The day after the salt flats, we woke up and did our best from getting any salt on our stuff when getting ready and leaving (I failed…I had a nice amount of salt on pretty much everything I was wearing!).
With one day down and two to go on our 4×4 tour, we next headed onto the Bolivian Altiplano & Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve, a massive Nature Reserve in southern Bolivia featuring active volcanoes, hot springs, geysers and numerous large lakes (including the amazing Laguna Colorado). It lied just above the Chilean border.
The whole altiplano is an amazing place. We came across many different types of landscapes and rock formations. It was one great view after another. We came across large lakes, one of which was completely frozen (we practiced our ice throwing skills here…) and another which was inhibited by flamingoes! These guys were cool to see. They looked so cool, walked so cool, and they even slept so cool (they sleep whilst standing up on one leg!).
The landscape would change again, and one or two hours in we’d be on dry dusty land, surrounded by volcanic rock formations, and then an hour or two more, we’d be at the edge of a lake again view magnificent views all over. It was a great sight for the eyes to see. Lots of nature’s creations everywhere, changing drastically every so often.
Our favourite place of the reserve came on day three. This on a day when we’d slept through the previous night during -15 degrees of cold and in virtually all our clothes we brought with us on the trip! This in a room of six, and sharing a bathroom with five other rooms! We first got up at 4am and travelled a few miles before reaching a few geysers. The sight of air rushing out the ground and making such loud noises was pretty cool. But the highlight was a few hours later, when we reached a lake named Laguna Colorado. We were told this lake contained different types of minerals to the others we’d seen, and so the result was that the lake’s colour was a crimson red. Add in the thousand or so flamingoes within the lake, and it quickly turned into another highlight of the trip. It was surreal to see.
We came to the end of the Altiplano, and it was time to leave Bolivia behind, and cross the border into our next destination, Chile. Bolivia completely surprised us. We vaguely knew about the Salt Flats before arriving, but weren’t hugely excited by much else. However, La Paz amazed us with the hospitality we received and the friendliness of the place. And the natural creations within Bolivia were so pleasing to see. It’s a place we’d highly recommend on seeing. Goodbye Bolivia! We will miss you greatly!
Lima to Mumbai 