Justine and Dylan’s Travel Blog

Well, despite some earlier concerns as to travel plans through Bolivia (due to violent demonstrations days before we arrived), we´ve now left Bolivia and managed to do everything as planned.

First up was Potosi (altitude 4000m), an old mining town (which used to be the richest and largest city in the world a couple of hundred years ago). Didn´t do the mines; not interested in seeing poor people being exploited while submitting ourselves to some very dodgy mining OH&S standards. Did check out the place itself which was great. Very cruisy and some great views from the roof of the San Francisco convent (you actually get to walk on the roof!).

Next up was Salar de Uyuni, aka the Uyuni salt flats. These are massive salt plains (12,000 square km, ie larger than Holland) which you can drive around in jeeps (or be driven around in jeeps as in our case) and which in some spots stretch as far as you can see. Interesting place when you´re as tanned as I am. Cool also are these “islands” which you can drive up to; literally just hills I guess which happened to be higher than the surrounding layer of salt (up to 120m) and are now little oases with cacti, etc. The one we visited was Isla del Pescadores. Translated means something to do with fish. Interesting name, I´m thinking more to do with the shape than what you´re going to catch off the edge of it.

And then finally (on our way out to Chile), the Altiplano. These plains are at 4000m or more and let´s just say we managed to get away from most of the tourists. Our overland truck happily dragged us over the pass (5000m) and past a whole bunch of absolutely stunning sights that I´m guessing most people don´t get to see: lakes with red algae and mineral deposits with flamingoes (Laguna Colorado), similar lake but with different minerals making it bright blue (Laguna Azul) and not to be outdone a green version for good measure (Lago Verde), all surrounded by vulcanoes, landscapes created by these vulcanoes and other mountains. A few photos might have been taken.