The thunder storm last night helped me make my final decision not to risk taking Tiggrr out onto the Salar. I so wanted to though. Instead, I talked with the host of the hostel and opted to take a one day tour in a Land Cruiser.
The Salar de Uyuni was on my original list of places to visit on this trip. I had visions of riding across this endless salt flat. Fortunately and unfortunately, I am visiting during the rainy season. Fortunately, because the excess water on the salt creates an unbelievable 360º mirror effect that I was able to experience. Unfortunately because the excess water mixed with the salt creates a corrosive slush that I was unwilling to risk riding the bike in. The last thing I need is salt water finding its way into my drivetrain, ignition or other electronics.
There were only four of us in the Land Cruiser. Two women from São Paulo, Brazil, A young man from Switzerland and myself. A local man named Jose, was our driver and guide for the day.
We began by visiting the Train Cemetery or Cementerio de Trenes. Uyuni was a major train hub back in the late 19th and early 20th century. Silver, tin and saltpeter mining were major industries in Bolivia and they had developed a network of rail lines connecting to Argentina and Chile. In the 1940s, these mining industries collapsed, partly due to the mineral depletion. The locomotives were abandoned in the desert just outside of Uyuni to slowly decay in the salt laden wind.
From there we drove 30 kilometers to the enter the salt flat. My guilt for not riding the bike today was soon replaced with relief as we had to cross two long sections of standing salt water. Both deep enough the submerge the land cruiser's tires completely.
Once on the playa, the whole world changed into a blinding, horizon to horizon, sheet of white. The Salar is roughly the size of Connecticut (14,356 sq km) and is the remains of an ancient ocean. The surface now lies at an elevation of 3,656 m (11,995 ft) above sea level with the salt having a maximal depth of 140 meters (460 ft). That's A lot of salt.
We drove around to several locations offering different surfaces. The most spectacular were the areas covered in 2-3 inches of water. The 360º mirrored surface was something to behold and it would play tricks on your brain. Sometimes causing brief moments of vertigo. In the bright white salt, photographers play with forced perspectives and you can see many examples of this online.
We had picnic lunch at the famous Playa Blanca hotel. It is made of salt blocks and has been a staging area for the Dakar Rally several times since 2016.
In the afternoon, I was able to take a two hour walk off into the endless horizon. I saw some flamingos and... more salt. As far as you can walk... it just keeps going. I could look at that changing sky all day.
As sunset approached so did the thunderstorms. The wind picked up, sky darkened and lighting flickered. It was time to go. I think you will see from my photos that it was an extraordinary day.