The evening of the Baptism I was to start the rest of my trip, the real adventure was about to begin.
First stop was Tupiza where I was to join Brent, Katie & Josh plus driver and cook to cross the lakes and the Salar de Uyuni over 4 days and 3 nights.
This this meant an 8 hour bus ride over a 4300m pass 4hrs up and 4 down, people say it is better to do the overnight trip that way you can´t see the road!
We were to have an english speaking driver /guide but that didn´t happen in the end - (life in Bolivia) but as I had some spanish, my tour buddies had a little and our driver had a little, we managed well. Our driver Abner was very careful and especially kind to me after I fainted once when we were coming back from a photo op at 4200 metres. Fortunately I had asked that we have oxygen in the car with us after my 1st experience with high altitude. The others were very kind to me. On the first night at dinner there was a small painting of Moses and the burning bush. This led to long and wide ranging discussion about faith, and the gospel and the bible that night and over the rest of the time on a range of topics including marriage, the miracles and are they just stories written to make a teaching point. The others all had strong Catholic upbringings but no longer attended except on special occassions.
We were delayed the first afternoon because we stopped to help the other vehicle in our group. We were to become good friends with the people in that group as well and I stayed with them in Sucre later on. So we arrived later than planned to the Laguna Colorada (red lagoon) because of the pigment from algae so there wasn´t a great deal of sun about to show it off in its best light.
Boliva has 4 types of flamingoes, one of which we were told migrates between Africa and Bolivia my be some may be related to the ones we saw in Ngorongoro crater in 2002.. but probably not me thinks.
The bed in the hostal was surprisingly comfortable, and my $60 Blackwolf Zambezi sleeping bag was wondefully warm, its a rectangular shape open at the top but with a draft collar because I can´t cope with a mummy type.
The next day we went up to 4300mtrs, I was ok just had to take it slowly,there were 2 lagoons close to each the Laguna verde (green) was an amazing green and the laguna blanco (white) both colours caused by the large concentration of minerals in the waters.
that night it was very cold after dinner the people in the hostel were all huddled around the small square wood fired heater, again my black wolf performed admirably although I did find that I needed one of the blankets later. The morning was really really especially when we where out side getting all the baggage on top of the landrover . Later we were told it had reached -18 overnight - which would explain why the wolf needed the extra blanket as it´s only rated to -5.
The last night we stayed in a Salt hotel - (not the bad one that is actually built on the Salt flat close to Uyuni) and it was the 1st time there was a shower available.. you had to buy a ticket and wait your turn.. I actually felt hot that night in bed. The last day was crossing the Salar itself.
The Salar (Dry Salt Lake) is an amazing place - it is flat and blindingly white in winter - in summer during the wet it is covered with a layer of water which acts as perfect mirror for the sky. we left early to watch the sun rise over the flat whiteness that stretched seemingly endlessly. the we drove further in to the blinding whiteness and did all the photo tricks that you can do when there is nothing but flat whiteness.
After an hour or so of this we drove to the lunch stop and after that it was all over.
The others were going to La Paz and I to Sucre. It was a really good time and we all had a great time together .. please pray for Brent Katie and Josh, in their travels and that the Holy Spirit would work in their lives.
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