Southern Peru-Bolivia Day 18
Southern Peru-Bolivia
Day 18 - Wednesday, November 12, 2014 - Chaca Mummies; Salt Flats Museum; Uyuni Salt Flats; Colchani Salt Factories; Farewell Dinner
Our day began at 7:30 AM and then we had a light breakfast at the hotel. The breeze was cool, with a temperature of 51 degrees and 33% humidity.
We boarded our vans at 9:00 and drove just 20 minutes to visit the Chaca mummies. In a fossilized coral cave from the ancient seas, there were at least five or six mummies and skeletons.
Juan Carlos explained the ceremonies of offerings that people leave to show respect to their ancestors. Although not much research has been done on these mummies, others found in the neighboring mountains were shown to be 700 years old.
The combination of traditional indigenous beliefs and Catholic religion seem to blend naturally for the people of Bolivia. In addition to the mummies, we saw many Andean doves and several Andean parakeets.
Our next stop was the small village of Colchani. Most of the salt production is done by hand. We were able to see how the salt is ground, purified, iodine is added, and the salt is bagged for sale.
The Uyuni Salt Flats are so huge that the composition of salt varies from location to location. Different minerals such as sodium chloride, sulfur, potassium, magnesium, borax, and chalk are all harvested on the flats.
In Colchani we used the rest rooms, stretched our legs, and visited the local vendors selling items made from salt along with the other tourist attractions we have seen in our travels.
We drove in the vans out on to the smooth salt flats. Juan Carlos told us they were so immense and so flat that many satellites can calibrate their GPS signals using the flats.
A miner was shoveling salt in to 1000 KG or 2,200 pound piles. A truck will come to pick up the piles and the miner will get credit for his hard work. An average salt miner can make as much as 4,000 Bolivianos a month, a good salary.
After driving for about 30 kilometers on the flats, we stopped to walk around on the salt mosaics. When it rains, the salts dissolve and the plane is flat and smooth. As the sun dries out the land and the water evaporates, multi-sided polygon mosaics are formed.
For miles and miles, all one can see are the undisturbed designs in the salt. Pepé arranged for a Kodak moment and we took fun photos on the flats. By arranging the focal point we could distort the reality of perception.
Like all seas, this ancient seabed also had islands. We stopped at one of the 33 main islands called, Incahuasi Island. The drivers brought out the umbrellas, table clothes, and a very appetizing picnic lunch.
After lunch we took a hike up into the cactus covered fossilized coral island. The views of the surrounding terrain were remarkable; all flat, all white, for as far as the eye could see.
By 3:30 it was time to head back to the hotel. We made two more stops, the first at the original Salt Flats hotel, Hotel de Sal. Now a deserted lump of salt, it is also part of the Dakar Road Rally that has passed through Uyuni since 2009.
The last stop of the day was the Ojos de Sal or Eyes of Salt. The oxygen from the underground rivers bubble out of the water and this is said to have medicinal purposes by the local people.
We arrived home to our salt hotel at 4:00 and had plenty of time to look at our photos and to complete the journal.
Our group farewell dinner was at 7:00. Everyone turned in early as we have a 5:00 wake up call in the morning. Tomorrow we will leave the salt flats and drive back to Uyuni’s small airport to fly back to La Paz.
Accommodations: Cristal Samaña Hotel --- Meals: B, L, & D
To receive $50 per person off your first reservation with OAT, mention the following information when reserving your Overseas Adventure Travel Trip: Mr. Victor Garcia Customer #673062
Southern Peru & Bolivia: Inca Landscapes & Lake Titicaca
To receive $100 per person off your first reservation with OAT, mention the following information when reserving your Overseas Adventure Travel Trip: Mr. Victor Garcia Customer #673062
Comments
ENJOY your warm, wonderful vacation while you can...it's -9.8 degrees in Monument:)
Post a Comment!Loved the perspective of tennis shoes and people. Reminded me of sculptures coming out of sand, like the large hand in Uruguay.
Juan Carlos
Salt Miner
It’s All a Matter of Perspective
Salar de Uyuni Mosaic Polygons
Incahuasi Island Cacti
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