Backpacking In Bolivia🇧🇴: Salar De Uyuni Tour – Part 4 – Flying The Flag and Hotel on Salt

Hot, high up, salty, deserted, isolated but awe inspiring is how I would describe our arrival on the Uyuni Salt Plains – known as Salar de Uyuni. The town of Uyuni was left far behind, as was Cementario Des Trens and Colchani Salt Village. We were now in a wilderness high high up in south western Bolivia. After seeing the salt for the first time at Colchani, we now arrived at what seems to be an international entrance (though unofficial) to the actual Salar de Uyuni. Arrival there I was feasted on a number of world flags, including New Zealand, South Korea, Costa Rica and Bolivia. Someone forgot to put a Northern Ireland flag there, so I whipped mine out and wrapped it round the flag pole for the most pleasing of photos. I had arrived at Salar de Uyuni. One of my “must sees” on my South America trip.

First glimpses looked like parts of the moon. No, I haven’t been there – just going by photos and the appeal of the terrain plus the fact there was absolutely nothing on the horizon.

We parked on gravel – there were another few vehicles there given there’s a Hotel made of Salt for people to stay in there.

What else did you think a Salt Plain would look like? Pure salt and sky above. That’s it. Phenomenal. Breathtaking. Actually amazing terrain.

Digging my way into the salt. I tried a bit of course and got a real taste for it!! You won’t get purer salt than that.

Actually the shovel wasn’t strong enough so I had to pick axe it!

Miles and miles of pure salt. What a day we got for it. Hot and clear clear blue sky.

Sitting on salt, sampling salt.

I set my camera on the salt for this photo.

Driving along the “salt road” (yes there is a custom made road through the salt)

In the jeep – our crew for 3 days!

Arrival at the “main entrance” or what I’m classing as the main entrance. Flags of the world at Bolivia Salt Plains.

As well as the lead photo on this report, I also flew the Northern Ireland “Our Wee Country” football flag.

With my Northern Ireland flag sitting on salt by the flags.

It looked like a “first person on the moon” or “first to reach the South Pole” type of challenge. I didn’t leave my Northern Ireland flag there – it travels everywhere with me and it would only have got blown away, eroded or stolen. I really should carry 2 at all times so I can leave a spare one every now and then.

Not our accomodation for the night – but a Hotel and mini museum made only from salt (and wood and glass…) So maybe 70% salt…

Some of the flags flying in the breeze. I like this photo. Very colourful. I wondered if the purple one was a ripped Qatar flag, but didn’t really know.

Pure salt.

Walking on a salt wilderness.

In terms of special places I’ve walked in life, this has to be one of the best.

At ease with the world on the salt plains.

A random wind marker, probably. I’m not good with understanding these things, but I assume it was used for checking wind speed and direction.

The salt bricks on the walls of the salt hotel.

The only thing missing here is a beer. Relaxing on a salt bench by a salt table, beside the salt hotel on the salt plains. There was beer available but it was hot, we had to move on, and I was on a bit of a budget. At times on my South America trip I forfeited beer opportunites like this. Wouldn’t have minded a beer during the Inca Trail’s first 2 days either…

A swimming pool? Wasnt sure what to make of this and didnt bother standing on it.

The entrance to the swanky and unusual Hotel De Sal – Playa Blanca. For odd or strange hotels this is quite a good one. We didn’t stay there but a different Salt Hostel surprise was in store for us later on.

Flying the flag yet again – in the Salt Hotel.

Seriously. Give me a Guinness, some cheese on toast and football on TV and I would stay there forever…

Leaving behind this part of the Salt Plains. More to come of course as we were now ON SALT all the way.

The banter on board our jeep livened up and we were having the time of our lives!

Switzerland, Romania, France and Northern Ireland all together. Tom and Jorg to my right. Benoit and Guillaume behind me and Alina to my left.

Our first sighting of a bump in front. This turned out to be Incahuasi – Isla Del Pescado – an island on the Salt Plains. You wouldn’t quite believe it!!