Surrealism in Bolivia

Almost everyone who comes to Bolivia does a tour across the Salar de Uyuni- it’s one of the most unique, surreal and incredible landscapes on earth. Coloured lagoons, towering volcanic peaks, flamingos, vicunas and more than 12,00km2 of flat, white salt plains create a bizarre dreamy world where only the unbelievably brutal cold brings you back you reality!

 

We left Tupiza Tuesday morning, travelling southwest through the last of the regions crazy rock formations before climbing up to 4400m and crossing the pass to descend slowly past herds of llamas and tiny pueblitos, arriving into San Antonio de Lipez late in the afternoon. All around the village were huge snow capped peaks- which seem even bigger when you remember that you’re already over 4km above sea level.

Day two we woke up at 6am in time to see a deep pink sunrise, which was so beautiful it almost made up for the fact that it was well below zero and f-ing freezing. Our first stop was Pueblo Fantasma (Ghost Town), a village which was abandoned in 1993 after the residents heard various hauntings, which sent a few people crazy. The village had been founded by the Spanish, who kept the local population as virtual slaves as they were forced to extract the gold & silver of the surrounding hills…a fairly common theme across Bolivia. We saw viscachas bounding across the fallen walls of the old church and buildings, which helped ward off the slightly creepy feeling the destroyed village had.

 

After lunch we arrived at the Aguas Calientes (thermal springs), stripped as fast as possible and jumped in the heavenly 35 degree water. It was bizarre sitting there, sweating in the steam, with snowy mountains and a frozen lake just a few metres away.

That night we stayed at Laguna Blanca, where the wind was absolutely howling and the temperature must have dropped to around -15 or so. Even Martijn’s rum couldn’t keep the chill off.

Day three we headed to El Desierto del Dali, named after the world’s most famous surrealist and for obvious reasons- a huge sandy expanse strewn with enormous volcanic rock formations; all that was missing was a melting clock.

 

We got to visit the thermal pools again to warm up before lunch, and then continued to Sol de Manana Geysers, the highest point of the tour at 5000m. The geysers belch clouds of sulphurous gases and the bubbling mud pools reminded me of the Bog of Eternal Stench in Labrynth. Apparently some unlucky bastard fell into one of the deeper craters a few years back and was instantly incinerated- the nod to safety standards in Bolivia means that there is now a small advisory sign (which you don’t see until you have already walked all around the craters).

 

Our third night was spent on the shores of Laguna Colorada, in exactly the same hostal that I stayed in last time I did the tour! This time though, the lake looked an amazing deep red and there were hundreds of flamingos feeding at the edge. Here’s an interesting fact for you- flamingos are born a greyish-white colour and only acquire the pink tinge from the pigment of the various minerals they feed on. So the pinker a flamingo, the greedier he probably is!!

Day four we drove along a string of different lagoons, one of which was filled with very tame and relaxed flamingos, quite amazing considering how nervous they usually are. Between the four of us we must have taken a million pics of flamingos feeding, flying, prancing and preening- they are very elegant and picturesque subjects!!

 

That night we stopped in a village where they actually sold beer, and as such, we felt compelled to buy lots.

On our last day we left before dawn, driving across the Salar de Uyuni to arrive at Isla Incahuasi just in time to race to the top of the island to watch the sunrise. There are about 35 ‘islands’ spread across the Salar but Incahuasi is the favourite among tour companies & tourists for its huge and spectacular cactus, the tallest one at over 9m. As the sky brightens, the huge white expanse of the Salar becomes evident and massive cactus are silhouetted against the horizon- definitely one of the most memorable sights you will ever see.

After breakfast we played some Frisbee to warm the extremities and then headed off to take some silly pics, the flat white background ideal for distorting perspective.