We had a great train ride to Uyuni, getting to know Chris and Corina, enjoying our free snack and coke and me getting the whole carriage joining in on completing my crossword book. Much more fun than the antics that very morning getting our tickets!! The scenery was also spectacular and well woth the extra money compared to the bus ticket. Moreover we later learnt the road was unpaved and some other travellers had to get out and push their bus when it got stuck in the mud!

We hadnt been able to book any accomodation in Uyuni for that night due to our last minute dealings so on arriving at 10.40pm, we hurried around the square seeking shelter for the night. Unfortunately the place Ash and I had booked for the following night was full but all 4 of us managed to get into the third place we tried which was cheap but cheerful I guess. They were very reluctant to give toilet paper as standard which was becoming the norm in Bolivia! Ash and I settled for the dorm (this ended up being 14 beds in a room no bigger than your average living room) whilst Chris and Corina managed to get a double room which ended up being a double bed! It was a bed and that was the main thing.

We had an eventful start to the day the following morning as Ash found someones money belt with passport and over 500 euros under his bed! A young lad had left only 10 minutes before we got up and so Ash spoke to a few people in the dorm and got some kind of idea he was going to catch a bus. He headed off to try and locate this guy whilst the rest of us sat hungry hoping he would find him as we had no idea what to do with it. Ash retured 20 minutes later with no joy. We decided to take it with us as we knew the hostel would more than likely have the money and checked into our new place whilst thinking over what we were to do. Ash and Chris decided to go back to the bus station one more time to check as we were told his bus wouldnt leave until 10am, whilst Corina and I went back to the original hostel in case he showed up back there. In the end the boys found him and he was one lucky, very happy German! Thats one good deed done for the day.

All of us really hungry as we hadnt manged to find anywhere open the previous night so we raced to the famous '"Minuteman'' restaurant where we had heard served a mean breakfast. Although it was 5 GBP (expensive in Bolivia) we all thoroughly enjoyed the pancakes, fresh coffee, bread, cereals, fresh fruit, the works!! It was even Ashs favourite... all you can eat!! The rest of our day was spent talking to different agencies about Salar trips and deciding which one we should go for which took some time but we were happy in the end. Red Planet is was to be. The day was finished off in Minuteman again, each of us enjoying his home made pizzas. Bolivia was starting to feel better by the second....