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Geysers
The last day of the tour in Uyuni would take us through more of the Eduardo Abaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve. First thing in the morning, we made a quick stop to see some geysers. Not exactly Old Faithful. I was expecting them to be much bigger, to be honest. But, a geyser’s a geyser and it was still cool to see.
Aguas Termales
Next, we stopped at the Aguas Termales, a natural thermal bath. Some of the passengers decided to jump in. They said it was a great experience and they were able to warm up nicely. I didn’t have anything to swim in and there was no way I was about to strip down in this cold.
Salvador Dalí Desert
About 30 minutes after leaving the baths, we drove through the Salvador Dalí Desert (Desierto Salvador Dalí). It was named after Dalí because the colors resemble his paintings. This was one of the most impressive parts of the landscape.
Laguna Verde
Our very last stop on the tour was Laguna Verde. It’s supposed to be very green. It wasn’t.
End of the Tour
We drove to the Chilean border where we thanked our driver. He was supposed to take me back to Uyuni but it would have been impossible for me to leave because of the roadblock. I opted to go back to La Paz via Chile on a bus ride from hell and skipped my scheduled stop in Sucre.
Conclusion
The three day tour of the Uyuni Salt Flat and the surrounding areas was stunningly beautiful but not worth the time spent. I felt like I spent more time in the jeep than actually seeing anything of value. When we stopped, it was usually for about a half hour and we would then spend another hour or two in the jeep. The terrain was bumpy and uncomfortable. It was the driest, dustiest, dirtiest place I had ever visited, and it was COLD. Skipping some of the highlights and getting food poisoning ruined the experience even more.
I honestly feel that the scenery in neighboring Peru and Chile was more beautiful, more accessible, and didn’t have the horrible dust cloud that seemed to be following us at all times. In the end, I’m glad I did it, but I wouldn’t do it again. It’s a rough trip and I don’t recommend it for everyone.
A one day tour to the salt flats, Colchani, and the train cemetery would have been enough for me. It was the most interesting part of the tour even though we had to skip the latter two. These attractions are near Uyuni and easily accessible.
