Bolivia

Santa Cruz's cathedral seen through the leafy main square, just half a block from our hotel

Santa Cruz’s cathedral seen through the leafy main square, just half a block from our hotel

It was like we’d entered a new world. After weeks high in the Andes – from Arequipa, Peru, in late February, we’d spent six weeks in the highlands – we flew to Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Surprisingly, it’s Bolivia’s biggest city – who knew? – and is the country’s economic powerhouse. No more of these native women in their funny bowler hats and traditional dresses here. This is a cosmopolitan city with restaurants and bars and foreigners and, oddly, a lot of Mennonites. Mormon missionaries, too. Quite a mixture.

And the climate. Suddenly we’re no longer chillin’ in the Andes; now at just a couple hundred feet above sea level it’s tropical heat. Even rain: on our first night we got a huge rainstorm, the first one we’ve seen in many months. Santa Cruz just couldn’t be more different from the rest of Bolivia.

A huge rainstorm hit while we were having dinner on the second floor of a building overlooking the square. This is certainly a tropical climate; we haven't seen rain like this in ages.

A huge rainstorm hit while we were having dinner on the second floor of a building overlooking the square. This is certainly a tropical climate; we haven’t seen rain like this in ages.

There’s not a heckuva lot to do here. The main square is a beautiful leafy area that practically begs you to slow down, have a seat, read a little. I spent hours culling and editing our pictures from the Salt Flats. There were some good restaurants, though we had one big disappointment. Lonely Planet talks up this great Indian restaurant in town and we’ve been in Bolivia long enough to get excited about something different. The TripAdvisor reviews were great, but a little confusing; it wasn’t clear just where this restaurant was. On a couple of occasions we walked wide swaths of the city looking for where Google Maps had the restaurant, where Lonely Planet had the restaurant, where TripAdvisor had the restaurant. Ultimately it was not to be. We found where it used to be, but now the space was just ruins. So no Indian food. Sad.

More important that the food that wasn't, of course, is the food that was. We found this great Asian-fusion restaurant that made a great "Sake-tini" (martini with sake instead of vermouth) once we explained that they needed to make it without sugar or syrup.

More important that the food that wasn’t, of course, is the food that was. We found this great Asian-fusion restaurant that made a great “Sake-tini” (martini with sake instead of vermouth) once we explained that they needed to make it without sugar or syrup.

The goal here is mostly just to say goodbye to Bolivia and make our way to Paraguay. Overall, we’ve done a pretty good job of covering southern Peru and western Bolivia, with a couple days in northern Chile thrown in. As you can see on the map here from Lima in the northwest corner we made nine stops in Peru, eight in Bolivia, and three in Chile, a pretty good adventure.

Our two-month journey through southern Peru, northern Chile, and western Bolivia. It's been a great run!

Our two-month journey through southern Peru, northern Chile, and western Bolivia. It’s been a great run!

From here there’s a good flight to Asuncion and then our goal is to work our way down towards Iguazu Falls where Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina meet. After that, we’re likely headed into Uruguay on our way to Buenos Aires. The adventure continues!

During the daytime the square is heaving with life and excitement. At night, after a rain, it's mostly empty but still well-lit and safe.

During the daytime the square is heaving with life and excitement. At night, after a rain, it’s mostly empty but still well-lit and safe.

Mark and his new friend. While he was reading in the square one afternoon she and a friend wanted to practice their English. Now, that's often a scam to get you to buy something but in this case she really was just practicing English. Sometimes it's good to trust just a little.

Mark and his new friend. While he was reading in the square one afternoon she and a friend wanted to practice their English. Now, that’s often a scam to get you to buy something but in this case she really was just practicing English. Sometimes it’s good to trust just a little.

Our last day included a stop in what was almost a little ghost town in Chile. Only seven people still live there, but this little doggie sure found a friend!

Our last day included a stop in what was almost a little ghost town in Chile. Only seven people still live there, but this little doggie sure found a friend!

And finally it’s time to leave the Salt Flats and head back to civilization. First, though – because it’s a long way from there to anywhere – we had one more day to cross the border into Chile and spend one more night out in the middle of nowhere.

After four days there’s not a lot more to say about the sights. Llamas. More flamingoes. Mountains. Shipping containers for eating and sleeping. Smooth sailing while driving on the salt flats themselves but then plenty of bumpiness once we were back on gravel roads.

We saw a lot of llamas while traveling through Bolivia. Heck, we even learned how to tell the difference between an llama and an alpaca!

We saw a lot of llamas while traveling through Bolivia. Heck, we even learned how to tell the difference between an llama and an alpaca!

One interesting observation. When we crossed the border back into Chile our driver and crew changed. Bolivia doesn’t like Chilean workers coming over so when we were in Bolivia there was a Bolivian crew (driver, cook, helper) who traveled with us. When we got to the border we said goodbye to them and picked up the Chilean crew – driver and cook – for the last night. We were excited about the new cook, a guy in a real chef’s outfit, suggesting even better food. Alas, it was not to be. Notwithstanding the chef-looking clothes, we liked the ordinary Bolivian woman’s food better. There’s a lesson there somewhere.

One more shipping container to sleep in. (Though from the windows there you can tell this was the dining car; the sleepers had no real windows…)

One more shipping container to sleep in. (Though from the windows there you can tell this was the dining car; the sleepers had no real windows…)

Sunset at our campsite

Sunset at our campsite

Oh, and another strange observation. We’ve traveled back and forth across the Chilean-Bolivian border a few times now, from Bolivia to Chile to Bolivia to Chile and ultimately back to Bolivia. Now Chile is west of Bolivia and in a different time zone, so you’d expect to set your watch back an hour, right? I mean, if it’s 10 AM in Boston, it’s 9 AM in Chicago. For some strange reason though, going from Bolivia to Chile it works the other way. If it’s 10 AM in Bolivia, it’s 11 AM to the west in Chile. Very strange and very confusing.

So that was it. From the Salt Flats we drove across the border into Chile and spent one last night in a shipping container. Our guide Danilo had figured out that we definitely like to hike so he worked some pleasant hikes into our journey and then finally the last day we drove into Iquique, the strange beach town in northern Chile. I say strange just because, well, everything about it seems strange. Of course what we loved most after five days was having Internet access again. My God, how different life is when you can just look at the news or weather or Facebook whenever you want. Civilization again!

After just one night in Iquique we flew to Santa Cruz, Bolivia’s biggest city, before we head on to Paraguay. Our trip through the Salt Flats and all that hiking was fabulous, but it’s also good to be back to normal.

This was the tiny town we stopped in for a break. Danilo told us only seven people live here, five adults and two little girls whom we met.

This was the tiny town we stopped in for a break. Danilo told us only seven people live here, five adults and two little girls whom we met.

Notwithstanding the tiny population, the Chilean government had invested in this unusually attractive central square. It was genuinely nice, though it's hard to imagine the justification of the investment for seven people, when their houses are little more than shacks.

Notwithstanding the tiny population, the Chilean government had invested in this unusually attractive central square. It was genuinely nice, though it’s hard to imagine the justification of the investment for seven people, when their houses are little more than shacks.

More llamas on a hike

More llamas on a hike

We were still surrounded by beautiful snow-capped mountains

We were still surrounded by beautiful snow-capped mountains

One more shot of a gorgeous sunset

One more shot of a gorgeous sunset

And then finally, as we were flying out of Iquique back to Bolivia, we saw this sign while checking in for our flight. We've traveled a lot; I get that you're not supposed to have hatchets or grenades or dynamite on a plane. But what the hell is a guitar doing on this list???

And then finally, as we were flying out of Iquique back to Bolivia, we saw this sign while checking in for our flight. We’ve traveled a lot; I get that you’re not supposed to have hatchets or grenades or dynamite on a plane. But what the hell is a guitar doing on this list???

Wine, cheese, and olives set up at sunset. Nothing not to like about this picture.

Wine, cheese, and olives set up at sunset. Nothing not to like about this picture.

After a couple long days of driving and hiking, driving and eating, driving and then some more hiking, we made it to the Uyuni Salt Flats. Amazing. Simply amazing.

Located in southwestern Bolivia and at 12,000 feet above sea level the Uyuni Salt Flats (Salar de Uyuni as it’s known here) is the world’s largest salt flat, covering nearly 4,100 square miles. To put that in some perspective, that’s nearly 100 times the size of the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The salt flats are the result of the drying of prehistoric lakes, the oldest dating from about 40,000 years ago. They left behind a lot of salt, a few meters worth over the entire area. Below that lies nearly half the world’s proven lithium reserves, enough to supply both manic-depressives and our iPhone batteries for years to come.

Mark was practicing some multiple personality behavior, maybe to take advantage of all the lithium below him

Mark was practicing some multiple personality behavior, maybe to take advantage of all the lithium below him

Besides the tourist value and minerals, the salt flats are also a major transportation thoroughfare. After days bouncing along the horrible gravel roads of western Bolivia, driving on the salt was like a fantasy – smooth, flat, straight. It was like my childhood memories of driving on Lake Superior after it had frozen over and been plowed, right down to the vast expanse of white everywhere. It was almost hypnotic – you’re cursing along at maybe 50 miles an hour but you can’t feel the road or really see anything changing as the distances are all so far.

Hiking on an island in the middle of the salt

Hiking on an island in the middle of the salt

We spent two days altogether in or along the Uyuni Salt Flats. First we drove out onto it, stopping occasionally just to admire the unworldly beauty. Our driver let us out maybe a mile from where he was going to set up lunch and said “Just walk.” What an experience. By the time we got there they had lunch set up out in the middle of the immense nothingness. I took our portable speakers from my luggage and we listened to various divas – Aretha, Ella, Whitney, even Lily Allen! – while having a great little lunch. The driver and Danilo, our guide, were pretty amused; they’d never had music out on that vast expanse.

Our time in the area included a couple big hikes on the “islands” that dot the salt flats, with again amazing views of miles and miles of whiteness. Our lodge was on the edge of a tiny town that itself was on the edge of the salt flats. One of the amusing things we noticed about some of these tiny towns is that while everything else in town seems to be falling apart they have beautiful soccer fields. Same case here, an oasis of bright green with perfect lines and nice stands. Apparently they know their priorities.

La Bella Tunupa, with a quinoa field in the foreground.

La Bella Tunupa, with a quinoa field in the foreground.

The next day we hiked around some more, always with great views. We went up and around La Bella Tunupa, a beautiful (thus the name) multi-colored old volcano. Danilo had come to understand that we like to hike so he suggested we head up there and explore options for further hikes. A fair amount of it was just bushwhacking across not always easy terrain, but most of it was pretty great. There was a mystery, though. The hills along the mountain – steep, difficult hills – were lined with old stone walls meandering here and there. Because of the seemingly random curves and swirls, it didn’t appear they were marking property. Danilo didn’t know what they were for and our Bolivian driver didn’t know either. Llama pens? Fire barriers? Property markers? No idea. So after we got down Danilo went into town and asked around. They’re apparently a couple hundred years old – they stand without mortar or anything, just rocks piled on top one another – but no one in town knew what they were for either. Weird and still a mystery.

There's a lot of salt here

There’s a lot of salt here

Then as sunset approached drove back out onto the salt flats for some pre-dinner appetizers and wine to watch the sun go down. Again, an amazing experience with fantastic colors and shadows. And wine! One of my concerns about coming here was just whether it would feel Disney-esque, crowded with tourists and so on. So not the case. It’s big enough and remote enough that you just don’t see or sense anyone else. It’s just you and the salt. And the staff, of course, driving you around and setting up the bar. We know our priorities, too.

At 12,000 feet and with the sun setting it was pretty cold here, just enhancing the sense that that *must* be ice and snow, right?

At 12,000 feet and with the sun setting it was pretty cold here, just enhancing the sense that that *must* be ice and snow, right?

Sunset across the Uyuni Salt Flats

Sunset across the Uyuni Salt Flats

So that was the highlight of the multi-day trek, two days on the Uyuni Salt Flats. One more day, crossing into Chile, before moving on down to Iquique where we finish the journey. More pictures tomorrow, then.

Here we are out in the middle of a vast, flat field of salt

Here we are out in the middle of a vast, flat field of salt

There are a lot of pictures I liked from here

There are a lot of pictures I liked from here

With all these pictures I had to have some fun playing with filters

With all these pictures I had to have some fun playing with filters

If it looks like ice and snow I should be able to make a salt angel, right? Wrong.

If it looks like ice and snow I should be able to make a salt angel, right? Wrong.

Mark took a lot of pictures of me

Mark took a lot of pictures of me

Our guide and driver let us walk the last mile to lunch so they could set up lunch and have it ready for us. Very cool.

Our guide and driver let us walk the last mile to lunch so they could set up lunch and have it ready for us. Very cool.

Our fabulous UE Boom portable speakers making lunch feel very civilized

Our fabulous UE Boom portable speakers making lunch feel very civilized

A nice lunch spread. Mark with our driver and guide.

A nice lunch spread. Mark with our driver and guide.

Lots and lots of not much besides salt

Lots and lots of not much besides salt

The clouds and color made it feel like we were far into the great northland

The clouds and color made it feel like we were far into the great northland

Funny story: I traveled for almost three years without a down coat until I bought this in Cuzco. Since then I've barely taken it off!

Funny story: I traveled for almost three years without a down coat until I bought this in Cuzco. Since then I’ve barely taken it off!

Mark's sunset selfie

Mark’s sunset selfie

And a sunset picture of me

And a sunset picture of me

Our car as we wandered far and wide for the perfect pictures at sunset

Our car as we wandered far and wide for the perfect pictures at sunset

There was hiking too. This is a view of our accommodations as we set out the first morning before we actually got to the Salt Flats.

There was hiking too. This is a view of our accommodations as we set out the first morning before we actually got to the Salt Flats.

A closeup of our cabins in the early morning light. Old, traditional lodgings with little things like running hot water added.

A closeup of our cabins in the early morning light. Old, traditional lodgings with little things like running hot water added.

A nice morning hike

A nice morning hike

There's only so much time you can spend admiring the views from the salt flats. Then you have to start hiking again.

There’s only so much time you can spend admiring the views from the salt flats. Then you have to start hiking again.

View from one of the "islands" we hiked

View from one of the “islands” we hiked

Mark high above the flats

Mark high above the flats

And me taking a break up there

And me taking a break up there

Mark contemplating the meaning of life. You feel pretty insignificant up here.

Mark contemplating the meaning of life. You feel pretty insignificant up here.