We arrived in Uyuni after 7am with a bus trip from Tupiza pretty hellish. Of course, one could take the train but left Tupiza in the late afternoon and arrived in Uyuni at night. And we don t like it, because c is always a bit scary at night to get somewhere, so we took the bus. A mini bus in which uncomfortable was shaken like plum ... Tupiza-Uyuni Road is an unmade road: it is still packed to the dusty village of Atocha or it s is stopped to eat (a banana and bread) in staining desperately not to swallow the dust kicked up by gusts of wind. Then we drive on sand or worse, on rocks for hours. Aw, have ... Fortunately the scenery is truly breathtaking but it is better not to have acute mountain sickness (you go above 4000 m much of the journey), or motion sickness, if you're cooked! What a beauty though: we spent several passes, we go back and we return again and again, then the arid highlands with lots of llamas. The worst part of this bus was to stand the noise: the engine of course but especially that of an old TV with the sound cranked, plus a radio that played local songs, plus a or two phones in his sizzling ... We were above the acceptable decibel our ears ... Noise, throughout South America, c is something!
Uyuni is a small quiet town in the desert has altitude 3700 md. There is no great thing from the central square where stands the tower clock, Nor al hour. But hey, we like. During our trip to Bolivia in August 2003, we had already come and we had already toured three days in the Sud Lipez. But it is so exceptional that it has seized the opportunity to return dy. These landscapes are among the wildest of the planet, we are on the high plateau between 4000 and 4800m above sea level and we see very many vicuna, other animal of the family of llama wool, which is particularly fine and refined.
We had the chance to make our turn because the week before, campesinos and workers of the San Cristobal mine of gold and silver, blocked all the jeeps to pressure the government and ask for conditions Living and working better. It must be said that the Sud Lipez Province is the poorest of Bolivia. The blockade was calm, the government has promised to nationalize the mine owned by foreign capital (mostly Japanese). He also has a development program access al electricity and water for the population. But the situation remains tense.
D Uyuni to the Chilean-Bolivian border and San Pedro de Atacama (Chile)
We therefore reserve a 3 day tour with an agency of Uyuni (the choice is yours) and went on a jeep 4 English chauffeur with whom there is s very well understood: Holly and Olivia for girls (in southern England), Ben (Yorkshire) and Jamie (from London) for boys. They had mp3 with great music, it's been a long time that we had not listened!
the first day, we cross the Salar of Uyuni, the largest salt lake in the world with 200 000 km2 (for the record of the Salinas Grandes Argentina in the Salta region are 12 000 km2). The highlight of the day, c is the isla del pescado , an island that rises with hundreds of cactus in the middle of the salar. From the top of the island, the view is breathtaking on the salar. The night we slept in an inn in the village of San Juan located south of the Salar, a village outside of time.
The second day we go lagoons lagoons with their birds and flamingos. Unfortunately we could see how they were dry s for 7 years ... unbelievable. Climate change is criminalized. D within 5 years, nor will it probably more water at all. The white color of boron around the lagoons is the predominant Already the red ocher mountains are reflected already in the lagoons by the hours were changing color. The show is still magical, but it s such a shame. We slept the night at the shelter located near the Laguna Colorada, more than Spartan ... was sharing a room with our English friends.
the third day of starts 5:30 am. We left early to see the sunrise over the geysers, similar to cones of volcanoes erupting. Unbelievable. And then the thermal waters, natural springs around 40 degrees and finally towards the Laguna Verde dominated by the superb Licancabur (almost 6000m) that Patrick had to also climbed 7 years ago. It marks the border between Bolivia and Chile, Bolivia has only a customs post in a shed. Arriving in the vicinity of Chile, there are military posts given the strained relations between Bolivia and Chile, the latter refusing to Bolivia access to the sea
From the border post, we took a bus down to San Pedro of Atacama in Chile and the Chilean border we pass on arrival, with the same mess every time we returned to Chile for the control of food (prohibited). Only 47 km to descend on San Pedro and move my 2500 to 4200 md altitude. All along, we have a superb view of the Licancabur while we see that San Pedro very small, very down the middle of the Atacama Desert ...
Show result in 15 - Chile / San Pedro of Atacama.
Uyuni village
Salar and South Lipez
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