We set off early from San Pedro de Atacama and made our way to the Bolivian border by bus, when the tarmacked road turned to bumpy gravel we knew we were close. The border post was small and innocuous. The air was thin and our breathing was laboured but we were just about to enter the Bolivian altiplano, a huge expanse of Andean plateau at an average height of nearly 4000m.
There are no roads going to our destination, Uyuni, so after getting our stamp into Bolivia everybody was unloaded off the bus and split into groups of 6, the 4x4 we were about to enter was to be ours for the next 3 days.
The first stop was to see the altiplano lakes.
Laguna Blanca
This salt lake has a characteristic white hue which gives it its name
Laguna Verde
As we guessed this lake has a green tinge, in the background is an active volcano which if you are brave enough you can climb. At nearly 6000m it surely couldn’t be fun.
Desert of Dali
This surreal landscape is named after the famous painter Salvador Dali, it’s not hard to see why. If you have ever seen any of his paintings then you instantly get the connection.
And so we carried on the journey
Thermal Spring
The next stop on the agenda is a thermal spring, although everyone in our group decides against going in.
Geyser Sol de Manana
Despite the high altitude the alitplano is one of the most active landscapes in the world. Surrounded by volcanoes it’s not surprising that you can witness the geological activity first hand. The ground is hot and sulphurous with bubbling mud, releasing hot gases which gives it the name “geyser”.
Laguna Colorado
This lake is coloured by red sediments and red algae which a huge flock of pink flamingos are constantly filtering through their systems. We spend some time here before heading to our evening’s accommodation.
We spent the night with the rest of our group eating, and drinking a few beers before heading to a cold and damp room, which we shared with the rest of the group to sleep, the coldness of the desert night was amplified as Leanne was given a new nickname ‘blanket stealer’.
