Salar de Uyuni Summary

Yes, I’m in Peru, but this is long overdue.  I wrote about the film we shot in the Salt Flats of Bolivia but, I didn’t expound on the beauty of the area.  The Salt Flats may look cold and desolate, but they are warm and rich in wildlife and culture.  

We got in at night, and stayed in the Hotel de Sal Luna Salada.  The walls and floors are made of salt!

Colchani - We started in this small town on the outskirts of the flats where they harvest the salt and package it.  They have more salt than they could ever want.  And, they export it.  

They also make warm hats.  30 Bolivianos = $4.35 USD.  A smart investment because it gets chilly in Uyuni!

Incahuasi Island - In the middle of the 12,000 sq km of dried up lake (40,000 years ago) there are islands.  And these islands have cacti that have been growing for thousands of years.  Incahuasi is home to everyone's favorite llama: Chapaton.  

I felt a little weird taking photos of this llama and then eating Chapaton’s cousin llama for lunch.  But, that was part of the tour.

Galaxy Caves / Devil’s Cave - This stop on the tour was a little bit weird.  They tried to sell us on some type of small species of humans living in these caves...without any proof.  Felt like a gimmick.  'Pay us 20 Bolivianos to look into a cave.'  At least the catacombs were eerie and provided nice photo opps.

Tunupa Volcano - This island is rich in wildlife: flamingos, llamas, etc.  We hiked for a ways up into the mountain, but it would have taken 6 hours to get to the volcano.  At least the views were nice.

Underwater - No visit to the Salt Flats is complete without reflection photos.  We were shocked to learn that this stop was not part of our tour and demanded to swap it with one of our other stops.  

Train Cemetery - After leaving the salt flats, our last stop was the train cemetery.  In the late 18th century and early 19th, Uyuni was a silver mining town and a bustling one.  The trains carried minerals to the Pacific, but that industry collapsed.  And the result is a sweet antique train graveyard.  

On the way to the graveyard, we spotted a family of Vicuna  (a type of camelid), prancing around near the tracks.  I asked them if they would pose, and they were surprisingly very accommodating.  

We did a 2-day tour, but there are 3-day & more tours that include geysers, lagoons, etc.  I would definitely come back to Uyuni to visit again.  Next time, I would work with the tour company beforehand to customize a tour of only the things I really wanted to see.  

Yeah, I’d definitely go back for more reflection photos, and insist we go at sunset!

All of my Best of Salar de Uyuni photos are up on Facebook here.

La Paz - Mirador Killi Killi

There’s a spot in La Paz called Mirador Killi Killi.  It’s got stunning 360ish views of the old city and is a premiere make-out spot for young lovers.  

You can see why.  My peepers were peaked as I snapped some sunset scenery.

Hope you like! 

Super wide shot of the old city.

The illest of all, Mount Illimani!

Just love the colors in this city!

Looks a little like Legos...

El Prado - Parties & Protests

El Prado is a popular, tourist-y type of main drag in La Paz.  My hotel, Hotel Copacabana is right in the heart of it.

On Sundays, they have these art-walk type parties called Feria Dominical Del Prado, with live music, arts & fun things for kids like big chickens! 

The view from my Hotel Copacabana window

Check out this cool funk band:

Uploaded by Matt Sherwood on 2016-05-31.

One thing that has been consistent through all of my travels in South America so far, is protests.  Granted, I've only been to a few cities, but in Cordoba, Buenos Aires, La Paz, etc, there are protests ALMOST every day.  

El Prado is a popular street for protestors.

Most of the time, the protests are peaceful, just marches or assemblies of the passionate population.  But, you always know they're happening because of the powerful sound of explosives (David would be proud). 

Here is an example of a peaceful protest (with explosives) -- just some folks marching on El Prado.  (View from my hotel room)

I lived on a tourist-y, main strip of La Paz, 6 De Agosto Drive. The area is called Hotel Plaza, El Prado. All along my street are hotels, and government buildings. Almost every day there is a protest, sometimes in the form of a sit-in, and sometimes a march.

Once in a while, the protests do get a little violent.  This was the first one I saw.  

A group of people were protesting in front of the Ministerio de Justicia.  (You can see them at the bottom behind the trees)

Then, the riot police showed up, and for a good 5-10 minutes you heard the fracas on the front line.  

The people pushed back and, eventually...

...the people won.

And the riot police retreated.   Check it out:

My hotel is right across from the Ministeria de Justicia. This is one of those protests that the riot police tried to break up, but failed miserably. My view of the front line was blocked by trees, but you can clearly see the riot police retreating from the angry mob of people.

Panorámica - El Alto, La Paz

Eric, Lisa, Kelly, Adam, Liz and Adam Lev (bottom)

La Paz, Bolivia is a magnificent mountainous city about ~12,000 ft above sea level and El Alto, is the fast-growing plains city just above La Paz (~13,600 ft).  In a city like La Paz, it makes sense to have a public transportation option like: Mi Teleférico, aka “cable cars”.  

One night we rode the Mi Teleférico Red Line up to El Alto for a party on Avenida Panorámica.    

Myself, Jeff Sloan and Leah Dungo

Thursday, May 5th, the majority of Remote Year Members took the red line up to El Alto to have a pre-party on Avenida Panoramica. Here is a short video of us admiring the views and talking about scaling Mount Huayna Potosi.

The timing was perfect, the sunset was scintillating and the panoramic views were perfecto.

A good chance for me to practice portrait photography.  

And, overall, a moment of amazing imagery, camaraderie and memories.

Eric Scheibling

Liz Garrison

Juliane Manansala

Samantha Johnston

Tom George Edwin Andrew

Melissa Brown

Public Speaking Workshop - Saint Andrew’s School

Thanks to our local contact here in Bolivia, an amazing super-woman super-star Viviana Coloma, I was invited to speak at a prestigious private school here in La Paz: Saint Andrew’s School.   

Vivi and I before the event!

Saint Andrew's is a very innovative and progressive school system with strong Catholic values.  Students learn multiple languages from an early age, and the school prides themselves on strong academics, with an emphasis on technology, sports and building well rounded students. It was an honor to be invited to speak.  Just look at this campus!

The topic of my presentation was "Speak to Succeed: The importance of strong communication skills in today's global economy."   I did my best to inspire the juniors and seniors and encourage them to embrace public speaking - I even gave them a chance to speak on stage.  4 brave students got up to speak and I was very proud to see them accept the challenge!

This was a unique experience for me, as I usually perform workshops for professionals.  But it was very motivating to speak to students and try to get them excited about communication.  

I always feel that even if I only inspire one person, the event is worth it.  And, I'm pretty sure I was able to motivate a few.

A small group of students approached me after the event and thanked me.  This made my day.  I sincerely hope that we keep in touch and I can continue to inspire them to achieve their goals.

I'd say the event was a success.  And now, I want to do more workshops for students around the world.   

THANK YOU, Vivi Coloma.  You inspired me, you pushed me, and I am so thankful for your help!

Salar de Uyuni - Short Film

World’s largest salt flats (~11,000 sq km), Salar de Uyuni was on my Bolivia bucket list.  It’s hard to describe the beauty of this desolate, dried up lake.  Looks like snow.  The exceptionally clear blue skies combined with white as far as you can see make for a brilliant backdrop to shoot a film.  

Mi amigo de Los Angeles, Patrick, aka Pootee the Explorer is creating one short film in each of our 12 cities.  So, Patrick, Jonathan and I set out to shoot in the salt flats.  

I am one of the actors, although I don't have any speaking lines.  In the film, we communicate through telepathy and voice overs will be added later.  The script is still in production...very curious to see how it plays out.  Knowing Patrick, it will be hilarious!

Jonathan, played the role of one of the rare 'Salt Flat People'.  Kudos to este hombre for welcoming the body, face and hair paint!  Poor guy had white on him the rest of the trip.  He was able to take a shower at our hostel, but they yelled at him when he was taking too long.  And, then I think he got a rash from the paint.  Actin' ain't easy!

Salar de Uyuni.  Lo que es un lugar perfecto para una película!  (What a perfect place for a film!)

Stay tuned for said film...and more stories n snaps from the Salt Flats.

Climbing Mount Huayna Potosi

Snap from the drive to the mountain.

Last week, I changed my Facebook cover image to a sunset snap of Huayna Potosi (in the Andes), ~25km from La Paz, ~6,088 meters, aka 19,975 feet.  What I didn’t mention is that I was mentally preparing to climb to the top of it.  

I didn’t want to say anything because I’m no mountain climber.  I’ve never used an ice axe and had no idea what a crampon was.  I’ve done some pretty grueling hikes but, this was a whole 'nother beast.  

Zoom view of the beast!

Tom was the man with the plan.  Derryl, Jonathan and I were just crazy enough to go along with it.

Tom George Edwin Andrew, from Australia.  4 first names, 1 bad ass dude!

Tom, (left) Derryl (center), Jonathan (right)

The tour company says the hike is for beginners.  And they teach you the ropes before the big attempt.  Sounds perfect!  

The base camp is about 2 hours from La Paz and resides at ~4720 meters, aka ~15,485 feet.  Isn't she a beaut?

First day, you hike up to the glacier for ice climbing training.  The guides don’t speak English, but you’d be surprised how much you can learn from a good guide, and limited Spanish.  

Hiking up to the glacier for training.

Jonathan was a BOSS on the ice wall!  

Training took ~4 hours including the hike out and back.  EXHAUSTED.  Maybe this is going to be harder than we thought...  

But even if we didn't make it to the summit, this place is breathtakingly beautiful!

The mountain doesn't look so big from this angle, does it?

Just another gorgeous view of a valley in the area.

Clouds, meet Mountains.  Mountains, meet Clouds.

Second day, the plan is to rest in the am, eat lots of food and then hike up to the high camp, ~5,300 meters, aka ~17,400 feet.  We get to high camp in the late afternoon, eat dinner, go to sleep around 6pm, and wake up at midnight to embark on the climb.  (You need to set out in the middle of the night because you can’t trek when the sun is out, or the ice will melt.  You don’t want that.)

Hiking up to High Camp.

It was super foggy and cloudy near High Camp!

But, we're loving it!

The crew!

Some of these views are otherworldly!

There she is!  High Camp!  Hangin' off the edge, right behind it is a massive glacier.

Most people can’t sleep at the High Camp altitude (17,400 feet).  You need time to acclimate.  It’s hard for me to sleep at midnight, let alone 6pm, but the ice climbing training and the hike to High Camp with the full pack was exhausting.  I tossed and turned, but got a few cycles.  Unfortunately, Jonathan, Tom and Derryl started having stomach issues and did not sleep much either.  Uh oh.  Bolivia can be cruel on the ole tummy.  

We get up at midnight, prepare our packs, eat some carbs.  I hate the cold, so I put on 4 layers of socks, 4 layers of pants, 2 shirts, 2 jackets, 2 pairs of gloves, and a trusty Sox ski hat that my parents gave me.

And, I have just enough time to snap a long exposure of some dim light off in the distance.  That's the glacier in the foreground.

Put my crampons on, headlamp on and ice axe in hand.  It’s go time.  YIKES!  The feeling was not unlike preparing for a marathon, or a Ragnar Relay Race.  You don't sleep much.  You know it’s going to be grueling.  But, you cherish the challenge!

You’re tethered up to your guide the entire way.  Celestine in front, then myself, then Jonathan.  Tom was with Felix, who we called “Gato”.  

Our High Camp was the highest of all the camps, and we were the first ones on the trail.  Just mentioning because it’s pitch black and no one is ahead of us to show us the way.  Trailblazers, we were.

I’m pretty glad it was pitch black, because some of the areas were pretty steep.  And by pretty steep, I mean really steep.  And the trails were only about 18 inches in some points.  We had to jump over crevasses, scale some walls with our ice axe, trudge up super steep hills, and methodically march up moderately steep hills.  

One step at a time.  Careful.  Focused.  Stay calm, and try to breathe.

The funny thing about altitude, is that the higher you go up, the harder is to to breathe.  A fellow climber told us that around 5,600 meters your vision may start to get blurry.  

Altitude is no joke.  

Lucky for me, my eyes did NOT blur.  My breathing was solid.  But, the higher we went up, it just became more exhausting.  The wind was blowing wildly.  It got reeeeeeally cold.  The conditions became fierce.

Celestine never told us much about how far we were to the summit and we didn’t ask.  We just followed the leader.  But, he did tell us when we got to 5,800 meters, aka 19,030 feet.  Wow.  That much more to go!?

The last ~150 meters is a 45 degree wall of compressed snow that is unbelievably challenging, and is a true test of your mental toughness.  Like the last 6 miles in a marathon: x10.  

A little while later, my shoelaces had come undone, and my gaiters were flapping (protective layer that goes over boots).  We stopped for a moment for Celestine to fix them for me.  Such an awesome guide!  

He tells us we have 15 minutes left to the summit.  A few climbers were coming up behind us.  Jonathan says, “Vamos!  Let’s go, we didn’t come this far to come in second!”  

One step at a time.  WE DID IT!  The first human beings to reach the summit on May 11th, 2016.  (My parents’ and my sister's wedding anniversary.  My late grandmother’s birthday.  A special day.)

Jonathan and I.  Exhausted. but exalted!

It took us ~4:20 minutes to climb to the top of Huayna Potosi.

The summit is razor thin, I couldn’t even believe it!  The walkway seemed less than 12 inches wide.  But, Celestine showed us how to navigate and where to sit.  And we followed his orders.  

It was so cloudy, but this pic shows just how steep the peak is.

The feeling of getting to the summit is indescribable!  6,088 meters, aka 19,973 feet above sea level.  Humans are not meant to be up here.  I can’t believe it.  WE DID IT!  

This was the single hardest thing I have ever done in my entire life, by far and away.  Forget marathons, or Ragnars.  This was a whole new level.  

I am so proud of our tethered team!  Celestine was meant to guide me--he is also 38, and a marathon runner. And a GREAT leader.  He does this a couple times a week!  

Celestine, he's been a Guide for 8 years. Felix, for 6.

And, Jonathan was the most phenomenal teammate!  I can’t believe how strong he was, especially with a nasty stomach!!!  Poor guy was ill the entire time, but pushed through like a champ.

About 15 people got to the summit that day.  We stayed up there for about 15 minutes.  It was so cloudy, and foggy.  But, it cleared for a moment or two, and I was able to get some pics.  

The ridge line is razor sharp!

Another guide shared some warm coca tea with us, that made me feel all mushy.  

We savored the moment.

But, then I realized.  Now we gotta go back down.  

Realizing my legs are shot!

It took us another 2+ hours to get back to High Camp.  My feet were killing me.  I think I will lose both big toenails.  

Thanks so much to Derryl for getting a snap of us trekking back down!

The final stretch! At this point, the sun was really hot and we were so spent!

Oh yeah, and then we had to climb back down almost 2 hours from High Camp to Base Camp, with ALL of our gear in our heavy packs.  Which was absolutely GRUELING.

But, it didn't matter.  Because we conquered Mount Huayna Potosi.

Finally got back down to Base Camp and literally, could not move.  

Cholitas Wrestling!

The slogan: Cholitas Wrestling: “Only in La Paz do you get to see the local ladies dishing out more punishment than your local bouncers on a Saturday night!”  I can’t even explain how happy this event made me.  It was pure joy.  Best $15 USD I‘ve ever spent.  (Sorry, Patrick. We WILL go back!)

The ladies are fierce!  The pageantry was pure beauty.  And, I love how the refs are actually part of the match.  

The night was one to remember for us Remotes.  It felt perfect.  Only thing that would have made it better is if Raul got me my steak chimi sammy a lil sooner.  But, then, I may have taken my eyes off the beautiful ladies in the ring!

Trust me, watch the video:

Our first week in La Paz, and we HAD to check out the Cholitas Wrestling event! Let me tell you...it does NOT disappoint! These ladies are fierce! And the show is hilarious.

There were male wrestlers too.

Fan favorite!!!

Yup, she is spanking her bottom!

Yeah, we had fun.

Pure joy. 

Jacek!!!

Landing in La Paz, Bolivia

Sunday night, we landed in La Paz, the highest capital city in the world: ~12,000 to ~13,500 feet above the sea.  The altitude is no joke, and many Remotes were immediately sick.  Thankfully, I’ve avoided any alto affliction BUT, Tuesday, I fell prey to the stomach sickness.  

They tell you not to drink the water here; beware of street food; don’t eat the fruits, because they are rinsed in water; etc.  I’ve been really conscientious, but who knows.  It’s almost impossible to avoid.  As most stomach bugs, it hit HARD.  Felt like I had Kuato en mi estomago:

Uploaded by lon wagner on 2014-04-04.

Good thing I brought some stomach meds with me.  And, glad I got it out of my system now (fingers crossed).  I’m not going to go drinking the water or anything, but hopefully, Kuato stays in hibernation.  And, I can enjoy the majesty of La Paz, Bolivia!!!  

I LOVE La Paz already.  It is so unique and unpretentious.  The city is built on hills and the landscape is gorgeous.  It is literally breathtaking.  Stay tuned for more, but here are a few snaps: