Potosi to Uyuni – Day 5 | Mai Perso

Potosi to Uyuni – Day 5 | February 2, 2012

A lazy start following an eventful ride on day 4, and what looks like a promising ride. Nacho provided guidance which we all learned to take with a grain of salt… The day will be all pavement other then parts of the road that are under construction, and the last 60 km as we reach our destination for the night. All in all it’s a 235km ride, (apx. 150 mi.).

So… how did it pan out? well we started the ride with a grand tour of the Potosi city dump. Our first water crossing was a local sewage. We then picked up the road that created us with a well paved series of twistys and wonderful scenery. As we were increasing the distance from Potosi deeper into the high mountains, the first “Under construction” sections started showing up. These sections turned at some point to an “under construction first road stretching for about 100km.

Well… that’s when the magic of the BMW 1200GS hits you. Just as much as we were having fun on the paved road, we were now riding an uber fun dirt road, with packed sand, water crossings, mud, gravel, you name it, we had it. And it was just an endless source of fun. Yesterday’s misery turned into one of the best road and off road riding days in our collective recent memory. Not too short, not too long and a combo of all terrains desired by a GS rider.

During a lunch break, we met two Israeli 800GS rtiders making their way to Ushuaia, who waited for us at the next water crossing to get a first hand demo of how to handle water on a GS. Our team has handled the crossing flawlessly, giving them the demo they were looking for.

At the end of the road, after crossing thorough the town of Uyuni on the way to the salt lakes, we ended the afternoon at our next stop at the Salt Hotel “Luna Salada”.

The hotel was the kind of experience you have at the Ice hotel or one of those funky places around the globe. The building is made from Salt bricks, The floor is covered with rough grains of salt, and a smoked salt smell hangs in the dirt from the Salt structured fireplaces along the corridors.

Out the panoramic windows, The moon was reflected in the salt plains that were now all water due to the rains that poured here in the past couple of weeks. A dramatic picture perfect view.

Pisco Sours, Cusquena beers, Gin & Tonics, shower, dinner… Life is good!