To the white city: Sucre
After returning from El Fuerte, I hung out at the plaza in Samaipata and sampled some local beer. There I met a man with a micro who agreed to take me to the airport in Santa Cruz the next day. It was more expensive than sharing a micro, but worth it. He crossed himself before starting off, which was a little disconcerting.
(The alternative was a 14 hour bus trip by bus, which got bad reviews on line. However, I found the tourist books and web sites to be rather alarmist--or out of date--about the comfort of buses, crime and police harassment.)
All the direct flights from Santa Cruz to Sucre were too early in the morning for me to catch, so I took two TAM flights, first to Cochabamba and then to Sucre. The TAM flights were great! Lots of knee room, though, again the flight attendants crossed themselves as we took off. (TAM stands for Military Air Transport--the Bolivian air force operates passenger flight.)
(The alternative was a 14 hour bus trip by bus, which got bad reviews on line. However, I found the tourist books and web sites to be rather alarmist--or out of date--about the comfort of buses, crime and police harassment.)
All the direct flights from Santa Cruz to Sucre were too early in the morning for me to catch, so I took two TAM flights, first to Cochabamba and then to Sucre. The TAM flights were great! Lots of knee room, though, again the flight attendants crossed themselves as we took off. (TAM stands for Military Air Transport--the Bolivian air force operates passenger flight.)
While Cochabamba is politically in the Spanish/eastern sphere, in Sucre the Andean culture began to appear in trilingual signs, like this one at the airport. You can also buy coca at the airport.
Sucre has a nice new airport and a big new highway into the city. But my micro had to dodge donkeys on the trip in. |
Sucre's role as the national capital is enshrined in the constitution, but in reality all but the judicial branch has moved to La Paz.
The micro driver from the airport didn't speak English so when I had to get off I had no idea where I was in relationship to the Hostal Sucre. Enter a Good Samaritan; someone who was on the micro spoke English, and when he got out he called a friend to pick him up. They drove me to the hostal--lifesavers!
At Hostal Sucre. The courtyard, the view from the roof and the breakfast room.
Breakfast in the places I visited was contenintal, but some restaurants offered "American breakfast."
Breakfast in the places I visited was contenintal, but some restaurants offered "American breakfast."
Okay, the room wasn't a prize winner, but everything worked and it cost $24 a night.
Drinking water was supplied in the lobby.
There was a man sitting in this doorway who asked passers-by for money.
Occasionally when they refused, he'd hit them with his stick.
Occasionally when they refused, he'd hit them with his stick.
The plaza was about as busy at night as during the day. Something
was being protested on the other side of the statue at the time.
Next: a visit to Bolivia's birthplace.