WOW Bolivia!

29-03-06
Day 29
Uyuni, Bolivia

Sunday morning, ready to start the 3 day tour into the Salar de Uyuni; an Irish girl who is supposed to join the group begins to feel sick vomiting several times; her friend gets an injection from the chemist: bad idea, as she is allergic to that injection the poor girl starts to find loads of difficulty in breathing properly. She is choking and stifling... Panic! Fast, fast, call the chemist, get a nurse address, find the only doctor in town, bring the girl to the hospital (thanks God there's an hospital), tell the doctor (in Spanish) what's just happened... After three hours she's feeling better in spite of having had food intoxication, altitud sickness and an anaphylactic shock.

Monday morning, now we are really ready to explore the southwest of Bolivia: over 3,600 meters above the sea level, with a vast extension of 10,582 Km2, lies the brightest spot visible from space: the one and only Salar de Uyuni.
Another planet to discover, the largest white desert in the world seems to expand itself until it blends with the sky. It keeps in its territory natural wonders such as the fascinating coloured lagoons, exotic rocky formations, diversity of animals strolling in their own intact natural environment, volcanic craters and fumaroles that emit spouts of gas and superheated steam reaching up to 100 meters in height.
This semi-deserted region and the surrounding volcanic mountains, exhibit a landscape of extraordinary natural beauty. The first day ventures firstly to Cochani, an area of the salt flats where ice cold healing water bubbles through the salt originating from an underground river caused by Tunupa volcano. The trip is then made over the seeminglessly endless expanse of the Salar; the second day involves moving through the desert of Siloli, an area of true zen like tranquility. Here I saw the famous Arbol de Piedra (Stone Tree); from here into Laguna Colorada Park; this lake measures 52 Km in circumference and glows red in the day light with a huge chunk of Borax and something like 30,000 resident flamingos. Day three takes first of all to some natural geisers; feel free to touch the steam but don't breath it in unless you like sulphur! The next stop is the hot springs where it's possible to take a dip to warm your soul naturally. Drink coffee immersed in the springs, overlooking the Laguna Challviri, not such a bad life! Then the day involves a longish drive back to Uyuni through startling scenery, where on route you will get to see a Borax refinery and also the amazing train graveyard just outside of Uyuni itself.
After all this I'm back in town incredibly tired but with hundreds of pictures and memories of one of the most stunning place I've ever seen!