I'll start off by apologising that there are no photos for this blog entry, but I stupidly left my memory card and reader in an internet cafe in Sucre and it wasn't there when I realise and went back to get it.
We awoke on day three to a breakfast of pancakes - what a start to the day! We set off to see the famous tree rock, which seems to be one of the most photographed rocks in Bolivia (it's on every poster and postcard). We jumped out of the jeep for a quick photo, but didn't hang around as the wind was biting. We then drove past a few small lakes before another stop at a lake with flamingos. Here we found out from our driver that flamingos sleep standing on one leg in case the water freezes at night. If this happened, they'd be able to break the ice with their free leg.
We drove past a volcano (which we were assured wasn't about to erupt as it had snow on top) and stopped for some lunch at some weirdly shaped rocks. The afternoon was spent driving across a small salt flat, which had a train track running right across it. After a long day driving, we were relieved to arrive at the salt hostel, especially as it was the first chance for a hot shower since the start of the trip (even if it did cost a pound). After a lovely shower, we had another quiet evening of cards and chatting although, unfortunately, without a fire. Luckily we were at a lower altitude so it was not quite as cold.
Day four was a surprise as we woke up to a thick layer of snow. Now, you'd think that this shouldn't really make any difference to the view on the white salt, but the depth of the snow meant that we couldn't leave early to see the sunrise over the flats, at one point there was even talk of us being stranded in the salt hostel for another night! Eventually we set off about 9am (so glad we got up at 5am) and headed across the salt flats. The snow ensured we had a very different sight from most people visiting the same area, and the white salt, white sky, and blue tinged mountains were really quite beautiful, we even managed to take some of the famous perspective photos on the salt.
After numerous photo opportunities, and a quick visit to the salt museum, we took a very bumpy road to Uyuni. Our dreams of treating ourselves to a bit of luxury were shattered as we drove through the town, it didn't look like that would be an option. Before being dropped off, we headed to the train cemetery. This could have been quite mundane in normal weather, but the snow made it really beautiful.
Our drivers dropped us off at a budget hotel in Uyuni. Only after checking in did I discover that all the clothes in my backpack were damp from the snow, and there was no heating in the hotel. I tried to find a laundrette to dry my clothes, but they only offered full wash and dry services. Feeling very cold, tired and frustrated, I decided to have a nap. However, when I woke up even colder, I decided to cut my losses and find a hotel that had heating. As I'd only paid £3 for the first hotel, I wasn't going to lose mush, Luckily, I found a hotel just round the corner which had a heater for only £3.50, so I moved there and spread my clothes out to dry. I was able to go out for dinner, and enjoy a comfortable sleep before getting on a bus to Potosi the next day.
No comments:
Post a Comment