Bolivia and the Salt Flats

I leave Chile in a Jeep - a 4x4, huddled with 2 French couples, a British Russian and Alberto our Bolivian and trusted driver/guide... who does not speak a word of English! Commencing our 3 day tour of the Salt Flats, heading towards Uryni, Bolivia.

Our journey begins; towards the Chilean border crossing... approx 1 minute from where we were picked up; but where we had to wait approximately an hour or so... much to the dismay of the British Russian!! Her impatience was to be proven on more than one occasion, much to the annoyance of the rest of us! Having spent a good few months in South America, I had now grown akin to the laid back lifestyle... where queuing and waiting is much a pastime as it is a chore! But hey ho.... that's the way it is... and I'm content with that... probably symbolic of my much laid back approach to life in general. They have a better attitude to life than we will ever have... 'we' refering to us westerners.. living a fast paced lifestyle and creating our own stresses and misery.... when hey... what's the rush! If we didn't put so much pressure on ourselves, then we'd be a far happier and healthier nation! However, spending time in South America had not had the same affect on everybody... or could it be that I did actually possess an ounce of patience in the first place... in comparison. To those who know me... I can be a little impatient... but on more than one occasion, I was told by fellow Brits abroad... I had the patience of a saint!! Now that is something to write home about!!

Anyhow... back to the trip and to the 3-day tour! Wow... what an experience! OK - Alberto did not understand a word of English; whilst my Spanish was poor; as was that of the others! But somehow; we managed to communicate quite adequately and grew a great fondness to our beloved driver... who thankfully; unlike some of the horror stories relayed in guidebooks - did not sleep at the wheel; whilst driving for hours on barren, sometimes flat and sometimes salty landscape... nor was he a drunk!! But was a kind and gentle fellow who really did look after us!

The key feature of this tour - was the landscape! Sometimes barren, sometimes hilly and often rather flat! Passing a number of lakes, some volcanoes and thousands of pink flamingos! The lakes varied in colour; this as a result of the sulphur/salty nature of the land. Whilst the 'piece de resistance' was the Salt Flats... aka Salt Lakes! At the time; this proved to be an 80km x 90km stretch of flat white land.... it resembled snow... and had the affect of snow on a sunny day... hence the 'panda eyes' on wearing sunglasses! The weather was sublime; though the nights were cold, by day, the sun showed its warm side.

The Salt Flats on closer inspection were amazing! The formation of the salt crystals meant the land was white covered in large hexagons, made from the grains of salt! We stopped a couple of times at the Flats; in particular to take some snaps and to enjoy the sunrise on the serene landscape! It was a beautiful sunrise and as the sun came up; our bodies and the jeep cast long thin shadows across the Flat.... hundreds of metres long! Wow! The Salt was dry; though, as we ventured along the white expanse, we stopped at a point, where the surface was rather wet... and when I say wet.. I also mean dangerous! Our very able driver knowing this of course; but did not fail him to stop and let us wander around to see the potholes, where he even knelt by the side of one; placed his hand in the water and pulled out beautiful salt crystals!!! Beautiful cubical crystal formations!

Apart from the vastness of the Salt Flats, I was equally amazed to find a hill in the middle of it! A great mound (hill) covered in cacti! An opportunity to capture the vastness of the Flats at a height; taking in the pure white surrounds, that really did depict snow! It was at this place we had breakfast, on one of the mornings of the tour, along with many other travellers with their jeeps and drivers! Along with a random Emu type animal, that was the only animal at his piece of 'bush ground' in the middle of nowhere!

Alberto would prepare meals everyday; albeit, meals had usually been prepared the night before, at our place of residence; but he was responsible for laying out hte food and clearing up! Food in Bolivia was superb and it was my first opportunity, for what seemed a number of months - to devour potatoes and vegetables! Given the meat eating country of Argentina; where steak was ate with some bread and salad; I did miss having some potatoes. Potatoes are of course the Bolivians national dish... and having mashed potato... was... pardon the Welsh expression... LUSH! It was 23rd April at this point, when I was on the hill, overlooking the Flats - mam's birthday - which I didn't forget!!

The Salt Flats are also enjoyed for the superb photographic illusions that can be created!! Taking part and watching others master some wonderful photo opportunities was an entertaining part of the experience. Placing a person in one's pocket; or holding people in the palms of your hand, was made easy, with a little imagination and a bit of patience!

An incredible tour, one where we also got to meet Alberto's friend - the animal that looked something between a squirrel and a hare! Alberto pulled up one day, in the middle of nowhere and mentioned something about a friend.... that much we understood... only to find this dear little thing waiting patiently; for a piece of bread that Alberto had saved for him.... and to be snapped up like a celeb on the red carpet would! Genius!

Our tour ended in Uruni, where, we visited the train grave yard. Old trains had been left to rust

Welsh flag left on the Flats