Salar de Uyuni - Desert Salt

Hey guys,

I would like to share a trip I did this year to Salar de Uyuni, also known as Salt Desert in Bolivia.

I was very excited to visit the desert since my family is currently living there so its "home" away from home. Secondly, because I never went to a desert so I knew it would be somewhat different. We booked a great hotel in the desert called Hotel de Sal Luna Salada. As the name suggests, the hotel is made of salt. We had spectacular views of our rooms of the desert when the sun rised or set. At night, you could almost touch the stars since they felt that they were just on top of our heads!

I must say, I was a little afraid to go to the desert since I knew that conditions were somewhat more than simple. I heard stories of friends that were terribly sun burned or that the hotel had no proper hot water or others got food poisoned. I guess an adventure couldn't be an adventure if there weren't these details, right?!

We flew from La Paz to the city of Uyuni. Its a 45 min flight instead of a 8 hour bus ride to the city from the capital. As we arrived, from our plane we could see what the fuss was all about: everything was white! I was in the desert.

The airport was somewhat small, felt very local and we were surrounded by Asian people we flew from Japan to see these wonders of the world. Our driver, was specially for us: two bolivian men who, one was a teacher at the Tourism University. He knew everything and a little more about history!

Our first stop was at these abandoned trains in the middle of the desert. It is said that these trains used to cross the Bolivian lands with goods. After this, we went to see the city of Uyuni. People here depend completely on tourism and now, the Dakaar races that took place in January.

After this, we did our check in and went to see the desert. Every time we cross the desert to go to one place or to another, it takes 1 hour and a half or maybe two! Important informations: Salar de Uyuni is the largest flat flat with 10,582 square kilometers. To one side you can see the Andres and if you drive 3 hours or so, you can find dead cities where the local people lived thousands years ago! One of our tour men said when we went: "if you drive 2 hours more, you get to Chile"...right next door!

The Salar was formed as a result of transformations between several prehistoric lakes. It is covered by a few meters of salt crust, which has an extraordinary flatness with the average altitude variations within one meter over the entire area of the Salar. The Salar serves as the major transport route across the Bolivian Altiplano and is a major breeding ground for several species of flamingos, which was another of the visits we made during our trip.

In the middle of the deserts, you will find little houses where you can stop. Our tour guides were so prepared that they would bring our lunch in their car with typical foods such as: corn, quinoa, chicken, llama and fruits. These houses are also used by many for resting during the night. Did I mention that its also made of salt?

What was my feeling when I first stepped out of the car in the middle of the desert? Freedom, basically. I felt we were the only people in the world there. Perfect blue skies, white salt. The salt formed this geometrical design on the floor and I felt that they were pieces of blocks making a design.

The best part of the trip is visiting all these hidden locations. We saw 5 thousand year mummies in a cave which had offerings from the people at that time. Most of the mummies were in fetal position, had hair, skin and even ligaments still intact! Another great activity is playing with objects in the desert since they appear closer and bigger than they actually are!

The contrast of vegetation was evident at the desert. In one stop we went to an "island" which its veggetation was very dry but had dead coral reefs since it was once part of an ocean. At some point during our walk we would see 12 m cactuses on the mountain. It was all very different!

Perhaps my most favorite activity was seeing the sun set in the middle of the desert. I loved the colors and effects on the white salt. At one point, the salt felt like Taj Mahal in India where it changes color according to the position of the sun. One of the most beautiful sunsets I've seen!

Salar de Uyuni is a fun place I reccommend 3-4 days. The hotel has to be an important part of the itinerary since you get home very tired and cold from the day. You must bring warm clothes because temperatures drop abruptly. Also, since its altitude is very high, protection from the sun is a must. My brother was seriously tanned after 3 days at the desert! Oh, bring sprays to humidify your nose!