Powered by Truveo

Video

Search for video:
More Search Options
BOLIVIA: Bolivia hopes to draw tourists to th...
Duration: 2:02Source: ITN Source
The Salar de Uyuni is the world's biggest salt desert and it is found in the southwest of Bolivia. It's flat plains seem to go on for ever, but in reality the plain is roughly 4,250-square-miles (11,OOO km square) in size. Pink flamingos, 1,000-year-old cacti and rare hummingbirds make their home here. And now thousands of adventurous tourists are coming to discover what the Rough Guides travel publisher names as one of the world's 25 wonders in the world. Some 60,000 people visited last year. But how to get there? Why not an antique plane to get a real birds-eye view? The private air service Aerosur opened flights over the Salar de Uyuni in November. It became immediately popular and the service is totally booked-up over January and February. Aerosur pilot Marcelo Canedo said tourists get a look at the salt plains not possible from the ground or from a more modern aircraft. "We fly at 16,500 feet, a height at which the passenger doesn't feel the effects of altitude much and can enjoy the landscape. Modern planes fly too high and everything looks flat and can't be appreciated," Canedo said. Some 40,000 years ago, the Salar was part of a lake that covered a large swath of the Andean highlands. The moon-like landscapes of the salt desert are part of what was left when it dried up. There is so much salt these days that locals even make buildings out it, and the new airport is no exception. The airport also means a new start for the Salar, which lies about 185 miles (3...
Rating: (0 ratings) Views: 40 Added: May 2, 2008
Category:
Copyright: GRAPHIC / REUTERS / ATB (Bolivia)
Email This

About  Advertise  Contact  Privacy Policy  Terms
© 2008 Find Internet TV. All rights reserved.
All brand, company, and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.