The Salar de Uyuni: Part 2
We’ve survived the bitter cold night. The Danish boys Johannes and Valdemar have also slept well, Max is feeling a little unwell. Carlos bursts through the door in his usual animated style, enthusiastically running through today’s programme. Edwin is out in the cold, filling the fuel tank from the spare can and letting air from the Landcruiser’s tyres.
Over the course of the three days Edwin will drive over 1,100 kilometres, precious little of it on anything resembling a road. There’s dirt roads in the sand, there’s rough rocky tracks, there’s sections where two tyre tracks are the only clue as to the way – and there’s times where he leaves the tracks completely and just drives across the rough terrain. I just can’t fathom how he can navigate with such skill in the absence of any form of guidance. “Easy”, explains Carlos, “he navigates by the shape of the mountains”.
Talking of which, did you know that even a compass is no good out here? The iron and other minerals in the salt are so strong that they confuse compasses and render them useless.
Carlos is impatient and wants us to finish breakfast quickly, there’s something interesting outside. He’s right. Overnight the lake outside our window has frozen over, huge sheets of ice stretching where last night there was rippling water. The Altiplano winter is tightening its grip at speed. Edwin is ready, we pile into the Landcruiser, and we’re off. Six of us are animated, Max is quiet. He doesn’t look well.
We call in at a shallow valley where the water is in rivulets between grassy mounds, the whole place alive with wandering llamas and noisy Andean geese. Many of the rivulets are frozen now, unwieldy ice sculptures kissing the edges of pools and streams. The llamas – Carlos, like many others, always calls them “sexy llamas” – are inquisitive but keep their distance as we soak in our picturesque surroundings.
From here it’s on to an area where wind erosion has created the most improbable shapes in the rocks – dinosaurs, pillars, top heavy T-shapes – all rising from the desert as if created by hand. It’s more than fascinating to see what these piercing winds can do to the landscape. This endless series of other worldly sculptures is so extreme that the area has gained the nickname of the “Salvador Dali Desert”, and it’s easy to see why.
Incredible scenery unfolds before our eyes, never before have we seen so many different landscapes, all of which are new to us. Our Day 2 journey is one of continuous wonder, Edwin’s perfect playlists adding to the whole aura – this is one very special day. Even our lunch stop brings a delight as two unusual mammals, unused to humans and therefore not overly wary, join us to ask for scraps. These are the vizcacha, a rabbit with a fox’s tail. “The Andean kangaroo”, jokes Carlos.
And so to the flamingo lagoons. In the breeding season over 30,000 of them make this lake, or lagoon as they call them here, their home. Numbers are dwindling now as winter kicks in. Like this morning’s lagoon, ice is creeping across the surface and depriving these elegant birds of access to food – within a few days they will be gone, but for now there are enough to provide yet another thrilling experience as we watch them feed and occasionally take flight. Flamingoes on ice.
“Next”, shouts Carlos with even more energy than normal, “the Red Lagoon”. It is red indeed, so much so that when we are to pass close to the same area on Day 3, the colour reflects in the sky and turns grey clouds to pink. The red of the waters is caused by a scarlet algae which thrives only in this one lagoon of all the lakes in this vast region.
Standing here by the Red Lagoon we are surrounded by dormant volcanoes, as we have been in several places. Behind the nearest volcano is the Chile border, beneath our feet are the telltale black rocks, separated by mounds of black dust shaped into cobbles by the ever present howling wind. Volcanic activity is all too evident at our next call, where geysers blast hot water into the wind, steam clouds drift across the barren rocks and the smell of sulphur fills the air.
Boy it’s getting cold again now that darkness is falling. This area, in winter, can see some of the largest temperature sweeps in the world, as temperatures sometimes drop more than 35 degrees centigrade from daytime highest to overnight lows. It feels like it’s doing it now, the steam of the geysers isn’t hiding either the biting wind or the icy air.
“OK”, says Carlos, “now we go to the RUSTIC accommodation, and we have special dinner. After dinner when it’s really COLD, we’re going into the water”. What did he just say?
Sure enough, around 10pm, we strip down to our swimsuits and walk out into the night air. It’s about minus 6 but the wind chill is seriously nasty. Of course, it’s a pool of the water from the hot springs we’re stepping into, and we’re about to add yet another magical experience to this incredible journey. Wallowing in the hot water – though with freezing cold heads – we gaze at the night sky. With utterly zero light pollution out here, stars fill the darkness, constellations and the Milky Way clearly visible. Even more spectacular, incredibly vivid shooting stars jet across the sky in a celestial firework display. It’s so magical that we stay there wallowing for close to an hour.
Oh God it’s cold when we get out and trudge the 200 yards or so back to our room. It’s called a “refuge” and it’s undeniably RUSTIC. The 2-hour window for electricity has passed, there’s no light, no heating, no hot water. The wind howls outside like a soundtrack from an Arctic expedition. This time we don’t sleep quite so well, it’s so COLD and RUSTIC. Boy is it worth it.
Day 3, Wednesday, things have changed. The blue skies have gone, heavy cloud hangs over the Altiplano, the wind has become nuclear with a chill factor of minus several billion. We can see snow falling on higher ground. Wow it looks bleak. Our last call as the Gang Of Seven is at the aptly named Green Lagoon, where we have a team photo which probably ranks as our coldest ever shot. In this wind, we don’t hang around: Carlos tells us that with wind chill it’s minus 15 right here right now.
We head instead to the Chile border, and bid farewell to Johannes and Valdemar as they make their way towards Santiago, while we turn back towards Uyuni via a few more amazing sights. The Valle de las Rocas, Valley Of Rocks, is another mind boggling collection of towers eroded into crazy shapes by the buffeting winds over millennia, where once again we are amazed by Mother Nature’s creations. Max, fading quickly with a travel tummy on a food poisoning scale, can’t face any more cold and stays in the Landcruiser. We need to get him somewhere warm.
But there’s one last call before that, the little market town of San Cristobal. In this incredible cold and this barraging, freezing wind, street traders sit on the ground hawking vegetables or whatever, seemingly impervious to the weather. This is a seriously harsh climate in which to live, but we guess they’ve been here since birth, so it’s their normal. “The wind is here now until November”, says Carlos, “and it will get much worse than this”. Ugh. As if to echo our “ugh”, our first snow flurry kisses our faces with flakes. Let’s move on, back to town.
Uyuni has been spared the cloud but not the wind. As we trundle through the streets, the town is in the grip of a sand storm, visibility down to poor and the word “dustbowl” screaming from every corner. Our hotel and our main backpacks are just down the road. So is a hot shower.
Max looks so rough, feels so weak. Go and get warm, Max, hole up for a couple of days. “I can’t”, he says, “I’m on the night bus tonight”. Oh Max we feel for you.
Embraces with Edwin and Carlos follow, these are seriously good, hard working guys. They thoroughly deserve the decent tip we hand over.
It’s so good to be warm again. But this has been three days which will live in our memories for ever, three days filled with the most incredible moments, the most wonderful sights, more once in a lifetime experiences than you could ever imagine fitting into 60-odd hours.
It has been the very essence of travel. What an amazing, wonderful world we live in.
36 Comments
Eha Carr
‘What an amazing, wonderful world we love in’ . . . the only words one can utter after your numbers 1 and 2 are ‘Thank you from the bottom of my heart’! Do hope Max will be OK . . .
Phil & Michaela
It was soooo good. Terrific three days in the midst of a fabulous journey
Steven and Annie Berger
Great stories and pictures. I have never been as cold as I was during that 3 day tour – and we were there in November! Can’t even imagine what you went through.
Stay safe,
Steve
Phil & Michaela
Very cold but worth every second, fabulous experience!
Lynette d'Arty-Cross
We certainly do! The cold – like the heat, too – is all relative. I remember January temperatures in the -40s when I lived in the subarctic (although my work frequently took over the Arctic Circle, too) but I had the right clothes and really never felt it all that much.
A fascinating post, Phil, and thanks for including pictures of the fox-tailed rabbits! Beautifully severe landscapes; your photos are stunning. I hope Max improved; it’s awful to be sick while travelling. Cheers.
Phil & Michaela
It’s only really cold overnighters which are difficult, the rest is fine with the right gear. But if it’s the only way to get the experience then it’s well worth putting up with!
Monkey's Tale
I remember how strong those winds can be. They almost ripped off the van door at Green Lake. I’ve loved seeing these sites again with you guys, I agree it’s one of our favourite experiences in the world.
Phil & Michaela
Definitely, we will never forget those three days, a really magical experience
Travels Through My Lens
What an absolutely incredible adventure.
Toonsarah
Such amazing and varied landscapes! Unsurprisingly given how close you were to the border, most of these scenes echo similar ones we saw in the Atacama (rock formations, lagoons, geysers, flamingos) whereas the salt flats of your first day on the tour looked pretty unique and very unlike their Chilean equivalent 😲 I don’t remember being that cold in Chile apart from when we had a very early start to visit the geysers!
Phil & Michaela
Terrific, Sarah – if you do venture to Bolivia next year, this trip is well worth doing
Helen Devries
That’s a beautiful and terrifying place.
Phil & Michaela
Terrifying? Why so?
Helen Devries
The desolation.
Phil & Michaela
It’s definitely that, but what a wonderful part of the World to visit.
ourcrossings
This is such a fascinating post, as are your adventures. I love how the world’s largest salt flat offers stunning, otherworldly landscapes. It’s good to learn that the weather can be extreme and require preparation. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
Phil & Michaela
It really is a unique and magnificent place, well worth going through the hoops to have the experience
Anonymous
Beautiful… Green Lagoon looks stunning!!!
Phil & Michaela
It was all pretty stunning in loads of ways!
Terry Christopherson
I learned something from this. I am a longtime wilderness compass navigator, but I did not know there were places with such iron etc. deposits that rendered them useless. Up here in the north I could use my watch in that situation, I am guessing you can do the same there?
Phil & Michaela
I don’t know the answer to that, I’m afraid, Terry. Sorry!
Terry Christopherson
I have been to the southern hemisphere many times, so far have not figured out how to use the watch simply to find direction. In the northern hemisphere if you point the little hand of the watch (standard not summer time) at the sun, then south is halfway between it and twelve.
normareadtalktalknet
Incredible to read and amazingly beautiful scenery …
Phil & Michaela
Fabulous place, amazing experiences!
Heyjude
Stunning landscapes and photos too – kudos to Michaela. Love how she captured the flamingos and the Vicuña in threes. Perfect! What an incredible tour, one you will never forget. I’m beginning to regret that I never did do the South American journey I was going to do 20 years ago. But life got in the way as it often does.
Phil & Michaela
Yes it does. Everything we’ve seen of South America so far just makes us want more. Such incredible variety let alone all the other wow factors.
WanderingCanadians
Wild to hear that a compass doesn’t work out there due to the iron and other minerals in the salt. I still can’t get over how stunning and varied the landscape is – the icy lagoon, Red Lagoon, Green Lagoon, interesting rock formations and geysers. And you got to see a bunch of wildlife. And the Milky Way. I must visit the Salar de Uyuni someday.
Phil & Michaela
Without doubt one of THE most amazing places we’ve visited anywhere on Earth.
wetanddustyroads
You just put Salar de Uyuni slap-bang on our radar – it is incredibly beautiful. One (or more) of these photos should be enlarged and hung in a prominent place in your home! And a rabbit with a long tail like a squirrel – weird! I would take rustic any day when I can be in such a stunning place (with all my jackets and more of course). Oh, poor Max 😞 – he missed out big time!
Phil & Michaela
Yep, definitely worth any hardship,or discomfort to get to see incredible unique places like these huh
grandmisadventures
I can’t get over the wild and varied landscapes- each of them look epic and beautiful. The rock formations do give a certain Salvador Dali vibe
Phil & Michaela
If you can take the cold wind, it really is one of the World’s most amazing places to visit
Annie Berger
A fabulous, fabulous post with Michaela’s brilliant photos, Phil. You outdid yourself this time. The text and photos brought back great memories of our own trip, but thank God, we didn’t have the bitterly cold temperatures you did.
Phil & Michaela
Wow thank you, Annie. Well, we survived both the cold and the altitude and came away with fantastic memories. What an incredible place. What a wonderful world.
Lookoom
Reading your words and looking at your photos, I found myself back several years in similar conditions. Altitude, cold, wind, sunlight, precarious nights – these are the ingredients of a trip to South Lipez, like a waking dream in incredible landscapes. Of all the trips we make, these days/nights in this region leave an indelible mark high up in our memories. Yet another great experience in this part of the world.
Phil & Michaela
Really fabulous experience, as you say, one we’ll remember for ever