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8 Fun, Amusing, and Odd Things from Tupiza to Uyuni

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The beautiful landscapes and the flamingos are what you will find if you search the internet for the Bolivian Altiplano.

But there are also other photos that remind me of fun times, amusing moments, and odd sites that I encountered on this tour from Tupiza to Uyuni.

8 Fun, Amusing, and Odd Things

#1 – Mmm… llama is better than chicken.

 

I took the photo above during our lunch stop on the first day.  I am holding a humita filled with llama meat…

And I am in a field of llamas.

I had eaten one of these on the horseback riding tour, so I already knew they were made with llama.  That means I also knew that llama is delicious, so there was no hesitation to eat these again.

(Note:  These may actually be alpacas.  I cannot tell the difference.  Either way it is still amusing.)

#2 – Music and games with the local children.

I was actually just the photographer and chose not to play.  We were at over 4,800 meters, and I did not feel like moving very much.

Two Isreali guys from another tour asked to play with these locals.  At first they said No because the Isrealis had such a huge height advantage.  Eventually, they convinced the kids to let them join in the fun.

I loved that the Bolivian girl taking this long shot was wearing a traditional dress, and she was also nailing 3-pointers like she was going for a Nike contract.

Later that evening, younger kids came to our home after dinner and played and sang traditional songs.

After the music show, these Bolivian children became obsessed with this game that the Frenchman was traveling with.  He was actually sponsored by a European company.  He got paid to have locals play with this toy, take a photo, and send it to the company.

I want that job!

#3 – The dangerous wonders of South America.

I saw geysers for the first time in my life.

In addition to being an incredible natural wonder to see, I was also amazed you could just walk around anywhere and very easily fall into a bubbling, steaming pit.

There are no roped off areas.  There is no one in charge monitoring our actions.

There IS a warning sign that says,

Stop. Danger. Do not go near.

 Which everyone ignored.  

Including me.

#4 – Enjoying a natural hot spring in my wool hat.

 

We stripped down to our bathing suits in the freezing cold to enjoy this natural hot spring.

It was wonderful and relaxing, mainly because we beat the crowds there.  I did take off the hat in order to get my hair wet.  I figured the minerals might help out the greasy hair situation.  It kind of worked.

#5 – Driving through streams in this rugged land.

 

I don’t really know why this was so exciting for me.

Maybe it was because the driver told me they have to go a different route during the rainy season.

Maybe it was because navigating the water crossings seemed extra adventurous.

 

 

#6 – Staying in a hotel made of salt.

 

I knew this was part of the itinerary for night three, but this salt hotel really did exceed my expectations.

It is much cooler than it sounds.

 

#7 – Bathroom breaks in the middle of nowhere.

Because you drink a lot of water to combat the effects of the altitude, you have to go a lot, and you learn to go wherever you can.

I chose not to use this manmade bathroom because of all the nasty toilet paper people left behind. People, you’re not supposed to do that!

There are even a few real bathrooms to use in the middle of nowhere (for a few Bolivianos of course).

Apparently, some people have been going in places they shouldn’t.

This sign still cracks me up.

#8 – A little creativity.

I wonder…

Did a worker get bored one day?

Did the worker drink all these bottles of wine?

The last stop on the tour is the Train Cemetery in Uyuni.

I am not certain if they planned it this way, but this looks like public art to me.

Which of these travel moments do you think is the most surprising?

 

This is part of a series of photo essays from my tour through the Bolivian Altiplano starting in Tupiza and ending in Uyuni.  If you enjoyed these photos, check out these galleries.

  • On the Road:  Day 1 – Includes the stunning Quebrada de Pilala and El Sillar just outside of Tupiza and the tiny village of San Antonio de Lipez where we interacted with local children.
  • On the Road:  Day 2 – This was one of my favorite photography days with sights like Laguna Verde, Licancabur Volcano, a natural hot spring, the Sol de Mañana geysers, flamingos, and the gorgeous red waters of Laguna Colorada.
  • On the Road:  Day 3 – The wonder continued with the Siloli Desert and its famous Piedra de Arbol (Rock Tree), the active Ollague Volcano, the Camino de las Joyas (Path of the Jewels) with multiple lakes and lots more flamingos, and the salt hotel.
  • On the Road: Day 4 – We watched a beautiful sunrise over Isla del Pescado, took our crazy photos in the Salar de Uyuni, and then visited the train cemetery in Uyuni.

Comments

  1. I like the toilet one. I mean, imagine having a view like that from the TOILET of all places!?!?? HAha. I was in Nepal last year and it was the same kinda thing. So cool. So amazing. But strange in that way :)

  2. South America was such a playground to me – once you get out of the cities and into the vast natural landscapes there is so much of this stuff that just amazes and entertains. You’ve pulled together a great collection of examples here =)
    Andrea recently posted..Slice of Norge: Word Association

  10. If “asi es la vida”, life’s very wonderful :) I love too many moments on this post to choose a favorite, yet I think I would choose the woman playing ball with her traditional clothing. I think the most surprising, though, was the salt hotel. Had no idea you get to stay somewhere so unique during this even-otherwise-unique trip :) Do you know what’s the purpose of game-guy taking photos of local kids playing with the European games?
    Ayelet – All Colores recently posted..Rocky Mountain National Park: How to Miss Elk in 3 Easy Steps

    • The salt hotel was more impressive than I was expecting.

      I think the deal with the game is that it is branded with the European company’s logo. He sends a photo back of the kids playing with it and gets a small amount of money. I assume the company is then using it for internal or external publicity. It’s a cool idea, although if they are using it for advertising, I would think they’d also need photo releases.
      Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..8 Crazy Photos from the Incredible Salar de Uyuni

  12. I want that French guy’s job, too. Seriously, what an awesome job to have! Loving the pictures here, although my favourite has to be the salt hotel. I’m questioning your morals now that I know you ate llama in a field full of llamas. If it was alpacas, then you’re off the hook.
    Tom @ Waegook Tom recently posted..Six Unmissable Korean Movies

    • I really wanted to ask him how much he made per photo, but I figured that might be a little ride.

      I was just looking through my photos and found another weird one I forgot to include related to llamas (or maybe alpacas). I was looking for a private place to… um… you know, and I came across a pile of llama legs/ paws behind a rock. Really freaked me out.
      Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..Travel the World Through Food

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