The Alti Plano and Surreal Salar De Uyuni

The Altiplano (Spanish for high plain), where the Andes are at their widest, is the most extensive area of high plateau on earth outside of Tibet.

Its height averages about 3,300 meters (11,000 feet), somewhat less than that of Tibet. Unlike the Tibetan Plateau, however, the Altiplano is dominated by the massive peaks of active volcanoes to the west and the Atacama Desert, the driest area on the whole planet, lies to the southwest of the Altiplano.

At the end of the Pleistocene epoch, the whole extent of the Altiplano was covered by a vast lake, Ballivián, the present remnants of which are Lake Titicaca, straddling the Peru/Bolivia border, and Poopó, a saline lake which extends south of Oruro, Bolivia. Salar de Uyuni, locally known as "Salar de Tunupa", as well as Salar de Coipasa are two large dry salt flats formed as well after the Altiplano paleolakes dried out.


View into a huge Meteorite Crater on the Altiplano near Salinas, Bolivia...I see the crater lake and so have my towel at the ready...

Unfortunately, its only about 6 inches deep but very very salty and so I have a float about anyway...

This salt really stings all over... and below completely caked in salt

Our first views of the amazing Salar De Uyuni. This dried out salt lake covers 12,000 Sq. Km. (about the size of Munster)

The following morning, Monday the 6th October, we set out across the Salar well covered up to avoid being scorched by the reflected sunlight which is exceptionally strong at 3,800 Meters

Suzanna gets her first driving lesson from Didier, our medic and what a great place to learn to drive...

Everything is going well we hear Ennio Morricone whistling faintly in the background and some mean hombres arrive

When we reach Islas de Pescadors in the middle of the Salar, we realize that the group are being followed...

...by some really mean hombres

Big Micko "The Killer" and Colorado "Loco" Grande size each other up and theres bound to be trouble... Bicycle pumps are drawn and the inevitable gunfight breaks out!

...After lunch, we cycle around a bit, now which way was I supposed to be going?



Luckily, I spot a water hole in the dry lake bed and go to investigate...

Hmmh, freezing, deep and salty

And I can even float!

140 Km later, we arrive at the Salt Hotel and get the flag up straight away.

SOS Village La Paz

THE EL ALTO SOS CHILDRENS VILLAGE NEAR LA PAZ, BOLIVIA

George doing one of many laps of the El Alto Village with passenger.

On Monday the 29th of September, we visited one of the SOS childrens villages in El Alto outside La Paz. The charity operates in 123 countries worldwide and the villages are based on a family structure with a number of houses within a private compound. The children from the ages of 2 to 18 years live in mixed groups of 9 in each house. Each house is run by a full time "Mother" whom the children treat and regard as their own mother and so the structure is as close to a normal family setting as is possible. The SOS village in El Alto is presently home to over 100 children who would otherwise be making it on their own on the steets of La Paz... an unthinkable but horribly real situation that many other orphaned kids find themselves in.

We can fit a few more... Bene`s new friend is keen to try out the bike

We were really impressed with the organisation. The kids seemed to be very happy, well looked after and confident in themselves. The houses were modern and well designed with facilities far better than most of the tourist hotels that we stay in on our trip. The kids all go to local schools and some of the teenagers were learning English and could tell us a little about their lives in the village.

Andre gets stuck in with the boys on the pitch

We stayed for about 4 hours playing with the kids and giving them bike rides. We were all very moved and sad to have to leave...the kids constantly vied for our attention and it was clear that they just craved love and affection, particularly the little ones.

This little one was a little camera shy... and opposite, the uber confident Maria De Los Angeles poses with my shades

The SOS Villages charity is giving these kids a real chance in life and I sincerely thank you all for your support. I would particularly like to thank my sister Rachel`s company Lundbeck Pharmaceuticals www.lundbeck.com who very kindly donated Euro1,000 to the 2 Bike Dreams Andes Trail charities "SOS Villages" www.sos-childrensvillages.org and "Right To Play" www.righttoplay.com . This and the money raised at the table quiz will be donated 50:50 to the 2 charities along with other participants donations through the Bike Dreams organisation www.bike-dreams.com