Salar de Uyuni: Day 1

It was 7:45am. We waited outside for the tour company bus to pick us up. He told us to be prompt, so there we were, 15 minutes earlier mesmerised by the stunning mountain backdrop that woke up the skies with a peaceful beauty. We waited for 45 minutes, there is no such thing as being prompt in South America. Matt kept trodding back and forth, he forgot to put on his base layer, thought an extra pair of socks might be better and searched for his gloves in his bag to only realise he left them at home. Not to worry, he had his fingerless ones, which are better for using his camera anyway. The thing is, we were heading to Bolivia, on a four by four 3 day tour. We were instructed to take a day pack with our essentials for the day and would only get our backpack in the evening. We hopped on the bus, greeted by 20 or so fellow travellers. We were clearly the last to be picked up, cannot complain after trying to imprint a mental image of that beautiful mountain in my brain.

First stop: Chilean border control 

The queue to get exit stamps for Chile took an hour. 

We got handed paper bags that contained our much-needed breakfast. 'Vegetarian?', our tour leader shouted. I raised my hand, the bag got passed down. "You see, you can trust me. I not forget you vegetarian!". Everyone got the same sandwich: smeared with a thick layer of dulce de leite. 

Second stop: Bolivian border control

The queue to get entry stamps for Bolivia took thirty minutes-ish. 

The toilets stank. It was a hole in the ground that required some ash throwing to help nourish the soil. 

We loaded our designated jeep with our backpacks and six-litre water bottles on top, covered in a rain and sand protector. We met our fellow travellers and our guide. Meet Alex, Fran (our guide), Xana, Catarina and Daniel.

It's 11am and the journey begins. Matt and I squished in the back: we find a slanted seating position that accommodates Matt's metre long legs and throw our belongings into the tiny boot. Catarina in the front and the rest of the gang in the middle. Vamonos!

We entered the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve. We saw Laguna Blanca and Verde, both very beautiful.

Having driven for a couple of hours through breathtaking mountainous landscapes and water reserves, we stopped for a refresher at the thermal baths, Polques Hot Springs. Here, there was the option to take a dip or walk the surrounding lands. We took the latter. The lake was frozen so we attempted to walk a bit of it until we saw some of the cracks and decided to leave that kind of bravery for something else.

Okay. So we're at an altitude of 4,900km. No jokes. And the best thing? I can't even feel it. It was so revitalising to be at such a high altitude, albeit for only 30 minutes, and to be able to breathe and still appreciate the beauty, nausea free. More tourist free than the geysers in San Pedro de Atacama, the geysers of Sol de Mañana were smaller and puddlier. It was, after all, the afternoon so we didn't witness the storming geyser nebulas that make for a great shot and experience. 

It was 6pm when we arrived at our accommodation. The sun was soon to set, we were surrounded by the desert and we could feel the cold chilling it's way through the walls. We were starving! Due to the delay in the morning with the border controls, we hadn't had lunch. And so lunch was presented to us at 6:20pm. Dinner at 8pm. It's impressive what can be cooked with a limited supply of water and gas. We each took turns layering our bodies for sleep, we're talking two/three of each item and a couple of the girls went to bed in their coats. Suffice to say: no showers. Each bed had four blankets and there was the option of renting a sleeping bag. The six of us lodged into one big room, the door secured safely with a bottle of water, 10pm and we're asleep. 

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