We woke early to watch the sunrise only to discover our room had a small window with an obstructed view facing south. Not ideal for sunrises or sunsets; we dressed warmly and headed outside. When we returned inside, we requested a room with a view and within minutes we were relocated to a corner room facing the west (for a small price). The photos do not capture the awe and exquisite beauty of the area. The Salar de Uyuni is the largest salt flats in the world and is more then 11,000 square kilometers.
After breakfast, we went to a bike ride to the salt flats. We did not know what to expect and thought we would be out for 30 minutes but did not return to the hotel for just over three hours. We initially stopped at a memorial stone dedicated to 13 who died in a tragic accident in 2008.
Nearby there is a small area of bubbling volcanic water. It looks like the bubbles would be warm but the water is very cold. There was a tour group in the area—the guide recommended we follow the roads and other cars.
So we followed the “road” and cars that passed us to the Dakar monument. The feeling of the wind against our faces and the vastness of the area were breathtaking. We ended up biking for about three hours! Other than a little sunburn, it was fantastic!
We eventually made it to the Dakar Monument (created in 2014 for a motorbike/car event). There was a covered area to rest and eat and the “island of flags.”
We biked back to the hotel, swam in the pool, and enjoyed the spectacular sunset!
The next day we had a private tour of the salt flats. We drove for at least an hour before we stopped to take a few photos. We are often only ten to twenty feet away from each other.
Isla Incuahuasi (aka Inkawasi) was our next stop for a hike and lunch. The island is covered with trichocereus cactus surrounded by the hexagonal salt tiles in all directions. We even saw an Andean hummingbird!
From there, we drove on to visit the cave of the mummies located on the slopes of the dormant Tunupa Volcano.
We stopped for a picnic to watch the majestic views as the sun was setting before continuing back to the hotel.
