From Uyuni to San Pedro de Atacama

The locomotives were used in the past to transport resources such as precious metals. After the industry collapsed, the trains were no longer needed and simply abandoned here. Our guide (Dino) told us that modern diesel trains are now used for the remaining railway line.

After the first short stop, we continue to the Salar de Uyuni. The salt flat is the largest salt pan (dry salt lake) in the world (according to Wikipedia). With over 10,000 km², it is even larger than Europe's second largest lake (according to Wikipedia)! Hard to believe, but the salt in Uyuni comes from the Atlantic Ocean. Millions of years ago, a gigantic arm of the Atlantic Ocean stretched across the entire continent. When the Andes began to rise, the seawater was separated from the ocean, leaving behind a huge salt lake that gradually dried up. In addition to the immense amount of salt, other natural resources can be found in Uyuni. It is believed that the Salar de Uyuni has the largest lithium deposit in the world. In the era of increasing electromobility, this undoubtedly represents a growing industry for Bolivia!

Our next stop is a small village where salt is extracted. We visit a house where a man harvests and packages salt for daily use. The entire salt blocks used for construction are also stored here. These blocks are simply cut from the salt crust using chainsaws. They are easy to lift because underneath the approximately 30-40 cm high crust, it is very moist, so the salt has no anchor point.