De Su Merced Sucre

... was something in between, I´ll call it our home I guess) was about 9 x 15 feet. It had a cement floor, and four walls that were, clay maybe? some sort of mud type thing. The front one was whitewashed which filled in all the cracks (though the cracks did not go all the way through). There was a window, which Felipe and the people setting us up nailed paper over, for warmth I think. The glass was not by any means air tight, really it was panes of glass held ...

Van San Pedro (2.000 inwoners), naar Uyuni (20.000 inwoners), naar Potosi (150.000 inwoners) naar Sucre (250.000 inwoners) en nu naar La Paz (1.200.000 inwoners).

Elke keer wordt het chaotischer en contrast tussen arm en rijk groter. Het gemiddelde inkomen in Potosi is ongeveer E50/maand, maar toch zie je veel mensen rondlopen met een mobieltje en is een opgevoerde auto een belangrijk statussymbol.

Potosí
In Potos ...

... full of my valuables and my belt was digging into my bag but I now consider we have truly travelled because even in India we always got a seat on the bus, a right of passage if you will. I´m not sure Ang was thinking the same thing at the time as she had to contend with a small child kicking her in the head although the big guy sat adjacent to my head seemed to be sweating and panting profusely so I was concerned he might puke on my face, luckily not.

It was tempting to complain ...

... Sucre is the focal point of the city and is really pretty. The cathedral is on the south-west side, and faces the plaza along with several other buildings, such as the Prefectura and the Casa de la Liberdad, which are all rather grand and attractive in their design. For lunch I ventured back to the Dutch-run bar, Joyride Cafe, on the east side of the plaza. I sat down and the waitress immediately took an interest because from my appearance and my accent she could obviously tell I wasn´t ...

... time was incredibly weird at first. Not having someone there when you´ve always been used to it felt wrong, and I must admit, a bit scary. I put some music on and had a read of my book. After a little while I decided to venture out and wander round the plaza. I went to a cafe and got some cheesecake and a coffee, and read up about things I fancied doing over the next few days. After this I went back to the hostel and went to bed.

... uit lama's en muilezels.
Het toerisme staat hier duidelijk ook nog op een lager pitje. In Peru zal een herderinnetje spontaan het jongste van haar lammeren bij de kraag vatten en je vragen 'Foto amigo?'. Langs het Titicacameer (net op Boliviaans grondgebied) in Copacabana lieten pedalo's (pedaloots in het Kortrijkse) in de vorm van Disneyfiguren niet het allerbeste vermoeden, was alles veel duurder en waren mensen enkel op geld uit. Hier hebben ...

... paid in Sucre or Tarabucco.

The ride back may have been the most interesting part though. The only public transportation available from Sucre to these villages were camiones, which are open trucks meant for carrying people, and as many people as possible stuff themselves into this open truck bed. It's a really cheap form of transportation and a truly authentic experience. The way there was great as you are outdoors the whole time and you have ...