Salar de Uyuni - Day 2

We want to book a day tour and start it on the same day. Therefore, the plan is tight: Wake up at 6:00, visit agencies for a tour starting at 7:00, then start the tour.

Spontaneously, a 2-day tour is offered to us. We actually think that's even better. However, since the hostel is booked for the second night, our kite bag gets to enjoy a private room. But that's worth it for us. Priorities and all;-)

After booking, we quickly go back to the hostel for breakfast and at 10:00 we're already on our way. Get in the pickup with 4 Peruvians and a driver. Unfortunately, for the 2-day tour, there were only Spanish-speaking drivers/guides, so Kathrin has to do some translation work or we just skip the background information and history.

First, we go to a cemetery for old locomotives, which were used in the past to transport all the salt.

Then we continue to a small village that seems to have been created only for tourism. This is where all the tours are unloaded. The street feels lined with 100 pickups. They sell typical tourist trinkets here. We wander around in circles for half an hour, feeling bored. This is not really our thing.

From the little village, we continue to the actual salt flat, Salar de Uyuni. It was formed over 10,000 years ago by the drying out of the paleolake Tauca and is now the largest salt flat (110 x 140km) in the world, at least if you believe Wikipedia. There is a salt hotel in the middle of the lake, where we have a meal and then continue driving into the desert. There, we take the obligatory perspective photos. We're done after three shots. But the Peruvians can't resist the urge.

In the evening, we are dropped off at the foot of the volcano "Tunupa," which provides a bit of moisture to the area and therefore is home to flamingos and numerous llamas.

We spend the night in a hotel made of salt. Only the roof is made of wood and corrugated iron. The night sky here in the desert is truly impressive.