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.