We woke up before dawn, greeted by an absolute freeze that had settled in overnight. The windows were frosted over from the inside, and the biting cold indicated a temperature well below freezing. It’s hard to pinpoint the exact number because at high altitudes and in dry conditions, temperatures behave differently, but it was unmistakably sub-zero. After enduring the discomfort of the cold for a while, we eventually had breakfast, packed the car, and set off for another day of jeeping around.
Our first stop was at a llama farm, where, as you could have guessed, we encountered a whole lot of llamas. Looking out at the flock, I couldn’t help but conclude that among woolly animals, llamas were undeniably cuter than sheep (sorry sheep).
After our fluffy llama encounter, we continued our journey until we reached a lake teeming with pretty pink flamingos. It was a beautiful sight that inspired Romain to unleash his drone, and I joined as the self appointed copilot. I didn’t do much other than survey the area for potential shots. In the end “we” managed to capture some truly amazing aerial shots of the lake and its flamingo inhabitants.
After the mesmerising flamingo lake, we headed straight toward the magnificent landscapes we had spotted on the horizon. Soon, we found ourselves surrounded by nothing but bright orange sand stretching as far as the eye could see. We ventured into the distance, taking photos as we went. Knowing that there would be plenty of photos to capture in a limited amount of time once we reached Uyuni, we thought it wise to rehearse for the upcoming photoshoot. Against the backdrop of the vast orange landscape, we jumped, posed, and even attempted some handstands.
After our photo antics, we pressed on and soon arrived at something we had all been eagerly anticipating: the hot springs. Enduring two days of bone-chilling cold without a warm shower made the hot springs an incredibly welcomed sight.
Set amidst a picturesque landscape, the hot springs couldn’t have been in a more perfect location. As everyone started to leave, I lingered a bit longer, savouring the most beautiful view while soaking in the spring. The scene grew calm and quiet, emphasising the mesmerising vastness of the open landscape. In my immediate line of sight, a grazing llama and a pink flamingo peacefully coexisted, setting the tone for the serene atmosphere. I rested my head on my arms, hanging on the edge of the pool, gazing outward. It was one of those rare moments in life where tranquillity envelops you completely, forcing you to be absolutely present, recognizing the raw beauty of simply being alive. I didn’t have my phone with me to capture this profoundly beautiful moment, but it was likely something that couldn’t have been adequately captured anyway. Later, I realised I had only taken a single photo of the hot spring. Often, the most joyous moments never make it onto the camera. Embracing life fully and having your phone in your hands are often mutually exclusive.
The tranquillity was soon broken by the call for lunch, which disrupted the stillness and brought me back from my dream-like state. Reluctantly, I rose from my reverie, not wanting to keep everyone waiting.
After lunch, we resumed our journey, passing by sulphur vents spewing out gas from the earth. Some vents were emitting clouds, while others were erupting like jets. Embracing our inner child, we started throwing stones at the jets, attempting to get them right into the holes with the hope of triggering a reaction that launches the stone into the air. Sadly, our intuitive interpretation of physics was incorrect and whenever a stone got close, it would just be nudged away from the hole.
After taunting the sulphur jets, we continued our way towards Laguna Colorada. The idea was to arrive for a spectacular sunset view. However, when we arrived at the Laguna, an incredibly frosty wind blew right into our bones, making it nearly impossible to enjoy the sunset. The cold air forced us all to bail on the sunset, and one by one, we ran back to the jeep. Although the sunset was a miss, the rest of the day more than made up for it.
We drove onward to our resting place for the night, a campsite near Lake (Laguna) Colorada. At the campsite, we were often joined by more people than just the two jeeps from our tour company. Other tour groups would also gather, and the night unfolded like all the others: filled with pleasant conversations, some card games, and a lovely warm dinner.
