Altiplano e Atacama 2001
2/4
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The first kilometers on the Altiplano One and a half weeks after my arrival at La Paz, I'm finally able to start on my bicycle tour. I'm used to the new culture, to the landscape and most importantly to the thin air. So, nothing hinders me to start... except the ascent out of the valley of La Paz up to the Altiplano. I'm creeping up slowly the outer lane of the motorway, sharing my path with dead cats and dogs, as well as loads of glass debris. At the time I leave the city, the traffic is calming down. But it takes me some time to get used to the busses and lorries overtaking at high speed, failing to hit me only by a short distance each time. Why do I have so frequently the feeling that the drivers must be drunken?
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Eroded rock formation near Potosi A little more than 100 km past Oruro, the paved road ends and the gravel starts. For hours I'm trying to keep the balance on my bicycle, fighting against the wind and fatigue. But after some days I get used to the sometimes hard reality of Bolivian roads. I'm passing through fascinating landscapes, while I have left behind the Altiplano and entered the Central Cordillera in direction of Potosi.
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The hard life of the miners in Potosi
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Endless Altiplano After some impressive days in Potosi, my route turns back to the Altiplano. The landscape opens up. The 210 km to Uyuni become the first true highlight of the tour. There are some tiring uphills, but the outlooks at the top of the passes overcompensate every effort made. For the first time on this trip, I have this profound feeling of freedom in this landscape of endless horizons.
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Wind shapes the landscape
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Outlook from one of the many passes, somewhere between Potosi and Uyuni
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Camping on the Altiplano, 20m from the road
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First sight at the Salar de Uyuni (white surface) Shortly before Uyuni I cycle over the last pass. The first glimpse at the Salar de Uyuni is breathtaking. Large parts of the horizon are filled with a glooming white mirror. Visibility seems to be infinite. Arrived at Uyuni, I have to start thinking about the next part of the route. The expedition through Sud Lipez worries me. Tourists talk proudly about their courage to do this route by jeep and accompanied by a driver, nobody seems to think about cycling. Almost everybody has advised me against cycling through this region, now I start thinking about alternatives. Finally, I can't let it, I have to cycle this route. I would regret too much otherwise.
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Cementerio de Los Trenes, Uyuni
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Old trains
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That is life...
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Relativity theory...
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The beginning of the Salar de Uyuni A first trip leads me on the Salar the Uyuni. An undescribeable feeling to cycle by your own force over the immensity of the salt lake. The light is painfully bright, taking off your sunglasses is not an option here. Adding to the surreal landscape, everything seems to be turned upside down. Mirages make surrounding mountains look like icebergs due to double reflections of the light. Helped by a GPS and a compass, navigation is relatively easy. The Isla de Pescadores in the middle of the Salar shows up at a distance of 30 km. As if the landscape wouldn't be enough... I hear a jeep approaching in my back, but strangely the drivers doesn't overtake me (there would be plenty space, obviously). After a minute I turn my head around and I see a couple of cameras kept out of the jeep's windows to take pictures of me. I never imagined that I would become the object of a safari in my lifetime. Then finally the jeep drives up to my side and after some more pictures, it rushes away.
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Endless cycling on the largest salt lake on Earth (12'000 km2)
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Moon over Isla de Pescadores, Salar de Uyuni I pitch up my tent at the "lakeshore" on Isla de Pescadores. A fantastic feeling!
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