Still on the road. Today we are in Uyuni, on the edge of the great Salar de Uyuni (or Salar de Tunupa). This is the world's largest salt flat at 4,086 sq miles. It is located in southwest Bolivia, near the crest of the Andes. It's elevation is almost 12,000 ft above sea level. The Salar was formed as a result of transformations between several prehistoric lakes. It is covered by a few meters of salt crust. The crust serves as a source of salt and covers a pool of brine, which is exceptionally rich in lithium. It contains 50 to 70% of the world's lithium reserves, which has yet to be extracted. The large area, clear skies and exceptional surface flatness make the Salar an ideal object for calibrating the altimeters of the Earth observation satellites. The Salar serves as the major transport route across the Bolivian Altiplano and is a major breeding ground for several species of pink flamingos.
You can see the salt flat on the map above. It's the large white area. Over 4,000 sq miles it is easily identified from the air.
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| Narcotics stops and various other opportunities for stops and searches are all over the roads. |
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