Before we started we visited the famous train cemetary of Uyuni. Very old and dignified locomotives and waggons rust there in peace. A dream in red at sunset! (mi, mi)

We made it just to Colchani, the little village at the shore of the salt lake, from where we wanted to start the next day onto the salt plane. But then it carried Markus off: diarrhea with vomiting of the worst kind. The whole Christmas Days he spent in bed with strong pain and I paced around not knowing what to do!
Cold comfort of that situation: the accomodation was very interesting, a hotel completely made from salt. The walls and most of the furniture were built from salt-bricks, even the beds see foto). Without fresh water and later on also without electricity it finally hasn't been a real comfortable place.(mi)

After Markus was somewhat on his legs again we made a little exploring trip. Thanks to the helpful guides, who were very familiar with the place, we foud the right entrance to the right slope and got some important news for the routing. Two detailled maps we bought in La Paz from the military. The upper foto shows Markus at the checkup of the natural grid pattern, which covers the whole salt lake. It appears just after the rainy season, when the muddy surface dries again in summer. (mi, mi)

Do you know, from where the salt is coming? Bolivians scrape the upper inches off the ground, collect it in little piles and then scoop it into trucks. Everything from hand. But this only works colse to the shore, where the salt is wet and easy to remove. Far out its hard like cement. With the trucks they bring it to Colchani to the further processing (crushing and purification). (mi)

Then, three days delayed, we started finally in the early morning. Once we found the right entry the orientation is totally easy: just follw the slope. More for fun than for security Markus checked every 5 km our direction with the compass. (mi)

At the former salt hotel on the lake, where you only can buy snacks today, we had our breakfast break. Fascinated I view the swimming salt-cristals in the little "fountain". Later on we found many more holes, which were framed with beatiful cristals, and in which we could view through the water some feet into the salt-layer (right side). By the way you always have to realize that it is salt and not ice, even if it looks the same. (ma, mi)

We've been so happy, when we discovered in the distance the island "Isla de los Pescados" (=Isla Incahuasi) so early on the scintillating layers of air! The reflected silhouette really has the shape of a fish. The problem only has been, that it didn't come closer, although we pedalled like hell. It seemed, as if we cycled to a fata morgana. People said, that you only can see about 3 miles on the lake. After 10 miles the island still was far away! (mi)

It was wonderful to cycle on the salt, it was smooth like ice but absolutely not slippery. A soft wind made the burning sun bearable. Anyhow we got slower and slower. Breaks havn't been recreative because they didn't give us a change. Always only the white color of the salt and the blue color of the sky. It was really bizarre. Twice I saw things where there was nothing. Markus gave me the advice to think intensively and pictural about something of our future. He planned all the time how to build our Christmas decoration in our future home. (mi)

In the early afternoon we finally reached Isla Incahuasi. While the other tourists jumped out of the Jeeps fresh and relaxed we only drooled over shade and calmness. The local people understood at once. We havn't been the first cyclists, who ran ashore here. They offered us a convenient room with two beds, onto which we felt like deads. Not until night, after all the tourists have left, we recovered again. The island has been in former times a coral reef, while here was a big sea. There, where earlier swam fishes, today grow huge cactuses and fly around colorful birds. In the upper picture you can see the Island Pescado in the backgrond. (mi, mi)

With a brought garland, a Southamerican Christmas-cake and hot chocolate we celebrated Christmas eve at the 27^th of December 2004 in Mongos Restaurant. Better late than never! You can still see the exhaustion in our faces. After the second hot chocolate we staggered back into our beds. (mi)

In spite of the heat we wore all our long clothes the next day. Even with the highest sun protection factor and the helmet or the hat with big flap we got a bad sun burn the day before. The salt lake is situated in an altitude of more than 11,000 ft and the reflection of the sunlight in the salt is enormous. (mi, ma)

At the second day we have been a little unsure about the right way. We choosed the shortest way to the shore but that was a barely frequented route. At first we had to cross an area with a very rough salt crust and later on we sunk into wet salt. Already after some feet of cycling the salt sticked all over the mudguard. Red alert for the bicycles with all the aluminum parts. Therefore we wanted to discuss the situation without ruffle at a breakfast break when we saw, that all our bred was moldered. So we eat the peanut butter without bread. (ma)

"At least we found our feet!" Markus exulted when we drove to the shore. But shortly afterwards the fun was over because in front of us were the worst slopes we ever had on this trip. Markus still was a little weak of his sickness. And so for some days we struggled through sandwholes and over washboard (see also the report "Gravel-cycling"). (mi)

Humans are tough, we learned here at the end of Bolivia. Already thousands of years ago humans lived here. Skillful they knew to use the little vegetation and the rare water. Even with high tech equipment and functional clothes we only can take our hat off to them. Quite recently man descovered in hidden caves mummies, tools, jewelry, hunting weapons, and much more, which is shown in a little museum today. (mi)

After some hard days on the slope and a so much better bus ride (it was the best bus ride of our life!) we reached the border of Chile shortly before New year. And again we had good luck, because we not even had to open our bags. Yippie, we made it! (ma)