Uyuni, where earth reflects heaven

Salar Salt Flats of Bolivia
2021-02-18
/
/ Kolkata
At the beginning of each year, Uyuni Salt Flats in the South American country of Bolivia become the largest natural mirror in the world.
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The white expanse of Uyuni Salt Flats, or Salar de Uyuni, located at the feet of the Tunupa volcano is the world’s largest salt desert spread over 11,000 sq km and at an altitude of about 3,600 metres above the sea level in the Andes, making it seem possible to reach up and touch the clouds from the ground.

Tourists, especially Indians particularly those looking for a holiday with a difference, taking a South American package tour to Argentina, Peru, Chile and the region, make a stop at Bolivia to visit this crystal beauty. Uyuni grabbed international attention a few years back when 5.4 million tonnes of lithium was extracted from the surface of the salt. The salt bed is over 10 meters thick in the middle. While in the dry season, the salt plains are a completely flat expanse of dry salt, during the wet season, the surface is covered with a thin sheet of water that reflects the sky like a giant mirror.

It is possible to get to Uyuni by plane, by train or by bus. However, the best and most comfortable option is to fly to Uyuni from the big cities of Bolivia, La Paz or Santa Cruz.

While on a South American odyssey, one can also get to Uyuni directly from Chile. Take the highway from Iquique, passing through Calama till San Pedro de Atacama and arrive at Hito Cajones. And from Argentina, it is recommended to take AerolíneasArgentinas to San Salvador de Jujuy. From there, go by road to La Quiaca, cross to Villazon and from there take a train to Uyuni.

In general, one can expect sunny warm weather during the daytime, and freezing, bone-chillingly cold winds at night.

Stargazing at Salar

Flamingos at Salar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Salar is famous for stargazing. The best time for stargazing is either during the winter when the sky is crystal clear or with luck on even during the rainy season, one can spot the starry sky reflected in the still, mirror-like surface of the Salar.

The islands in the middle of the salt desert are attractions that marvel all visitors. The Cujiri Island, better known as Fish Island, right in the middle of the Salar, has very picturesque scenery. On the island’s summit, there is a cave which is perhaps one of the best places to take wonderful pictures of the island and the salt mines as well. The Incahuasi Island, known as the Fishermen’s Island, is formed on top of the remains of a volcano at 120 meters above the surface of the salt. On this island, there are seven archaeological sites that belonged to the Tiwanaku culture, including two Inca ruins. Another beautiful attraction is a large number, around 25,000, of flamingos that gather at the Red Lagoon in the Eduardo Avaroa Reserve during the rainy season for mating.

Corridor of a salt hotel at Salar

Bedroom of a salt hotel at Salar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salar de Uyuni is a popular tourist destination, and consequently, a number of hotels have been built in the area. Due to the lack of conventional construction materials, many of them are almost entirely (walls, roof, furniture) built with salt blocks cut from the Salar. The first such hotel, named Palacio de Sal or Palace of Salt, was erected in 1993 in the middle of the salt flat, and soon became a popular tourist destination. However, its location in the centre of a desert caused sanitation problems, as most waste had to be collected manually. Mismanagement caused serious environmental pollution and the hotel had to be dismantled in 2002.

Another major tourist attraction is an antique train cemetery three km outside Uyuni and is connected to it by old train tracks. The town served in the past as a distribution hub for the trains carrying minerals en route to Pacific Ocean ports when the rail lines were being built by the British engineers.

The Salar has been on the bucket list of all adventure tourists and photographers. It has been used as a filming location for movies such as Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017; as planet Crait), The Fall (2006), Salt and Fire (2016), The Unseen (2017), and several others.

It is a lifetime and extraordinary experience to cross this lake of salt by car, especially during the winter, because at that time the sky is completely clear and the bright blue colour of the sky contrasts brilliantly with the salt.

On a cloudy day, there is a white-out effect, the horizon seems to blend in with the sky and you can hardly tell where the salt lake actually ends.

Photo Credit: boliviatravelsite.com

 

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