Gulliver's Travels
Bolivia - March 2024
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Bolivia March 2024
I was last in Bolivia in 1977, so I decided to finally see three things I missed back then: Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flat in the world, Potosi, the largest silver mine in the world, and Sucre, one of the prettiest cities in South America.
Bolivia, with 424,000 square miles, is about six times larger than Wisconsin. It has 12.2 million inhabitants, a bit more than double that of Wisconsin's. It is landlocked, along with its neighbor Paraguay. The Andes Mountains dominate the landscape, so one sees a lot of beauty when traveling there.
I flew into the capital city of La Paz, at an altitude of 11,900. It is situated in a huge bowl, which makes for a beautiful setting. I remember it was quite grungy-looking in 1977, but I was impressed by its beauty today.
Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flat in the world, at 4086 square miles, which is at an altitude of 12,018 feet
There is often a couple of inches of water on the salt during the rainy season.
Sculptures are constructed from blocks of salt.
Eventually, I suppose the rain will dissolve the salt.
A nice spot for sunset
Fumaroles in Valle de Rocas at 16,000 feet altitude
A bit hard to breathe due to sulfur fumes
Cool rocks in the Siloli Desert
The Andes Mountains extend the entire length of South America.
Another scene in the Siloli Desert
Flamingos live around Chiquana Salt Lake.
It's tough for plants to survive at 14,000 feet, but when the going gets tough, the tough get going.
Landscapes can be beautiful even without vegetation.
This is one of the coolest plants I ever saw. Its name is Yareta, or the scientific name of Azorella compacta.
The city of Potosi is the highest city in the world at 13,420 feet.
Potosi mountain holds the largest silver mine in the world, which produced 60% of the world's silver production in the 1500s when it was the base for Spain's fortunes.
Each miner owns a tiny portion of the mine today, but it is grueling work with picks, shovels, and wheelbarrows. The only light is that which is on his headlamp.
Courtyard in Sucre, a city of 360,000 at 9154 feet high
Church in Sucre
Hiking down a 3000-foot drop with "a friend"
A few years ago a mining operations uncovered dinosaur tracks all over this cliff face. They are difficult to see but are shown in more detail in my next picture.
From a long, long, long time ago
Indigenous women in Bolivia often wear the neatest hats.
People watching is fun in Bolivia.
A scene not likely to be found in Manitowoc
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