent in the Salar itself.  STUNNING.  Truly one of the unique places that I've been on the planet.  The almost scientific description I gave above doesn't adequately describe the area.  Because the rainy season recently ended, the endless salt flat is partially covered by a thin layer of water that creates indescribable illusions. This, of course, is also the reason to take a bunch of really stupid photos!  I hope a few of the pictures may help paint the picture:

23 Salar

29 Salar

26 Salar

26A Salar

The past few days have been a great reminder of why I enjoy traveling.  The things seen have been exciting and so unique that they are difficult to describe; the travelers met and traveled with were interesting and fun.  What more could I ask?