Uyuni

We left Potosi relatively early so we could visit this train museum which was apparently the site Butch Cassidy was killed. We also wanted to arrive into our next stop in Uyuni in time for lunch. After breakfast we set off and made good progress, with some very wild west like scenery outside, and a lot of Llamas. Unfortunately we got a phone call after a few hours informing us of protests surrounding Uyuni and as a result we decided to skip the train museum as it sounded nasty.

We soon arrived in proximity of Uyuni but we're met by this road block where the police informed not to continue and take an alternative route into the town. The locals had literally blocked the road with rocks and were angrily throwing them in our direction. Our only choice was to turn off the road and go off road to avoid the chaos. We basically followed the dried up river, doing some serious off road manoeuvres which was actually quite uncomfortable in what was effectively a truck.

After stopping many times to assess the terrain, we got to a sandy section where we basically got stuck. As a result the shovels came out and we dug ourselves out, but got stuck again another 3 times! We eventually got onto better terrain, but we soon came across some vehicles in front who were stuck themselves, so ended up having to help them out before we could continue. We eventually got to Uyuni at about half 2, a lot later than expected but we made it. Apparently there are road blockades all around Uyuni so it could be interesting leaving. 

Uyuni itself feels a bit like you've reached the end of the road. The remote small town sits on the edge of the high altiplano, a wilderness that extends for hundreds of kilometres towards the border with Argentina and Chile. After checking into the hotel we went out for lunch where I had the tacos. We also discovered Gus had a lot of issues arriving too as they reached the blockade we got to, and then the locals boxed them in by throwing rocks behind the truck effectively trapping them. Luckily they got out but they had to walk 7km  into town and leave the truck trapped with the driver as there wasn't much else they could do.

After lunch I had a look round the town, before heading back to the hotel to relax before dinner. Dinner was pizza which was amazing, and I even had chocolate cake for dessert. I was going to go to this place called the extreme fun pub after dinner which has some pretty lethal drinking challenges, although I was still feeling pretty achy so I decided to lie down in the hotel instead before bed.

We had a relative lie in Tuesday ready for a day trip to nearby salt flats. Salar de Uyuni is a truly unforgettable sight, and a landscape quite unlike anything anywhere else in the world! The Salar de Uyuni is a dazzling dry lake of over 12,000 sq. kms, made of blinding white interlocking salt crystals. It is the world's largest salt pan, and is bright white expanse that stretches as far as the eye can see. Getting there was the issue though as the locals had created roadblocks on most roads out the town. First stop however was the nearby train graveyard which was a series of abandoned train carriages and engines left to rust over many years. It was very eerie although we were able to climb on them and get plenty of time to explore.

 After the train graveyard we started heading towards the salt flats. As the main road had been blocked by protesters we took an alternative route off road. Some locals saw us leave however and lobbed rocks at us as we left. From what I can make out they are protesting over land rights with the government, and as a result are trying to shut down the town for tourists as a message of intent to the government. A bit further down the road we found they had dug trenches in road to stop us, which meant we had to get out and fill them in. There were several of these which slowed us down a lot, but we eventually got through and rejoined the main road past the roadblocks.

En route to the salt flats we stopped at a market where we also visited a salt processing plant to learn how they use the salt. We also had chance to explore the market. The next stop a short way on was a monument for the Dakar rally as well as a series of flags. By now we were on the salt flats and I was glad I invested in a pair of sunglasses as it was so bright. We then continued driving for an hour or so to this island full of cactuses where we had lunch. Lunch was chicken, pasta, roast potatoes, and salad.

After lunch we had chance to explore the cactus island which also presented us with brilliant views of the salt flats. It was about a half hour walk round the island. We then drove a short way to get some perspective bending photos. Our driver had fallen asleep in the toilets however so we had to wake him up as everyone else drove off without us! We spent a while taking photos before driving back to Uyuni.

On the way back it started raining, although it didn't come to anything. When approaching Uyuni however the locals had clocked onto the route we took and they were waiting for us with shovels and rocks and had completely blocked the road. As our drivers were Bolivian they got out and in the end we had to bribe them to pass. We eventually got to Uyuni and the hotel although it's going to be fun leaving tomorrow as practically every road is blocked with protesters. Gus is still stranded with the driver. When getting back I went out for dinner somewhere with actual wifi and ate this beef based dish. I then relaxed in the hotel before going to bed.