Wednesday, 30 January 2019
Uyuni, Bolivia
Flights today were originally scheduled to fly Asuncion to Santa Cruz and then Santa Cruz direct to Uyuni. That changed a few days ago when Amaszonas changed the schedule and added a third flight such that routing is now Santa Crus to La Paz, with a 45min connection time in La Paz, then La Paz to Uyuni, landing at 2000hrs, rather than the planned 1830hrs, and in time for dinner. Assuming it’s going to be delayed and it’s another half hour to hotel so a nice relaxing dinner won’t be happening. Buy a cheese croissant at Asuncion airport. That’ll be tonight’s dinner. Except they heat it up thinking I want it now. That’ll be nice to eat in 8hrs time. Not.
Might as well be flying in a small Coke can, the aircraft is small. Very small. 2hr flight to Santa Cruz over the green fields of Paraguay. Plenty of rectangular, well ordered fields and squiggly rivers run through them.
Have a 6hr stopover in Santa Cruz. There’s a flight to La Paz at 1230hrs which would make more sense to get rather than having to race around La Paz airport at high altitude in 45mins. Ask if it’s possible to change. Am told not to worry. It’s the same aircraft that then flies to Uyuni. Don’t get off the aircraft, she says. Ah. That makes sense. But why give me two boarding passes? That doesn’t make sense. It would make sense to have one boarding pass just to Uyuni. Wouldn’t it.
Domestic departures is basic. And I mean basic. It’s one redeeming feature is a VIP lounge. For USD25, I can enter. It’s a no brainer. Free food and drink. Toilets. Wifi. Comfy seats and a view of the tarmac. Normally with these lounges you usually get about 2hrs occupancy. Keep quiet about my 6hrr wait.
After many hours of catching up on diary and blog, it’s time to go to gate. Boarding is at 1700hrs for a 1730hrs departure. Yeah right. Heavy rain front comes in which delays things. It’s 1750hrs by the time we start boarding. And then I have a horrible thought. What if woman at 1000hrs this morning was wrong and it’s not the same aircraft. That would explain the two boarding passes. Hells bells. I won’t make my connection.
Check with the girl on the gate. She looks at my boarding passes and refers to a sheet of paper. Don’t worry. It’s the same aircraft. Don’t get off the aircraft, she says. Phew.
Land at La Paz at 1905hrs. People disembark. Ask stewardess if I can use the toilet. There’s only one at the back of the flying Coke can. It’s locked. Assume she’s locked it for landing. I know where the secret latch is to open it so lift the flap and open the latch and push the door open. To see a man on the toilet. It was properly occupied. Oh the embarrassment.
No sooner have people disembarked then people start embarking. Total turnaround is 15mins from touchdown to push back. Impressive. Not even Ryanscare could do that.
Heavy rain and lightning as we land at Uyuni. Half hour drive to hotel Palacio de Sal (http://www.palaciodesal.com.bo/en/). Enroute, treated to the most impressive lightning display I think I’ve ever seen over the salt flats.
The hotel is built of salt rock. The rooms have salt rock domes (see photos) above you with little stalactites threating to fall on you as you sleep.
Up at 12,000ft and not feeling the effects of altitude so the drugs must be working. Last time I came to Bolivia in 2001, felt like I was constantly taking my last gasp of air.
