Day 25 - Puerto Chubica-Atulcha to Uyuni (Day 4 of Salar de Uyuni Tour) & a night bus to La Paz

We were all up at 4:30am as the plan (I thought) was to see the sun rising over Incahuasi Island, however it turned out we were just going to watch the sun rise over the salt lake itself. It was quite cold when we stepped out onto the salt lake at 6am; but it was amazing to be standing on the largest salt lake in the world whilst the sun was slowly rising.

Salar De Uyuni

Salar De Uyuni

Salar De Uyuni

After taking a few photographs we then made our way to Incahuasi Island, here we had our breakfast which included some cake (baked by Javier’s sister?) which was great and just what we all needed. We spent about an hour and a half exploring this wonderful island before heading off on foot along the salt lake before Javier picked us up.

Incahuasi Island

Incahuasi Island

Incahuasi Island

After driving for a while along the salt lake, Javier then stopped and told us we had about an hour to take some crazy photographs! Javier also showed us a small hole in the lake and we were all amazed when he showed us the amazing crystals that form underneath. I decided to break a piece off as a souvenir!

Salar De Uyuni

Salar De Uyuni

Salar De Uyuni

Salt Crystals under the Salar De Uyuni

We then carried on further long the salt lake and stopped at the Salt Hotel, which was a bit of an anti-climax, (I am not sure why we really bothered). Further on we spotted the amazing piles of salt drying out before being exported, which made for some dynamic photographs.

Salar De Uyuni

Salt Hotel on the Salar De Uyuni

Salt Hotel on the Salar De Uyuni

Salt Piles on the Salar De Uyuni

We finally stopped at the salt craft market for a walk around before having lunch together. It was here that Javier presented us with a survey to fill out; asking our thoughts on how we thought the four days went! Clearly we all had a lot to say and so we let Joanne do all the writing, she managed to fill the back of the survey as well! When we handed it back to Javier he clearly looked a little concerned, and later when we were driving to the train cemetery he asked us what we had wrote. We tried to tell him that what we wrote was addressed at the company and not at him; although we got the impression he didn't really believe us.

When we arrived at the train cemetery we all had a good look around and it was I, Frasier and Joanne who were back at the vehicle first. Daniel and Rob continued to mess about, even when Javier hooted his horn they just continued to ignore him and I don't think he was too impressed. (I think Javier was keen to get back to Tupiza as soon as possible.)

The Train Cemetery in Uyuni

The Train Cemetery in Uyuni

The Train Cemetery in Uyuni

When we were finally dropped off in Uyuni, we decided to have a 'whip-round' for Javier. However when we all shook his hand it was clear something was bothering him. He obviously thought we complained about him on the survey, and so he chose not to accept our money and quickly drove off! I thought it was such a shame.

We then all said our goodbyes, although we knew we would probably bump into each other in town over the next few hours! Frasier and Joanne were catching a bus to Chile later in the afternoon. Rob and Daniel parted, (Rob appeared to want to keep in contact with Daniel, but I don't think Daniel was so keen!) Rob was staying the night in Uyuni before heading to Potosi, Daniel was a little indecisive about heading back to La Paz. I headed off in search of Amazonas and TAM as I wanted to see if I could fly out of Uyuni today and then onwards to Rurrenebaque?

I was told by Amazonas there was a flight to La Paz later in the afternoon, but I would have to catch a flight to Rurrenebaque on the following day. TAM weren't even flying out to La Paz today. I decided the money it would have cost me just wasn't worth it & thought the night bus back to La Paz would be my best option. Whilst heading back out of the town, I bumped into Frasier and Joanne and had a chat and we all agreed it was a shame about Javier not accepting our money. I bid them farewell and a safe trip to Chile.

I booked my ticket to La Paz on the 8pm bus (80 Bolivianos) and then made my way to the nearby 'Uyuni Hostal' and asked if I could have a room for 3 hours. The lady owner agreed at a price of 20 Bolivianos. She showed me one of the most depressing rooms I have stayed at whilst being in Bolivia!

I popped out for something to eat and then headed back to the hotel for a shower and some rest. The shower was locked and I had to ask the lady to unlock it, she subsequently told me not to take any more than five minutes! We had a small argument and I ignored her and took ten minutes!

My bus was ready to leave at 8pm and I spotted Daniel jumping on board and sitting near the front. However later he was told to move and ended up sitting in front of me, where we exchanged a few words.

I must have slept quite a bit as the journey did not seem to take that long, we stopped half way for about twenty minutes for coffee and a quick bite to eat.

Day 24 - Huajllajara to Puerto Chubica-Atulcha (Day 3 of Salar de Uyuni Tour)

We had pancakes for breakfast which was a welcome change; however nothing could really help with the obvious atmosphere that surrounded the team. Personally I was just glad to be on the move and was looking forward to the tour ending.  Whilst loading our bags onto the vehicle we were introduced to Javier's friends, although when we did finally leave we didn't exactly leave in convoy!

Our first destination was the Laguna Colorado again, and it was wonderful to see it at sunrise. On my return to the vehicle Rob made a comment suggesting I took too long walking around the lake, and that we had to be careful as the other vehicles would get ahead of us and we would have no backup! I just told him we were surrounded by other vehicles and there was no need to worry, which was true as it was obvious on this stretch of the tour there were many more tourists around. Rob never said anything, and it basically just made matters worse between us.

Lagunda Colorada

Lagunda Colorada

The desert of Siloli

The Stone Tree in the desert of Siloli

We stopped for lunch near Mt. Ollague where Javier did wonders with some chicken and salad. After lunch we visited quite a few more Lagunas where I basically explored them all by myself whilst interacting with Frasier and Joanne,  and hardly speaking with Rob or Daniel as I really couldn't be bothered. I helped Fraser and Joanne capture some funny photographs when we reached Salar De Chiguana along the rail track which was all good fun!

Mt. Ollague

Laguna Honda

Laguna Honda

Laguna Honda

Laguna Hedionda

Laguna Hedionda

Laguna Characota

Laguna Canapa

Salar De Chiguana

Salar De Chiguana

Our final sight for the day was the bizarre Necropolis at San Juan (10 Bolivianos). I wasn't sure what I really made of this very strange graveyard, with the remains of some of the corpses being displayed, however it was pleasant enough just walking around.

San Juan - Necropolis

San Juan - Necropolis

We finally reached our accommodation for the night on the edges of the Salar de Uyuni salt lake in Puerto Chubica-Atulcha, which was a hotel made from salt which was actually very cool (especially the entrance area). We were all together again in one room with the beds made of salt and the floor also covered in salt.

Javier mentioned that he had to help a friend fix his car and that lunch would be served at 8:30pm which I thought was a little late especially as we were told we had to be up at 4:45am the following morning! He had obviously asked for some help from another cook on another team to prepare our meal, (which we later learned was his sister). Conversation at the dinner table was ok, although Rob started taking the piss out of Daniel, and basically talked a load of shite! (A couple of glasses of wine was all that was needed!) Nothing was mentioned about our vehicle, which was strange as we were never really travelling in convoy with Javier's friends after all! (There were plenty of tourists and vehicles about however.)  I gave up waiting for my dessert  at 10pm and went to bed!

Downside of the funky salt hotel was that there was only one shower and you had to pay 10 Bolivianos to use it!

*I know that I have mentioned visiting Laguna Hedionda today as well as yesterday, which I admit is a little misleading! However after looking back at my four day print-out of the tour supplied by the company it does actually state that we visited Laguna Hedionda on two separate days!? Clearly a typo I suspect. If anybody looking at my pictures or indeed has done the same tour with 'Hostal Valle Hermoso' then feel free to enlighten me!

Day 23 - San Antonio De Lipez to Huajllajara (Day 2 of Salar de Uyuni Tour)

We were all up at 5:30am and had our breakfast which consisted of stale bread and jam with coffee and tea which wasn’t particularly great for only our second day! We finally left just before 7am after loading all our bags on the top of the vehicle. We decided we would rotate the seating arrangements during the day so everybody had a fair share of the front seat and the middle seats (as the back seats were a little cramped).

Our first visit was the 'Ghost Town' at an altitude of 4690 metres which was nice to walk around early in the morning. Unfortunately just before we arrived at Lake Morejon we had a puncture; however Javier managed to change the wheel in about 30 minutes.

The 'Ghost Town' (at an altitude of 4690 metres)

Puncture!

Lake Morejon

Soon we were exploring more lakes and Lagunas before finally stopping for lunch. I was a little surprised we did not have a stove with us as it would have been nice to have had a hot drink, rather than just water and coke! Javier did however take great pride in preparing our food for us.

At Laguna Hedionda we punctured again, but luckily there was a couple of other vehicles with us as well and the drivers were able to give Javier a helping hand. As we had already used the spare wheel we now had to change the inner tube, so rather ingeniously one of the other drivers rode over the tyre to release it from the rim, and it was then replaced with a new inner tube!  It was all very entertaining for us to watch and before too long we were on our way again.

Another puncture! (Laguna Hedionda)

Laguna Hedionda

Laguna Hedionda

Laguna Hedionda

Unfortunately when we reached Kollpa Laguna we punctured yet again! And it was the same wheel?  We had only been driving for about 10 minutes after leaving Laguna Hedionda and so we were either very unlucky or the original puncture wasn't repaired properly? (I do remember seeing the inner tube being 'pinched' when it was replaced?) Javier clearly looked a little frustrated, and so we all offered to help. After some time Javier eventually just replaced the wheel with the original one, and just pushed in the screw (that had actually caused the puncture in the first place) and pumped the tyre up and was clearly hoping it would stay up!

Kollpa Laguna

Once we all jumped back into the vehicle there was clearly a lot of concern. Daniel wanted to stay the night at Kollpa Laguna (It had about 3 buildings) and wait until morning for help! By now it was about 3pm and no traffic had passed us while we were fixing the puncture. Rob was also in a kind of panic, suggesting we should cut the tour short for the day. Frasier, Joanne and I were all in agreement that we should continue as planned and when we reached our accommodation for the night, Javier could then look into fixing the spare tyre. We agreed there was an element of risk but we were confident that Javier knew what he was doing and we really did not want to miss any of the tour as we all had come a very long way and paid a lot of money. After half an hour of discussion which was all a little heated and tense, it was agreed we should carry on.

When we reached Laguna Blanca unfortunately tensions began to build up again. Rob wanted to stay the night at the nearby building and Daniel also agreed! They said it was too risky to drive south to Lagunda Verde and run the risk of puncturing again. I thought they were both over reacting a little and I made my views quite clear, and I could see they weren't impressed. Frasier, Joanne and I did not want to miss any of the sights; however after another heated debate we decided to drive only as far as the 'Rocas de Dali' and very reluctantly miss the Laguna Verde.

Rocas de Dali

On our return from 'Rocas de Dali' we stopped at the Laguna Blanca for the agreed 7 minutes dip in the hot pool as demanded by Rob and Daniel! I couldn't be bothered to change my clothes and so just dipped my feet in the water, whilst the others all had a proper dip. Already in the pool was a Dutch cyclist who had cycled from Peru, and so Rob was obviously keen to talk with him. After about 25 minutes both Rob and Daniel managed to drag themselves out of the pool and back to the vehicle! Tense discussions started again, both Rob and Daniel were unsure if they wanted to continue as they thought they may become stranded if we were to puncture again! However, eventually we did finally leave and it was a great relief to stop at the amazing Geysers and Fumaroles. (Concerns were put behind us, at least for a little while!)

Laguna Blanca

Geysers and Fumaroles

Geysers and Fumaroles

Geysers and Fumaroles

Geysers and Fumaroles

Geysers and Fumaroles

Our final stop of the day was Laguna Colorado which was very nice especially with the sun setting. Javier informed us we would return again in the morning. We finally reached our accommodation for the night at Huajllajara without any further punctures or arguments!

Laguna Colorado

Laguna Colorado

During our evening meal it was clear Rob and Daniel were still concerned about the 'iffy' tyre we were driving on, and the flat spare tyre we were carrying. In their defence we all agreed that Javier should be doing something to sort out the issue, so we all would be comfortable in the morning when leaving. Rob and Daniel also suggested we should stay an extra night in Huajllajara if need be, which I thought was ridiculous. Myself, Frasier and Joanne had no intentions of doing this.

At the end of our meal Javier came to see us and we let Rob speak with him to find out what his plans were for the next day as we were all concerned. He advised us he had spare inner tubes and there was nothing to worry about, (although it was clear he had done nothing to repair the spare, or the one currently with the screw pushed in!) It was also clear if we did have another puncture again Javier would need the aid of another vehicle to remove the tyre so as to replace the inner tube. Rob insisted that Javier guarantees we have another vehicle behind us at all times tomorrow. Javier informed us he had two friends that were drivers also staying the night and they would be leaving in the morning, and he would make sure they stay with us. (The Czech group were staying elsewhere!?) We were happy with this, however the conversation between Rob and Javier seemed to drag on through the night and it was clear Daniel was still a little concerned. I ended up having a small argument with Rob and Daniel which only caused more bad tension between us and later there was a misunderstanding between Rob and Frasier. In the end it was agreed we would leave in the morning with Javier's friends.

It was a very tiring and stressful day and it was quite clear the team was now split. There was myself, Frasier and Joanne with Rob and Daniel joined at the hip!

Day 22 - Tupiza to San Antonio De Lipez (Day 1 of Salar de Uyuni Tour)

I was up early for the start of my 4 day Salar de Uyuni tour, and had my breakfast with Daniel (the musician from Scotland) and the four Czechs that would be travelling in the other vehicle. The other travellers were staying in another hotel and were joining us a little later. 

We all finally set off together in two vehicles at 8:30am. In my vehicle there was Javier our driver and cook, Frasier and Joanne (a young married couple from England), Rob the Dutch guy (who spoke perfect English) and Daniel.

Our first stop was the 'Sillar Region' (moon valley) which was 13km outside of Tupiza and at 3650 metres altitude, which offered some amazing views. Shortly after this we stopped for lunch and it was here we started to get to know one another a little bit better. Daniel was a musician and entertainer living in Belgium, Frasier had recently quit his job as a trainer for the British basketball team, Joanne had taken a year out from teaching and Rob (who appeared to be the joker of the pack), had sold his recruitment business. Rob had been travelling around South America for the last 6 months, Frasier and Joanne were on a magical worldwide trip for a year with 10 months to go, and Daniel was only travelling for a similar length to myself and had travelled from Brazil, and was heading to Peru. Javier seemed a very funny man but unfortunately spoke very little English, and rather embarrassingly for all of us it was only Rob that could speak Spanish!

The Sillar (Moon Valley)

After our lunch we continued on the tour and later stopped at the village of Nazarenito where we met some lovely local children just sat around which made for some wonderful photographs, although they did want paying for the privilege! We then continued through Chilcobija, Awanapampa, Cerrillos and Polulos before reaching our accommodation for the night at San Antonio De Lipez. It was very basic; with all five of us in the same room (which is what we were really expecting).

Children in Nazarenito

Nazarenito

Nazarenito (Drying out meat)

The church in Nazarenito

Chilcobija

Awanapampa

Cerrillos or Polulos?

Whilst Javier cooked our evening meal all five of us decided to climb the nearby hill to watch the sun go down. On the way down Daniel and I stopped at a nearby sheep pen where there was a couple of local ladies tending the sheep, who didn't appear to be too happy when they saw us taking photographs! We did however manage to take a picture of one another holding a very cute lamb!

View of San Antonio De Lipez 

San Antonio De Lipez

Holding a cute lamb in San Antonio De Lipez!

We all had our evening meal together at about 8pm (which was proceeded with tea and biscuits). There was also another team of four (from another tour company), consisting of a young English couple and a young Chinese couple. It was whilst eating our dinner we realised that the other team (the four Czechs) were nowhere to be seen. We asked Javier and he informed us they were a few hours ahead as their driver was not stopping at all of the sites along the way? We all thought this was a little strange especially as last night the hotel owner had told us we would both be traveling in convoy together? (We were supposed to be sharing the cook!)

After our evening meal we were all ready for bed, however just as we were settling down for the night we had a knock on the door. Four young local boys wanted to sing for us, how could we refuse! They were truly amazing and very entertaining; we all dropped 20 Bolivianos in one of the boy’s hats which seemed to put a smile on their faces!

Children in San Antonio De Lipez

Children in San Antonio De Lipez

Children in San Antonio De Lipez

We were told by Javier we need to rise at 5:30am tomorrow morning, as it's going to be a long day!