Let me start by writing that this is not a foodie post. I got altitude sickness right when we landed at La Paz airport from Miami that I eventually started to feel uneasy. On the second day of our land tour where we headed to the highest altitude for our entire trip, I puked twice. Alas even though I really wanted to try Bolivian wine and home cooked meals, I just couldn't.  My head was pounding. My body was not cooperating. #foodbloggerproblems

Epic shot. No photoshop here.

Uyuni from the airplane.

Onwards to the Good Stuff
Despite the fact that many complained about other organizers of Uyuni land tours - e.g. drunk and careless drivers, faulty SUVs, Spanish-only speaking guides, etc. - we were very fortunate to find a reliable tour operator, Quechua Connection, who actually picked us up at the Uyuni airport (unlike other operators who told us to take a taxi to their office), and had an English-speaking guide who genuinely took care of me while I became sick and gave me extra oxygen, which instantly made me feel better, plus an assistant who knew how to take creative photos with a DSLR at the salt flats. I rarely recommend any tour operator unless if they've done a superb job!

Big thank you to our guide who gave me coca tea and extra oxygen to cure my altitude sickness!

On our first day, my wish of taking breathtaking photos of the Uyuni salt flats came true. After all, I consider photographs as the best souvenirs. Imagine yourself in a desert filled with salt. I am glad that my tour mates already knew what to photograph and shoot since you really need a creative director to get the best shot.

First stop at the train graveyard.

Meditating so my head would not explode.

I can't bike but I do have a video of the others who biked the salt flats. Watch out for it on my next post.

Banana ice cream after lunch at the salt flats.

Standing on top of salts, which I'm not supposed to do. Oopssie!

Can you spot where our luggage are?

On our 8th consecutive year of travels and still counting.

Babes on board.

A one-of-a-kind experience lunching on the salt flats.

High kick!

We didn't get sponsorship from Pringles, ok.

On top of alpaca.

Cute Bolivian kid.

WOW! Overlooking the salt flats.

Our guides' idea of giving us an unforgettable photo memoir.

The next two days were honestly a blur to me. With my altitude sickness kicking in high gear, I can't remember much. But the photos below are evidence that I did complete the entire circuit and sat on the bus to San Pedro de Atacama in Chile without making a mess for our onward journey.

Red lagoon filled with flamingos.

Bye, Bolivia! It has been bittersweet.