Uyuni: More Than Just a Salt Flat

not my picture

Pictures like this have long held both my attention and my imagination.  Salar de Uyuni was very high on my bucket list.  So finally, early this November, I made my way there.  My trip, however, was during the dry season, so no picturesque mirror-like surface to perfectly reflect the sky.  However, to my delight, the salt flat was incredible (even dry), and there were even more to see than I realized!  It was an excellent 3 day trip!

This was our first stop: flags brought from visitors from all over the world.

Salar de Uyuni
These are the actual infamous salt flats.  You can see the sharp crystals layering the ground.

Our transport for 3 days.  We covered over 1000km!

Some buildings are constructed from blocks cut straight from the ground.  Other bricks can be seen forming cairns like these.

The light was lovely at sunset, but it was starting to get so chilly already!  Even though i have long pants, tall socks, a hooded jacket and a thick hat, I was freezing in this picture.

Apparently, there are 3 different layers to the salt.  The deepest layer of salt forms these amazing salt crystals.

During the dry season, people have fun taking silly perspective shots:

Our last stop in the flats was in the area where they harvest salt bricks for the buildings.
Here, we found a previous guest had built Uyuni.  Fun photo.

Salt Hotel
Our first night, we stayed in a salt hotel, which is exactly as it sounds: a building constructed from bricks of salt whose floor is a thick coating of dry, loose, rock salt.

Our dining room

Our guest room

Incahuasi Island

Also on our first day, we stopped at a hill right in the middle of the salt flat.  It is so out of place, that they call it an island.  The island is a solid block of fossilized, ancient coral, covered with huge, spikey cactus.

Managed to catch this little guy just as it landed on the cactus flower.

Here's a close up of the cactus spines.  They are so thick that it looks more like dry grass, or a spikey head of hair.

Most of the cacti were in bloom during our visit.

 Volcanoes and Lagoons 
There was an incredible view at every turn: rainbow colored mountains, volcanos, turquoise lagoons, and warm-colored rocks.

Flamingos

Most of the lagoons were teeming with flamingos.  The water was so shallow that you can see peaks of salt peaking through.

Rock Formations

The harsh desert winds have carved unusual and impressive rock formations across the plains.  There is the Tree of Rock and the Valley of Rocks.

Valley of Rocks

Tree of Rock

Plateau Animals

I was surprised by the amount of animals we saw in such a sparse landscape.

These are an endangered type of llama, called vicuñas.  They are known for their fine, soft fur.
I was amazed at how many of them we saw!  They were everywhere.

These little guys can be spotted in the crevices of rocks.  This pair was 30' over the ground.
They are called viscachas.  They are related to chinchillas, but can grow to be larger than jackrabbits. 

Watched this little guy get chased by a predator, but I accidentally scared it away and this guy was safe.

This fox was hungry and I accidentally interrupted his search.  This was the 3rd fox I say these days.

This guy came quite close to our car, making me think that it is accustomed to being fed.  :(

Geothermal Activity
Since the whole area is ringed with volcanoes, there is geothermal activity all over.  From small geothermal pools, to hot springs, and geysers.

This pool was bubbling and slurping, splattering a strange, sulfuric clay all over the place and filling the air with the burbling sounds you'd expect to hear in Willy Wonka's factory.

Other pools were more water-like, though still bubbling.

This field was full of over 50 steaming holes.  Some were large streams shooting upward, and others were gradual trickles.  You can walk between and around them all.

Train Cemetery
The last stop on our tour was to what they call the "Train Cemetery."  Filled with retired trains from all different centuries.  They are all rusted, graffitied, and bedraggled.  It was a photographer's paradise.

Overall, it was a visual buffet of awesomeness.  There's something for everyone here in an Uyuni 3- or 4-day tour.  It was such a treat, that I even considered doing it all again!