Salar de Uyuni!

"The world's largest salt flat sits at a lofty 3653m (11,985ft) and blankets an amazing 12,000 sq km (4633 sq mi). It was part of a prehistoric salt lake, Lago Minchín, which once covered most of southwest Bolivia. When it dried up, it left a couple of seasonal puddles and several salt pans, including the Salar de Uyuni"

My room mate who was not foghorn got up at 3am to go to the sunset tour, leaving me alone with her. Everyone is only here to see the salt flats. Nothing else. There are variations of tours; sunset, sunrise, 3 days, 1 day. I have chosen the 1 day tour only, as I have no interest in seeing any other landscapes. Only the salt flats. I stay in bed as long as possible in the hope that foghorn gets ready and out before I have to talk to her but my bladder has other ideas! Luckily, as she is only interested in herself, she can't think of much to say to me so we both potter around the tiny bedroom with minimum words. I'm interested how she got her black eye and butterfly stitches above it but can't stand the thought of her having to use that grating voice to tell me so I will never know.

I get on the 4 X 4 along with 4 others and the driver. 2 New Zealand girls and an older man and young girl (not together) from Taiwan. Luckily foghorn is NOT there. Phew. We drive half an hour and stop at some old dilapidated trains where we're told to get out and he'll come back for us in 40 mins. Great. Old trains. Ok I'll play along. So pictures were taken and chatting to the others was done.

We got back on the 4 X 4 drove another short distance and stopped again at an old village to do some shopping. Shopping??? I can do that anywhere! Again I played along, looked in the museum where there were figures made from salt. I went to the loo, paying for the privilege as usual. No seat (I've now learned the art of hovering!), no toilet paper (I now carry some everywhere) and no way to flush. You had to go outside again to a huge trough of water, dip a cut off plastic bottle into it and pour down the loo. This is not the first time I've had to do this in South America.

Back on the off roader to the long awaited salt flats. Now that I had accepted it wasn't going to be as amazing due to the lack of water, I had no great expectations. It was lovely and I had a great, fun time, messing about taking the perspective photos that is the law when you visit the salt flats, but not overwhelming. Not breathtaking. Not emotional. I did decide though that I am coming back some time in the future just to experience that perfect location (end Dec/Jan) in it's ultimate beauty.