Tupiza to Uyuni: day three

I think the Sol de Manana geyser basin did it. It can't have been the altitude. The geyser basin is high at 4850m, but we've been higher over the last couple of days. That means it must have been the sulphur fumes that sent Carl and Eoin loco last night. At the very least, it clouded their judgement. You don't have to be Einstein to work out that seven-hours in a jeep at altitude with a hangover is going to hurt like hell. But, I suppose, it always seems like a good idea at the time.

On the upside, food is no longer my enemy. I am feeling human enough to leave the jeep and take over photography duties. It's a good thing too because the Southern Altiplano wasn't finished with us yet.

Before lunch:

• the fiery red Laguna Colorada, home to three different types of flamingos
• wild vicuna - thought to be an ancestor of the domesticated llama, the vicuna faced extinction until national park authorities in Chile and Bolivia stepped in. Now they can be seen roaming the lower parts of the highlands.
• Rocas de Dali - you'd be excused for thinking that the surrealist master actually did have a hand in creating this landscape. This sandy rocky out crop is a great place for ADTs and other stupidity. Unfortunately, we arrived at the same time as another tour. Carl and Eoin had kept them up all night with their singing, so they looked none too happy to see us. Oops.

Flamingos at Laguna Colorada

Rocas de Dali

After lunch:

• our first taste of the salares (salt flats) that link Bolivia and Chile. The Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat. It's so damn big that you can see it from space, so driving across even just this small part feels surreal. Can't imagine what it's going to feel like tomorrow when we drive the length of it.

We get our first taste of the salt flats and Carl and Dave get excited

Tonight we're bedding down in a little hospedaje made of salt. If we wanted to, we could lick the walls, nibble on our beds and use the salt on the floor to flavour our dinner. Clever little Bolivians.