Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat. It really is massive - over 12,000 square kilometres. Standing in the middle of this hostile environment, with nothing but blinding white salt all around us, was as close as we'll get to standing on an another planet. The white salt was so bright under the Andean sun, it was impossible to look at it without our sunglasses. The surface is perfectly flat as far as the horizon, except for a few rocky "islands" covered in large cacti, so the perspective of the landscape makes you feel quiet disoriented. As we drove across the hard white salt, there was no perceptible change in the landscape. Speed, time and distance simply didn't exist and it was impossible to keep track of how far we had gone.

Salar de Uyuni was the first of many spectacular sights on our tour of southwest Bolivia. Over the next 3 days we found ourselves completely immersed in the most harsh yet stunning wilderness. There was a postcard worthy photo opportunity around every corner. We passed though sandy deserts, brightly coloured lakes and active volcanoes. The landscape was truly mind blowing. We saw flamingos, llamas, desert foxes and even strange creatures hiding in the rocks that looked like a cross between a rabbit and a squirrel!

We really were in the "middle of nowhere" and when it came to bedding down for the night the accommodation could only be described as "basic". There are no 5 star resorts in this corner of the world. Our lodgings were little more than four walls and a tin roof. Solar panels provided a trickle of electricity but no heating. As the sun went down, the temperature plummeted. The cold wind whistled through our ramshackle room and we were glad of the three thick blankets on our bed.

On the final day we entered geyser country. There were powerful jets of mud, water and steam erupting from the fragile ground. This place was angry and with no safety barriers we could have easily fallen down a crevice and been boiled alive! However, the land did have a gentle side - there was an amazing 30C hot spring and we wasted no time slipping on our swimmers to enjoy the warm water. Soaking in the pool with plumes of steam bellowing from the ground around us was like being in paradise after our chilly salar nights. The remote southwest region of Bolivia had become the highlight of our visit to this stunning country.

Later that morning, our driver took us as far as he could; to a remote border crossing. We slipped over the international boundary and into country number 5, Chile.....

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