Our second day in the Salt flats was very long, but interesting. We had to get up at 4am for breakfast and then hit the road by 430. The Jeep bumped along as I snuggled up into Ivan and drifted off. I may have my order wrong (it was a 12 hour day in the Jeep for god sakes), but I think our first stop was to see one of the lagoons which was dotted with flamingos! I have only ever seen flamingos in the zoo, so it was quite amazing to see them in their natural habitat.
We drove along and stopped to see many interesting sites...the rock tree....a large formation of rock that had been shaped into a tree like structure from the dust and salt blowing against it in the harsh winds. We stopped to view a volcano, as we stood on the petrified lava.... but the highlight of the day was the Fumerals. Which were large craters in the earth with steam and heat flowing out of them....temperature inside could rise to 150 degrees...so we were warned not to run and to walk with caution.....then we came upon a huge basin filled with hot, wildly bubbling grey mud....it was gorgeous to see....and facinating...never seen anything like it! And then my favorite...LUNCH! Yet another wonderful lunch prepared by our cooks....a very typical Bolivian dish made of potatoes, chicken, sausage and onions...spicy and delicous. After lunch we drove a very long way again to see a green lagoon....we were all so tired by that time, and it was soooo windy that many of us stayed inside the jeeps.
We ended off the day at a natural hotspring with gorgeous 30 degree, fresh beautiful water. We relaxed and cleansed our bodies for a while and it felt great (since there are no showers on the salt flat tours). Then we arrived at our shit hole of a hostel....again in the middle of no where....we arrived and this time the divorce papers were looking much more clear! It was really gross....not heated, so it was very cold since we were at such a high elevation, the beds sucked...we shared a room with the only other couple on the trip....which was fine...but we were all in little single beds AND, I had the worse farts I had ever had in my life.....not a good thing when sharing a room with new friends. My only saving grace was that I was tucked into a sleeping bag....so basically just gagged myself all night!
The next morning came, not quick enough and we were off once again. Ivan insisted that the hostel added to the character of the trip. NOT! We stopped to see the red lagoon which was absolutely gorgeous! Apparently the color is red due to a specific type of alge....and this is the alge that the flamingos eat which subsequently gives them their pink color!!!!!
We bounced along gazing at the limited selection of wildlife....llamas and more llamas, these adorable deer like animals, an Emu, a fox and that was about it. There are not too many animals that can survive the high elevation....so lucky for me snakes do not exist up there, and the only spiders they have are insy wincy ones....which I was happy to not see even one.
We finally arrived at our proper hotel in Uyuni where we showered up and went out for some delicious pizza at a place called Minuteman Pizza....it was really excellent...especially with a bottle of the local Bolivian wine.
Everything is extremely affordable here....you could easily do this trip on the cheap with out a tour company...although it is so nice to have everything planned for you...and you dont miss out on anything. The accomidations are around 30 bucks per night...which is high end...and a beautiful meal for 2 with wine will knock you back around 30 or 40 bucks again...lunch for 2..around 10 bucks....the food has been pretty wonderful as well....nice big portions and interesting creations to Enjoy!
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