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Salar de Uyuni
The plan for the rest of the day was to head out onto “the Salar” and camp out.
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5503/...95bab608_o.png Screen Shot 2014-05-11 at 3.52.07 PM https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7344/...b0a914f9_o.png Screen Shot 2014-05-11 at 3.51.22 PM The Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt flat (10,582 square km) and is at 3700 m elevation. It formed from several prehistoric lakes and is covered by a few meters of salt crust. It is known for its extraordinary flatness with only a 1- meter change over the entire area. The salt crust covers a brine pool rich in lithium and contains 50-70% of the world’s lithium reserves. The flatness makes it ideal for calibrating altimeters of satellites and taking funny perspective photos. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3792/...1375869b_c.jpg solar de Uyuni 2 https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2937/...5207b727_c.jpg solar de Uyuni 98 https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5236/...1134cf85_c.jpg solar de Uyuni 99 |
Salar de Uyuni
We bought our first Bolivian gas at twice the price the locals pay, but at least they sold it to us. Actually we pay the real price for gas and the locals are heavily subsidized/placated by their populist government with cheap gas.
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5276/...26c8fbe3_c.jpg solar de Uyuni 3 There is a 20 km dirt road out of Uyuni to access the Salar of which several sections are very sandy. When you arrive at the town at the edge of the Salar there is a hard packed dirt road with tons potholes. Once you get to the salt you will see piles of salt for photo ops. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3751/...637b7073_c.jpg solar de Uyuni 4 https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5592/...7c1732c0_c.jpg solar de Uyuni 6 About 2 km farther there is the Dakar sign. The salt is very smooth and not slippery at all. We drove basically along the jeep tracks the 70 km to and around the Isla Incahuasi. On the way out we stopped for some pictures and a snack. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3806/...2970314b_c.jpg solar de Uyuni 104 https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3778/...93398c16_c.jpg solar de Uyuni 8 https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3708/...fdd63834_c.jpg solar de Uyuni 12 https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5237/...c565f523_c.jpg solar de Uyuni 14 https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3804/...037d2209_c.jpg solar de Uyuni 20 https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2905/...e97f8e6d_c.jpg solar de Uyuni 24 https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3804/...7b2c41a0_c.jpg solar de Uyuni 25 https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3692/...3b3fe51b_c.jpg solar de Uyuni 27 https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3726/...44e653a6_c.jpg solar de Uyuni 37 |
Salar de Uyuni
Sara was still fighting the flue and unfortunately had some trouble with the 3700m altitude with a severe headache (brain swelling). Dan got up at 6 to set up the time lapse for the sunrise. Dan said, “ Sara if you can get up to see this you should”. She did and then promptly barfed out the tent door. Luckily some Tylenol and hyperventilation helped a lot with her oxygen level. We packed up and then set up some perspective shots. The most important task for the morning was to get the bikes washed of salt.
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Salar de Uyuni Video
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Y'all just bloody well ROCK with the Ride report, pictures and video!!:thumbup1::thumbup1:
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Thanks
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Hey thank you SO much. We really put a lot of work into it and we are so glad you enjoy it! :D |
Potosi Bolivia
The good news for today was that the 210 km out of Uyuni to the north and Potosi was paved! There is a 5 Bs toll here too. Leaving the salt we had 20 km of the dirt and then smooth pavement. We were again lucky here as we met a couple later, who were trapped in Uyuni for 5 days because of blockades sometime after we left.
https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2932/...80f79c42_o.png Screen Shot 2014-05-11 at 3.32.44 PM https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3733/...f93dba97_c.jpg potpsi 2 https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3699/...bef83365_c.jpg potpsi 4 The drive is amazing with ups and downs between 4200m and 3700m. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3748/...31736170_c.jpg potpsi 5 Potosi at 4000 m is one of the highest cities in the world. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3776/...74751886_c.jpg potpsi 8 It was founded in 1546 after huge silver deposits were discovered in Cerro Rico. Estimates of between 2 and 8 million indigenous laborers and African slaves perished in the mines in the 300 years of colonial rule. Despite the fact that it is a collective the working conditions in the mine are still terrible and most miners die of silicosis in their 40’s. About 10,000 people still work in the mine every day. Silver was depleted in the 1800, but other rare metals are now mined. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3685/...4bc51680_c.jpg potpsi 9 Driving in this city is crazy. The roads are very narrow and some are extremely steep. It is a bit of a rabbit warren. We finally did locate a hotel not to far from the square with very hot water and a heater. We did a small tour of the area on foot and then retreated for a rare evening of English TV! https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3830/...2a763519_c.jpg sucre 1 |
Museum and Convent of Santa Teresa
The hotel was just up the block from the Convent and Museum of Santa Teresa. The entry fee is 21 Bs or about 3.50$ and photo taking is 1.60$ for an over 2 hour tour in English and is well worth it.
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3751/...5f61af8f_c.jpg potpsi 12 The Convent was founded in 1685 and is still the home to 6 Carmelite nuns (age 23 to 55), who live in a new building next door. One of them is an architect that has directed the restoration project to convert the old Convent into the museum. The guide was excellent and explained how the wealthy colonial families sent their second daughter into the convent at age 15. The nuns were allowed to have visits with their families. Before 1962 they could only hear their family, but not see or touch them. After that they removed the barrier so they could see and touch them through the barrier. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3688/...41988ea5_c.jpg potpsi 14 https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3824/...e76f3043_c.jpg potpsi 125 https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3724/...50cd9f76_c.jpg potpsi 18 Another way they were prevented from contact with the outside world was these spinning wheels. They were used to pass items to the priests and sell items to the public outside. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3833/...53c00294_c.jpg potpsi 38 Then you go into the entry room where these girls said their last goodbye to their families and the outside world. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3783/...9477f1c8_c.jpg potpsi 20 https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5119/...cf7a589b_c.jpg potpsi 22 https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3744/...4193b78c_c.jpg potpsi 50 https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5484/...fc3332ff_c.jpg potpsi 49 |
Museum and Convent of Santa Teresa
Entry into the convent was allowed only if a dowry was paid and was the equivalent of 100,000 USD in cash, land, real estate, and art. Many of these items are on display.
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3690/...52d20cb1_c.jpg potpsi 15 https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3683/...6ecfe74d_c.jpg potpsi 46 https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3729/...a30ec303_c.jpg potpsi 85 https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3722/...8c679bce_c.jpg potpsi 51 https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3713/...188caf6c_c.jpg potpsi 99 https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3746/...f74f7268_c.jpg potpsi 119 https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3686/...475ee6c2_c.jpg potpsi 104 https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3774/...92944e30_c.jpg potpsi 118 The gorgeous gowns the girls wore into the convent they reworked into vestments for the priests. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3770/...a27d5faf_c.jpg potpsi 92 The building itself is stunning as is the artwork. https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3821/...456032af_c.jpg potpsi 23 https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3725/...091b55ae_c.jpg potpsi 60 |
Museum and Convent of Santa Teresa
The tour includes the renovated church.
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3765/...03f9c5f4_c.jpg potpsi 25 https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3715/...0f733bf9_c.jpg potpsi 28 https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2912/...96a1d0a5_c.jpg potpsi 32 https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3815/...55d6cefb_c.jpg potpsi 33 The nuns spent their entire life inside the convent and are in fact buried here under the floor of the prayer room. The founding nun of the order has a crypt and monument. https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2896/...579f9e0e_c.jpg potpsi 57 https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2920/...e9e7d556_c.jpg potpsi 55 https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2939/...a2460c29_c.jpg potpsi 56 https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3725/...047a5b35_c.jpg potpsi 58 |
Hi folks great to read you blog, I met you at la Quiaca border with bolivia, I was leading the Globebusters group, we too had problems and delays with protests and roadblocks in bolivia, more so a few weeks later when we were coming back.
Safe travels and lovely to meet you on the road, David |
Border
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So nice to hear from you! We did wonder when we had to drive over the dirt and rock mounds on the highway what would happen when you guys showed up with all those bikes. Glad you made it. We ran into 2 from your team on the street in Cusco too so we knew you were on track. We met loads of blockades coming into La Paz last week, but they pretty much ignored us as we drove around the barricades etc. Glad to be back in Argentina now where we can expect smooth sailing. Sara & Daniel |
Hey Dan & Sara, loving the reports, keeps me going when I'm having a slack moment at work (reverse of Vancouver Sara) Brill vid from the Salar!
Gino & Fiona |
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S&D |
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