Salar de Uyuni

Atsisveikinti su Bolivija pasirinkau Salar de Uyuni - didziausia druskyna pasaulyje ir salia esancias dykumas, ugnikalnius ir lagunas. Druskynas uzima beveik 11 tukstanciu kvadratiniu kilometru, giliausiose vietose druskos klodas siekia 40 metru. Penkiasdesimt tukstanciu metu pries valinsko pirmininkavima cia telksnojo milziniskas ezeras, desimt amziu atgal susiformavo druskos, o turistai lankytis pradejo devyniasdesimtaisiais.

Beje, sioje Bolivijos vietoje apstu ateities naftos - licio. Kolonizatoriai ateme auksa ir sidabra, bet energetinis metalas ateityje riebiai praturtins vietiniu kisene. Galbut po desimt metu jie lankysis Europoje, o susiraukusios bobutes Pilies gatveje siulys treningus, issiuvinetus trimis tautinemis juostomis, gintarines pelenines ar marskinelius, papuostus profesoriaus Vytauto, lenkiancio Algirdo Mykolo ranka Katedros kolonu seselyje, atvaizdu.

To say goodbye to Bolivia I went to visit Salar de Uyuni - the biggest salt flat in the world and the deserts, volcanoes and lagoonas close by. The salt flat is almost 11 thousand sq metres and in some places the salt is forty metres deep. Fifty thousand years ago it was a massive lake, salt formed ten thousand years ago and first tourists showed up in 90ties.

There is loads of lithium in there and in future bolivinas may get rich. So in twenty years time they will go as tourists to Europe to drink overpriced beer in Temple Bar wearing silly green hats.


Balta balta. Kur dairais? / Snowhite and 7 cactuses
Bolivija gali 'pasigirti' nusiurusiais, duobetais keliais. Potosi-Uyuni kosmaru magistrale ramiai uzimtu prizine vieta. Tratatatata, ikvepiami dulkiu kamuoliai, kalnai ir lamu buriai su zaviais raudonais kaspineliais ausyse pakelej. Uyuni - savartynas vidury lauku, priemes turgu, traukiniu stoti ir milijona turizmo agenturu, siulanciu aplankyti druskyna.

Ilgai nesvarstes, pasirinkau pirma viesbuti ir tura. Ryte susirinko pirmoji ekipazo dalis - vairuotojas Miltonas, katalonieciai Anna ir Cesar bei Veronica is Buenos Aires, per pietus prisijunge prancuzai Caroline ir Renaud, o paradui vadovavo gidas Oscar. Gera kompanija, greit susibiciuliavom, bendraudami anglu/ispanu/gestu kalbomis. Pirmasis sustojimas - kaimukas, kuriame 'barstoma' druska, o kiauliu buriai patruliuoja teritorija.


Kelias druskyne - lygus ir patogus, aplink akinanciai balta spalva ir blyskus kalnu siluetai horizonte. Trumpas sustojimas druska pastatytame viesbutyje, pietus ugnikalnio koju glebyje, bolivietiskas folkloras is varganos dzipo mages.

Salar de Uyuni nusetas keliasdesimt salu, vienoje is ju, IncaHuasi, apsigyveno paskutinis inku vadas, begdamas is Cusco nuo ispanu. Sala okupuota kaktusu, kurie per metus paauga vos viena centimetra. Keletas kaktusu siekia daugiau kaip desimt metru. Vyriskos gimines augalai tiesus kaip vairuotojas po dvieju bokalu per patikrinima, moteriskes pasizymi israiskingomis ataugomis.






Inku vadas paliko sala ir, grizdamas atgal, papuole i nelaisve ir buvo uzumustas. Peledai nusifotografavus su Turbinho, vaziavom palydeti saules, gerti vyna ir sokineti (vakare apsilanko saltis).


Bolivia is famous for bad roads and the one from Potosi to Uyuni is one of the worst. Uyuni is just a shithole in the middle of nowhere with market, train station and many tourist agencies offering a trip to Salar. I booked the first one I was offered. In the morning first part of group met - catalans Anna and Cesar, Veronica from Buenos Aires and the driver Milton. After the lunch french couple Caroline and Renaud plus our guide Oscar joined us. Nice and friendly people, I made the right choise not making a choice in the first place. First stop - village where people work with salt and pigs taking care of security business.


Salt hotel and snowhite colour all around.

One of the islands in Salar Uyuni is called IncaHuasi, the place where the last Inca king stayed running from spanish. After while he went back and was captured. Now the cactuses rule the island.




It grows only 1 centimetre per year, some are more than 10 metres high (you do the math).




For sunset we went to drink bolivian wine, jump and get cold on the salt flat.


Roziniai flamingo ir dulketos padangos / Pink flamingos vs Dusty tyres
Po suraus miego (nakvojom namuke is druskos, kiekviena karta verciantis, nuo sienos nubraukta druska pasudydavo lova) Miltonas nuvairavo i San Juan kaimuka.

12 amziuje cia gyveno Lipez gentis, kuris mumifikuodavo mirusius, veliau laidodami tusciaviduriuose koralu burbuluose (pries tai buvusio ezero ir ugnikalniu lavos sokio vaisius). Amzinam poilsiui guldydavo su indais, instrumentais, drabuziais. Zyniuoniai jau tada atlikdavo labatomija, pasirinkdami stiprius jaunuolius, kuriems, isgrezus skyle galvoje, pasalindavo dalele smegenu. Pacientai tapdavo urlaganais - be nuomones, aklai vykdantys paliepimus. Gyvendavo vos kelis metus, spedami sudalyvauti ne viename musyje be baimes, pirmose gretose.


Toliau lekem dykuma link vulkano, tingiai puksiancio dumu kamuoliais.



Pietus salia lagunos, kurios vandenyje ganesi buriai roziniu flamingo. Rozine spalva ne todel, kad valgo barbes, pauksciai maitinasi raudonu planktonu. Maziukai baltuoja plunksnomis, o daugiau palese, suauge flamingo puikuojasi ryskios spalvos apredais. Salia esancioje lagunoje ju strapaliojo dar daugiau, turbut rinko taryba, valdyba, pirmininka, sekretoriu ir netikusi kontrolieriu.




Nauja dykuma ir sugedes kitos grupes dzipas. Musu vairuotojas pilnas energijos (puse kilogramo kokos lapu uz zando suteike jegu) pasiryzo padeti ir beveik vienas pakeite pora padangu. Sustojo daugiau keliautoju, o mes didziavomes, turedami toki supermena soferi. Po pusvalandzio ir musu saunusis dzipas prarado padangos ora, kovodamas su klastingu dykumos akmeniu. Miltonas, tarsi F-1 komandos narys, operacija atliko akimirksniu. Beje, dykuma israizyta vezemis, salia - Cile, naktimis vyksta kontrabandniai-barteriniai mainai, is Bolivijos kokainas, is Ciles vogtos masinos. Pasiekem nakvynes vieta jau temstant, aukstis 4600 metru, pradeda mausti galva, naktis uzmigdo -10 temperatura.




After salty sleep (the house was made of salt and pieces of it would fall into the bed every time turning around) we went to San Juan Village.

In 12th century Lepiz tribe lived there. They used to mummify dead and put inside of the huge empty coral bubbles. The magicians performed labotomy choosing young strong guys. 'Doctors' would remove part of the brain and 'pacients' became short living but perfect soldiers fighting without fear. I guess nobody wanted to have a pint with them afterwards.


The road led through desert with lazy volcano in front puffing clouds of smoke.


Lunch next to the lagoon where pink flamingos occupied the water. The birds eat red plankton, young are still white, the older more and more pink each year.




We had to stop after to help change the other group's jeep tyres.



Our driver Milton did the job. What a legend with a half kilo of coca leaves in his mouth and full of energy.

Later our jeep's tyre was damaged but when you have a superman for a driver it takes just few minutes to change it. The desert is covered in tracks, Chile is very close, so at night the desert is busy - cocaine to Chile, stolen cars to Bolivia. Stop for the night next to different lagoona, minus 10 at night, 4600 metres above sea level and my head didn't like it.


Ugnikalnis vardu miegas / Sleepy volcano
Anstyvas rytas, visos visatos zvaigzdes danguje, saldytuvu pasivertes dzipas. Trecios dienos pasiekimas - ungnikalnis Sol de Manana. Burbuliuojantis, snypsciantis, isikures penkiu kilometru aukstyje, smirdantis kaip vezikas.




Prancuzu pora keliavo i Cile, nudumem link sienos, sustodami Zalioje lagunoje bei Salvador Dali dykumoje. Ekcentrikas niekada nesilanke Bolivijoje, bet pries daugeli metu ugnikalnio issautos uolos sugule horizonte tarsi genijaus paveiksluose.




Bendra nuotrauka saunausio ekipazo konkursui pasienyje, atsisveikinimai ir po to as atguliau miegoti ant galines sedynes.

Galva plese kaip sausio pirmos ryta, atsisakiau pietu. Prabudau jau temstant, masina nuduso purvinam kaimuke valanda nuo finiso. Oscar suorganizavo taksi i Uyuni, kur pernakvojes, ryte isvaziavau i Argentina.


Kelias vel super tragiskas, teko saugotis, kad nuo lentynos ant galvos neuzkristu kelio duobiu iskratytas lagaminas ir papietauti keliais kilogramais dulkiu. Perejus i Argentina, pasigavau autobusa i Tilcara ir pirma karta po Naujosios Zelandijos atsiduriau nepazistamoje vietoje, be aiskios nakvynes vietos pries vidurnakti.

Very early morning, all the stars of the world in the sky, stone cold inside of the car. In an hour we reached Sol de Manana volcano five kilometres above sea level. It is semi active and likes to bubble and talk.



The french couple were heading to Chile and we all went to the border stopping on the way to check Green Lagoon and Salvador Dali desert. The painter had never visited Bolivia but the rocks on sand look like one of his paintings.




Dusty border post in the middle of nowhere, goodbyes and after that the day was finished for me. The head was exploding and I went to sleep in a car till early evening when our jeep finally broked down.

Taxi to Uyuni, cold room in hotel, early bus to Argentinian border. I promise I will never complain about the roads again but it was really horrible going to Argentina. I walked to the other side, took a bus to Tilcara and first time since New Zealand arrived in a place I don't know at all before midnight.

Bolivija siuncia daina ansamblio, kuris daznai skambejo keliones Salar de Uyuni metu.