Sucre, Bolivia's most beautiful city is the pride of the nation. It was here that independence was proclaimed in 1825 and although La Paz is the seat of government, Sucre is Bolivia's capital. The whitewashed colonial style buildings hide cozy courtyards bordered by bright bougainvillea and paved in smooth cobblestones.
Our hotel had such a courtyard complete with fountain and fragrant rose bushes that was the perfect setting for catching up on my diary and enjoying the fresh air for a while.
Dinner was a typical Bolivian chicken dish with rice and re-hydrated freeze dried potatoes (one of 200 varieties in Bolivia) washed down with a home brewed beer called Chala. Interesting, is all I can say about the beer...
The following day was spent roaming around the quaint streets sampling hand-made quinoa chocolates, drinking fresh squeezed fruit juices and nibbling on fava beans on a balcony overlooking Plaza 25 de Mayo. The square was a hive of activity - dive bombing pigeons, old cholitas (indigenous Bolivian women) begging for a few coins, demonstrators banging their drums for the upcoming elections and families wandering around the beautiful geometric flower beds.
Later we strolled through the tree lined paths of the cemetery listening to the ramblings of the blind mourners who are paid to wail out prayers for other people's dearly departed. Bolivians of all shapes and sizes passed us with dodgy looking ladders on their shoulders making their way to the wall of tombs. Clambering up the ladders they would place fresh flowers and candles in the mini shrines adorning the tombs of their deceased loved ones.
We then headed to Sucre's version of the Champs Elysees at Parque Bolivar, a romantic rendezvous for the city's young couples whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears while robins flitted around the bushes beside them.
Our final stop was a walk through the produce market. The potato section sold over 100 different varieties of potatoes. There were freeze dried potatoes you could keep for four years and when ready to use just boil them for a few minutes and voila you have a ready to eat meal.
In the produce section water droplets glistened off colourful fruit and veggies piled around wrinkly faced Bolivian women. One of these women offered me an apricot and plum which, only after eating them did I realize I would probably have to buy some. I landed up with a bag of plums that I would never have finished and found a beggar who excitedly accepted them.
This afternoon consisted of more charitable activities as we visited an orphanage, bringing them nappies, fruit, cookies and milk powder. We spent the afternoon playing with these adorable, sad little beings. We did see some smiles and laughter and I particularly took to a little girl called Camilla. She gave me such a big hug when we left, I just wanted to take her home. The kids call everyone mama and papa......How sad is that?
The following day consisted of a three hour hike up a small canyon just outside of Sucre to see fossilized dinosaur footprints. After an hour of playing dodge the used diaper/plastic bag, we started a steep climb up the cliff face to the spot. It was incredible to see the wrinkles of the skin around the indent of the foot imprinted into the rock thousands of years old. A rainstorm caught us on the way back as we dodged pigs, dogs and a growing river to reach our taxi.
Tomorrow we leave for Potosi, once the richest city in South America and home to Cerro Rico - "the mountain that eats men alive"...
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