Sol de Mañana

The Sol de Mañana in the Solar de Uyuni of Bolivia. A photo documentary of the amazing landscapes of Bolivia

Sol de Mañana 5000 meters (16404 feet) high. Fumaroles and boiling mad pots (volcanic activity 150 to 200 Cº or 302 to 392 deg farenheit)

The magic of the Solar is unexplainable. The salt flats turn your perspective on end. But it is more than that. Walking between bubbling molten mud and pulsing fumeroles with the smell of sulphur coiling around your senses. The utah goblin valley style park where you can climb red sandstone. The Salvador Dali stones abandoned on a barren plain. The Laguna de Colorado and the pink flamingos are entrancing.

Red Planet is owned by an expait American who moved here and is building this business. He is firey in his passion for Bolivia (American style), and is working to create this business that employs and supports the local Campesino communities. However, it still lacks a bit of sophistication in organization. This is typical of the 3rd world push into tourism with American prices and evolving 3rd world service. All in all it was great just a bit frustrating at times. The good news is their drivers were sober and no one rolled a vehicle.

We spent 3 days with a great group of young internationals. All young and traveling on the cheap by chicken bus, staying in youth hostels, and trying to do it all in one trip. They were great. Absolutely out there traveling on the edge. One man from Finland was literally drinking his way through south America and planned on returning to Arequipa Peru for his 21st birthday. Pauline from France was studing International business and was doing an volunteer job in Paraguay. There were two 18 year old British girls who were bouncing through the country's discotecs and young traveler hotspots. Our play lists were widely varied. I have to say that I really liked Pauline's French taste in music the best!

The gallery says it all. This is one of the highlights of our trip to Bolivia. It was at the end of a very long day and it seemed other worldly, dangerous and on the cusp of night. Wandering through the boiling mud and pulsing steam vents was intense and magical all at the same time. Also where there is heat there is hotsprings. There were the world's most amazing hotsprings under a million stars. The cold of the high altitude balanced the hot sulphur springs and we sat for an hour enjoying the water and the sky!