We started the morning early, as usual. However, instead of getting into the car after breakfast, we set off on a short hike up a hill overlooking Lake Colorada. From the top, there was a breathtaking view of the lake, where llamas grazed near the outlet of a hot spring, creating an incredible misty pool where they lingered. The hike was brief, and we probably spent only about an hour in total before setting off again. Despite its brevity, it was refreshing to be more active. Sitting in a car for days on end quickly becomes monotonous.
The rest of the day unfolded at a slower pace. By this point, the novelty of the landscapes had worn off, and cabin fever was setting in. It seemed we were running out of landmarks, and on our way to the lunch spot, we made only one or two stops, one of which was noteworthy – a set of rock formations amidst an orange landscape.
Upon reaching the lunch spot, an elevated area overlooking a lake surrounded by scattered boulders, we were informed that it was all downhill from there, both figuratively and literally. We were descending from the high altitude, dropping from an average of 4200m down to about 3600m. It marked the end of the high altitude desert landscape we had become familiar with over the past few days. I spent some extra time lingering around the lakes and mountains with my camera, attempting to capture some last-minute memories.
After lunch, we made no more stops and headed directly to our final accommodation for the tour, located on the outskirts of the grand finale. The landscapes changed rapidly, and we soon reached a flat, sandy valley. It didn’t take long before we approached what we had all come to see – Uyuni de Salar.
In case it wasn’t clear what Uyuni de Salar is, it is a massive salt bed as flat as the eye could see. Though, arriving towards it from the outskirts, it wasn’t the perfectly smooth flat salt we had anticipated, but rather a mushy, salt-based muddy terrain. We drove around the edge to reach our overnight accommodation, which, almost imperceptibly, was entirely made out of salt. Despite my initial scepticism, a quick lick of the wall swiftly confirmed its authenticity.
Due to the significant drop in altitude, it was by far the warmest and most comfortable stay of our trip. Our comforts were further enhanced by a few complimentary bottles of wine. We decided to wait before opening them, intending to watch the sunset over Uyuni shortly. However, when we arrived at the eagerly anticipated sunset spot, the biting icy winds forced us to reconsider our plans. Instead, we quickly snapped a few pictures and hurried back to enjoy our precious wine over dinner.
It was our last night together, and we had a great and cosy dinner, accompanied by wine, laughter, and fun and games. I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect way to spend the final night with this group of friends. We were all in high spirits and eagerly anticipating the grand finale the following day – crossing Salar de Uyuni.
