The salt flats of Uyuni are otherworldly. Everyone says that. It is true. It doesn't feel like earth. Shola and I talked about drugging a friend from the U.S, flying him down to Uyuni blindfolded and letting him out in the middle of the salt flats, just as people dressed up as aliens are sacrificing a llama. A good way to shake a man up. I imagine mars to look something like this.
The Salar de Uyuni is impressive. It has been a hotspot for adventure tourism in Bolivia for years and gringos from all over the globe come to see the blindingly white salt flats, green and red colored lagoons, cactus islands and flocks of brightly colored flamingos. They also come to take stupid photos (examples below). I had seen the photos of a few friends who visited the Salar before me and knew that taking photos of your friends sitting on wine bottles or fighting toy dinosaurs was part of the deal. I didn't know that huge chunks of time were devoted to the taking of these photos. If you google Salar de Uyuni photos you will see thousands of photos of people in goofy poses, usually jump kicking or holding giant cigarettes to their mouths. And then there are those salt flats in the back. I still don't know how feel about this. I've been watching to much Bourdain lately, he's making me a negative traveler.
Click the first link to read a great article on the salt flats, lithium dreams and Bolivia under Evo Morales. Lithium Dreams - New Yorker Article
The salts flats of Uyuni are the largest in the world, they cover a distance of 4,086 sq miles and sit 12,000 ft above sea level.
Our tour group - Notice Jeff's mean air guitar
Jeff, Shola y Yo
We spent three day packed in a land rover driving through deserts and mountains and salt. It was well worth the visit. Photos of the Laguna Verde/Colorado and Flamingos to come.
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