This is the final part of a three-part photo story on our adventure into Bolivia’s salt flats. See part one and part two.
A sunrise over the salar provided a fitting final morning for the colourful three-day tour. We all slept better that night and were excited for the final spectacle of the salt flats.
Our hostel was on the edge of the salar so we immediately drove out onto the white expanse, making a beeline for Huasi Inca island. or Fishes Island as it’s also known.
Llama, salar, cactus: no-one could resist this iconic island photo.
This was my Andean salt flats costume, modelled here atop the Huasi Inca Island. I may look a little ridiculous but I was wonderfully warm and how I loved that wool!
One of the ‘must-dos’ of the tour for many people is taking amusing perspective photos on the salt flats. We hadn’t given it much thought so had no pre-conceived ideas of what we’d do. Erin, our friend from Cafayate, wished for a dinosaur. It seemed impossible until fellow tour-mate Nick found one in the island gift shop. Great minds…
Dinosaur and beer can in tow, it was now time to take the photos, which proved much more tricky than anticipated. Here’s a shot of everyone trying to do the math.
We eventually got it down…
…and played at being tiny people…
…jumping in the sun.
It’s easy to forget that the salar is, of course, edible. These are piles of salt, drying out in the sun, ready for collection. I wonder how long that pile would last in a home kitchen?
The final stop of the tour was the train graveyard where artists have made use of the retired parts.
Steve and Nick found a giant see-saw. Memories of flying into the air as a child made me step away.
Instead I stuck to the swing. A cheery way to end a phenomenal adventure.
This is the final part of a three-part photo story on our adventure into Bolivia’s salt flats. See part one and part two here.
Useful information of the salt flats tour
More information on the tour and how we chose our tour operator can be found in part one and part two to the photo story.
The tour ends in Uyuni around midday. There isn’t much in town so I wouldn’t recommend hanging around. We got a nightbus to La Paz, which was one of the rockiest journeys I have ever been on. The Lonely Planet described it as bone-shaking and they definitely weren’t exaggerating. We originally booked with Todo Turismo but when we arrived in Uyuni, we found out they had sold our ticket to someone else. Luckily, Cordillera were able to book us onto a different bus.
One reason to stop in Uyuni is Minuteman Pizza where we shared a delicious evening meal before catching our bus.
I really like the second shot where the jeep looks miniscule. Great perspective! And the train graveyard looks like A LOT of fun!
Audrey | That Backpacker recently posted..Namsan and Seoul Tower in Autumn
It was a lot of fun – took us straight back to childhood!
Wow, incredible photos! That train graveyard actually looks a bit eery… LOVE the photo of Steve holding a tiny Victoria!
I definitely need to check this place out someday.
Kaleena recently posted..The magic of wine and painting
Thanks Kaleena. It’s easier to take a good photo than a bad one on the Salar! I love the photo of Steve holding me too – I always wished I was a borrower when I was younger!
Loved that jeep picture the most, I like those kind of images that really show the scale of the place. Good work on the beer can too!
Neelima V recently posted..2 Weeks in Andaman – Photos of Tropical Paradise
Thanks Neelima. That pic is one of my favourites too. It was a beautiful moment watching it disappear into the whiteness.
This is probably the #1 reason why I’d want to visit Bolivia—the salt flats. Looks incredible!
Adam recently posted..Tudor Arms hotel review: modern style in an historic building
It really is gorgeous. Definitely try and get there if you can – it’s beyond worth it.
Ah I’ve always wanted to visit the Salar Uyuni! I think I could spend all day posing for optical illusions
Ashley of Ashley Abroad recently posted..Two Days at a 200-Year Old French Apple Farm
It is addictive!
I’ve seen pictures of the salt flats before…but never that train graveyard! That’s almost cooler!
Naomi recently posted..Reflections during a Thai Thanksgiving
It was a surprise for us too! I particularly loved the swing.
Love this photo essay, it looks beautiful there and I love all of the perspective shots. I also want a winter hat like the colorful one you are wearing Victoria–how cute!!
Shannon O’Donnell recently posted..A Little Perspective … How Four Years of Traveling the World Has Changed Me
Thanks Shannon! I love those hats too. All you need to do is get to the Andes – they’re like a uniform for travellers there!
I hope you took more optical illusion photos than just the two you showed here! How cold was it during your trip? The clear skies and salt flats that look like sand trick me into thinking that it must be warm…but I know it’s not!
Alana – Paper Planes recently posted..>> Moment in: Penang >>
Hey Alana, Look at what we’re wearing! It definitely wasn’t warm. In fact, at night it was freezing cold. I wore all my clothes to bed! And yes, we took a few more photos, but it’s actually a lot harder than it looks so took quite a bit of time.
Salar de Uyuni is one of my favorite places in the world. I also have a picture of myself with a dinosaur on the salt flats. Hahaha.
I love all the pics in the series. I think the beer can is one of my fave perspective photos yet!
Thanks Cece! We really had no plans for the shots so the beer can was a lucky bit of improvisation. I love it too!
Love this photo series! Too cute. Bolivia is definitely on the “bucket list.”
Natalie T. recently posted..My Top Ten Favourite Restaurants in Toronto, 2012
Thanks Natalie. Bolivia is definitely worth the trip. We really want to go back at some point.
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It’s fascinating how places constantly change. When I visited the salt flats almost four years ago there was no playground at the train graveyard. The temperature seems to be about the same though
Åsta recently posted..Snaps from a beach – Chilling out in Puerto Madryn
It’s true! It felt like that graveyard had been there forever!