My first two stops in Bolivia were not so impressive. We started in the town of Santa Cruz. Our hostel was average but the town was not what I was expecting. We moved on to Potosi and were even less impressed. My laptop was stolen and to top it off we were residing at over 13,000 feet of elevation so we weren’t feeling the best. Potosi is one of the highest cities in the entire world. The people were not as lively or happy looking as other places in S. America that we had met along the way. The highlight of Potosi was the supposed to be the silver tour. We geared up in suits and hard hats to see how locals make a living. The conditions of the mine were not so enticing. It’s hard to imagine venturing down them every day to make a decent living. All in all, I wasn’t a big fan of Santa Cruz or Potosi. In my opinion, skip these stops as there are far more scenic destinations in South America with much more exciting activities.

 

When we arrived in Uyuni, we booked a three- day salt flat excursion. It far exceeded any of my expectations and I still can’t believe how much we saw along the way.  Our diver, along with Marge, Susanne, two other backpackers, and I, took off down to the border of Chile and Argentina for a 550-mile adventure.

The pictures detail out incredible journey as the visuals are hard to put into words. The journey took us through mountains, flamingo dotted red lakes, and what looked like the surface of mars. Along the way, we stayed in multiple salt hotels where everything from the walls to the bed frames was created with salt. I would HIGHLY recommend the three-day tour. Be sure to book with a reputable company as we heard many horror stories of local drunk drivers that would guide tourists though the not so safe terrain.

Be sure to pack warm as the temperature drops very low at night. Prepare for some altitude as at certain points of the trip we were almost to 16,000 feet of elevation.

EAT: Well, you’re probs going to be eating rice and beans. The organized, three day tour is a great way to try some new foods as all of the meals were provided.

STAY: Stay in a Salt Hotel, very unique and chilly experience.

PLAY: Don’t just do the day trip to the salt flats. Definitely book the three day tour as you see a such varied terrain on the three day tour.

^ What weeks of rice and beans will do to one’s GI tract