After 3 weeks of 'work' we decided we had earned a week away and headed down to Bolivia's southwest. This involved a 9 hour bus journey to reach Uyuni with a two hour stop in Potosi.

Not much happens in Uyuni . In fact, I would recommend it as a candidate for the world's most boring town. It stands alone in the middle of the harsh desert landscape and seems to act solely as a base for tours to the Salar and Bolivia's Southwest circuit. We chose to do the popular 3-day circuit taking in the Salar de Uyuni, Isla Incahuasi, Laguna Colorada, Sol de Manana, Laguna Verde as well as other points in between.

We set off in our 4x4 driven by Edgar who had 20 years' experience of leading tours and proved to be an excellent driver, come guide, come mechanic, come chef. This was important because the Salar tours are famous for cowboy guides. Unfortunately this was experienced by another group whose driver was drunk and spent the 3 days in the front passenger seat while a Spanish traveler did all the driving! It is recommended that you check the vehicle before departure. Had we done this we would have noticed the rather large crack in the windscreen and a chunk of rubber missing from the rear tyre. In Edgar, we trusted!

Along with two Brazilian guys, a Siberian girl and a Venezuelan girl we set off, after Sam had caused the car to briefly empty of passengers by setting off an oxygen canister in the back. Our first stop just outside Uyuni was the Cemeterio de Trenes, a large collection of steam locomotives now discarded by the old railway. After visiting the Cochani salt extraction areas, and a now-closed Salt Hotel, we continued on to the spectacular Isla Incahuasi in the heart of the salar for lunch .

Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat (12,106 sq km) and sits at 3653m. At this time of year the surface is dry and the salar is a pure white expanse of the greatest nothingness imaginable. During the rainy season (from the end of December through to the end of March) the salt flat floods and tours don't run. Isla Incahuasi is a hilly outpost, covered in cacti and surrounded by a flat white sea of hexagonal salt tiles. After snapping some silly perspective photographs, we spent the first night in a salt hotel on the eastern edge of the salt flat. This was basic and entirely constructed of salt bricks. We enjoyed a few beers and some games ('mafia' and 'machines') with some of the other groups. We brushed our teeth outside under the most spectacular of starry skies.

Day 2 saw us head in to Bolivia's far southwest where the landscape was almost treeless with volcanoes rising near the Chilean border. We stopped at a couple of lakes where we had a chance to see plenty of flamingos . The highlight of the day was a very windy walk up to a vantage point over Laguna Colorada, a bright adobe-red lake fringed with cake-white minerals. Truly amazing.  We spent the night nearby in even more basic accommodation but were grateful for the five blankets per bed. Harto frio!

The final day started with a very early rise so that we could get to the 4950m-high Sol de Manana geyser basin for sunrise. Here we saw boiling mud pots and sulfurous fumaroles. We then had a refreshing 4200m, 30C, 7am dip in the idyllic Termas de Polques hot springs before heading to Laguna Verde. After being delayed at the Chilean border in order to drop the Brazilians off for their bus in to Chile (more strikes!) we were able to see Laguna Verde with its splendid aquamarine colour which only appears from around midday. Volcan Licancabur provided the scenic backdrop to this body of water. We set off on the long drive back to Uyuni, passing by Salvador Dali mountains and plenty of interesting rock formations. We witnessed a few broken down vehicles, Bolivian politics in action and a couple of crashes on our way back proving what a dangerous environment the salar is to travel.

Onward (bumpy) bus journey, including a brief breakdown, to Tupiza via Atocha. 9 hours.