Uyuni

Having ridden the stretch between the Argentine border and Uyuni back in 2010 I had planned to take the train this time. There would have been one on Monday morning, however things rarely go to plan. Uyuni and the surrounding area has been in state of lockdown, general strike, since Thursday morning. The roads are blockaded, nothing in or out, all businesses are shut. Not even independent motorcycle tourists are being permitted to leave. I’m hoping to have better luck in the morning on my bike. I have some oats left and have just been thoroughly seen off (£20!) for a couple of packets of biscuits, some pasta, and a tin of tuna to fuel me the 200km to Tupiza where, apparently, things are normal. At least the forecast is for tailwinds. Tupiza is a pretty town so I may as well rest there for a day or two before heading to the border and my next planned leg across the high puna of northern Argentina.

Uyuni itself, in the very bright overcast weather at the moment, has something of a widescreen feel to it. I haven’t been particularly motivated to photograph but a few street snaps follow. The Cementerio des Trens however is just as awesome as it always was. More graffiti, more rust, but the legacy of Bolivia’s steam past will take many decades to decompose in the desert on the edge of town. Of course I revisited and took more pictures.