Llamas, Lagunas, and Land Cruisers

Our backpacks were thrown on top of a Land Cruiser that would be our home for the next 4 days as we embarked on a tour of the Bolivian altiplano. We were joined by a Swiss couple, Peter and Jeanette, our cook, Mariana, and our driver, a safety-conscious, comical Bolivian, Barnaby. From the first moment of the tour, climbing through dramatic mountains out of Tupiza, we were amazed by the expanses of hills, rock walls, leering cactus and frozen rivers. We fell in love with the llamas and then the small children who greeted us when we visited their small pueblos. At an average of 12,000 feet above sea level, the sky and the air and the landscapes feel and look different. At the loud gurgling geysers we felt like we're on Mars, never adjusting to the sulphuric smell. We enjoyed driving through the desert valleys, mountainous inclines, and beautiful lakes like Laguna Verde. Our nights were spent in small rooms with hard beds and several layers of clothing. We ate delicious meals and always felt safe in the hands of Barnaby, who never failed to check the tires at random. When we arrived on the third day at Laguna Colorado, we quietly watched flamingoes dance on water. Among red desert, large rocks sprout out of nowhere; the Arbol de Piedra, Tree of Rock, was fun to climb. The third night we slept in a hostel made of salt sitting at the edge of the Salar de Uyuni. We watched the beautiful moonrise and prepared ourselves for the climactic salt flats the next day.