Salar de Uyuni: Floating in Clouds

The clouds have finally cleared. I took one hopeful look at the crisp blue sky and pleaded with the universe to let this happen. Since the past two days, we’ve hit steady rain and it was starting to look less and less promising that we’d actually get to visit and photograph the largest natural “mirror” in the world. We didn’t come here only for this experience, but I would lie if I’d say that it wasn’t on top of our travel list. For many years I’d see images of Salar de Uyuni on the internet and inside travel magazines. It looked like a dream to be there and now was my chance to see what the hype was really all about. I would have been more than disappointed if the weather prevented us from this otherworldly encounter.

Our guide and driver Wenceslao pulled over to an isolated area and started preparing our picnic. Though from La Paz himself, he travels to this region quite frequently and has now become accustomed to all the weather patterns and capriciousness of the Uyuni. He knew the rain would likely come again today and we had to be prepared to leave on minute’s end. While he set up a small folding table, chairs and utensils, I quickly changed into my red dress in the back seat of our Land Cruiser. I had envisioned this photograph a few weeks back while slowly getting ready for the trip. It seemed so perfect: the blue sky reflecting in the white salt desert and the red dress against the starkly empty horizon…However, finally arriving here, I hesitated with an actual execution. Was it silly to do this? Would I ruin one of my absolute favorite dresses with salt particles? Would people point fingers and laugh? Was the final image actually worth it?

This “mirror” I had been silently praying to see is actually a giant salt flat located deep in the Altiplano of Bolivia, in the region of Potosi. It bears the full name of Salar de Uyuni and has been steadily attracting more and more visitors ever year (probably thanks to these travel magazines I mentioned above). It’s become so popular that a handful of new luxury hotels have sprouted around Salar’s edges and more are planned for the near future. For a seasoned traveler like myself, who really tries to avoid touristic crowds, the thought itself can be quite discouraging. But fear not my friends, with an area of 4,086 square miles belonging to the flat, there is plenty of room you can carve out to yourself and feel as isolated as you wish to be.

Just entering the Uyuni felt like an ethereal experience. Imagine a seemingly infinite crystal white terrain stretching endlessly before you, miles and miles on end, with nothing but a few mountains in the distance. To top it off, if it had rained the night before as we had a fortune (or misfortune) to experience, this crystal white terrain will become a mirror, reflecting the sky and clouds in its full glory. There may be moments when you become disoriented as to your whereabouts and your spatial orientation…But either way, it will be an experience you will not easily forget.

As we entered the salt flat, I could not contain my excitement for what I was about to experience, but I also closely watched the horizon. Though the universe had listened to me and the sun was now shining brightly above us, there were ominous clouds forming in the distance. I knew that if I was to get any photography done, we’d have to pull over and start shooting as soon as possible. There wasn’t much time left for questioning my choices regarding the red dress or the execution of it all. It was either now or miss my chance for good.

I decided to stop asking questions, slip into my dress and just go for it. After all, since I had traveled so long to get here, battled altitude sickness and performed countless prayers just to get the sun to shine, would I really just throw it all away due to my doubts and insecurities? Realizing that this was such a special and unique place in the world and that this might be my only chance ever, I smoothed out the dresses wrinkles, let my hair loose and jumped into the shallow pool of cool salty water covering the Salar. The second I threw aside all skepticism, the second I knew this was the best and only decision I could have made. The photographs with the red dress speak for themselves. To this day I cannot believe that is me standing there in the shallow water, taking it all in, allowing the camera to capture the story. These photographs will forever be one of the most personally cherished among all my work.

Soon after we stopped shooting, the rain clouds made their way above us and never left. The rain became steadier and heavier and despite my highest hopes, I would not get the chance to photograph Salar’s sunset this time around. Our time on the flat was short lived, but none less memorable. Instead, we got to spend a quiet evening in the “all salt” hotel (Luna Salada) sipping cocktails by a fireplace and reminiscing on this one travel destination we had dreamt of experiencing for so many years before it became a breathtaking reality. I truly hope I get to visit Salar once again and this time for more than a mere moment. I am already thinking of returning to Bolivia next year, to experience in greater depth the many wonderful things it has to offer. Who is with me on this?