As good a reason the pizza is for visiting Uyuni the star attraction is most definitely the Salar de Uyuni. The highest and largest salt flats in the world. We can't take the truck onto the flats for safety reasons, so we load up into three 4x4s and take to the, well, roads. Four wheel drives are not just a luxury around here and are practically required for simply leaving the town.
The brown soon turns to white which stretches away into the distance. The outskirts of the flats are worked by salt collectors, their cone shaped piles of salt waiting for transport to the local processing workshop. We move further in, glass-like standing water from the last nights rain reflects the blue and white sky as we drive past. It is vast out here. The white stretches unbroken to the distant mountains and sometimes to the sky. There is a fascinating beauty to the intense white salt and the blue sky now above us.
The continuous flat white allows for some fun with tricks of perspective photography. A person standing a distance away appears small rather than behind an object or person in the foreground. We have fun experimenting with various props and poses with varying results. After this we drive still further to an 'island' covered Cactii that grow so slowly a few meters takes hundreds of years. The Isla del Pescado is a small old coral reef and is our spot for lunch as well as a viewpoint over the surrounding flats. In the distance dark clouds and rain obscure the horizon and it is this rain we drive into on the way back. The land and sky blur into one and we are now driving into the grey, our faith firmly in the hands of the driver. There are stories of vehicles flipping out here. We make it off the salt without incident stopping along the way at a hotel made of salt. Oddly it's here we pick up three lost travellers looking to get back to Uyuni. Although it turns out they are travel 'know it alls' chancing for a free lift after only taking a one way bus ride! This prompts Renee to collect money from them at their drop off and puts it towards the drivers' tips. We have one more stop before pizza, sorry, arriving back at the hotel. This is a train 'graveyard' or dumping ground for old steam locomotives depending on your point of view! It's fun to climb on them and take a few pictures.
Back at the hotel we have pizza and Riki puts together a slideshow of the funny pictures of the day. The restaurant has great examples on the walls. Dave, Nev and their tour group are in the restaurant, so we have a catch up and luckily the girl who hit her head is ok. Dave is also travelling to the town of Potosi in the morning!
Monday, 23 March 2009
Thursday, 12 March 2009
On to the Bolivian Altiplano
We leave Chile at border control on the outskirts of San Pedro, but the tar-sealed road continues for 40km climbing 2000m up onto the Altiplano, imposing peaks rising from the brown earth creating the horizon on both sides. Leaving the tar it's a short dirt road to the remotest border post yet. A solitary square building 4500m above sea level with nothing but the mountains for company and the blind side of a bus shell for a toilet. One wonders who you need to piss-off to get posted here! For us though the remoteness is fantastic and the start of a new country to explore. It's here also that we pick up Bralio, an experienced Bolivian guide who will take us across the Altiplano to the town of Uyuni. Further down the road a ranger station marks the Begining of Reserva Nacional de Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa, 714000ha of outstanding natural beauty. Remote, little travelled only by 4x4 tours and on a multitude of un-signed tracks, it's easy to get lost and stranded out here. Hence the guide. Now this IS overlanding! Our first stops are the opaque waters of Laguna Blanco and the pale green waters of Laguna Verde both watched over by the 5868m Volcan Licancabur. The waters of Verde never freeze despite ice cold winters and contains no life due to the high concentration of substances including arsenic. It's nice to look at though. We meet Dave and Nev (and not for the last time this day) here on their tour to Uyuni. Climbing again we reach the 4900m geysers of Sol de Manana. A small patch of holes containing bubbling mud. Altitude is starting to make people feel pretty groggy, but not as bad as a girl on Dave's tour who faints, the fall gashing her head. Lucky we are there as the Bolivian tour carries no first aid kit!!
It's higher still for us as we stop for a toilet break at a customs office! The sign proclaiming the height as 5020 meters above see level. This is the highest point we'll reach today we start to descend to our accomodation at 4400m. Along the way we stop at Laguna Colorado, a beautiful white rimmed lake of pastel pinks and blues, flamingos feeding in the shallows. Sadly the lake doesn't gain full appreciation with the altitude still affecting most. Louise is feeling quite bad here, but it's the severely bumpy final drop into the tiny village of Villa Del Mar, where we are staying, that makes me feel awful. Lou and I go straight for a lie down heads pounding and stomachs churning. Pain killers and a specially brewed Coca tea drink later and we're all feeling much better in time for food. Even with a patchy nights sleep we feel much better in the morning and set off towards Uyuni on a thankfully improved road, which takes us first to erroded rock formations where Bralio shows us 'things' in the rocks and some local Flora. Everyone has fun scrambling on the rocks in the fine weather happy for feeling better I suggest.
Progressing on towards Uyuni some plains become wet and green. It's here we start to see grazing Llama and Alpaca. Some stare at the truck as we pass with expressions suggesting there is not much rattling around inside their heads. Some panic bolt at the last minute as if an approaching 20 ton truck is somehow a surprise!
These parts are rich in silver and the Bolivian goverment, lacking the resources themselves, contracted a North American company to run the mining operations. We stop in the town of San Christobal. In it's new location. The whole town and it's people were moved due proximity to a big mine, including the 17th century church which was rebuilt stone for stone.
We pull into Uyuni in good weather, but that shortly turns to heavy rain. Lucky then we are staying in a nice hotel with a funky restaurant which sells great pizza. Definitely the best in South America so far. The place is run by an American man married to a Bolivian woman combining the best of both worlds. No need for getting wet outside.
It's higher still for us as we stop for a toilet break at a customs office! The sign proclaiming the height as 5020 meters above see level. This is the highest point we'll reach today we start to descend to our accomodation at 4400m. Along the way we stop at Laguna Colorado, a beautiful white rimmed lake of pastel pinks and blues, flamingos feeding in the shallows. Sadly the lake doesn't gain full appreciation with the altitude still affecting most. Louise is feeling quite bad here, but it's the severely bumpy final drop into the tiny village of Villa Del Mar, where we are staying, that makes me feel awful. Lou and I go straight for a lie down heads pounding and stomachs churning. Pain killers and a specially brewed Coca tea drink later and we're all feeling much better in time for food. Even with a patchy nights sleep we feel much better in the morning and set off towards Uyuni on a thankfully improved road, which takes us first to erroded rock formations where Bralio shows us 'things' in the rocks and some local Flora. Everyone has fun scrambling on the rocks in the fine weather happy for feeling better I suggest.
Progressing on towards Uyuni some plains become wet and green. It's here we start to see grazing Llama and Alpaca. Some stare at the truck as we pass with expressions suggesting there is not much rattling around inside their heads. Some panic bolt at the last minute as if an approaching 20 ton truck is somehow a surprise!
These parts are rich in silver and the Bolivian goverment, lacking the resources themselves, contracted a North American company to run the mining operations. We stop in the town of San Christobal. In it's new location. The whole town and it's people were moved due proximity to a big mine, including the 17th century church which was rebuilt stone for stone.
We pull into Uyuni in good weather, but that shortly turns to heavy rain. Lucky then we are staying in a nice hotel with a funky restaurant which sells great pizza. Definitely the best in South America so far. The place is run by an American man married to a Bolivian woman combining the best of both worlds. No need for getting wet outside.
Wednesday, 11 March 2009
The Atacama
We are in the Atacama desert now. The driest in the world. The barren, rocky landscape certainly appears to testify to this. Breaking the wilderness is the Hand in the Desert. Rising out of the dust and rock at 1100m it is the creation of a local Antofagasta artist and is a funky distraction along the Pan American highway, stopping for photos with the group and truck.
San Pedro de Atacama could be in a different country. Where the rest of Chile (and Argentina) are very western, here the people are much more Spanish-Native and the buildings square mud brick of the Adobe style. The town has a funky quaint vibe with some stylishly characterful eateries. San Pedro lies at 2500m and is a base for multiple activities and trips. The trip we do is to the El Tatio Geyser Fields. The highest in the world at 4300m and the 3rd largest in the world. The geysers are most active at sunrise so it's an early start from San Pedro for the two hour, 90km journey over a bad road. The scenery at the geysers is amazing. The redish brown crust of the large plain, stained and streaked silver and green by mineral deposits, is surrounded by the still higher peaks of mountains and volcanoes. Punctuated by many bubbling craters of water and mud, the steam rises into the cold morning air. On cue the main geyser sends hissing steaming water a couple of meters into the air. This is our first taste of the high altitude that is to come in Bolivia. Everyone is fine aside from shortness of breath. We set off to marked sights at our normal quick walking pace only to ease off almost immediately, lungs quickly reminding us about the thin air. We also bump into Canadian Dave who has travelled independently with Nev to San Pedro.
After a few hours break back at the campsite in San Pedro we head off in the truck to Valle de la Luna (Moon valley), named for it's supposed likeness to the surface of The Moon. If this is the case then book with NASA now for it is a beautiful place of pale yellow, brown and red erroded rock bridged by sand dunes. We plan to eat using the truck kitchen before the recommended dune top sunset. We set up in the required carpark below thee dune, but get told to move on for apparently taking up too much room! The mexican wraps are great, but the delay means we miss some great light on the rocks. The sunset still delivers in spades mind you. The landscape appearing subtlely illuminated in the afterglow.
San Pedro de Atacama could be in a different country. Where the rest of Chile (and Argentina) are very western, here the people are much more Spanish-Native and the buildings square mud brick of the Adobe style. The town has a funky quaint vibe with some stylishly characterful eateries. San Pedro lies at 2500m and is a base for multiple activities and trips. The trip we do is to the El Tatio Geyser Fields. The highest in the world at 4300m and the 3rd largest in the world. The geysers are most active at sunrise so it's an early start from San Pedro for the two hour, 90km journey over a bad road. The scenery at the geysers is amazing. The redish brown crust of the large plain, stained and streaked silver and green by mineral deposits, is surrounded by the still higher peaks of mountains and volcanoes. Punctuated by many bubbling craters of water and mud, the steam rises into the cold morning air. On cue the main geyser sends hissing steaming water a couple of meters into the air. This is our first taste of the high altitude that is to come in Bolivia. Everyone is fine aside from shortness of breath. We set off to marked sights at our normal quick walking pace only to ease off almost immediately, lungs quickly reminding us about the thin air. We also bump into Canadian Dave who has travelled independently with Nev to San Pedro.
After a few hours break back at the campsite in San Pedro we head off in the truck to Valle de la Luna (Moon valley), named for it's supposed likeness to the surface of The Moon. If this is the case then book with NASA now for it is a beautiful place of pale yellow, brown and red erroded rock bridged by sand dunes. We plan to eat using the truck kitchen before the recommended dune top sunset. We set up in the required carpark below thee dune, but get told to move on for apparently taking up too much room! The mexican wraps are great, but the delay means we miss some great light on the rocks. The sunset still delivers in spades mind you. The landscape appearing subtlely illuminated in the afterglow.
North from Santiago
A new leg of the tour starts in Santiago finishing in La Paz, Bolivia. Here we say goodbye to: Jordy and Anna, Dave and Aissa, David, Rob, Rosanna, Sarah, Rebecca, Karen and Neville. And we say hello to: James, Justin, Nick and Will from Canada; Dave, Hugo and Tom from England; Nora from The Netherlands.
Leaving Santiago on the 21st Feb we head west towards the coast and the port town of Valparaiso, but this is also Chilean wine country so we stop by a winery on the way for some tasting. It's an organic estate producing mostly white and has a neat method of pest control. A particular bug climbs the vine puncturing the stem which can allow fungus to grow. They coat the stem base with a homemade paste which acts like a glue that the bugs stick to. They then run chickens up the row which get a meal out of the stuck bugs!
Historically a major port town, Valparaiso has since fallen into decline for various reasons including the opening of the Panama canal. It's still a working port and navy base however. Covering a series of hills rising from the ocean, the city is a seemingly ramshackle collection of streets with varying house styles in varying colours and states of repair. The city organises itself into three zones representing the lower coast side, mid level hills and the higher reaches. Some historic late 19th century neighbourhoods lie in the mid level and are reached using steep short Ascensor (funicular) runs that don't appear to have changed since construction. Think garden shed on rails, complete with creaky wooden floorboards! The fittingly bohemian hostel throws a barbeque out on the street. With no backyard this is common practice and an experience enjoyed by all.
Further up the coast we hit the town of La Serena. We don't see much of the town as we camp at the beach 3km out of the centre. We really just have an easy day here although unfortunately the volleyball courts we see on the beach coming in are not there the following afternoon. In the evening we take a tour to a nearby observatory climbing into the hills of the Elqui valley. The region is a major worldwide centre for astronomy owing to the clear skies and altitude. We are over 2000m at the observatory. It's not in use other than for tours, but it's still worth the visit for the interesting facts about the night sky delivered by the knowledgable and humourous guide.
The Elqui valley is also a major Chilean centre for the producting of Pisco. This is the national alcoholic beverage, with Pisco Sour the national cocktail. It's Pisco mixed with lemon, sugar and sometimes beaten egg whites for a frothy head. Peru also claims the same and there rivalry between the two countries as to which is better. We detour to the Capel distillery for a tour and tasting with the toffee blend proving popular.
Moving on up and staying with the coast we hit the popular Chilean beach resort of Bahia Inglesa. The camp site is an extension of the beach. Sand does get everywhere, but makes a great surface to camp on. Riki is a guitar player and has a guitar with him. He seems like the master of camp fire singalongs. Team Canada, as the Canadians are known, are also musiciains and play together at home. It used to be Death Metal, but has since switched to Prog/Jazz Fusion! Now they like nothing more than to burst into falseto harmonies, to comic effect!! The guitar and some beers are thus taken to the beach, only to discover that it stinks of sewerage! Overpoweringly so.
In the light of day there is no evidence of this, but noone has any desire to go swimming any more! It's not a beach that lives up to it's hype anyway. Not a problem as the campsite has a volleyball court taking care of most of the groups afternoon. Louise goes for a stroll along the shore to the village finding much better bays and locals enjoying the sea. We have a big drive to The village of San Pedro on the Bolivian border, so to break up the drive we leave after supper and put in some miles, bush camping under fantastic clear skies.
Leaving Santiago on the 21st Feb we head west towards the coast and the port town of Valparaiso, but this is also Chilean wine country so we stop by a winery on the way for some tasting. It's an organic estate producing mostly white and has a neat method of pest control. A particular bug climbs the vine puncturing the stem which can allow fungus to grow. They coat the stem base with a homemade paste which acts like a glue that the bugs stick to. They then run chickens up the row which get a meal out of the stuck bugs!
Historically a major port town, Valparaiso has since fallen into decline for various reasons including the opening of the Panama canal. It's still a working port and navy base however. Covering a series of hills rising from the ocean, the city is a seemingly ramshackle collection of streets with varying house styles in varying colours and states of repair. The city organises itself into three zones representing the lower coast side, mid level hills and the higher reaches. Some historic late 19th century neighbourhoods lie in the mid level and are reached using steep short Ascensor (funicular) runs that don't appear to have changed since construction. Think garden shed on rails, complete with creaky wooden floorboards! The fittingly bohemian hostel throws a barbeque out on the street. With no backyard this is common practice and an experience enjoyed by all.
Further up the coast we hit the town of La Serena. We don't see much of the town as we camp at the beach 3km out of the centre. We really just have an easy day here although unfortunately the volleyball courts we see on the beach coming in are not there the following afternoon. In the evening we take a tour to a nearby observatory climbing into the hills of the Elqui valley. The region is a major worldwide centre for astronomy owing to the clear skies and altitude. We are over 2000m at the observatory. It's not in use other than for tours, but it's still worth the visit for the interesting facts about the night sky delivered by the knowledgable and humourous guide.
The Elqui valley is also a major Chilean centre for the producting of Pisco. This is the national alcoholic beverage, with Pisco Sour the national cocktail. It's Pisco mixed with lemon, sugar and sometimes beaten egg whites for a frothy head. Peru also claims the same and there rivalry between the two countries as to which is better. We detour to the Capel distillery for a tour and tasting with the toffee blend proving popular.
Moving on up and staying with the coast we hit the popular Chilean beach resort of Bahia Inglesa. The camp site is an extension of the beach. Sand does get everywhere, but makes a great surface to camp on. Riki is a guitar player and has a guitar with him. He seems like the master of camp fire singalongs. Team Canada, as the Canadians are known, are also musiciains and play together at home. It used to be Death Metal, but has since switched to Prog/Jazz Fusion! Now they like nothing more than to burst into falseto harmonies, to comic effect!! The guitar and some beers are thus taken to the beach, only to discover that it stinks of sewerage! Overpoweringly so.
In the light of day there is no evidence of this, but noone has any desire to go swimming any more! It's not a beach that lives up to it's hype anyway. Not a problem as the campsite has a volleyball court taking care of most of the groups afternoon. Louise goes for a stroll along the shore to the village finding much better bays and locals enjoying the sea. We have a big drive to The village of San Pedro on the Bolivian border, so to break up the drive we leave after supper and put in some miles, bush camping under fantastic clear skies.
Sunday, 1 March 2009
Update
Today we are moving up into Bolivia. We'll be travelling high up onto the Altiplano reaching heights of 4900 meters! The north Chile blog will come soon, depending on signal.
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