Bolivia - Salar de Uyuni

This trip was always billed as one of the highlights of our 6 month holiday. Several friends had been to the Salar - a 10,000 km sq salt lake - and told us how amazing it was, so we hoped it would like up to our high expectations. Just about every tour operator in San Pedro offered a trip to Uyuni (and as every other dwelling appeared to be a tour operator, that's a lot of choice) We went with Colque Tours on recommendation from our hostel - amazingly only $55 each for 4 days. Believe me this is really cheap for Chile, but as we were to find out, there were no airs and graces on this trip, it was pretty rough and rugged. Our bus climbed out of Chile into Bolivia, and immediately you felt you were in a completely different part of South America, with the added altitude (we were always at 4000 mts +), the totally barren landscape, and Bolivian border control being somewhat relaxed compared to the rigors of Chile. After a brekkie of coca tea (to try to fend off altitude sickness) we met our traveling companions for the next 3 days in the back of a Toyota Landcrusier. We had our fingers crossed we'd all get on as we were to travel and live at very close quarters. We got lucky - 2 Norwegian students with unpronounceable names (we called them Thor which they liked), Eric from Belgium and Irish Blon (who also works in media in London so we knew a few people in common) - all a brilliant laugh, apart from one of the Norwegians Olympian snoring on the 1st night. So with our driver and guide Felipe, we set off on a 3 day adventure across Martian like terrain, passing volcanic lakes of green and red with 1,000s of Flamingoes feeding, boiling hot Geysers spitting molten mud out of the centre of the earth at 4900 mts above sea level (we were careful not to get too close the edge and go the way of some unfortunate tourists in the past - a nasty way to die), and a pleasant dip in hot springs before lunch - all this on the 1st day, which included a puncture (and no spare!) which an impromptu game of Boules to pass the time. We spent the night in a hamlet called Villa Mar - an odd name as the sea was a life time away from the inhabitants. We did get drawn into a game of football with the local lads, who quite literally ran rings around us Gringos, as breathing was hard enough there without chasing these 14 year olds around. We kept the score to a respectable 2-1 , and then bought the post-match Cokes before collapsing into bed. Bugger all sleep - not entirely due to the Norwegian snores, but the altitude just made for an uncomfortable night - dry throat etc. Day 2 was all about rocks, and more rocks. From Inca fortresses and rock paintings, to bizarre rock formations shaped by years of erosion and a huge Canyon with an implausible river running thru it. Our 'luxurious' accommodation for the night meant a room to ourselves -but no electricity until 9pm - but it did make the sunset over the Salar (salt lake) all the more impressive. But it was the last day which was the real treat - driving the 4WD over the endless white of the Salar - formed after the ice age and truly the most unique landscape you could ever see. Felipe even managed to get the Landcruiser into 4th gear for the 1st time in 3 days as we sped across the salt towards Fish Island - on all tour parties intineries and so popular some local entrepreneur has even built a burger bar. We put our sudden craving for meat to one side ( it had been veggie soup and rice for 2 days) and climbed to the top of the island amid enormous 12 mt high Cacti and took it all in. After a visit to the Salt Hotel - everything, tables and chairs included, made out of salt - and passing the local salt miners literally sweeping up the stuff into lorries (not a fun job and until there is a world wide salt crisis, not well paid) we ended our tour in the town of Uyuni - our 1st taste of a Bolivian town of any size, and with power supply. For the other 4 in the van this was the end of the line, for us and Felipe we were back in the 4WD for a 12 hr trip back to Chile. All in all an incredible experience that no trip to Bolivia would be complete without. Photos tell the complete story: http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/stokes_richard2004/album?.dir=c919&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//uk.photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos