Day 3
We went to the snake canyon, which you can see from the pictures below. There is a green river flowing between the canyons like a snake. It was a short hike up there, and with a little bit of the morning crisp, perfect hiking weather.
Then, we went to Árbol de Piedra (stone tree), our tour guide called it "their world cup". The wind had eroded the bottom part of the stone quicker than the top, hence the shape. We also walked around the area and found stones with interesting shapes, and we climbed the different rocks. IT WAS SOOOO FUN! (except you do get out of breath very easily due to the high altitude)
Next stop, Laguna Negra!! It was once again a short hike to the lake, and on the way there, we happened to see a NEWLY BORN LLAMA!!!!!!! The little llama was trying to stand up the whole time and kept falling. So adorable. I was trying to get closer for a picture, but I couldn't get too close because the parents got a little protective. But it was very cool. When we arrived to the black lake, and it was indeed, black! Even the ducks swimming in the lake are black!
We stayed at the Salt hotel tonight! And EVERYTHING IS MADE OF SALT!!!! Apparently, compacted salt is very strong, and so the whole structure is mostly made of salt bricks. The tables, the chairs, the beds.... it is just amazing!
Day 4
"THEE" UYUNI!!!! We woke up super early to catch the sunrise in the salt flat, and it was absolutely stunning. After that, we went to this strange cactus island called Isla Incahuasi in the middle of the salt flat. There are giant cacti everywhere. It was a lake a long time ago, and the lake dried up, and left with this world's largest salt flat. And the cacti grow so big because of the minerals deposit in the salt flat. We had breakfast there, with the view of the cactus island and the salt flat. Then, we realized today is the CHRISTMAS DAY! We had a Christmas cake with FELIZ NAVIDA on it! A very special Christmas day.
We then went into the middle of the salt flat. I was dreaming about this for the past year that I could see the mirror reflection of the sky, but guess what..... it didn't rain (and it did a week after...Orz). As disappointed as I was, the salt flat was still amazing..... You cannot see the end of it!
Last stop! CIUDADELA DE ALCAYA! They said it is a museum, and I thought "oh, ok." and assumed that it will be a building, full of historical things on display. But, very surprisingly, it is an outdoor experience and quite a hike too (at this altitude especially). It is an archaeological museum of the native community of Alcaya 5000 years ago. Through the different display of certain remaining structures, tools, and even mummies, the museum guide told us about the native's daily lives 5000 years ago. It was an amazing cultural experience.
The next day, we are supposed to see a couple more things on the way to our final destination Oruro. Unfortunately, it was not very exciting and it certainly felt like a filler to make it sound like a full 5-day tour, and I was very disappointed. Recommendation: Take the 4-day tour that ends in Uyuni instead, and get a bus to your next destination from there.