Bolivia: Exploring the South Lipez by Self-Drive (page 6 of 21)

Hi Carmen. Thanks for your tips. As I mentioned in my earlier posts, I don’t have any modern navigation gear yet—just a basic mobile phone. So either I get equipped or I keep navigating the old-school way, like I always have. I’ve never gotten lost. Oh, decisions, decisions—you’ve got us hooked! Thanks again, Bernard.

10.10. Jiria – Salar de Uyuni, night in the car

After a good night’s sleep, we have a hearty breakfast and leave at 7:40 AM for Coqueza. The young Argentine guy advised us to re-enter the Salar at Jirira to avoid the dirt track. It’s indeed much shorter, and we get a lovely view of the Tunupa volcano.

Near the exit of the Coqueza Salar, a car is stuck in a mix of water and salt. Did they try to get closer to the pink flamingos?





The stuck car—it’ll be there all day.

The exit from Coqueza

In the center of Coqueza, there’s a small tourist office. I explain in English that we want to climb Tunupa. The man charges us 30 bolivianos per person. This price includes the visit to the mummies, use of the toilets, and the small museum. I’ve read several times that you need a guide to climb Tunupa. So I ask, and he says no.

We get back in the car to drive up to the small parking lot at 3,980 m. It’s 8:45 AM, and we start our hike. The climb is tough, especially since we’re not yet fully acclimated to the altitude. The first viewpoint is at the upper edge of the fields. The vast white expanse of the Salar stretches out below.





Lots of viscachas are wandering around there too.

Up to the second viewpoint, the slope is gentler, and we move faster. The view of the volcano and the Salar is stunning—we’re loving it despite the effort. We pass three people waiting for their group; they can’t go any higher and are suffering from altitude sickness.





The last stretch to the crater is very steep—we’re walking on coarse sand. The colors are incredible: white, yellow, ochre, red. The reward is right there—the crater reveals itself, and it’s breathtaking!







It took us 4 hours and 30 minutes to climb up, including photo stops and several short breaks. We decide to go a bit higher to exceed 5,000 meters in altitude. I’m over the moon—it’s so beautiful, and we’re alone on this volcano with its incredible colors.







A guide arrives with a couple. He congratulates us on our performance. After soaking in the view, we start our descent.















Fatigue starts to set in, and the descent feels endless. After 2 hours and 30 minutes, we finally reach the car. We’re tired but happy.

Back in Coqueza, the man from the small tourism office is waiting for us. He asks us to follow him into his office. There, he asks if we climbed up to the volcano’s crater. Of course we did—we made it all the way! His English is very poor, but we manage to understand that we were supposed to hire a guide and pay 500 bolivianos. Without a guide, you’re only allowed to go up to the first viewpoint. I tell him we don’t agree to pay that price, since we didn’t have a guide and I’d asked him about it this morning. He lowers the price to 300 bolivianos. We counter with 200 bolivianos and not a cent more. He looks annoyed but finally agrees and gives us a receipt.

We return to the Salar and drive to Fish Island. There’s no one else around, so we settle in quietly at the edge of the island.



According to the Argentine we met yesterday, you should sleep near an island. At night, smugglers from Chile cross the Salar at full speed. They don’t turn on their headlights to avoid being spotted, so a collision isn’t out of the question.

It’s pleasantly warm, and we enjoy walking barefoot on the Salar before freshening up a bit. We eat a bowl of pasta with vegetables and snack on some beef jerky. For sunset, we take a walk on the island. Unfortunately, there’s toilet paper, bottles, and other trash everywhere. :( It’s really a shame—some tourists and guides are total pigs.

























The rest is here: https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=9911275;a=9911275

Wow 😮! The landscapes and photos are amazing 😍!

Thanks Carmen for these gorgeous photos, they’re a real treat. Bernard.

Like Nathalie, wow! Those crater photos and the view are amazing! But I’m not sure I’d be able to climb up there 🙁. Looking forward to hearing about your first night in the car and how you guys settled in 😏

Like Nathalie, wow! Those crater photos and the view are amazing! But I’m not sure I’d be able to climb up there 🙁. I’m waiting to hear about your first night in the car and how you set up 😏

Simply put, we fully reclined the front seats and slept on them. Couldn’t be easier.😛

Simply put, we completely lowered the front seats and slept in our seats. Nothing more complicated than that.😛

Yes, but we're beginners... you have to explain everything to us !

Gorgeous photos 😇! Do you remember how long it took you to get to Isla Pescado from Tunupa (where there are accommodations nearby)? For those who don’t want to or can’t camp on the island, depending on the season, this could help figure out if you can still catch the sunset on Pescado. Thanks

Breathtaking!!! Clever move—I’m regretting not going now.... Gotta go back!!!!

Simply put, we completely lowered the front seats and slept in them. Couldn’t be easier!😛

Yes, but we’re total newbies... you’ve gotta spell everything out for us !

Looks like she’s really getting into it!!! 😂

It’s also my favorite 😇, but it’s not easy to extract it from the rest on the phone!! Is that Carmen dumping her guy 😛? Unstoppable at 5,000 m !! We’ll just say it was a shoelace problem

Simply put, we completely reclined the front seats and slept in our seats. Couldn't be easier than that. 😛

Yes, but we're newbies... you have to explain everything to us !

Looks like she's really getting into it!!! 😄

And I won't stop surprising you...

Gorgeous photos 😇 !

Thanks😊

Do you remember how long it took you to get to Pescado Island from Tunupa (where there are accommodations nearby)? For those who don’t want or can’t camp on the island, depending on the season, it’d help to know if you can still catch the sunset on Pescado. Thanks

No, I don’t remember. Pescado is quite far from Coqueza—it’s not the closest island to Tunupa. I think it took us at least 45 minutes, maybe more.

You can sleep in Coqueza or Jirira. But it’s a shame not to sleep on the Salar. Spending the night on the Salar is truly an incredible experience.

Tell me, I think you’re heading to Namibia next summer and you’ve planned Argentina for 2021. You’re also looking into Peru and Bolivia... Are you planning several years ahead, or did you win the lottery?😎

The photos are gorgeous! 🙂

Gorgeous photos 🙂

You know, the desert can be really beautiful.😉

You know, the desert can be really beautiful.😉

Seeing it in photos is no problem, but spending several days there is a whole different story 😇

It’s my favorite too 😇, but it’s not easy to extract it from the rest with a phone!! Is Carmen dumping her guy 😛? Unstoppable at 5,000 m 😮!!

No, it was Benoît who dumped me. But that’s not always the case.😛

Let’s just say it was a shoelace problem 😏