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.
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.
