Hayley in Wanderlust: Salar de Uyuni

One of the main stop on the Gringo Trail (the main route/destinations a lot of travellers through South America take/visit), are of course, the Bolivian Salt Flats.
Honestly, before I started planning and researching (and staring enviously at my Facebook feed at those who made it out here before me), I'd sort of forgotten that they were thing. Look, I've never claimed to be any good at geography. Being born with extreme wanderlust doesn't magically warrent you that skill.

Anyway, since I'd been travelling up through Chile, the logical route was for me to enter Bolivia as part of a Salt Flats tour from San Pedro. The place is full of different tour opporaters who all offer you roughly the same package, for roughly the same price. The tours vary in length too, with one option leaving you in Uyuni, and the other bringing you back to San Pedro. I was going to be doing it with two of the girls from my G Adventures tour (as well as one of the girls I has met in Valparaiso and a guy from our hostel) and, to be honest, they did most of the planning.

We booked with a company called 'White and Green' and, admittedly, our tour was slightly more expensive. It meant that we followed a slightly different route and instead of having six passengers and a driver, we had five passanagers, a driver and a tour guide who spoke both English and Spanish. It was definitely a bonus, but since I speak Spanish, I could have easily done one of the cheaper tours and been fine. Not complaining though, it really was amazing going to different spots from all the other tours and the peacefulness of it all was unreal.

On day one, we set off for the Chilean/Bolivian boarded (where I almost froze to death, it's over 4000m above sea level). Once we'd cleared immigration, we headed down to a thermal spring, which was pretty interesting. I'd never been in one before, and after the cold start to the day, it felt amazing to step into nature's bath. The rest of the day was spent visiting three massive lagoons, all of different colours, thanks to the various elements in the earth. My favourite was the 'Coloured Lagoon' as the water looked pink and attracted thousands of flamingos. So cool, flamingos are my spirit animal.



Day Two started with a visit to Rock Valley, which involved climbing up and around various different rock formations. This included rocks that looked like a camel, the World Cup and entire city. From here we headed to Laguna Mysteriosa, which was absolutely unreal. Hidden, thousands of metres above sea level, we had to cross a field/marshland filled with grazing Llamas and scramble across more rocks to get to it, but it was completely worth it. With water black like ink, and reeds taller than me, it was easy to see why they called it 'Mysterious Lagoon' - it was just so beautiful. Following lunch, we visited a canyon that, yet again, tested my stomach for heights, but gave awesome views of the tiny stream that ran through the bottom of it. After this, it was a three hour drove through the national park to reach our 'Salt Hotel' on the edge of the Salt Flats for the night.

Our final day started bright and early, as we were up and on the move by 5:30am to make it to Cactus Island, on the Salt Flats, in time for sunrise. I'll be honest, it was freezing and I really, really, really haven't packed for the cold weather. Had it not been for a jumper given to me by one of the girls I'd met in Cordoba, I would have seriously screwed. Waiting for the sun to come up in the cold was agonising, and I barely stuck it out. The two things I hate to feel the most are cold and hungry, and by sunrise, I was both. Still, it was bloody spectacular and one of the most gorgeous things I've ever seen, so yes, it was worth almost dying for. Following breakfast we spent an hour or so out on the Salt Flats taking a whole range of touristy and perfect photos (although, our driver kept trying to have artistic direction of the pictures, which I hated). Then it was time to go to our final stop, the train cemetery, which lay on the outskirts of the town of Uyuni. The train cemetery was creepy, but so cool and was basically a big kids playground, as all the trains were there to be climbed and explored.

On top of seeing some pretty amazing things, it has to be said that my group were brilliant (and yes ok, I'd met them all before we jumped in a jeep together for three days), as were our guide and driver. The food prepared each day was delicious and they accommodated a vegetarian and a vegan with absolute ease, something I had been told wouldn't be possible in Bolivia!

Yet another beautiful highlight to this continuously amazing trip.

-xo

Hayley in Wanderlust: The Prologue

Approximately six months ago I booked a trip I have been dreaming of my entire life. It was spur of the moment (sort of), I'd been saving since I graduated and moved home in July and was bored of my life. Ideally I would have waited until I had a little more money saved - I only went in to start building a plan -  but it's funny what desperation and an overwhelming need to shake up your life will do to you. The travel agent probably thought all her Christmases had come at once. I practically emptied my savings account onto her desk.
Oops.

Checked in an almost ready to go.

Fast forward to now and I can't quite believe that I leave tomorrow. It's actually happening... I'm going to South America. I can't explain it in a way that doesn't make me sound like a pretentious princess, but I was born to make this trip. Some people get vocational callings in life. They know from the word go that they're supposed to teach/fight on the front line/cure the sick/help those in need. I don't have one of those. I have no idea what I am supposed to do when I finally join the adult world... All I know is that I won't settle for anything less than being the best. The question is, the best in what?

But South America and travelling and seeing the world? This is my calling. For as long as I can remember, for reasons I still don't know, I have felt this deep rooted need to travel to a continent I have zero connection to. It's a part of who I am. It's in my bones and blood and DNA. It's why I get out of bed in the morning and it's the only thing I have never been willing to compromise or sacrifice. It's the only thing I'd ever have given up my life in Manchester. I was inches from my dream job, but this dream wins every single time. No matter where I've been in life or who I've been with - it's the only part of me that's never changed.

This time tomorrow, I'll be on my way to Rio (so long as, you know, my flight isn't delayed or anything). I've never been so terrified, like, pant wettingly scared. The only thing more terrifying than getting on that plane tomorrow would be if a tarantula appeared over my laptop and started crawling down the screen towards me. I have considered, on multiple occasions over the past few weeks, cancelling the entire thing and have begun to hyperventilate anytime anyone asked when I was leaving. I never could though, not go, I mean. If I backed out now I'd loose the friends I've done nothing but bore with details of my trip since I booked it in October.

It's almost time for my biggest adventure yet; I hope you'll all join me.

My name is Hayley Devlin and I am going to travel the world until there is nothing left to see.

- xo

The Importance Of Being Blair

Perhaps one of the greatest fictional characters of our generation, Blair Waldorf (from Gossip Girl, just in case you've been under a rock since the dawn of time) is woman who knows what she wants. Yet, her great outfits (not Serena great, but still great) and perfect hair have nothing on the little pearls of wisdom she imparted on us all during the six series that changed life as we know it. They're words to live by from the biggest, baddest bitch around, and if they we're good enough for Blair, they're good enough for me.

'Destiny is for losers. It's just a lame excuse for letting things happen to you instead of making them happen.' - Blair Waldorf

Look me in the eye and tell me that isn't some real talk right there.

So kids, I've pulled a Blair and about a month ago I fobbed off destiny because destiny. Is. For. Losers.

It was a calm Monday morning, the week before I had interviewed for two internships in London and had heard nothing back, having been told I would have heard before the weekend. 'Never mind', I thought to myself, 'I have other plans'. As you all know, I have been saving for my South American adventure since I moved home in June, and thinking that I hadn't got the internship of my dreams, I decided enough was enough. What was supposed to be a follow up planning meeting at the STA Travel in Covent Garden, turned into me spending my savings and booking my flights.

I'm going to south America. On my own. For four months.
Metal? Yes.
Scary? Certainly.
Brave? We'll find out.

Because, and here's the thing, I was always going to find a reason to stay. From a guy, to my dream to career, to my incapability to save money- if I hadn't have just booked it, I'd still be sat here erm-ing and ahh-ing.

London - Rio - Buenos Aires - Santiago - La Paz - Lima - Quito - San José - LA - London.

Naturally, there will be a blog, because I know you'll all be keen to keep up to date on my where abouts and making sure I'm still alive. I'm a weird mixture of excited and petrified but I sort of can't wait to make this dream a reality. I figure you're only 21 and completely free once, wasting this opportunity to travel the world would be criminal. I'm 99.9% sure it'll be the making of me, so long as I can stand the hostels!

Instantly my mind went into money saving mode, planning how I could pick up extra hours and be the best waitress ever (I'm a horrible waitress, it's a good thing I can chat to people if I'm being honest) so I could save every single penny possible. It was gonna be great, I was going to save like a demon and have the most amazing four months ever...

24 hours after booking my flights, I get a phone call to say I'm being offered the position of social media intern for one of the UK's biggest charities. Unpaid.
But how could I say no? TELL ME HOW?!
I said yes. I haven't had a day off in four weeks, I'm constantly exhausted, I rush from the centre of London back to Bucks two nights a week to make it to Friday's for a 7pm start, and I work all day Saturday and Sunday; but I love it.

I'm happy, I'm focused, I'm making my dream come true and I'm investing in my future.

It's living proof that Blair was right. You don't need destiny. You just need to get off your arse and make life happen.

-xo