Monday, March 21, 2011

Surreal Uyuni salt flats

Uyuni is a top destination in Bolivia. The huge salt flats, Salar de Uyuni, extend thousands of square miles. In dry season it is solid white; in raining season, a layer of water sits on top. I thought I would like the salt flats in raining season. I was NOT disappointed. The photos will have to speak for me.

Our original plan was to take a 4-day tour which seemed the thing everyone does. When we were in Tupiza, John and I independently realized that 4 days in a jeep, frigid nights, and no washing is too high a cost when all we wanted to see is the salt flats. The 1-day tour worked well for us. We got to wade in the water and feel immersed by the amazing landscape, and picked up a few salt crystals along the way.

At the edge of the Uyuni Salt Flats.
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The locals harvest salt by hand, first raking it into mounds, then shoveling the salt into trucks.
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Sun-Ling picked up these newly formed NaCl crystals from the surface of the flats, just under the water.
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These next photos were all taken near the Salt Hotel, which is in the midst of the Salar de Uyuni.

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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

i first saw the images through Art Wolfe's tv serie "travel to the edges". yours, to my eyes, convery a more dreamy quality by placing people and building on a tiny scale in the middle of a seemingly endless mirage. beautiful! - weiqing

Unknown said...

These are amazing pictures. I am entranced by them.

john said...

Thanks much Cathy and Weiqing!

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