My South American Travels

A final post to show a map of my travels … awesome!

Chile Salt Flats and home …

I am well and truly home now but haven’t quite finished the blog posts for the final weekend away … There was one final outing for me before I headed home. Very different to the Bolivian Flats but equally awesome …

Yet more beautiful flamingoes

… and then it was back to the hotel for R&R before the big trip home

Leaving Bolivia … next stop Atacama desert in Chile

Bolivian border controls

Choices …

We turned right … finally civilisation to continue the birthday celebrations

From the Salt Flats to Chile

The final leg of our journey in Bolivia is across the Reserva Nacional de Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa – a Bolivian national park with unique landscapes of deserts, coloured lagoons, mountains, volcanoes and hot springs – headed all the way south to the border with Chile. We have a guide, Alan, and driver, who share our journey (they have been with us since Sucre). Much of the journey is in a Toyota Cruiser 4 wheel drive with rough terrain and high altitudes. Knowledgable, funny and caring, Alan makes the trip a really special one for his ‘girls’!

We have a long drive across the desert to our hotel – stunning scenery ..

We are staying in a hotel at 4400m … and we start to celebrate Fran’s big birthday!

The real birthday starts the next day – leaving at 6.30am for the Chile border visiting the Red Lagoon en route

And then onto the Blue Lagoon

The Bolivian Salt Flats

This is one of the highlights of our trip – we stayed in a salt hotel – Palacio de Sal. The hotel was stunning and driving across the flats awesome. The pictures don’t do it credit but I had a go!

Entering the flats …

Just being there …

Seeing the salt being mined

Sunset …

Travelling overland to Potosi

We begin the next stage of our travels through Bolivia – driving to Potosi and then onto Uyni and the Bolivian salt flats. Potosi is a silver mining town. We visited the mine – think ‘Poldark tin mining’ – shocking, bleak, unsafe but a reality of Bolivian life.

The town is typically Bolivian – narrow streets, beautiful balconies, wires everywhere …

And always a bustling, crowded town square with table football for everyone  …

Discovering Sucre

A city tour to learn more about the culture and history of the capital city of Bolivia. Narrow streets with intricate balconies – the size and shape of the houses denoting servants and masters. 

Beautiful hidden courtyards 

A city for local people rather than the tourists … a line for the local hospital services …