T.T.T. TOP TRAVEL TIPS - South American Legend’s

SALAR DE UYUNI DESERT: nothing compares 2U

When mountains possessed body and spirit, the immense Tunupa volcano was a splendid woman and it felt in love with Cusco, a strong and beautiful mount: they decided to get married and their first son was born very soon.

But the joy did not hold over for long time because Cusco got involved in the seductive limbs of Cosuna, the fascinating adjacent mountain.

When Tunupa discovered the betrayal, wanted to be revenged on the most important and loved thing for Cusco: their son, been born from not long.

In spite of her husband, with the breast swollen of milk, she dug a basin in the valley and she slowly poured the milk in, creating the "Salar de Uyuni".

World's largest salt lake known as Salar de Uyuni is a visually captivating place, one of the most stunningly beautiful places you will ever come across in South America.

Covering an area of over 12,000 square km, some 40,000 years ago the region was covered by the giant salt Lake Minchin and nowadays is a reserve of 10 billion tons of salt.

The desert could be crossed by a jeep and, necessarily, with a guide (my suggestion is Mister Epi employed by Cordillera Traveller, based in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile) during 3 days of a surreal vision created by amazing geological formations, geothermal springs and brine, coloured lakes.

1st day. Departure from San Pedro de Atacama at 08:00 AM – by a minibus - to Bolivia border (at 4.400 mt above sea level) where the 18 passengers are shifted to three 4WD jeeps.

During the first day the group is in the Bolivian high plain visiting wonderful places like Laguna Verde (an incredible green lagoon) and Laguna Blanca (white lagoon), located at the bottom of Licancabur Volcano, continuing to Daly Desert where it’s possible to admire a surrealistic landscape, thermal water pools, Sol de Mañana geysers –intermittent springs coming up at a 90º C– and fumaroles, cracks with emerging volcanic lava. The journey ends up at Laguna Colorada (coloured lagoon), main nesting centre for more than 30,000 pink flamingos of 3 different species.
The night is spent in a "folk" building (rooms for 6 people/each) in the middle of nowhere: super funny experience that you could share with people from all over the world.

 

2nd Day. During the second journey day the trip will include Siloli Desert and the Stone forest, high plain coloured lagoons, Chiguana salt flat, ending the day in Chuvica village where is located the De Sal Hotel (an hotel completely built by salt, furniture included).

3rd Day. Finally the most incredible salt desert! After visiting Pescado Island- located in the middle of the salt flat with a formation of chalky rocks, coral and seashell traces- and Pueblo Chico - located in the limits of Uyuni desert – the tour will end in Uyuni City, a typical Bolivian village, famous for his colourful market.

At this stage you have 2 options:

to get to Macchu Picchu, in Peru or

to return back to Chile but with different itinerary, spending the night in a surrealistic village named Villa Mar.

Any decision you wpuld take: enjoy it!

CHILOE ISLAND: Never slept on a stilt house with sirens and elves?

Immerse yourself in the fascinating, cultural and naturalistic experience of Chiloé Island (off the Pacific Ocean coast of southern Chile, in the Los Lagos Region and lodge at PALAFITO 1326.

http://www.palafito1326.cl/

Cross this incredibly green island and arrive as far as Castro, the capital, the result of Spanish colonial style in harmonious combination with the influences of German immigrants in the late 1800s and the most coloured and beautiful stilt houses on the Islands of the Arcipelago.

But during the trip do not get lost into the forest because you could meet Lo Trauco, a man 65 centimetres high but so powerful that with 3 hits of an axe can knock down trees no matter how thick they are! He’s an infernal spirit and hates men and women: if he happens to run into them, he can crook you with his look or kill you! The only chance of salvation is to not look into his eyes and throwing at his eyes a handful of sand because the Trauco becomes ecstatic counting the grains of sand.

In the northwestern area of the island you will remain astonished discovering the great diversity of marine fauna (blue whales, sei whales and humpback whales - chilean dolphins and peales dolphins - sea lions - marine otters - magellan penguins and humboldt penguins) and to eat the best seafood in Chile…but, before seating at the restaurant, double check if La Pincoya (the water spirit of the Chilotan Seas) is performing her ritual dance facing the sea - it means an abundance of fish – or if she’s dancing facing the mountains, her back to the sea - seafood will be scarce.

How to how to recognize her? She is of incomparable beauty with blond hair, cheerful and sensual and rises from the depths of the sea

Paganism and religiousness: myths and moss-covered old wooden churches gracing the seaside at Unesco world heritage site.

Here you are: Chiloé.