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Desert Times

Iguazu seems to have been a long time ago. After a heavy party night in Buenos Aires we took of to Bolivia and life has changed substantially. We left Pato behind and got two new travel companions, Kunal and Thomas. And we went to the desert... not figuratively speaking, really...

After a 12 hour transfer from La Paz to Uyuni, we took off the next day to the Salar de Uyuni and were impressed how a vast amount of salt can look like snow and be so cool. We took all these artistic pictures and stopped for the night a Hostel that is made of salt walls. Again we met Anouroop and Boney in the middle of nowhere with no previous warning and they told us this hostel was luxurious compared to the following night and started getting scared... We sorted it out with red wine and live music. Yes, a random Canadian guy played the guitar and guess who (me) played the drums... It was fun but I had bruises in my fingers the next day. But at least that helped us warm up for the night.

The next day we went for the real desert, Laguna Colorada, Laguna something and something and something (I will get the map from the tour guide by the end of this). It was beautiful even though exhausting. We had a cook with us, Sandra, who prepared our meals every day and we finally arrived to the so feared hostel. It was indeed beyond cold, no heating and barely any light. We tried the same strategy of red wine and shoulder game but it was at least 10C colder. I would point at close to zero. Our subzero sleeping bags, two cashmere sweaters and my fleece made the trick and I slept better than the night before. We were greeted by a 5am wake up call to head to the hotsprings before anyone else.

By then, my luck in trips was at its peak and after my cold that became a fever from only 2 days before, altitude sickness and migraine love took me to my lowest and I had to stay in the car while the group enjoyed a bath in the hot springs. And me craving for a shower... I guess I will leave the hotsprings for another part of the world some other time. The way back was also very beautiful passing by the Laguna Verde, the Salvador Dali valley (theoretically), the Valley of Rocks and other little watch outs with amazing colourful landscapes. I was not eager for the bumpy road ahead but the prospects of a hot shower and a phone line made it happen!

We will head back to La Paz tonight on an overnight train. I will tell you how that goes once I get there!
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