Postcards form a Backpacker

Bolivian Salt Flats

Posted in South America, Bolivia, Uyuni

The main attraction in Bolivia is the 12,000 square kilometers of salt left in the middle of Bolivia by an ancient sea. Being here in January it is Bolivia’s wet season, meaning at times, parts of the salt flats are inaccessible. Our luck was in however and we had a string of sunny days before we arrived in Uyuni, our base for the salt flat tour. After a big breakfast of fruit pancakes we jumped into a fleet of Toyota Land Cruisers and arrived at what is called the “Train Grave Yard” twenty minutes later. The Train Grave Yard comes from the bygone era of steam trains and is where Bolivia’s old national rail fleet has been scrapped and includes rusting locomotives brought over from England and the United States. After a photo stop we continued in the Toyotas to the edge of the salt flats.

Even with the few sunny days the salt flats are covered in water for the most part, varying in depth from less than an inch to over a foot in places. At the edge we stopped at a salt processing facility. At this factory the salt is cleaned and bagged before being taken away and being sold for less than $0.25 a pack. Here there were also a range of souvenirs made from salt being sold to the tourists. The popular bit to visit is “Fish Island” (named because of its shape) which is a volcanic island in the centre of the flats that supports cactus over a thousand years old and towering over 10 metres tall. The flats themselves are pure white against the blue sky and the film of water on the top of the salt makes a mirror like reflection that creates a surreal surrounding. It’s a long drive out to “Fish Island” (approximately 2 hours) across the pure white plains. On the way back we stopped off at the Salt Hotel, a hotel on the salt flats made entirely from salt bricks down to the tables and chairs also made from salt. By the time we were almost back the afternoon fog set in and the view from the windscreen was obliterated and all we were able to see was white. Two trucks became separated and lost on the way out, causing us to have a long wait when we finally cleared the fog. The salt flats are a strange phenomenon. They make you feel like you are in the arctic, however you are standing there sweating in shorts and t-shirt. A strange place indeed but definitely my highlight of Bolivia.