Bolivia: Exploring the South Lipez by Self-Drive (page 12 of 21)

Laguna Blanca is in sight, and shortly after, we discover Laguna Verde with the Licancabur volcano. The sky is cloudy, so the lagoon isn’t very green. It’s still quite beautiful, but it’s not my favorite. We drive up to a small hill overlooking the viewpoint of Laguna Verde. The wind is blowing hard, it’s cold, and a few snowflakes start to fall. We eat in the car—a noodle soup we prepare with hot water we took this morning at breakfast. Our thermos, brought from home, comes in really handy.

Laguna Blanca



Laguna Verde and the Licancabur volcano

Strangely, we’re alone again—you have to wonder where the other tourists are. Then, the young couple who slept in the same place as us arrives. But they won’t stay long.

We head down to Laguna Blanca and drive between it and Laguna Verde. We’d love to find the small hot spring pool to maybe take a bath. We search everywhere but won’t find it. We take a few photos of the pink flamingos, walk along the water’s edge, then return to the Laguna Verde viewpoint for one last photo. The sky has cleared a bit, but the lighting isn’t great.

Laguna Blanca





Laguna Verde

We ended up spending much more time than planned by these lagoons, so we won’t have time to make it all the way to Quetena Chico. Oh well, we don’t feel like sleeping at the Laguna Blanca refuge, so we’ll just find somewhere along the way to crash.

The track to Mina Horsu is beautiful and very smooth. Like the other days, we spot plenty of vicuñas. The Mina Horsu site is pretty strange—it feels like a sci-fi movie set. There’s a weird smell in the air that doesn’t exactly make us want to linger, let alone camp here.







Mina Horsu



We turn northeast, passing by Cerro Puripica Grande on our right, then Cerro Puripica Chico on our left. We follow the edge of the Dali Desert and discover the stunning rock formations on the opposite side from this morning. The sun is setting fast, but we still take a little detour around the rock formations.



The Dali Desert

The track follows the Salar de Chalviri, and we come across a beautiful lagoon. It doesn’t have a name on maps.me—is it just a flooded part of the Salar? We’ll never know. We decide to stop here. The view of the lagoon and the flamingos is gorgeous, and we’ve got the place to ourselves—what more could we ask for? The wind is still fierce, and it’s cold, but with our gear suited for this climate, it’s not really an issue. We eat inside the car, and it’s wrapped up in our sleeping bags, headlamps on, that we finish off the evening.













The rest is here: https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=9924312;a=9924312

Hi again Carmen. In the photos of Licancabur, you can clearly see the snow curtain falling beneath the clouds—the lighting is a bit surreal, it’s stunning. As for the photos of the Dali Desert at the end of the day, with the play of shadows and light, they’re exceptionally beautiful. Thanks so much, they’re gorgeous! Bernard.

I'm wondering if we shouldn't book the South Lipez as the ultimate trip! 😛

Yeah, I’m asking myself the same thing ☺️ What’s there to see after all these amazing landscapes? 🤔 The real question is: when will it be the last chance??? So it’s better to go while we still can... 😅

What to see after all these amazing landscapes?😊

Angkor, Abu Simbel, Bagan, Borobudur, the Colosseum...😉

What to see after all these magnificent landscapes?🤔

Angkor, Abu Simbel, Bagan, Borobudur, the Colosseum...😉

Ah! I feel reassured now 😊

The Banaue Rice Terraces, Pisa, Iguazu Falls, Niagara Falls, the Great Barrier Reef (we shouldn’t wait too long, unfortunately), Machu Picchu, the Great Wall, the Taj Mahal...

chutes de Niagara,

Not an unforgettable memory...

la grande muraille

For those with agoraphobia, I think the best time to go is now... Otherwise, some photos make it look like the A6 highway on a busy Saturday—total chaos!😵

hey Ma Tila

I’m wondering if we shouldn’t book the Sud Lipez as our ultimate trip!😛

You get me, right?😉 That said, you’ve gotta be in good shape to handle the travel conditions!!! So maybe not too late either!!!

Hi Damediam'

The ultimate trip for landscapes! The rest isn’t quite there yet...

You gotta be in good shape to handle the travel conditions!!!

The desire too.

I’m only kinda ready for more than three or four nights. 😊

The cold doesn’t help, and there’s no escaping it at night.

As for the photos of the Dali Desert at the end of the day with the play of shadows and light, it's exceptionally beautiful. Thanks a lot, it's gorgeous !

Yeah, we were there at the right time in the Dali Desert, but you can't always be in the right place at the right time everywhere.😉 Still, camping during certain stops gives you more freedom.

I’m wondering if we shouldn’t save the South Lipez for our ultimate trip!😛

Yeah, but we never know when our ultimate trip will be, and if we wait until we’re old and sick... we need to be able to handle the climate and lodging conditions in that region.

Between Laguna Verde and the Dali Desert, your latest photo series is just stunning, exceptional!! And to think that in person, it's even better 😇... well, I suppose... Thanks for taking us along.

What to see after all these amazing landscapes?🤔

Angkor, Abu Simbel, Bagan, Borobudur, the Colosseum...😉

But these are sites developed or built by humans. In my opinion, you really can't compare them to the landscapes of the South Lipez.😉

Personally, I enjoyed visiting the Colosseum, but it's far from a must for me.

I really love nature but also some monuments, especially ancient ones.

El Djem in Tunisia is much more spectacular in my memory than the Colosseum.

I’d give Egypt the same spot for monuments that the South Lipez holds for landscapes. 🙂

Between Laguna Verde and the Dali Desert, your latest photo series is just stunning, exceptional!! And to think that in person, it's even better 😇... well, I suppose... Thanks for taking us along.

In person, you really get a sense of the vastness of the landscapes. For the colors and shadows, you have to be there at the right time of day. But there are colorful mountains everywhere—you just need the luck of good weather... clear skies with great visibility. But I get the feeling that’s often the case.

I’d rank Egypt for monuments the way I rank the South Lipez for landscapes. 🙂

I’d love to go to Egypt, but security might not be great right now. Though I think it’s better than it was a few years ago. You know, I’m not afraid of getting lost in the desert or being attacked by an animal, but I’m a bit more wary of people.

The Banaue Rice Terraces, Pisa, Iguazu Falls, Niagara Falls, the Great Barrier Reef (don’t wait too long, unfortunately), Machu Picchu, the Great Wall, the Taj Mahal...

Like for Attila, Niagara Falls didn’t really wow me.

The Taj Mahal is beautiful, but it’s not one of my best memories. I far preferred the Alhambra in Granada.

I’ll let you know about Machu Picchu when we get back from Peru in June.

Like Attila, Niagara Falls didn’t really wow me.

Is it the crowds that bother you both? I’ll let you know when I get back in July 😛