The Saltiest Day of My Life

Some places on this planet are stranger than words can describe. The only things that come to mind are 'otherworldly' and, similarly, 'alien.' We spend our lives in places we consider 'normal,' sometimes pondering the environmental possibilities outside of this definition. Three days in the highlands of southwest Bolivia have reminded me that strange and strikingly beautiful can be synonymous. As there is no way for me to properly spell out what it feels like to be surrounded by this astounding landscape, I will provide more pictures than words. At some points we were in a seemingly endless desert, sometimes staring at volcanoes from what might as well have been the surface of Mars. Overall, our journey from the salt flats of Uyuni to the edge of the Chilean Andes left us almost burned out on sightseeing, as we were so incredibly overwhelmed by what exists at the furthest extent of one of the highest lands on Earth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uyuni

Slowly climbing toward Uyuni I could only think about the absolute desolation, and how easy it must be for one to disappear forever into the undulating, rocky landscape. Shrubs and cactuses thrive in the burning sunlight amongst the copper cliffs and valleys. Scattered trickles of water are few, and where they appear so do tiny towns built of rocks and mud, inhabited by few llamas and fewer people. The only thing clearly discernable as different from the endless, empty surroundings is the road we drive in on, gleaming and new, curving around hillsides into the vast nothingness.

Uyuni is the name of the salt flat in this region. The first signs of salt can be seen hours from our destination, glistening in the dried riverbeds, which possibly flow in the rainy season though they look as if they've been empty for years. It is a monstrous region located in the southwest of Bolivia, large and white enough to be identified from space.

We passed through Potosi about four hours in. Once the largest city in the world due its thriving silver mining industry, it is now as dried up and adobe as the surrounding lands. Though the city can still lay claim to being one of the highest on earth at 4090meters, it is a dried, crumbling husk of its former glory.

As we drew closer, the land seemed to flatten as if stretched tight across the high plain. So flat at some points that snowcapped peaks of the Andes became just barely visible in the far, far away distance. Hills and riverbeds still dotted the surroundings.

The town of Uyuni itself is a flaccid one. Short and colorless, blending into the surrounding landscape as much as the dull hills in the distance. It is large enough that there seems to be industry beyond tourism, but not much. It is there we spent a night prior to taking off on our three day expedition across the flats and into Chile.

La Paz / Weekend at Fernando's

First a disclaimer: In my last (full) post I noted that there is no good pizza anywhere in these places. I was incorrect. We managed to find the good stuff finally in the backyard of a flamenco dance school in downtown La Paz. Excellent French bread style pizza. Great piña coladas as well. Disclaimer over...

 

 

If one were to take LA and drop it in the middle of the Colorado Rockies, it might resemble the Bolivian capital La Paz. This city on the edge of the Andes is located at 3650 meters above sea level - the highest capital city in the world.

 

 

 

Nestled in a bowl high on the Altiplano, the city is simultaneously crumbling and being rebuilt from the ground up - among the dirty brick and old colonial buildings stand skyscrapers, brightly lit billboards, and street carts galore. Bolivia's growing middle class is definitely showing its face, but poverty continues to have a very strong presence. It is home to displaced mountain folk begging in the streets as well as one of the top restaurants in the world, Gustu.

 

What stands out most in this burgeoning city is the art - something we have noticed a severe lack thereof previously in our travels. The street art ranges from junk to excellent, and acts such as the Ballet Folklorico de La Paz are stunning. Yes, we went to the ballet. Great fun. Between the food, art, museums, and general atmosphere, La Paz is absolutely a great place to waste some time.

 

 

Also noteworthy is the Mercado de las Brujas, or witches market, where one can purchase wares including llama fetuses, San Pedro tea, entire walls of various sex potions, and coca leaf in all it's (legal) forms. Quite the odd assortment, though not as absurd as many people make it out to be.

- - - Weekend at Fernando's - - -

From the air, the land around Sucre resembles a heavily wrinkled shirt, or the skin of a bulldog. The constitutional capital of Bolivia is small, bustling, and home to many beautiful colonial buildings. The outskirts, like many places here, are impoverished, but signs of renovation and growth are all over.

 

Oh man Sucre. The intent was a one night stopover in the city as we trek toward Uyuni. Reality had us stay five nights at the house of Silvia and her son Fernando, found via Airbnb. I don't have much to say about the folks in Sucre other than the fact that they like to party. We made some friends and drank took much and visited a graveyard. Much of the rest of the time was spent lying in bed and eating. I'll have some better stuff for you next time, after the trip through Uyuni.

 

 

Filler

I was made aware today that it has been a week since the last post. Lo siento, mi gente! We've been in the cities of La Paz and Sucre, doing the usual wandering and eating, and I lost track of time.

Good news! For readers, at least - we have an 8 hour bus ride tomorrow so I'll spend some time on an update. After that we will likely be out of contact for a few days on the path through the Bolivian salt flats en route to the Atacama desert in Chile. Check back soon.

PS I can't post pictures currently but how to have that fixed soon as well.

Russell is an Idiot, Bolivia is Dank

Bolivia is a place of immense and unreal beauty. Enormous white and grey clouds sit low on the altiplano, or high plain, pierced by the snowcapped peaks of the Andes. In the foreground lie rolling hills of green and tan, their ancient terraces resembling digitized waveforms. Rocky outcroppings buckle out of the earth every so often, a reminder of the violent past responsible for this astounding landscape. Much of the altiplano is reminiscent of the edges of our own great plains, specifically those of Wyoming and Montana, though it sits several thousand feet higher.

 

 Rain comes frequently and dissipates quickly as sunlight burns through morning clouds. The sun is bloodthirsty in this otherwise cold part of the world. It is almost necessary to dress according to the direction one is facing, with the heat of the sun in harsh counterpoint to the chilly air that hangs around throughout the day. At dusk, the retreat of the sun below the horizon brings near freezing temperatures. It is a land of late spring during daytime and early winter at night. This is using the northeast United States as a reference.

The buildings are brick and the people are short, stout, and colorful. Their Spanish is clean and easy to understand. Towns are bustling with merchants. Roads are half paved and fields are half planted. Landscapes stretching as far as one can comprehend are dotted with cows, sheep, and brightly clothed women in bowler hats. Though there are signs of industrial growth, the land seems almost completely untouched.

We left the lakeside town of Copacabana yesterday for La Paz. In Copacabana we explored the ancient ruins and rocky landscapes of the Isla del Sol on Lake Titicaca. The town is relaxing and the views are unbeatable. The food, other than the pizza, was good too. The pizza is crap everywhere in these countries.

 

Bolivia!

We are there. Copacabana on Lake Titicaca. Just gorgeous.