Almost all reviews of the 4 day Salt Flat tours have two things in common: the scenery is amazing and the nights are freezing cold in the desert. The tour companies built dorms in the desert to house their guests . . . . One room for each tour group, given 4-6 guests per car there are 6 beds in a room. And you continue this for three nights in a row. Not really our best option.
There is a luxury option . . . Staying in luxury hotels in the desert but that tour was $1,000 USD each for three nights. Not really a good option either. So we are making our own tour.
Here in Uyuni, we joined a group for a day tour and at the end of the day, we slept in a luxury hotel made of salt. First we went to the train cemetery. When Bolivia had mining as a major export, the trains would carry ore, now they are rusting in the desert. The salt flats were amazing. The encompass hundreds of thousands square kilometers with an island of green in the middle. The island is called fish island, and it is a raised area covered in cactus. And around is nothing, pure emptiness except for salt. The educational posters explain that once the area was a large, shallow, salt lake but the water evaporated away leaving only salt. You can see the salt grains shimmering in one picture. In summer (December to February) the rains fill each of the multi sided troughs and the water reflects the sky, much like a puddle and the photographic effects can be amazing. Near one edge was a volcano and the area below is a fertile valley. We saw flamingos and llamas, and in general had a lovely day and saw all we had hoped.
The driver dropped us at Hotel de Sal Luna Salada. The outside walls are waterproof, but all inside walls are made of salt bricks from the flats. Walls, furniture, tables everything! Each couple has a room with heated sleeping quarters and across the hall a series of solar salons to relax in. (More Heat). They had a viewing platform to photograph the sunset, and a roaring fire in the dining room. David said he saw a sign to not lick the furniture —- really! Yuk!!!
We are “stuck” in Uyuni today because the onward train does not leave until after supper. It will take us to the southern portion of the route where another day tour and we will hopefully complete the circuit. Meanwhile, we submitted our laundry, caught up on the blog and and drank coffee today, A productive day.
