journey to the salt flats: day 2

As our 4x4 made it's way on the craggy road, the sun started to rise slowly from the horizon. The colors it painted on the mountains catching it's first light made those moments magical. Every turns, ascents and descents we made revealed more magnificent views, rivaling the previous ones. It was beauty no one or nothing could perfectly capture. It was beauty that can only be savored by those who venture in that far away and secluded place. If only the low temperature could also freeze time.

Day 2 - Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve

We had a very long drive ahead so we started the day really early. Our vehicles started moving at exactly 6 in the morning. It was freezing and ice formed on puddles and streams. March is still summer in Bolivia. I was glad I wasn't there during the winter.

Our first stop was Ruinas de San Antonio, an abandoned mining village with Volcan Uturuncu looming in its background. According to our driver, the place was established in the 16th century which meant it predates the Inca civilization. When I got home and looked closely at the pictures I took, I saw some of the buildings had what seemed to be white paint. There were websites saying that there was an effort to repopulate the village in the 70s and that would probably be the reason for it. For a ruin (supposed to be) as old as this, it is expected that there will be studies and excavations done to understand its history but there didn't seem to be any sign of archeological activities in the area.

It was still very cold so we didn't spend much time going around the ruins and just went inside the vehicle. My fingers were getting numb and I had to run back to feel warmer but I was still freezing. Spotting the cute vizcacha who are the current residents of the village became a short distraction to the cold.

Ruinas de San Antonio and Volcan Uturuncu.

We continued driving with beauty everywhere I looked; rugged terrain, different rock formations with varying colors, snow-capped peaks. I saw for the first time a vicuña which produce highly priced wool. A small group was hanging out on a slope feeding on grasses that are weirdly forming close-to-perfect circles and arcs. Hundreds of llamas still dot the land and we even saw a sign telling us to heed caution for crossing llamas.

This is one of the signs you haven't seen yet.

The road opened up to a view of a blue lake, one of the many we were about to see for the day and the next. Of course I didn't get it's name nor the snow-capped mountain in the distant. We were at 4855masl, another record high for me (on both altitude and euphoria). But despite my emotional state, the cold was still creeping to my bones. Or maybe it was just me because they started taking off their jackets.

We then drove until we reached the entrance of the reserve. We paid 150Bs and while it seemed a bit high at first, I was willing to pay more after seeing all the amazing scenery. As we made our way into the reserve, we were surprised to see a small community inside it. And of course if there are people, it's impossible not to see even a small pile of trash.

More than an hour has passed before we reached our next stop, dacite! Err... What they wanted to show us in that place, they didn't explain but the ride wasn't exactly smooth, it was bumpy, so it was time for some rest. And then it was time to move and we headed to our next colored lake, Laguna Hedionda, where I spotted my first flamingos. They were feeding on the lake at a distance and didn't seem to care about what was happening around. There weren't much flamingos but on the next lake (I didn't get the name) not that far away, there were hundreds of them.

Everyone was excited for our next destination, Aguas Termales. Just imagine yourself lounging in warm (hot?) water, with a lake and mountains of different colors in the backdrop, in a remote and serene place. Wouldn't it be wonderful? Well, I'd rather stay in the vehicle because I don't like pools. Period. And besides, once you get out of the water, it will be really cold so I somehow saved myself from that agony.

Aguas Termales.

A few groups doing the tour from Chile were just about to leave when we reached the hot spring. Our schedule kept its promise of avoiding the crowd (which is hardly a crowd). We headed to Desierto Dali and on our way, we came across two bikers. They must be really crazy to travel with just their bikes but nonetheless, we gave them a bath of dust. There were also a few big trucks along the road we were taking. They were carrying sulfuric acid and our driver explained without hesitation that those were contraband. Oh...

Our next stop was Sol de Mañana, which they simply described as a geyser. I was very excited because that would have been the first time I would see boiling hot water getting sprayed out from a vent. But in the end, I didn't. It was more like a solfatara with quite a number of colored mud pools. The place reeked of sulfur and we could smell it even before we got near. No safety protocols were implemented and people were all around. Some were walking on ridges between the pools and I was glad they weren't geysers.

Sol de Mañana

The highlight of our day was the Laguna Colorada. It was nothing I had ever seen before. Well, almost everything was but the lake, with its red hue, will make you think if Moses dipped his cane in this water. But no, the color was due to the algae thriving in the water and I'm guessing the sediments which are also reddish contributed to its color. The guys and I walked around the lake, marveling at its beauty and oddness. There were many flamingos in the lake and with the desire to take some close-up photos of them, we stealthily moved towards a small group feeding near the shore. I later learned that visitors are not supposed to try to get close to them nor drive them away to flight because they're breeding gets affected. Oops, sorry about that.

The tranquil Laguna Colorada.

We spent the night  in a place perched in the middle of nowhere. Though that time, we shared the building with more groups and we had electricity for a few hours. Before it got dark, I climbed a small hill just because. I watched as the sky changed its color. Everywhere I looked, I saw rugged mountains. There were no other man-made structures except for our building. We were surrounded by nature in its wildest and most singular form. It was only then that I realized how far away I was from home; how much distance I have traveled just to get to that lonely place. And that place reminded me of nothing, or anything that was simply familiar to me. But now that I look back to that moment, what I remember the most was the sense of happiness, peace and fulfillment I rarely had. I was living the life I wanted.

Our accommodation in the middle of nowhere.