If you missed part 1, click HERE. It will take you through the first few days of this trip... But now for the crowing glory....
Day 4
Normally, people take a 4 day tour through Bolivia, but we opted for one day longer. This gave us the chance to sleep in on Day 4 (I say sleep in, but we were still up by 8am) and see a bit more. After a quick breakfast we headed out to our first stop - the Inferno Cave! Discovered only recently, it shows the lava that had, a very long time ago, flown into the ocean and frozen in the most peculiar of fashions. On the ceiling was also coral and salt water stalactites. It was a small cave, but interesting nonetheless. Our heads were grateful for the helmets as some of the passages were quite low.
After the cave, we began our drive across the salt flats. It was mesmerizing, looking out the window and seeing nothing but the flats and some distant peaks of mountains that were just barely shadows. We drove for some time, although I couldn't tell you how much, before we arrived at The Island. Poking up in the middle of the white nothingness was a small, for lack of a better word, island. We got out and had a short hike up to get a better view of the surrounding area. Other than getting a bit lost on the way down, we enjoyed ourselves and tried to hide our huffing and puffing because at about 3500 meters above sea level, we still weren't completely acclimatized.
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The Island in the middle of the salt flats |
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A cactus on the island |
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One of the new Bolivian flags that recognizes native people of the Andes. |
Our
lovely driver and guide then set off in the direction of seemingly
nowhere to find the holes in the flats. I have no idea how, but they
found them, and we pulled over for lunch and fun pictures and enjoyment
of the flats. Felipe (our driver) poked around with a screwdriver and
hammer in said holes until he found us satisfactorily large salt
crystals to take home as souvenirs. We ate lunch on the flats, just
marveling at its vast size and seemingly endlessness. Then was the time
for pictures! Because of the nondescript landscape, you can take
incredible perspective pictures. Felipe and Ellie were amazing helpers
in taking our pictures, directing us and suggesting funny and
interesting ideas. Time flew by, and before we knew it it was time to
move on. It was a good thing too, because I turned out quite sunburned
and was as red as a ripe tomato!
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Honey I shrunk the Szczypkas? |
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Careful Paul, if you crush the truck we'll be stuck here forever. |
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Paul's getting blown away! |
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Look at tiny me doing a handstand! |
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Paul, contemplating life (and looking for a meteorite!) |
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Lunch on the salt flats! |
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Kisses! |
We
drove across the flats once again, with Elizabeth (the guide) at the
wheel. We stopped to take pictures of the volcanoes and at a reflecting
pool. I got soaked up to my knees in saltwater, but it was worth it for a
few cool pictures! Then we were suddenly not on the salt flats and back
on the bumpy dirt road, heading to our next night's sleep. We stopped
in a small museum with a mummy and old Bolivian artifacts, and got the
chance to see a multicolored volcano. Time slipped through my fingers
and it was night in the blink of an eye.
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Perfect place for a handstand! |
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Multicolored volcano |
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Llamas! Finally! |
Day 5
This
last day had precious few stops, but they were all interesting and each
one got us closer to our bus and La Paz. We first stopped at a big
crater, where Elizabeth informed us that no one was sure about how the
crater was made. Next, we got to take a much needed rest at a thermal
baths. Unlike the previous thermal bath, these were private little rooms
with a bath and shower. The hot water was just what I needed after
being bone cold for 4 days. A quick and delicious lunch and we were
zooming on to Oruro. Most travelers don't stop in this city, and when
Paul and I first drove through it felt like a ghost town with hundreds
of half built buildings and no one around. The second time through it
was buzzing with activity, as it is the commercial hub of the entire
country. Elizabet got our tickets and waited with us to be sure we were
on the right bus. Then we waved out tearful goodbyes and said our
prayers as our bus zoomed off to La Paz. A short ride by comparison,
only 5 hours, but sitting right at the front we got to see our very
sensible driver overtake trucks on a blind curve.... going uphill... and
then honk at any offending car that had the nerve to be in its own lane
coming head-on at us. Informative stickers on the windows reminded us
that we were required to wear our seatbelt, which we surely would have
should they have been working. Ah well, it's all just another trip in
Bolivia. We made it back to La Paz, to our previous hotel, for a much
needed rest.
If
you are considering a trip to South America, I would strongly urge you
to visit Bolivia before it becomes strangled with tourists. We had so
many opportunities to just be in nature, just us, without hundreds of
people milling around. This is a place best experienced through your own
eyes, and it will be a trip you will never forget.
Traveler's Tip: Even though many hotels and restaurants advertise that they take credit card (Visa or
MasterCard) it seems that most companies don't actually know how to use
their card readers. Come prepared with lots of cash, as USD is widely
accepted.
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