Two Backpackers

Photo of the Day: A Train Cemetery in Bolivia

| by Jason on August 25th, 2024 | No Comments » | Photo of the Day

One of the major tourist attractions of the area is an antique train cemetery. It is located 3 km outside Uyuni and is connected to it by the old train tracks. The town served in the past as a distribution hub for the trains carrying minerals on their way to the Pacific Ocean ports. The train lines were built by British engineers who arrived near the end of the 19th century and formed a sizable community in Uyuni. The engineers were invited by British-sponsored Antofagasta and Bolivia Railway Companies, which is now Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia. The rail construction started in 1888 and ended in 1892. It was encouraged by the then Bolivian President Aniceto Arce, who believed Bolivia would flourish with a good transport system, but it was also constantly sabotaged by the local Aymara indigenous Indians who saw it as an intrusion into their lives. The trains were mostly used by the mining companies. In the 1940s, the mining industry collapsed, partly due to the mineral depletion. Many trains were abandoned thereby producing the train cemetery. – Wikipedia

F´d Up Economics of Tourism in Uyuni Bolivia

El Cementerio de Trenes en Bolivia

F´d Up Economics of Tourism in Uyuni Bolivia

| by Aracely on June 22nd, 2024 | 14 Comments » | Bolivia, Reflections, South America

Uyuni Salt Flats Sunrise

I think it was during the first days of our trip.  We were in Guatemala having a conversation with Andy and Paulina, another traveling couple from England, when we first heard that the Uyuni Salt Flat Tour was amazing.  Bolivia was definitely in our plans but we try not to have an itinerary more than a few days ahead so at the time, there was no to-do list for our visit to Bolivia.

While traveling for a few months and meeting more travelers making their way up from the south of South America to the north, opposite of our route, we continued to hear great things about the Uyuni Salt Flats.  The destination quickly made its way up to my top three most anticipated events of this trip. Torres del Paine National Park in Chile and the famous archeological site of Machu Picchu were the others on that list.

I was not disappointed.  Everything we heard about the Salt Flats was true; it lived up to the expectation, which does not always happen with every place.  Not only was the experience one of a kind, but our guide was very informative, we met new friendly people, saw unique and unforgettable scenery and took over 750 pictures within a four days. (more…)