Uyuni Salt Flats 4x4 Tour

To get back to Bolivia I needed to join a 4x4 tour, I did so and left the next day. I´d forgotten how capable Land Cruisers are over rough ground and deep sand, really incredible, we "cruised" at more than 80kph over ground that I could have only tackled at 3-4kph (i.e. 1st gear) on my bike !

There were 6 of us in each one and 3 jeeps in our tour. It was well organised and the food was good and our driver "Felix" was an expert and quite safe. I joined up with two other Brits, Katie & Simon.

On the way to the salt flats I realise that the Potosi strikers have done me a huge favour !  If I´d tried to cross the salt flats, then the border, by myself, on my bike (which was my original plan) it would have been a total disaster !!! I realise the roads in this part of Bolivia are non-existent, unmarked, no villages, no water, no petrol, nothing !. I would have been fully commited as this point (no way back to Uyuni). Bike wise, this place is only for big Enduro´s, and then, not going alone....At the night the temperature, apparently, drops to -25 deg C, I´m not sure, but it´s certainly cold !!

 To get to the salt flats from Chile it´s a solid two day drive. There are lagunas and more lagunas, most with Pink Flamingoes and some Vicuñas (deer like creatures). On the second night we get decent accomodation, but of our group, for no reason, I´m  the only one who gets a hot shower !!  this makes me less than popular. We get a very welcome bottle of red wine for supper and us Brits talk politics until it´s gets late !!

We stop at thermal springs (I foolishly forgot to pack my bathers, so I can´t go....). Then there are steaming geysers and bubbling sulphur mud pools (all very reminiscent of New Zealand).

On Day 3 we arrive at the highlight of the tour, the Uyuni Salt Flats. A dazzling white sea, flat as a pancake, as wide as the eye can see.

There is an "island" for taking pictures (right).

The jeep can go in any direction at motorway speeds, 130kph, it´s just like being at sea (only faster) and wholly surreal.

Me, Simon and Katie have a go at taking eye-fooling "perspective" shots, but none of them work out that well.....it´s not easy to do....

The tour ended in Uyuni (after visiting the train cementary, in the desert, right), and rather than head straight back to Chile I decided to stay on in Bolivia for a few more days and take a 6hr bus ride to Potosi (again, where I was not able to go before). So, following Katie and Simon, we bus to Potosi that evening and arrive very late, the intention is to do the Silver Mine tour (the main attraction in Potosi).

Our group talking with Miners...

The mine tour is interesting and nothing like as difficult or dangerous as it sounds in the guide book. We meet plenty of miners down there, they are still using pick axes and buckets !!, the underground air is full of silica and asbestos particles, it´s very bad for their health. 400 years ago the mine produced ore that was 90% silver !! by far the highest ever recorded, this mine bank-rolled Spain for centuries !! They showed us a nugget of 90% silver, they keep it just for luck, they almost never find them now. We bring "presents" of alcohol (95%...), cigarettes and coca leaves. Interestingly, the recent strike was partly about a Silver Smelter that the government has not got working yet and is now stalling d/t international business pressure (ahem...). Of course, it´s not hard (to smelter silver) and they should have had it 300 years ago !  If a miner chooses to use a pneumatic drill they have a life span of just 3-5 more years (thanks to the poisoned dust).  It´s called a Co-Operative mine, but the miners earn just $2 a day and the concession owners drive Hummers, some Co-Operative...

Typical mine shaft

After the tour, the other 3 (we picked up one more, Chris) scat to La Paz after we have had a beer or two. I stayed one more night in Potosi (too tired to take another bus) and took the bus back to Uyuni the next day.

Back in Uyuni I take the "express" 4x4 trip back to San Pedro de Atacama. We stop at the thermal springs and this time I get a chance to dip in it, albeight for only 15 minutes. On arrival San Pedro I have a bit of an argy-bargy with the guesthouse regarding my bike, they want to charge me for storage, I tell them it´s too late for that, they should have told me that at the start. In the morning I leave, very early, to avoid another confrontation with them.