Day 1.
The first stop was at the 'El Sillar' rock formations. Tupiza is around 3000m above sea level, we steadily gained altitude throughout the day. Even though the sun was shining and there were no clouds in the sky, the cold breeze ensured that I would remain wrapped up in many layers of clothes. We continued past the abandoned ruins of 'Fantasma' (4690m A.S.L) then passed the highest point of our journey, a mountain pass at 4800m A.S.L. We stopped for the night at a very small guesthouse, I climbed into bed with all of my clothes on so as to make it through the freezing night.
Up at 6:30 and continued the trip. My breath was visible sitting in the back seat of the car, and every stream we crossed was frozen over. We stopped at 'Laguna Verde' (4500m A.S.L) but due to the cold weather the lake had partially frozen over and the colours were not as vivid, also the flamingos were nowhere to be seen. We stopped for lunch at some thermal springs where I braved the cold winds to strip down to a pair of board shorts and spent a fantastic 30 minutes in 35 degree water, only 20m from a frozen lake. Invigorating!
Further on we stopped at some geysers, an eerie feeling to hear the ground hiss beneath as I walked along. We again paused at 'Lago Colorado', a spectacularly bright red lake, this time with a few flamingos.
We stayed the night at Villa Mar, another tiny town in the middle of nowhere. I watched the sun set over typically gorgeous Bolivian scenery, before retreating from the cold into the guest house.
Up at 6:00, we stopped at more interesting rock formations, including one that kinda looked like the World Cup.... kinda. I could hear the calls of baby condors from the nests high in the rocks, but didn't see the parents.
Next stop was at Laguna Negro, another frozen lake at 4200m A.S.L. From there we visited a lookout to 'Volcan Ollague' still active, situated on the border of Bolivia and Chile, 5900m A.S.L.
That afternoon we arrived on the outskirts of the Salar de Uyuni salt flats. We stayed in a hostel that was almost completely constructed using salt. The bricks, mortar, the floor and even the tables were salt! Surprisingly insulated, sleeping wasn't too uncomfortable in the cold.
Day 4.
Up at 5:30, the blistering cold slapping you awake as you walk outside. I was treated to an incredible sunrise over the salt flats before we stopped for breakfast at 'Isla Incahuasi' a bizarre coral formation in the middle of the salt flats. Lined with cacti and even a few llamas, it was a great way to spend breakfast.
We continued on into the salt flats, stopping at a random place and feeling like you are in another world, flat, blinding white salt plains as far as the eye can see. Amazing.
The tour finished in the small town of Uyuni, after buying a bus ticket to La Paz I walked a few kilometers out of town to the train cemetery. It was a line of abandoned and rusting carriages and engines. Not something you see every day, it was pretty cool to walk around in between all the rusting hulks.
Another bitterly cold night in Uyuni, I jumped on an overnight bus to La Paz. I awoke in the morning and realised that the inside of the windows had frozen over! The blankets provided during the trip were much needed, but some heating wouldn't have gone astray. To make matters worse, the bus broke down about an hour from La Paz, it was a few hours before a replacement bus arrived, which needed intermittent breaks to keep functioning. I finally arrived in La Paz at midday, time to explore...
More photos here
