Overview:
In the silence of Uyuni, surrounded by people, I discovered what it meant for me to be myself, writes Vidh Bubna of her journey in Bolivia
Salar De Uyuni
As I embarked on my journey to the border of Chile near the Atacama Desert, little did I know what to expect. I had not heard of Bolivia until I started seeing reels about the country on my Instagram page suggestions after I entered South America. A little bit of research told me getting to Bolivia was indeed possible via Chile. The land route extending from Chile’s border to Uyuni is called Salar De Uyuni.
At the immigration office in Bolivia, I spent almost 45 minutes gathering my documents to show the authorities that I was approved for a visa on arrival. A valid US visa goes a long way in making travelling across the globe easier – USD 140, and I was stamped in.
Salar De Uyuni is best explored on a 4X4 vehicle. The car’s windshield had a hole in it, and it looked dilapidated. The seats were smaller than I expected for a car journey over eight hours daily. However, we give up something for something more precious.
I made my way to the front seat to enjoy panoramic views. The driver chewed on coca leaves to keep himself awake during the high-altitude drive. I sat next to him, trying to make small talk in Spanish. As soon as we hit the road, ours was the only car from horizon to horizon.
Laguna Blanca
Initially, we started off the day by exploring three unique lagoons. Laguna Blanca, a white lagoon surrounded by stunning views of mountains. Not too far away was a hot spring in the middle of nowhere; I paid USD 20 to dip into it. I did not expect to have the motivation to dip into a hot spring when it was minus five outside, but I surprised myself.
Laguna Colorada
As we continued the journey, we reached Laguna Colorada, a seemingly pink and red lagoon surrounded by flamingos. The stunning biodiversity of the region surprised me. I did not expect to see birds in such inhospitable conditions. However, it was beautiful to see that despite hardships, survival still exists in places we least expect it to. The roads throughout the journey were not paved. It felt like survival of the fittest just to be there.
Traveling solo as a woman challenged my mind in many ways and shattered traditional beliefs on limits. On this leg of the journey, my three co-travellers and car guide were people I did not know before that day. However, with them, in the middle of nowhere, I felt a strange sense of who I wanted to be at that time – a nobody, a traveller and an explorer.
Dali’s Canvas
Crossing mountains with stunning landscapes, we reached Reserva Nacional de Fauna Andina Eduardo Abaroa, an area frequently called Dali’s Canvas or the Salvador Dali Desert. The entire scenery looked surreal and extraterrestrial. The landscape gave the impression of being submerged in Dali’s surrealism, where things are beyond the realm of what they look like. I was fascinated to see llamas and vicuñas on the way, simply grazing on the land, and truly enjoyed the changing landscapes.
As we went deeper on the route to Salar De Uyuni, with no other humans in sight, I felt my inhibitions fade and saw myself transform into a version that was more me. I could hear my inner self more clearly and felt more rooted.
After a night living in a very basic home, I looked forward to a unique experience – staying in a hotel made of salt in the middle of Uyuni. Salar De Uyuni ends at Uyuni, the largest salt flat in the world, spanning over 10,000 kilometres.
The Salt Hotel
When I reached Uyuni, I stopped at The Salt Hotel, which exemplified the theme of Uyuni. I explored the salt flats and could see nothing but salt from horizon to horizon. The clouds melted into the salt in some places since they seemed to reflect light into the water that had accumulated in the salt flats after rains. The space looked stunning, like a real mirage. I was blown away since I had never seen anything like this ever before.
Isla Incahuasi
Interestingly, Uyuni has a cactus-themed island in the middle of nowhere. Isla Incahuasi is interesting to walk around and see tall cacti in the backdrop of the salt flats. After breakfast, the guide took me to some art installations – in the middle of nowhere. An abandoned train graveyard now forms the backdrop for travellers clicking photos for Instagram.
Flags of over 100 countries are showcased on a pole not too far from the train graveyard. They represent unity in the world. Multicultural respect in Bolivia becomes apparent through these unique art structures.
After reaching Uyuni town, my Salar De Uyuni journey was complete. The three days I spent on the road were intensely memorable; however, they left me exhausted. We spent over 8 hours on the road every day, starting extremely early on some days.
On the last day, I bade goodbye to my travel mates and the guide; all of us still knew very little about each other. We had spent time exploring Uyuni together and made a tough journey but had kept to ourselves most of the way, deeply marveling at the nature around us. The two Europeans did not speak Spanish or English, and the one English speaker was more interested in looking out at the views and enjoying silence.
In the silence of Uyuni, surrounded by people, I discovered what it meant for me to be myself. Though the Salar De Uyuni journey lasted only three days, it is something I will carry with me for a long time to come.
La Paz
After Salar De Uyuni, I made my way to the stunning high-elevation city of La Paz. The most common way to travel in La Paz is through sky gondolas, which form a network across the city. As soon as I reached La Paz, I craved the silence of Uyuni. I felt unprepared for the bustle of the city and the constant need to use my phone. Though I was seven hours away from Uyuni by road, it felt like I was in an entirely new reality and had crossed the time I was meant to be there. I am glad I experienced Uyuni for three days as a solo female traveller. I would not have it any other way!
