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Bali - it was closed

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Well for the first 24 hours anyway and when I say closed I mean really closed. The airport, every shop, bar, restaurant. No one was allowed out on the streets. I wasn't going to blog about Bali because Bali's Bali right? Rice terraces, beaches, yoga, temples, annoying Aussie surf dudes and (to quote Richard) lots of young women walking around in long floaty dresses trailed by their long suffering boyfriends, phone in hand, repeatedly attempting the perfect insta shot. We all know this.  So why was it closed for a day? It was Nyepi, the Balinese new year. We did read this a few weeks before we arrived and I have to admit my heart sank a little, those week long Carnavale pan pipes and drums were still a very recent memory. However Nyepi is not a loud, riotous, crazy, South American style festival but rather a Hindu day of silence and self reflection, with no fires and no lights (we had to keep blinds closed after dark), no work, no entertainment or pleasure, no travelling and for
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Chile....a lot of desert

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We had thought that the Atacama, being just across the border from the desert we had travelled through in Bolivia, would be more of the same. We were very wrong. After crossing the border we quickly descended 2000m from the high Altiplano of Bolivia towards the immense Atacama plateau, the driest place on earth. It was flat. And sandy. And big.....very, very big. We were staying in San Pedro de Atacama, a small, inevitably touristy, dusty town in the middle of the desert. Being the only place to easily stay it wasn't the cheapest of places. The prices in Chile in general were a shock to our system after Bolivia and Colombia. A three course Menu del Dia was now an astronomical £9! We had, therefore, chosen the cheapest accommodation we could find with a private bedroom...a hostel full of young people. On arrival we were shown around, it was immediately clear this was definitely a joining in type place. We decided to embrace it and joined both social evenings, thereby doubling the av
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Salt, Flamingos, Vicuna and a lot of hot air

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  Salar de Uyuni Another overnight bus brought us to the salty, desert town of Uyuni in south west Bolivia. The gateway to the largest salt flats in the world. After a bleary eyed breakfast and a rather tetchy discussion with a tour operator regarding a fairly key change by them to our long pre booked arrangements (boring details deleted but we got a partial refund.... never take me on when I'm tired), we met our fellow travellers with whom we were to share a jeep, and some incredible experiences over the next three days. Alessandro and Paulo, a vivacious well travelled Italian couple with a great sense of humour; Shannon, a kind hearted, interesting and interested, very well travelled teacher from Perth and Isnei, a deep philosophical soul in a Brazilian's 30 year old body. We have met a number of interesting and likeable fellow travellers on our journey so far but these four merit a particular mention as their company and our conversations, and laughs, really did hugely e
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