The Mint in Potosi and trip to Uyuni 23rd - 24th December

A beautiful church building in Potosi

But there is never a good photo of a vouch nearby.

Or another white one with an orange strip and black tyres.

From Potosi, we took the desert road to Uyuni, passing over a railway which was going to the same place.

and there was desert,

and sand,

and occasional shrub in the desert.

On the way the road passed a mining site, not an important place but it had a lot of history. It was the second largest silver mine when it was in operation and it is easy to see some of the mineralisation.

More of the same mineralisation with distinctive  colours in the rock.

There were plenty of great engineering opportunities such as this turntable.

A  great 0-2-0 engine.

And there were plenty of other opportunities to see some great engineering which has regrettably has just been left to rot.

But there is a lot of history such as this railway carriage which was ambushed by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

It was a bit of a derelict site which the locals would walk through every day. This was the major control centre.

And here is the building where the manager and originator of the mine lived with direct access to the mine workings.

This is El Chiripa, the first locomotive one the country.

The landscape was scenic and rose to a ridge around which the road and the railway wound their way around until....

we were at the edge of the ridge overlooking Uynui and the slat flats just a little way beyond. And tomorrow was to be Christmas Day.