This shot was taken on the edge of the Perito Moreno glacier in Argentina's Los Glaciares National Park, around half an hour into the 'Big Ice' tour.
Showing posts with label Landscapes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Landscapes. Show all posts
Snapshot: Perito Moreno Glacier
This shot was taken on the edge of the Perito Moreno glacier in Argentina's Los Glaciares National Park, around half an hour into the 'Big Ice' tour.
Snapshot: Red Lagoon
La Laguna Colorada – or Red Lagoon – is one of the many
unusual natural phenomena you can see as part of a jeep tour in southern Bolivia. The water is dyed red by the sediment and pigmentation of some algae.
Reasons to Get Off the Sun Lounger in Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria has long been a hugely popular destination for
British tourists, and is a destination synonymous with no-frills sunshine
holidays. The Spanish island’s location just off the coast of West Africa means
it’s a magnet for northern European sun worshippers. Many visitors hardly stray
from the coastal resorts, which is a real shame as there are lots of easily-accessible sights
to see.
We left the sun lounger behind and set off exploring the other side of Gran Canaria.
7 Tips for Enjoying Your Bolivian Salt Flats Tour
Every year more and more backpackers head to southern
Bolivia to see the Bolivian salt flats and the various other natural wonders scattered
between the mining town of Uyuni and the Chilean border.
The only way to take in these sights is by 4x4, with tour lengths
ranging between one and five days. We chose the three day option which took us
over the salt flats, past the red lagoon and down to the thermal baths near the
Chilean border before returning via San Cristobal.
Whilst there are some amazing landscapes to see, with large distances to travel, basic facilities
and extreme temperatures it can be a challenging experience at times. Here are seven tips to help you get the most out of
your Bolivian salt flats tour.
1. Do some background research on tour companies
Online message boards are rife with stories of less than
reputable companies taking tourists into the desert from the dusty town
of Uyuni and drivers' lack of sobriety is an issue that crops up again and
again. Our driver from Empexa Tours (who as far as we know was as
dry as the salt flats throughout) made light of this himself, asking me if I
was worried he was going ‘to go off and get drunk’ when he picked up on my
anxiousness to be back in Uyuni in time for our night bus.
Clearly its hard to establish the trustworthiness of a
driver prior to the tour but by doing some background research you can at least
have an idea of two or three well-known companies in Uyuni to choose from, even
if you’re not planning on booking in advance.
Our tour with Empexa was very good, apart from some confusion at the beginning when there was no driver or jeep for us! We think this was the fault of the third party site we booked with (boliviatravelsite.com.
2. Choose the right length tripOur tour with Empexa was very good, apart from some confusion at the beginning when there was no driver or jeep for us! We think this was the fault of the third party site we booked with (boliviatravelsite.com.
 |
Driving through the desert on Day 2 |
The majority of tour operators will provide a choice of three different tours and largely follow the same route down to the border with Chile and then back again in a circle. If you’re just interested in seeing the nearby salt flats, the ‘one day’ option will be fine. This is usually combined with a visit to the train cemetery.
Most two day tours will take in the Ollague Volcano and perhaps one of the flamingo lakes. Although pleasant enough, for us, these were some of the less essential sections of the tour. Many of the must-see attractions like the Red Lagoon, thermal baths and the Tree of Stone are down towards the Chilean border and only inclwuded in the three-day option.
Unless you’re really only interested in the one day salt flats option, go for the three day rather than the two day tour. For the sake of one extra night it would be a shame to miss so many fantastic sights.
3. Prepare for lack of Wifi
Technophobes and old-school travel purists will love it;
everyone else will hate it. The Bolivian salt flats and the surrounding areas are some
of the most remote places on earth and Wifi is still a mere pipedream. Organise
any important texts/emails/blog updates in Uyuni and then embrace a rare
opportunity to disconnect from the technological world!
 |
| Definitely no heating or Wifi here |
4. Pack clothes for all temperatures
For most, one of the main allures of the Bolivian salt flats
and their surroundings are the wide open expanses and unspoilt natural beauty.
But, with any wide open space there are some strong winds which can be
chilly, even when the sun's beating down.
With much of days two and three of the longer tour spent in desert
terrain, temperatures fluctuate hugely. Days can be very hot and there is little
to no shade. As soon as the sun sets, the mercury plummets; it’s bitterly cold
until sunrise and unless you’ve paid extra, the accommodation will be very
basic.
Our accommodation on the second night was barely any warmer than outside.For such a wide range of temperatures, the best option is to have multiple layers to hand and just remove or add them as needed.
Our accommodation on the second night was barely any warmer than outside.For such a wide range of temperatures, the best option is to have multiple layers to hand and just remove or add them as needed.
5. Have everything you need in the jeep at the start of each day
Depending on the amount of available space in your jeep,
your rucksack may be secured under a tarpaulin on the roof during the day, so
remember to have everything you need for the day inside the jeep. I left my
bathers and towel inside my large bag on day three and could only go knee-deep
in the thermal baths.
One essential in-jeep item is sun cream. Whilst it doesn’t
always feel particularly hot in some of the more windswept parts of the trip, there
is no natural shade and you’ll soon end up the same colour as the Red Lagoon without it.
Wet wipes are also a lifesaver. There are no guarantees of a
shower at any point (unless you’ve splashed the cash for better accommodation) and
deserts are generally pretty dusty places.
 |
| Have anything you need during the day in the jeep - not on the roof |
As impressive an array of sights as there is to see, with
such huge distances to cover there will still be a lot of hours spent rattling
along a dirt track with not a lot to keep you amused. Between us and one of our
tour companions we had a decent selection of music..until he left to catch a
lift to Chile during the third day and our phone batteries died.
Our driver seemed happy to rely upon less than ten
songs-worth of Bolivian pop music for the rest of the trip, but after the tape
had been repeated multiple times we were beginning to question our sanity. That
said; it was arguably still better than chart music in the UK.
 |
| Heading out onto the salt flats on Day 1 in our jeep |
In an attempt to save time we decided to catch a night-bus
to and from La Paz directly either side of our three day tour. This proved to
be one of our bigger mistakes!
A night bus in Bolivia is not the relaxing experience that it
might be in more developed countries. Bolivia’s roads are primitive at best,
resulting in a jarring, bumpy overnight ride - definitely not conducive to
a good night's sleep. An unwelcome 3 am breakdown and bus change in Oruro also didn’t
help.
Having barely slept, when we arrived in the blinding morning
sunshine in Uyuni the last thing we wanted to do was spend three days in a
jeep. Similarly, after spending said three days in a jeep, the very last thing
we wanted was a sleepless nine hour bus ride back to La Paz!
A far better option is to spend a night either side of the
tour in Uyuni. If money’s not an issue, you could even consider flying in and
out from La Paz.
Read the full account of our three day tour here > 3 Days in the Wild: Salar de Uyuni and Southern Bolivia
3 Days in the Wild: Salar de Uyuni and Southern Bolivia
From the red lagoon, geysers and thermal springs, there is plenty to make the sometimes arduous three day round trip well worth it. After all, nothing easy is worth doing right?
Day 1 - Uyuni - Train Cemetery - Salt Flats - Incahuasi Island
We arrived bleary eyed in the small town of Uyuni on the edge of the
world’s largest salt flats at 7am after a bumpy and largely sleepless
overnight bus ride from the city of La Paz in the north of Bolivia. The
blinding sunshine jolted us from our semi-consciousness and we tried to
identify our tour salt flat tour company from the collection of similar
businesses dotted along the dusty main street.
Having finally found Empexa Tours we introduced ourselves to
Marisa the owner with the confidence of having arranged everything in advance,
albeit through a third party tour operator. It gradually dawned on us - over
the ninety minute wait in the office with an increasingly agitated Marisa –
that our confidence was misplaced, and we’d been forgotten about.
Eventually another tour group arrived and we squeezed into the back of the jeep and made our way onto the edge of the desert. Our group consisted of a middle aged Belgian couple, a rather introverted Chilean couple and a lone-travelling Dutch guy in his mid twenties. With seven of us plus luggage, it was cosy to say the least.
Eventually another tour group arrived and we squeezed into the back of the jeep and made our way onto the edge of the desert. Our group consisted of a middle aged Belgian couple, a rather introverted Chilean couple and a lone-travelling Dutch guy in his mid twenties. With seven of us plus luggage, it was cosy to say the least.
After stopping at the ‘train cemetery’ – a collection of
disused steam trains around 15 minutes outside Uyuni - we entered the blinding
white expanse of the salt flats, the uninterrupted sunshine intensifying the whiteness yet further. Salar de Uyuni was once a huge fishing lake which dried up leaving a huge expanse of crystallised salt. On our visit it was dry; this meant no large-scale ‘mirror’ effect but an otherworldly, glowing whiteness stretching out to the horizon.
 |
| A dry day on the salt flats |
We stopped for a lunch of lama steaks and rice on the middle
of the salt before José - our driver
and guide - demonstrated his potential as a professional photographer by
arranging us in some imaginative takes on the traditional salt flat perspective
photos!
After a visit to Incahuasi Island - a cactus-covered former fishing spot affording panoramic views across the salt flats - we headed off into the surprisingly early sunset, for a fairly comfortable night at the salt-brick Kachiwasi Hostel.
 |
| One of many perspective shots |
Day 2 - Ollague Volcano - Hedionda Lagoon - Tree of Stone - Red Lagoon
We awoke around 7am to another gloriously sunny day and left
the salt flats behind, gradually ascending into the mountains to the south. We
stopped at the foot of the smouldering Ollague Volcano before having lunch at
the scenic, flamingo filled Laguna Hedionda (Hedionda Lagoon), backed by snow
capped mountains. It felt more crowded than the previous day with around
fifteen other jeeps sticking to the same route.
 |
| Flamingos at Hedionda Lagoon |
It was at this point that José mentioned in passing that
time was of the essence as all the other jeep drivers were effectively racing
each other to get to that night’s accommodation. We were not, he explained,
guaranteed a room for the night and if we were too late we risked a night in
the jeep; that’s seven of us in a jeep, with temperatures plummeting to past
-10°C
after dark.
We were therefore somewhat preoccupied for the rest of the
afternoon which included two of the most famous parts of the tour; firstly the Dali-esque Arbol de Piedra (Tree of Stone) – a boulder sculpted
over centuries into the shape of a tree. Then, La Laguna Colorada (Red Lagoon) - a large lake dyed a deep scarlet
by algae with swathes of bright white salt around the edges. Impressive as they were, by this point we were anxious to make it to
the underwhelmingly named ‘Hauchipato Shelter’ for the evening.
 |
| La Laguna Colorada (Red Lagoon) |
 |
| El Arbol de Piedra (Tree of Stone) |
Upon our arrival there was chaotic but ultimately successful scramble for the remaining rooms. To be fair, our accommodation for the night did provide shelter, but little else. Even having put on literally every item of clothing we had brought, we were still bitterly cold. The blood stains on the sheets were also an unpleasant discovery, but I suppose at least we weren’t in the jeep.
Day 3 - Geysers - Thermal Baths - Dali Desert - Valley of the Rocks - San Cristobal - Uyuni
Day 3 - Geysers - Thermal Baths - Dali Desert - Valley of the Rocks - San Cristobal - Uyuni
We got up in pitch darkness at 4am so that we could arrive
at the thermal springs near the hamlet of Agua Brava, around an hour and a half
away, for sunrise. Normally such an early start is the antithesis of everything
I stand for but it was a relief to leave the shelter after a largely sleepless night.
On the way to the springs we stopped at Sol de Mañana
(literally ‘sun of the morning’), a collection of geysers spraying hot steam
skywards. It was still bitterly cold at this point - José estimated -5 °C
but it certainly felt colder – and we took the opportunity to warm our frozen
hands in the blasts of hot air. In the distance, amongst the plumes of smoke,
the sky began to take on a faint orange hue.
 |
| 5 am and unbelievably cold at Sol de Mañana |
We arrived at the thermal baths just as the sun began to
rise across the steaming water before us. We were the first group to arrive and
had the place to ourselves. We watched the various birds make their first
forays of the day, darting over the face of the water. A dip in the brilliantly
warm water was the perfect rejuvenation after a day’s worth of desert dust
without a shower.
After half an hour or so the other tour groups arrived and began to pile into the water. It was at this point that the male half of our Chilean couple –almost painfully reserved until this point – suddenly cast off his inhibitions and stripped naked in front of several jeeps-worth of people in his attempts to dry off.
 |
| Sunrise at the thermal baths |
After half an hour or so the other tour groups arrived and began to pile into the water. It was at this point that the male half of our Chilean couple –almost painfully reserved until this point – suddenly cast off his inhibitions and stripped naked in front of several jeeps-worth of people in his attempts to dry off.
Mysteriously though, his omnipresent hat remained on. Our
Dutch friend left at this point to make the short journey to the Chilean
border, sadly taking his I-pod with him. As good a guide as José was, his
enthusiasm for loud Bolivian music wasn’t shared by the rest of us.
The rest of the day was spent driving through the barren
red-soil terrain of the Dali Desert, before beginning the long journey north.
We stopped to marvel at the Valley of the Rocks; a collection of rocks bearing
an uncanny resemblance to various animals including a hawk, parrot and a bear. Thankfully
photographic evidence was taken to assure us it wasn’t some sort of desert
mirage.
 |
| Two of the 'animals' at Valley of the Rocks |
It had been a tiring three days but the truly mind-blowing
array of natural wonders we experienced really did make the discomfort and
wildly varying temperatures worth it.
Read my essential tips for getting the most from
a Bolivian Salt Flats tour.
Big Ice – Trekking The Perito Moreno Glacier
It takes something special to get me out of bed at 5.50 am
and the Perito Moreno glacier certainly falls into that category. When planning
our South American adventure from a drizzly, leaden sky Britain several months
before I was adamant that this jewel of Argentinean Patagonia was a must-see.
We had been told that the cheapest option when visiting
Perito Moreno was to see it from the viewing platform on the shorter tour.
Whilst that was fantastic in itself, looking back the 350 pesos (about £40)
extra we paid to do the ‘Big Ice’ tour and actually walk on the glacier was the
best £40 we’d ever spent.
After a semi-comatose (well, I was) 40 minute minibus ride
into Los Glaciares National Park from El Calafate the glacier gradually
appeared on the horizon. We parked at the visitors centre at the top of the
steep hillside leading down to the glacier. Pleasingly, the trees kept the main
attraction out of sight at this point, leaving the truly awe-inspiring wow
moment of the endless whiteness stretching into the distance until halfway down
the staggered staircases. As we took pictures, large chunks of ice creaked and
groaned before falling into the water below.
.jpg)
Next stop was the glacier itself, via a short boat ride
which dropped us on the shore alongside. It was here that the juxtaposition of trees,
grassy hillside and imposing mass of ice was most impressive. The groups ahead
of us, already scaling the ice, looked miniscule against the enormous icy
backdrop. After a 30 minute walk along side the glacier we attached our
crampons (with some help from our guides - some of us more than others) and
gingerly started our Big Ice adventure.
In total we spent three and a half hours on the ice – the kind of place where it’s almost impossible to put your camera down for a second. The mist and clouds of the morning sporadically gave away to brilliant sunshine which made for some incredibly scenic views across the now gleaming ice.
By the time we stopped for a surreal lunch by an improbable neon-blue lake in the middle of the glacier, the amount of photos taken was already into the hundreds. The free keying and whiskey whilst we road the boat back courtesy of our fantastic guides Hielo y Aventura was just the icing (excuse the pun) on the cake.
El Calafate: The Gateway to the Glaciers
El Calafate is effectively the gateway to Patagonia’s Los Glaciares National Park and the best access point to the breathtaking Perito Moreno glacier. It’s just a two hour flight from Buenos Aires but it’s worlds away from the urban sprawl of the capital, more reminiscent of an alpine village than South America.
Once a tiny provincial village, El Calafate is now home to
around 20,000 people, many of which return to the cities of northern Argentina
outside of summer time. Sadly we learned that the packs of loveable, friendly dogs
that roam the streets are simply left to fend for themselves throughout the
winter until their owners come back in spring.
Whilst the vast majority of people use El Calafate as a base
to visit its surroundings, the town is an enjoyable place in its own right. Everything
is boutique here from the tiny airport terminal to the improbable, almost
tent-like triangular houses that line the dirt tracks on the outskirts of town.
Lago Argentino is just a short 10 minute stroll from the centre of town and
there are expansive views across the lake from the hillsides that surround El
Calafate.
 | |
|
 |
| Triangular houses on the outskirts of town |
 |
| A rare moment of healthy eating at Viva La Pepa |
La Esquina, found halfway along the Av. del Libertador San
Martin (the main street) is also worth a mention; try the steak and cheese
sandwich, but not if you’re planning to walk anywhere shortly afterwards. For
those not getting up at 6am for a treck the next day, Libro Bar which overlooks
the gnome village alleyway of shops just off the main street has a long list
of cocktails and, as its name would suggest to Spanish speakers, all sorts of
weird and wonderful books.
 |
| Sunset over the lake from Nakel Yenu |
We spent three very comfortable nights at the Nakel Yenu Hostal
which is perched on a hill overlooking the lake, on the way into town from the
airport. If you don’t feel like walking down the hill into town, The La Esquina
Varela opposite serves a variety of European foods – portions are
glacier-sized!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)