The Window Reflecting the World: The Mirror of the Sky: A Journey to the Stunning Uyuni Salt Flats

The Mirror of the Sky: A Journey to the Stunning Uyuni Salt Flats

2016 (March 2 - 9)

I traveled to the stunning Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia. I flew with Japan Airlines from Narita Airport, via New York, then connected to LAN Airlines to Lima, Peru, and finally, to La Paz, Bolivia. After arriving in La Paz, I took a flight with Amazonas Airlines, which took about one hour to reach my final destination, the Uyuni Salt Flats.

Day 1

Departed from Osaka Airport at 14:35

Departed from Narita Airport at 19:30, flight time: 12 hours and 55 minutes

Time difference (Japan/New York): -16 hours

Arrived in New York at 18:25, crossing the International Date Line

Departed from New York at 22:45, LAN Airlines, flight time: 8 hours

Time difference (New York/Lima): -1 hour

Day 2

Arrived in Lima at 06:50

Departed from Lima at 10:20, flight time: 4 hours

Time difference (Lima/La Paz): +1 hour

Arrived in La Paz at 16:05

Bolivia is a landlocked country located in the heart of the Andes, with 14 peaks that rise above 6,000 meters. It is the only country in South America that does not have a coastline. Tonight, I stayed in La Paz. The total time spent on airplanes was over 24 hours, and with the transit time, the whole journey took over 30 hours. La Paz is located in a basin, and El Alto International Airport is at an altitude of 4,000 meters. As soon as I left the airport, I felt short of breath. I then traveled to a hotel at about 3,500 meters, located at the bottom of the basin. The wealthier residents live at the bottom of the basin, and the disparity between the rich and poor becomes more pronounced as you ascend. After having a beer and dinner at the hotel, I went up to my room, took a shower, and just as I was about to lie down to sleep, I started feeling unwell. My head began to throb. It was the onset of altitude sickness. Having climbed Mount Fuji many times in my youth, I immediately recognized the symptoms. I should have told the tour guide, but I stubbornly thought it was just like the headaches I had when climbing Fuji, so I endured it, drinking water from a bottle and staying awake the whole night. At around 11:00 PM, I casually glanced out of the window and witnessed a young white backpacker being attacked by 2-3 locals who stole his backpack. Even in La Paz, safety can be a serious concern, especially at night. Walking alone in the evening is not recommended.

Day 3

The headache from the previous night gradually disappeared, but I still hadn’t slept. I departed early in the morning for the long-awaited Uyuni Salt Flats.

Departed from La Paz at 06:45, flight time: 45 minutes, Amazonas Airlines

Arrived in Uyuni village at 07:30

After arriving, I boarded a 4WD vehicle and traveled about 25 km to reach the Uyuni Salt Flats. On the way, we stopped at the "Train Graveyard" and the village of Colchani, before finally starting the tour of the Uyuni Salt Flats.

The Uyuni Salt Flats were formed when the Andes Mountains rose and a lake that once covered the southwestern part of Bolivia dried up. The salt that was left behind solidified into the salt flats. The size of the salt flats is said to be 120 km by 100 km, and as far as the eye can see, a pure white world stretches out. The salt flats are divided into the rainy and dry seasons. In the rainy season, thin puddles form on the surface of the salt flats, and the starry sky or clouds are reflected like a mirror, making it a popular spot for photographers. Unfortunately, it was the dry season during my visit, so I didn’t get to see the mirror effect, but the view was still incredible. The UV rays were extremely strong, and even though I wore a hat, I got sunburned so badly that my face peeled the next day. Be sure to use sunscreen. In the evening, I went to watch the sunset over the salt flats. The sun setting on the horizon was truly breathtaking, and a soft heat haze spread before my eyes. The world’s most beautiful view was undoubtedly right in front of me. Tonight, I stayed at the Crystal Samanya Salt Hotel, which is made entirely of salt.

Day 4

Early morning: The sun rises around 6:30 AM at this time of year. I left the hotel at 5:30 AM and took the 4WD to watch the sunrise at Uyuni Salt Flats. The stillness of the salt flats created amazing reflections of the 4WDs and people. I took about 100 photos using a timer remote control and later edited them into a time-lapse video.

After returning to the hotel for breakfast, the rest of the day was spent touring the vast Uyuni Salt Flats. We first visited the Playa Blanca Hotel in the center of the salt flats. This hotel is no longer operational and is now a museum. Near the hotel, there is a place where flags from various countries are flying. People from all over the world, not just Japan, visit this place.

Everywhere I looked, there were adults taking trick photos using perspective and forced perspectives with their cameras. It was a bit amusing to watch. For lunch, our guide set up a picnic with a table and chairs in the middle of the salt flats. Unfortunately, we couldn’t visit the famous Isla Incahuasi (Inca Island) because the lake’s surface conditions were not favorable. After dinner at the hotel, the star-gazing session I had been looking forward to began. My goal was to capture the Milky Way reflecting on the lake’s surface, but unfortunately, there was a strong wind that caused the lake to ripple. After about 30 minutes, the guide instructed us to pack up, and I was really disappointed not to get the perfect shot.

Day 5

Early morning: After leaving the salt hotel around 5:00 AM, I took a 4WD back to the Uyuni village airport and flew back to La Paz. The student sitting next to me on the plane had the same Canon camera as I did, so we naturally started talking about the Uyuni Salt Flats. When I saw his photos, I noticed he had managed to capture the mirror effect of the Milky Way. He told me that he and two friends from Osaka had traveled independently and stayed in Uyuni village, joining a time-limited tour. Because the tour was time-limited, even if the weather was bad, they waited in the car until conditions improved, which allowed them to capture the perfect shot. In contrast, my tour, booked through a Japanese travel agency, did not have a time-limited schedule for star-gazing. The guide just took us to the salt hotel and returned to Uyuni village, so I didn’t have the same opportunities. Afterward, we visited the UNESCO World Heritage site of Tiwanaku and took a tour of La Paz city before heading back to the hotel. Tomorrow, I will return home.