Bolivia's Salt Flat Draw Could Fuel Tourism Breakout

The immigration checkpoint itself told a story. It was a tent on a dusty unpaved road at 14,000 feet elevation. Our guide "suggested" we offer the border patrol officer an extra $20 as a thank you for processing the visa-on-arrival quickly. We did, with gratitude.

You learn a lot about a country in the first 10 minutes. The ethnicities of the local staff waiting in the jetway tell you who runs the hourly-wage part of the economy. How locals queue in immigration lines predicts rule-following norms. How hard taxi drivers hustle reveals tout-law enforcement. How nice the airport bathrooms are gives you a first glimpse at the country's wealth.

The desert wilderness near the salt flats is spectacular. I've seen many incredible places, but the Uyuni salt flat is totally distinct from anything else.

One more thing: Bolivia is one of the world's largest exporters of quinoa. Quinoa fields stretch as far as the eye can see. It's arguably the second best grain after farro.

Much of my travel these days takes me back to places I've already been – repeat visits to UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Singapore, Saudi, Germany, Austria, Chile, Mexico. There's confidence in familiarity. But arriving somewhere for the first time is a singular experience. The final set of doors opening from the airport, stepping onto the curbside outside arrivals, breathing fresh air after hours of indoor air. That sequence only happens once per country.