Day 32 - 34 The Great Blockade at Uyuni

Previous Post: Uyuni Salt Flat 4x4 tour

Photo Album:  The Uyuni Blockade & long bus ride to La Paz

Note: to view a better version of any photo, just click on it. To return, click on the "X" on the top right corner after viewing.

Day 32  Uyuni – stranded  Day 1

Again, I went out for a long brisk walk around a different part of Uyuni early in the freezing morning.  After a quick breakfast, I went up to the room, packing up after having a nice shower. 

Then suddenly come some heavy door knocking, still 10 minutes before we were to depart.

Will was at the door, asking me to hurry down, and helped me to lift my backpack, without asking, I hurried.

Then I was told, that there is a blockade of the town by some villagers for some protests of government failing to live up to their promises ( what else is new !!?)  or something..... But by now, it was too late, the blockade had already commenced, and there was no way to run through, and could be dangerous to try.

Our original destination for today and tomorrow was Potosi, which we drove pass on the way here.  Other than a big silver mine and all the narrow alleyways on a steep mountain, there isn’t much other attractions, so I was not too unhappy, if it meant we have to go straight to La Paz on another road.  I hoped it was simply an alternative road solution.

Later news came, all the other roads out of Uyuni were all blocked. Apparently, the Mayor, as a rebuff to the blockade, he went onto a hunger strike......looked like a very "decisive" way to solving the problem !  Which amounts to where a long distance bus terminal was to be erected, near the tourist area or the local's area.

I just could not see much of an argument there, the town lives on tourism, and it isn't a large town in terms of the main residential area anyway.   Typical politicians, they just don't know how to nib small problems in the bud.......!!!!!!!

By now, all arriving tourist all had to walk the distance into town, some over an hour, after alighting their buses at the blockade.  There was no other options.

After some discussions and assessment, Ninka decided that, for the time being, the only option to stay for one more night, giving us time to workout what to do next.

So we checked back into Tonito Hotel just after lunch.  Just as well, my stomach played up the whole afternoon till  late into the night.  I finished one full roll of toilet papers....it must either be the local cheese or the lunch sandwich, or the high altitude, I really do not know.

Day 33  Uyuni – stranded  Day 2

After waking, it seems that the gastro seems to have settled down, hopefully gone.

At our meeting after breakfast,  Ninka told us to check-out now, and she has arranged for a bus to take us to La Paz overnight tonight, hopefully, the driver knew what he’s doing, finding the way pass the blockade.  This really is our only option, other than to wait this out, but for how long, is the biggest question.

Other tourists were reporting that even their intended tours into the salt flat was also blocked.  That really stopped the livelihood of almost everyone in this town.

This sort of political blockades is quite common in this part of South America, ie Bolivia, Peru  and Columbia, and they can drag out for days........who knows  *&$%#^!!

By now, the internet was unworkable, as it seemed, that every stranded tourists were trying to get on, collapsing the network.

During a walk around town at lunchtime, I could see the blockades at the key junctions, and there were lines of trucks waiting on the other side.  




Amidst all of these, the polices are unconcerned and relaxed, so it seemed, they left this to the politicians to sort it, however long it takes. So they should.

And the army barrack just hoisted up many flags, what does that mean?  May be not much !

And in the midst of this, was a large group of students or young people, celebrating something on the streets, with their own bands and cheering crowds.

Just as we were to start our walk, with all our backpacks, towards the bus station which promised that they can snake us out of the town in the dark at 8, we were informed that more barricades were setup, there was no chance.  

So we had to retreat and finally back to our rooms and slept for one more night, stuck.  Our tour leader had to stay up and find a solution out of this, running around town, poor soul!

Later it was decided that we should all be ready to leave next morning at 6-ish, to all go to the barricades just outside town, and board a bus....that’s as far as we can plan at this stage.

Day 34 Uyuni – barricade – La Paz

Our Final Resolve (?) - facing down the barricade

After two days of going nowhere inside Uyuni, we finally did the only thing possible, that is to face down the barricades, and pushed for a solution.

The issue was really a storm in a teacup, from what I heard. It was over the location of a long distance bus terminal, whether it should be built to suit the convenience of the locals or the tourists. This town exists on tourism in the main.

When the barricade was first set up on Monday, the Mayor then countered by going on a hunger strike ( funny way to resolve an issue by the authorities ). So it escalated from there, barricades started to built around the entire town, which wasn't that hard for a town you can walk around it inside an hour.

So no business for anyone except the hotels and restaurants, and the Internet collapsed because everyone got so much spare time on their hand.

When we faced them down with a loaded up bus of mainly International tourists ( our Tucan truck was left behind ), we first talked to them, to try to reason and pleaded them about some of us may miss flights, important family functions etc., all to no avail.

They were really just a bunch of stubborn old ladies and men with few rocks and a couple of bottles of what may look like Molotov. 



And the bus driver were not keen to upset their, perhaps cousins, or friends. As it turnout, even if we ran through this one, there were two others further down.

Some of us played with them, and the atmosphere was not tense or dangerous, just outright frustrating, in this windy cold morning.

Finally, the news came, that because of our presence, the parties were pushed to the negotiating table, for fear of damaging their tourism image, reached an agreement just after noon.

Or is it because it'll be the May Day holiday tomorrow?!  Call me a skeptic.

Soon after that, after not having a meal for over 12 hours, and lack of sufficient water, our bus left for La Paz, and hopefully, our Tucan Truck will join us in a day or two.

Thus is the story of a 7 hour standoff in the Uyuni desert.

After a 12 hour drive, the first 4 hours was over 60 Km of very corrugated terrain, with a shallow river crossing. 

Nearly 5 hours later, the bus stopped by a town, and in 5 minutes, the only shop nearby had a long queue for just a serve of rice with fries, with a choice of sauces ( ketchup or mustard ), plus a few shreds of chicken. Most of us did not have a proper meal for 24 hours.  I stayed out of the craze with just a couple of boring biscuits, enjoying the setting sun.

It was a long sleep, before the bus approached La Paz, and well after 1 am before we checked in and hit the bed.

So we were, finally out of Uyuni and into La Paz.

Next  Post:  La Paz the city on May Day

INDEX to All Other Posts