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Where It's At
The trip to the Salt Lakes promises to be the most
awesome that you could experience whilst in Bolivia. The natural
power of the landscape is aggressive and overwhelming, and
in the 4x4 jeeps that you need to travel across such a terrain,
you will see sights that will leave an indelible impact on
the senses.
The lake itself covers almost 7,000 sq miles and its surface
changes dramatically between the wet and dry seasons. Under
the onslaught of the harsh rain, the ground melts into a marshy
pool of salt-saturated water. In these conditions the astounding
illusion presented blurs the distinction between sky and earth,
creating a molten spread of entwined reflections. In the drier
months the marsh solidifies into hexagonal ' tiles' of salt,
locked together in a vast mosaic. Under the intense glare
of the sun, the salt seems to crack into a million sparkling
crystals that dance in front of your eyes. Sunglasses are
essential!
Salty Solitude
The first thing you come across is the Hotel Playa Blanca.
Aside from its stunning panoramic views and complete isolation,
this hotel is also utterly unique in its form. Apart from
its thatched roof , the hotel is constructed entirely from
rigid blocks of salt. Tables, chairs and even beds have been
carved into rooms, creating a bizarre but complete refuge,
worlds away from the drum of everyday life. The silence and
solitude are deafening so although it is possible to stay
here, it is only for the committed recluse. Most tours simply
stop here for a break and a look around before moving on.
Rising from this mystical, white world is the Isla Del
Pescado. This unusual island sprouts a multitude of cacti
and is also home to the occasional llama! It rises proudly
out of the flat even surface of the salt lake and is a good
point to stop and to climb up to get a unimpaired view over
this magnificent landscape.
The first overnight stop and the first place of habitation
is the town of San Pedro. Standing alone under a boundless,
star-stained sky, the town seems almost ghostly. The glare
of the salt at night is certainly softer but still powerfully
illuminates the vast surrounding space.
Beyond Salt Lake City
Once past the Salt Lakes the trip crosses a harsher and dustier
terrain. The jeeps drive through volcano lined valleys, past
breathtaking lakes and, at dawn, up to the sulphuric, water-spurting
geysers with temperatures so hot that they will scald the
skin. This part of the tour is a rich feast for the eyes.
There are the bizarre Dali-esque rock formations, in particular
the ' rock tree ' that balances on a surface area so small
that it appears utterly illogical in balance and truly seems
to grow from the ground.The two lakes in particular that will
attempt to challenge the magnificance of what you have already
seen are the Laguna Colorado and the Laguna Verde.
The fiery-red waters of the Laguna Colorado, home to a multitude
of gentle flamingos, seems to be performing for you,
as it changes during the day to deeper and deeper hues of
copper.
Then, surrounded by extinct volcanoes, the Laguna Verde
amazes through its sheer beauty and the constant changing
of its eponymous shades of green. The micro organisms living
in its waters dictate this rippling colour which changes in
time with the varying wind direction.
Descriptions of this area cannot do it any justice: it must
be experienced, and only then can you appreciate the sheer
wonder at such a place.
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