Bolivia: Altiplano to Amazon

Pictures and video from a trip with BikeHike to Bolivia. (October 2015)
A video montage of our time in Bolivia, from the altiplano to the Amazon. (6:20 minutes, 123 MB) A quick first stop in the altiplano at Laguna Blanca DSC07472 Contemplating the Desierto de Salvador Dalí, while our guides replace a broken fan belt. A vicuña near Laguna Colorado A viscacha shares in our lunch near Laguna Colorado
A few seconds of video of the viscachas sharing in our lunch (4.5 MB) Flamingos in the Altiplano, at Laguna Colorado Wind-scoured "Tree Rock" Choose a path across the altiplano DSC07542 More flamingos
More flamingos Flamingo Flamingos in flight An abandoned train near the Chilean/Bolivian border and Estacion Avaroa DSC07612 DSC07613
DSC07620 Our training herd of llamas After a short stint of llama herding and slingshot throwing DSC07655 DSC07665 DSC07650
DSC07666 DSC07669 DSC04285 Uyuni Salt Flats: the world's largest salt flats, at over 4,000 square miles (and 12,000 ft in elevation) Stepping out on the Salar de Uyuni (Uyuni Salt Flats) DSC07824
The salt crust varies in thickness from tens of centimeters to a few meters, covering a brine mixture below. Apparently the Salar de Uyuni is the world's flattest surface: varying less than a meter over its vast surface DSC07881 DSC07883 Watching the manual extraction of salt for later processing and packaging DSC07766
DSC07769 The seemingly endless Uyuni Salt Flats The colorful, volcanic mountain of Tunupa Visiting a cave next to the salt flats DSC07752 DSC07749
Checking in at one of the fancier hotels made of salt Most of the construction (and the furniture) is from salt bricks DSC07782 DSC07785 An early salt hotel, now closed due to sanitation issues being situated in the middle of the flats. DSC07947
We join up with Darlene and the rest of the BikeHike tour coming to Uyuni from La Paz. DSC03702 A bit of a railroad museum in Pulacayo DSC07906 DSC07907 DSC03720
Exploring the mostly abandoned mining town of Pulacayo DSC07915 DSC07918 DSC07920 DSC03725 DSC03727
DSC03731 DSC03735 DSC03740 DSC03741 DSC03746 DSC03748
Choosing whether to ride on down to Uyuni (against a massive headwind) The railroad graveyard outside of the town of Uyuni The railroad graveyard outside of the town of Uyuni DSC07899 DSC05306 DSC07930
The railroad graveyard outside of the town of Uyuni Setting off to cross an expanse of the Uyuni Salt Flats Finding Mount Tunupa still very far off in the distance DSC07954 Lunch spot in the midst of the Uyuni Salt Flats (Photo by Darlene)
DSC07957 DSC07972 DSC07999 DSC08054 DSC08062 Looking towards Mount Thunupa
DSC03777 DSC03790 DSC04493 DSC08031 Flamingos at the foot of Mount Tunupa DSC05358
We stayed in another building made of salt bricks DSC08075 DSC08085 Awaiting sunset on the Uyuni Salt Flats DSC08088 Awaiting sunset on the Uyuni Salt Flats
DSC08094 DSC08104 DSC08116 The Milky Way from the Uyuni Salt Flats A Milky Way Group Portrait A Milky Way Group Portrait
DSC08147 The mummified remains at Colquesa The mummified remains at Colquesa DSC05377 DSC07831 DSC05384
One view from a garden of many strange sculptures (and a couple of real mummies) Ready to ride the flats again DSC05394 Riding towards Incahuasi Island Looking towards Mount Tunupa from Incahuasi Island in the middle of the Uyuni Salt Flats DSC08157v2
DSC07864 DSC07868 DSC08160 DSC08164 DSC07872 DSC03801
Last leg on the flats – how far can we fly?? DSC08167 DSC08168 Parting shot from the town of Uyuni The city of La Paz, Bolivia, spread out from 10-13,000 ft in altitude along the Andes mountains. (Photo by Darlene) City of La Paz, Bolivia (Photo by Darlene)
City of La Paz, Bolivia (Photo by Darlene) Darlene decides to take a more adventurous route down on her first day in La Paz: rappelling off a building. DSC03813 DSC03814 Prepping for our ride along Bolivia's old, infamous "Most Dangerous Road" DSC03819
DSC03821 DSC03822 DSC03828 DSC03834 DSC03835 DSC03837
DSC03839 DSC03841 DSC03842 DSC05477 DSC03845 DSC03852
DSC03854 DSC03855 DSC08170 DSC08172 DSC03861 DSC03865
DSC08174 DSC08178 DSC08180 DSC03872 DSC03873 DSC08181
DSC08183 DSC05547 DSC05548 DSC03894 DSC03931 DSC08188
DSC08194 Darlene demonstrates how to extract sugar cane juice, with some local manual labor DSC03919 DSC03923 DSC03926 DSC03928
Giant or green ameiva, aka South American ground lizard DSC08203 DSC08207 Ishmael ("Negro") demonstrates use of the ant's pincher to close a wound Our campsite in the jungle Macaws in flight
Macaws in flight Macaws in flight Macaws Macaw Macaw A bit of video of the macaws in the Amazon jungle. (75 seconds, 24 MB)
Macaws Macaws in flight Macaws in flight An unidentified hawk DSC03945 Unidentified caterpillar
Making our raft to float back to the lodge Unidentified frog Unidentified frog Our Amazon lodge DSC04772 DSC08498
DSC03954 DSC03958 DSC03963 DSC03965 A pair of jabiru Turtle
Spider monkey Spectacled caiman Michele making friends with the lodge's South American coati, Temo A little video of Temo (a coati) demonstrating his boundless enthusiasm for Michele. (30 seconds, 17 MB) Greetings all around from the lodge's coati South American coati
Turtle Heron taking flight DSC04794 Capybara Capybara A pair of hoatzin
Spectacled caiman Spectacled caiman Spectacled caiman Spectacled caiman DSC04008 Capybara
Spectacled caiman DSC08628 DSC04021 DSC08649 DSC08654 DSC04028
DSC08658 Pink dolphin Great black hawk Cormorant DSC04034 Howler monkey with baby
Howler monkey DSC04814 Howler monkey A bit of video of the howler monkeys in the trees. (60 seconds, 35 MB) Howler monkey Glenn demonstrates how to swallow a live grub. (20 seconds, 13 MB)
Fishing for piranha Quite the toothy grin A little comic video of trying to set the piranha free without losing a finger or two. (75 seconds, 25 MB) DSC04826 Second piranha catch! Glenn's catch
DSC04071 DSC04072 DSC04073 Glenn is chosen to hold and keep watch over the freaky, possessed, red-eyed doll. DSC04080 DSC04081
DSC04084 My new burro friend (Photo by Michele) Burros for everyone! DSC08996 DSC08998 An alpine view near Mount Condoriri