Road to the Salt Flats: Day 3

There was more ground  to cover today so we were loading gear into the jeep just before 7am.  Waiting around we were horrified to find out that one of the drivers was drunk - and when we saw him it was unmistakable.  We were doubly glad for Mario at that point - not only was he a good, safe driver, he was also sober!  Unfortunately this seems par for the course on some of these tours . . .

Anyway, off we went, into more surreal landscapes.

Arbol de Piedra - the Stone Tree

Ben remembering his hanging skills

Laguna Charcota, with the only non-pink flamingo we saw

Laguna Hedionda

The flamingos had a lovely way of running for takeoff and landing; both graceful and comical

We were slightly puzzled by this sign as the flamingos clearly weren't obeying it . . .

. . . but had no trouble deciphering this one.

A black headed gull making the best use of available resources; flamingo feathers

Laguna Cañapa

All too soon we had left the lagunas and the flamingos behind.  Ben had only taken hundreds of photos of them . . . Time to press on towards our next destinations; lunch in sculptured volcanic rock, a small salt flat and something called Galaxias.

Acid green lizard

This was supposed to look like he was hanging in space.
Clearly my camera skills need work.

Railway crossing of the small saltflat

By the time we reached the mysterious Galaxias I was hot, tired and sick of sitting in the back of the car.  All my meagre Spanish had deserted me, so it was an interesting surprise to find out that we were going to visit some caves.  I still don't know what the name relates to.

As though to make up for the long, hot drive the cave was one of the most interesting we have been in.  At over 3,500m above sea level and formed by coral and limestone (I think, even google isn't helping with an explanation of this place).  Ben and I agreed that it could possibly stand in for an alien nest in a sci-fi film.

The eerie and unusual cave

And right next door is an open cave full of burial tombs and these skulls.
The skulls are very small but I refused to get next to them to give a sense of scale.

Hills in blue

Back in the jeep and onwards to the salt hotel.  I had my doubts about where we were staying (promises, promises, Bolivia) but it turns out we were really staying in a hostel made of salt bricks.  It was quite nifty and two things endeared it to me;  hot showers and the insulating properties of salt kept it warm (well warmer than the nearly freezing temps of the previous place).  Ben said his photos of it weren't good enough so you'll have to imagine it . . .