The otherworldy Salar de Uyuni

October 14, 2023

The last big day before reaching the Salar the Uyuni (world's largest salt flat) was tough. The wind that had been kind to us the last couple of days, blowing gently in our backs, slammed right in our faces after we took a sharp turn west. Kilometer after kilometer, we slowly paddled toward our camping spot. Heads down, sore ass, loud music to cancel the wind noise, occasionally looking up realizing how beautiful it is out here. A true Altiplano ride. A vast desert with volcano-like mountains scattered throughout, white patches of salt, and an actual volcano. We slept on the edge of a meteor crater. Can it get more otherwordly? Yes.

The next day we reached the edge of the salt flat. The massive volcano sitting right at its northerly shore. Finally we get a real taste of Bolivia. The sand is deep and the hike-a-bike is back! Our bikes sink into the sand rapidly like a knife in molten butter. We ride and push our way through this new world we find ourselves in. Is this earth as well? Are we in "platvoetje"?* Volcanos, cactuses, deep sand, and ahead a vast plain of salt so white it hurts our eyes. It is surreal.

In the morning we enter the salar. Wow. What is this crazy place? The ground is hard and looks like ice. Yet it is rough like sand paper and slightly sticky, making a crunchy sound as we cycle across. The first hour we stopped every few minutes to take in the surroundings while taking a million and one pictures. But deep down we know, there is no way to grasp this sensation in a single shot. The following five hours we cycled over the bizar surface looking far ahead to the pre-packed salt road that did not seem to end, ever! What an unforgettable experience.

*Platvoetje is the Dutch name for the animation picture "littlefoot".

Route: Challapata - Jirira - Uyuni