| Bolivian
Safari |
| Salar de
Uyuni, Bolivia |
| by Mark McMahon |
| April 24,
2003
No lions
or giraffes but plenty of llamas and flamingos.
The far southwest
corner of Bolivia is home to some of the most bizarre and extreme landscapes
in the world. By far the world's largest salt flat and some other very
interesting geology make it and unforgettable place to visit. The harsh
and inhospitable environment also make the visit hard to forget. Bitter
cold and blistering sun made comfort a sparse commodity on the four-day
adventure. |
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| In the
desolate little town of Uyuni, we contracted a guide to take us through
the desert and across the salt flats. A trip without guidance is nearly
impossible and certainly foolhardy. A
local family froze to death a few years ago when their vehicle broke down
and they attempted to walk to shelter.
Much of
the trip is across huge expanses of flat desert or salt with no roads,
only tracks with distant landmarks for reference. Sixty gallons of gas
on the roof, an extra spare tire, four days worth groceries and we were
ready to go. Services along the way were practically non-existent, so
we were prepared to be self-sufficient for the whole trip.
All of the
guides working in the area look out for each other and are called upon
in case of an emergency of or some kind of jam.
THE FIRST
DAY was spent almost entirely in transit. We passed a railroad graveyard
with what looked like the first trains ever built. |
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| At lunch
we met what had to be the most affectionate animal I have ever come across.
A llama! It was after lunch, not FOR lunch. I have written previously
about llama for lunch but this was most certainly someone's pet. It
approached me and began nuzzling its head into my chest begging to be petted.
If I coulda
I woulda taken it home with me.
Llamas are
pretty much the cows of this part of the world. Many residents earn their
keep by raising them. I'm sure the locals must wonder about visitors
and all their fascination with the cows.
THE SECOND
DAY was a bitch. Our guide, Ray, assured us that we needed to get up
at 2:45 AM in order to get to the geysers by sunrise. The LandCruiser has
no heater. |
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Offshore
Resources Gallery
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| In addition,
the doors and other junctions leaked so much air that was a definite wind
chill factor inside the vehicle! I have never been that cold for that long
in all of my life. Ray did most of the driving; I was wrapped in a sleeping
bag and still shivering for three solid hours.
The kicker
was arriving at the geysers to find, basically, bubbling puddles of mud.
For this I froze since 2:45 AM?? Ray! What were you thinking?
A minor consolation
was being served breakfast in the nearby hotsprings. Flamingos stalked
the icy waters of the lake next to me. When I think of flamingos, I think
of Florida and balmy weather. Ice and flamingos don¹t seem to
go together, but they seemed to be thriving.
THE SECOND
NIGHT was spent in a primitive eco-lodge. The lifestyle of the people at
the small settlement (you couldn't quite call it a town) was certainly
not enviable. Bleak is the word that comes to mind. A cold desert with
freezing wind and nothing else around for miles. Unbelievably bleak. |
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| The glowing
warm light in the hallway of the lodge was very deceiving.
It was cold.
The radiator was frozen in the morning. You would have thought that
I would have thought, or Ray would have thought, "Hey, Anti-freeze!" Aside
from that oversight and waking us up for the geysers, Ray actually turned
out to be much more than just a guide.
He was a good
mechanic, a good driver and a halfway decent cook. With a flaming torch
under the frozen radiator, Ray got us back on the road without much delay.
The second
day we had visited a couple of different lakes, each strikingly beautiful
with its own exotic color. The different colors were from different
mineral in the water, or microorganisms, depending on which source you
believe. |
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Offshore
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END OF THE THIRD DAY it was like, "Oh, yawn, another incredibly gorgeous
distinctly colored lake, dotted with flamingos and flanked by snow-capped
peaks? Isn't there anything else to see around here?
THE FOURTH
AND FINAL DAY there was much more to see. It was another early riser, but
this time it was more than worth the effort
We drove many
miles on a bumpy dirt road and then across more than fifty miles of salt,
in the dark, to get to Isla Pescado, Fish Island in time for sunrise. The
island rises out of the middle of the salt flat. Surrounded by hundreds
of miles of salt, it has its own peculiar and very hardy little ecosystem.
The
most striking part of the biology there are the gigantic cactus, some purported
to be 1200 years old.
Another planet?
The middle of the ocean? A winter wonderland? I kept reaching down to
touch the salt expecting to feel snow or ice. The strangeness of it all
left me sort of stunned. Then again, it could have just been the lack
of sleep.
The following
are Mark's previous articles for the magazine:
Go to Mark's
web site and check out his new book, DRIVING TO THE END OF THE WORLD,
due out at Christmas. Click Here
To contact
Mark Click Here
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