An endless expanse of white waiting to be touched by the rainbow of heavens.
A magical world which reflects the sun and dazzles with the moon.
A stretch of 4086 miles of wonder, solitude and reverence– The place where Heaven meets Earth.
Salar de Uyuni is the largest salt flats in the world and it is indeed gigantic!
Where
One of the natural wonders of the world, these salt flats lie in the lap of the Andes mountains in South America in the country of Bolivia. This place is almost eight times the size of New York City. Its bright white colour and enormous size makes it easily visible from space.
The reason why this place is called Salar de Uyuni is that the word ‘Salar’ means ‘salt flat’ in Spanish and Uyuni is the town which serves as the gateway to this magical world.
History
It is a surreal natural phenomenon- seen to be believed. You might wonder how these salt flats were formed.
The salt flats of Salar de Uyuni were formed some 40,000 years ago. Lake Minchin in the Andes mountains dried up leaving behind these deposits. As there were no outlets for this lake, this huge stretch of mineral deposits was left amid the mountains. These salt deposits range from one inch to six feet in thickness.
Seasonal Changes
Salar de Uyuni changes completely during the different seasons.
Huge salty hexagons can be seen predominating the landscape during the dry season that lasts from April- November. It gives the feel of being in the midst of a pristine white salt desert. Looking at the symmetrical salt hexagons one wonders how they got made.
The cold winter months of June-July offer clear skies which beckon a lot of tourists for ‘Stargazing’ under the blanket of a vast sweep of sky and barren land. Miles and miles of sky and stars that would take a forever to forget- it is like being on an alien inhabited planet with no civilization.
December- March is the rainy time that converts this place into the largest mirror on earth. When the salt flats are wet there is a very fascinating optical illusion that gives it the giant mirror effect. This is the time when tourists throng this place to capture this jaw-dropping phenomenon.
Just before the season of the largest mirror sets in, herds of flamingos can be seen breeding on this vast space. You might be astounded to know that some of the table salt you eat may come from this very place in Bolivia. There are so many different things to do here like stargazing, car racing or just walking through the optical illusion and becoming a part of it. A truly mind-boggling, unique, and gorgeous place, it should definitely be on everyone’s bucket list.
Writer : Mehar Singh
Grade : 8 (Year 2023)
Place : California, USA
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