Salar de Uyuni
Written: Dec 31 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Incredibly Beautiful
Cons: The alititude can be rough
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| BillyBrown's Full Review: Bolivia |
South-Western Bolivia is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. The Altiplano between the Chilean border and Uyuni in Bolivia offers stark and spectacular mountains, multi-colored lakes, and odd geological formations combined with clear, blue, endless skies; and there are a number of tour companies who can take you through this austere and forbidding wilderness. The tours start in Uyuni or in San Pedro de Atacama in Chile, and can be booked in either location or in Potosí, Bolivia. The prices when I went (early 2000) were from $60 to $70, and included everything except your personal drinking water. You can sign up for a fourth day if you would like to be returned to the city from which you left.
You ride in Toyota Land Cruisers and really don’t walk very much. In the beginning I thought I would like to hike around more, but if you are not used to moving around at over 13,000 feet, taking it easy is a good idea. My truck was full of healthy young adults and everyone was taking a nap like babies by four o-clock the first day. The guides I saw all spoke only Spanish and Quechua, but the bilingual people in the group translated. Keep in mind, though, that the tour is for scenery, and the explanations are hard to pay attention to when you are constantly amazed by the view. Coming from Chile, the first day focuses on the multi-colored lakes (there is a blue lake, a green lake, and a red lake), tinted by minerals and algae. The algae and other minute creatures are food for the flocks of flamingos who add a strangely tropical twist to the bare gravel ground, thin air, and freezing wind.
We slept in dorm-like buildings on the shore of the Red Lake (Laguna Colorada). The second day we saw bubbling sulfurous mud pits, huge wind-carved rocks, and slept in a small town called San Juan. The focus of the last day is the Salar de Uyuni (the Uyuni Salt Flat). The Salar is a the remains of a giant lake, and while miles and miles of salt pan can sound boring, it is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in my life and I wish I could go back today.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
BillyBrown
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Reviews written: 7
Trusted by: 1 member
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