Date of Entry: November 11th, 2015
Place of Writing: Kultur Berlin Guest House Tarija, Bolivia. November 22nd 2015
This is my favourite Day of the tour every time because it ends at one of my favourite places in the world, Laguna Colorada, today though it also holds the excitement and adventure of largely being unknown to me, since they’ll only be a few stops I’ve been to before. Amazing that you can come back to the same region three times in a row, running more or less the same tour, and see countless new and equally impressive things each time. I’d like to apologize though as some names of places will be missing since I recorded them on my Ipod which I unfortunately lost at the end of the tour.
For all the unknown that is to come our first stop is one I know, the ghost town of Julaca with an old mining railroad running through it, though it’s barely used anymore. Here the skies are endless and the few families who live here friendly but shy.
After exploring the town for a good while we climb back into the car and drive onwards, winding over uneven dirt roads, our driver Miguel being careful to go at a reasonable speed as we pass by Vicuna’s and Llamas grazing before coming to our next quick stop, an incredible cliff made of Volcanic stone formed from an eruption millions of years before which threw huge sections of rock all over this landscape. The cliff looms over us impressively, and as often happens during these tours I wish we had more time to explore each stop.
We climb back into the car and just a few minutes later come to the edge of a small town, first stopping at the small graveyard at the edge of town, which is brightly decorated and full of love since the time to celebrate and visit with your dead has just passed, falling during the first week of November for most of the continent. Paired with the impressive mountains looming in the distance behind it, it makes an impressive sight.
We wind in to town and I recognize it as a place we stopped back on my first salt flat tour, but just for the bathroom and the opportunity to buy stuff from a friendly family running a tiny store, this time Miguel tells us we should walk up to the viewpoint just outside of town.
Together we head down through a narrow alley out of the centre of town and past a few little farms being worked by the locals, crossing a bridge sprawled over a dry river and up the hill to more terrific views of town and everything else. Up there we find a throne made of stone which we all take turns posing in, and also find a cool looking lizard who remains surprisingly calm, chilling on the rock as we approach them.
Eventually we head back down into town and stop by the store, I find a little girl playing outside who waves to us with a smile plastered across her young face and decide to give her a super ball I’ve been carrying since the photos on the salt flats. She takes it, delighted, the smile growing bigger and starts throwing it around the street before running into the shop to show her other, who takes the opportunity as a teaching moment asking her daughter what creature is inside the ball. (It’s a dolphin). I buy a delicious ice cream bar from them before heading back to the jeep where it’s own to our next stop.
We drive for a while before eventually reaching a viewpoint of a long valley filled with wet grass and way too many llamas. Perched at the top of the valley, on the edge of the winding dirt road we climb out for some stunning aerial photos of the Llamas below and the mountains which seem an ever present in this ludicrous landscape.
After the brief stop we jump back in the car and head down to get closer to the countless llamas and geese like birds that are feeding on the wet grass and small pools of fresh water. We passed through this canyon on my first tour as well, but we didn’t stop and this loose and free itinerary is part of what makes Miguel the best driver I’ve had on my three tours, and in many ways the driver is the most important element to enjoying your tour, along with your fellow travellers, who this time around are also a home run. We climb out of the car and out onto the wet grass, weaving our way between the little pools as the llamas watch us quizzically.
Eventually we head back to the jeep for one of the longer sections of the drive so far, winding through what becomes an entirely barren desert, framed by rocky peaks and marked by cold winds which keep the windows closed. (another plus of Estrella Del Sur, this is the first vehicle where all the windows work) Still, since I’m the biggest the group of kind people has ceded me the front seat, so I’m able to snap some pictures through the windshield.
Finally, after about an hour in the car, we pull up at the first lake on today’s itinerary, which since it;s summer is largely dried up into a solid white mass of Borax. Still as we climb out of the car into the cold and pleasantly cutting winds I hurry down to the lake side and find what few flamingoes are here to snap a few pictures of these birds I never seem to get tired of, which you’ll soon see in the coming photos in the next few lakes we visit.
After a short visit here we’re asked if we’d rather eat lunch here or at the next lake, which Miguel promises has more flamingoes and is more spectacular, this in mind I vote for lunch later, since It means more time at a more amazing place. The others agree so we hop back into the car, Claire and Erwan cracking open some chips to drive us over, and we drive for the next hour or so. The drive features more incredible mountain scenery and a rare glimpse of a Rhea, the emu like bird native to certain sections of South America.
After another hour we pull up to our next stop and I can only say wow, Miguel wasn’t lying when he says this place is more spectacular. The lake is divided into two sections by a rise in the shale like ground, and both sides are infested with flamingoes, not to mention the incredible mountains and volcanoes that surround us in the little valley where we’re going to take our lunch. Since there’s a few other jeeps at the main section of the lake we head over to the smaller section and a smaller group of flamingoes first. They spook and take flight before we can get to close and I take the chance to try to get as many shots as I can of them in flight.
As the other vehicles pull away and were left alone we head over toward the main part of the lake though soon enough the rest of the group is heading back to the jeep for lunch, which I am more than happy to skip if it means more time lost in this incredible lake as the winds brush against my cold resistant skin and i approach the countless flamingoes, taking care not to tread on the remnants of their dead which oddly dot the muddy ground.
It’s a sad site but easy to dismiss as I draw closer to the lake and the countless pink birds who are actually being quite loud, since in my experience they are more often than not silent. Still as some bicker and peck at each other and others take flight, I’m swept away by everything outside of the moment and left in blissful solitary serenity. (I know I’m getting over dramatic, but it’s true to how I felt.)
I eventually head back to the car and grab a piece of meat thrilled to see the others aren’t done eating yet so I instantly hurry back to the lake walking out along the side close to even more flamingoes revelling in the incredible remoteness of this place as the cold wind cuts across my face. People call me crazy for being in shorts and an open sweatshirt, but the cold wakes me up and keeps me engaged.
Eventually it’s time to go, but unable to tear my eyes away I back peddle my way back to the jeep, staring out at this incredible place, and reaching the jeep just as two more groups come by. This alternate route is rare, but a handful of cars do seem to do it, mostly bearing the red planet logo. At any rate we speed away from this incredible lake driving another hour or so until we rejoining the original planned route at the stone forest featuring Arbol De Piedra, where I’m feeling frisky and get straight to some rock climbing.
From here, we’re already running late, and our last stop is undoubtedly my favourite place on the whole tour, and one of the best places in the world, Laguna Colorada. After maybe 20 minutes we pull up at the National Park control stop where we pay our entry fee of 150Bolivianos per person and I also overhear if you ask you can get your passport stamped with a special flamingo stamp.
Then we drive down towards the lake, which I am shocked to see has lost immense amounts of water sine my last visit with Sara and because of this most of the flamingoes have fled from the region of the lake I am familiar with. The group on Miguel’s advice decides it will be better to go to the other lookout and stay at the hotel further away from the lake, which I reluctantly accept. Sure there will be more flamingoes and it will likely be redder due to wind direction, but I won’t be able to stay past sunset. But it ends up not being a horrible decision and brings me to another whole knew place as we pull up and park atop a hill on an in-jutting piece of landed surrounded by eery red water.
We agree to stay longer than any other group, almost two hours until 6:30, and though I know it won’t be enough for me, it;s better than nothing. Since this place is so special to me I leave the group behind and go for a walk on my own, first heading down the hill to be closer to the stunning red lake and the countless pink flamingoes chilling in it. During the summer there are 3 types and up to 5000 flamingoes in this lake alone.
As I head further towards the impressive volcano I find a few Alpacaca’s chilling on the hillside. Miguel has earlier explained one major difference between Vicunas Lamas and Alpaca’s. Alpacas can only survive about a day without water, Lamas can go 4 or 5, where as Vicunas can live several weeks without drinking any water, which help explains why we only see the alpaca’s being farmed and raised near permanent bodies of water.
As I reach the end of the concentration of flamingoes heading one way I turn around and walk back the other way dancing and humming along to some music, utterly content to be beside this red lake. The further I go from the volcano, the more the wind cuts at my face and the redder the water of the lake seems to get.
I walk quickly not wanting to waste my time here and rounding the corner of the inlet to the other side where I am left utterly and completely alone unless you include the flamingoes, who seem to be bathing in the bright rays of the setting sun. This small group allows me to edge closer than most and get some more fun photos, while I also gaze across the lake to the information centre marking the section of the lake I usually see.
Checking the time I hurry back up the hillside towards the car, eager to get back to the other side where more flamingoes lie, knowing I’ve only got about half an hour left.At 4200 meters the swift climb leaves me breathless but I press on and hurry down the other side where I find the Alpacas have moved down for a drink at the lake, making for some pictures that I’m quite proud of.
As they drift away I decide it’s time to sit down and appreciate this incredible place in blissful serenity, some music in my ears, and my camera in hand focusing on capturing any interesting movement or behaviour from the pink birds that dot the red water before me. It’s a half hour of bliss for me and I couldn’t really ask for more.
Eventually the others come to gather me up, saying it’s time to go, and much to my dismay we make it back up to the car at 6:25, robbing me of 5 minutes at this haven. If they weren’t such awesome people I’d probably never have forgiven them.
We drive another twenty minutes or so to a much more crowded refugio which to me seems no cleaner or better than the ones next to the lake, but I’m still glad to have seen this different section of Laguna Colorada and I must admit the water was certainly the reddest I’ve seen it during my three visits. We eat dinner and head quickly to bed Miguel telling us if we want to make it to the Geysers for sunrise we’ll have to leave by 4:30 which means breakfast at 4. I drift of to sleep quickly enough, and while last night I’m told I slept talked in spanish, tonight my brain chooses french, which amuses me, and the others no end.
