Onward to Uyuni
Dawn flight from La Paz to Uyuni, my destination... the world's largest salt flats
Not at my best at 5 am, the non arrival of my pre ordered taxi and the hastily summoned replacement of a vehicle bearing only a vague resemblance to a car didn't help. We stuttered, shuddered and puffed to the airport, at which point the driver pocketed my change and I lost my temper...change duly returned.
The flight, in contrast, was spectacular. Once our tiny 20 seater left the city the 45 minute trip flew low over undulating desert and white saline 'luna' landscape.
True, the sand runway was a tad disconcerting. Especially as I couldn't see anything resembling a town, just a haze of dust. But on disembarking my eyes focused on a small frontier town.
At 3700 m high I'm grateful I'm already adjusted to the altitude as the dust cloud isn't just from the desert; this is the route for traffic crossing into and out of Bolivia from and to Chile so the air is also full of diesel fumes. My poor lungs.
Today there is the massive weekly market, stalls selling everything from second hand shoes to exotic foods. Normally it's a ghost town but luckily I've got markets to explore today, before taking the salt flats tours tomorrow
The climate here is also very weird, the most extreme I've experienced hot in day, its going to be below freezing at night. No way am I doing the popular overnight treks 😀. Thankfully this hostal room has a heater 😉.
.....
Not at my best at 5 am, the non arrival of my pre ordered taxi and the hastily summoned replacement of a vehicle bearing only a vague resemblance to a car didn't help. We stuttered, shuddered and puffed to the airport, at which point the driver pocketed my change and I lost my temper...change duly returned.
The flight, in contrast, was spectacular. Once our tiny 20 seater left the city the 45 minute trip flew low over undulating desert and white saline 'luna' landscape.
 |
| First sight of salt desert from the air! |
True, the sand runway was a tad disconcerting. Especially as I couldn't see anything resembling a town, just a haze of dust. But on disembarking my eyes focused on a small frontier town.
At 3700 m high I'm grateful I'm already adjusted to the altitude as the dust cloud isn't just from the desert; this is the route for traffic crossing into and out of Bolivia from and to Chile so the air is also full of diesel fumes. My poor lungs.
Today there is the massive weekly market, stalls selling everything from second hand shoes to exotic foods. Normally it's a ghost town but luckily I've got markets to explore today, before taking the salt flats tours tomorrow
The climate here is also very weird, the most extreme I've experienced hot in day, its going to be below freezing at night. No way am I doing the popular overnight treks 😀. Thankfully this hostal room has a heater 😉.
.....
Richard is home safe.
ReplyDeleteThank you dear Edwina for your interesting blogs
and lovely photos. Take care. love Elainexx