Bolivia 101

Our introduction to Bolivia was from the backseat of a 4x4 vehicle going through a desert situated at 4000m above sea level. It was, needless to say, a memorable experience.

We left San Pedro de Atacama (Chile) towards Uyuni (Bolivia) on a 3-day tour. We saw on the way some of the most amazing landscapes of this trip.

Our group consisted of two French guys, a Portuguese couple, Marc and me. At the Bolivian border we got into a 4x4 and off we went through the desert, counting on our driver to get us where we needed to get, as there were no roads to speak of.

But if you think that crossing Bolivian deserts at 4500m of altitude in a 4x4 means that you are left alone to experience the solitude of the altiplano, think again. You may be off the beaten track but only literally. At least 5 other vehicles with groups similar to ours accompanied us throughout the entire 3-day tour. Only a few times did we find ourselves truly alone to admire the beauty of the altiplano.

That being said, no matter how many people were around us, nothing could possibly spoil the views. Some people suggested that after seeing so many beautiful places on earth, Marc and I became blasé and not easily impressed. This may be true sometimes, but I must admit that the landscapes I saw between San Pedro and Uyuni left me in awe and were comparable to nothing I’ve seen before.

The two most spectacular sites to me were Laguna Colorada and Salar de Uyuni (salt desert).

An amazing site suddenly unveiled before my eyes in the middle of the altiplano – Laguna Colorada, a lake with red water surrounded by yellow grass. The lake was also choke-full of pink flamingos casually wading in the shallow waters or snacking on oysters. After having seen so much dusty brownish-grey landscapes during the day, the flamboyant colors seemed surreal.

Why is Laguna Colorada so bright red? The lake derives its unusual color from a combination of minerals, notably magnesium and mercury (surprisingly not iron, if I am to believe our tour guide). And the flamingos are pink not because they drink the red water but because they feed on pink oysters that color their feathers. Apparently if a flamingo changes diet, it becomes white.

For Salar de Uyuni, I had the luck to see it first at sunrise. The Salar is a huge (10,582 square kilometers) dried salt flat that gives more an impression of a desert with sand than a desert with salt. I had visited before the Salinas Grandes in Argentina, which is similar. However, the Salinas Grandes didn’t prepare me for the spectacular sight of Salar de Uyuni. The salt flat extends till the horizon in almost all directions, with an occasional mountain or two being visible far, far away. According to Wikipedia the Salar de Uyuni is actually used for calibrating satellites because it is so huge, flat and provides good reflection. The Salar has many small holes filled with salt water, which indicates that underneath the salt crust there is a salt water lake (and the largest reserves of lithium on earth).

But to see all the wonders of the altiplano, one has not only to put up with numerous groups of other tourists, but also with very rough conditions. We spent our first night in a hostel near Laguna Colorada. At 4600m above sea level it can get pretty cold in the night – about -15 to -20 degrees. One might say that living in Canada, I should be used to these temperatures. This is true, but I am also used to heating devices indoors and believe me: no matter how many Canadian winters one lives through, it doesn’t prepare one to survive a night in an unheated and un-insulated stone construction with a tin roof. And the fact that the air is pretty thin at such altitude, rendering practically every activity a considerable effort, certainly doesn’t add to comfort.

Fortunately, our group got along really well, the evening flew by with lots of laughs and discussions that helped forget about the temperature. I survived the night buried under all the layers I could get a hold of.

Marc would have a slightly different story to tell about this night, though, as the altitude sickness prevented him from sleeping altogether – he struggled to breath, fought a headache, and had nausea all night long. Early next day we fed him a healthy dose of coca leaves which did help him :)

So what did I learn about Bolivia from my first introduction to the country? These are my first impressions:

- It has stunning landscapes;

- It can be rough to travel around because of limited infrastructure;

- High altitude is a force to reckon with;

- It is much more touristy than I anticipated.

Time will tell if these observations are applicable to other parts of the country. I will keep you posted.