201218: Stone trees, stinky lagoons,cheeky vizcachas and smoking volcano

We managed to get some very disturbed sleep.  Huayllajara stands at 4092 metres which theoretically is the same height as Potosi, but everyone was having trouble.  Breakfast was a subdued affair.  Quite a few people are feeling ill.  Jocelyn has bronchitis.  We just felt breathless and with headaches.

Condensation dropped on our heads and food as we huddled round another plastic table. By 7.30 am we were off and headed out of the Reserva Fauna Andino Eduardo Avaroa.

Our hostel at Huayllajara

The first stop was the Laguna Colorada again to see more flamencos.

 An Andean fox came to see us.  They are very tame.

Then we headed out into the Desierto de Siloli.  There were no marked roads as such and our driver headed off through the sand.  We would have preferred to do this on or own in a jeep but it's very isolated, there are no road signs and breaking down off the beaten track would be very dangerous.

The volcanic hills are streaked with minerals. Our driver insisted we posed for some silly photos.

In the Canon del Inca (everything is "Del Inca" around here) we were shown the green plants that look like sponges but are in fact very hard.  They die off after about 80 years and then are used as fuel.  In fact, the first Andean locomotives were fuelled by these plants.

We also got to see some vizcachas - a relative of the chinchilla.  They were hiding in the canyon walls.

Also in the desert we came across a rock formation which is known as the tree of stone.

Then across more unmarked roads.  We think our driver would have liked to have been in the Dakar rallies.

The next part of the day involved visiting five lagunas, respectively Ramaditas, Honda, Charkota, Hedionda and Canapa.  One is called the stinky lagoon but all were pretty sulphurous. The speed we travelled, the lack of air, tiredness and the sheer relentless  awesomeness of the scenery means it is a bit difficult to take it all in.  Here are a handful of the photos we took.

For lunch we ate at another breeze block canteen under the smoking summit of Volcan Ollague which is Bolivia's most active volcano.

Then we set off again towards Uyuni.  The roads were very bumpy and our driver seemed to have his own special routes.  We crossed the railway line between Calama and Uyuni.  There is one freight train a day in each direction.  Joan had been tracking where we were going on a map and could not understand why we were running alongside the railway as it wasn't in the right direction.  Then in the distance we saw a train. It had stopped.  As we approached the driver jumped down from his cabin and waved.  It turned out that the train driver was the brother of our driver and he had stopped the train especially to see his brother.

Patrice and Kevin got to climb in the cabin.  Amazing.  This was such a magical event.

Next stop was a quinoa museum which is of course the food of the Incas.  Joan was particularly fascinated to see it growing in the fields. The museum was small but had some dried quinoa plants.  They also sold quinoa beer which of course we had to sample.  It would be churlish not to!

After an unusually long break we headed off again towards the Salar de Uyuni.  Some of the distances we are travelling are amazing, especially considering the state of the roads.

After the last two nights our hotel was a pleasant surprise. Set in San Juan o Atullca, the furniture was made from salt and the floor was salt granules. The rooms were set around a covered courtyard where the owners grew flowers and plants.  Our driver, like the night before allocated, us the best room.  It had a real cama matrimonial, electricity and a private bathroom.  Towels and showers were 10 Bolivianos extra and we were so looking forwards to them when a knock came on our door.  We were off again in ten minutes to the Salar de Uyuni to watch the sun set.  Our driver sped down very bad lanes like a man possessed.  We had to pay 10 Bolivianos per car to access the Salar.  Bright white, it seemed to go on forever.  We parked up and took some photos, trying to recreate some of the optical illusions that the salt flats are so famous for.

In truth, we were shattered but our driver insisted that we stay till sunset.  As the sun fell, it got cold very quickly and we were so pleased to be heading back to the hotel.  Our heads were aching, perhaps because of the altitude, perhaps through lack of sleep but most likely through brain overload.

At dinner (soup and chips, pasta and veg sauce - all cold) we all looked like zombies.  Kevin and I headed off to bed first.