Ahhhh....hows the serenity!
Sucre,
Bolivia
Friday, August 10, 2007
The overnight trip to Sucre was like any other for me on a Bolivian bus...cold (note to self: need new socks as these fighting a losing battle with time), sleepless and with a dubbed Van Damme movie to keep to keep the masses entertained, co-starring Dennis Rodman. Indeed it was a Double-Team. And behind me on the trip sat Mandy and Sarah from the UK, Mandy having had someone walk onto the bus and swipe her bag above as she sat talking below in her seat to Sarah. Not having met yet I had no idea that the female traveller I saw walking off the bus was doing so with Mandy´s pack. Bastards. It is hard enough travelling without having your fellow travellers stealing from under, or above your nose. As always it is the photos that travel insurance cannot replace. Karma is coming to get you!
Sucre, a town unlike La Paz, 1000 metres closer to sea level, less traffic and chaos, the white washed colonial buildings impressive under the blue sky and midday sun. Where drivers do not feel compelled to leave their hands on the horn for the entire duration of their trip across town and if you are lucky will stop and let you cross the road. However, all is not well in Sucre as the graffiti points out. The locals are still pissed at La Paz claiming the title of capital of Bolivia...and by hell they want it back. Sucre is home to the Supreme Court in Bolivia but the rest of the government functions reside in La Paz. And this fight is getting ugly with indigenous-dominated La Paz converging on the less-indigenous and whiter Sucre demanding they keep their hands off La Paz as capital. Last pictures I saw involved students, rioting, burning effigies and a faint call to launch a civil war if all else fails. Given that the richest and biggest city in Bolivia of Santa Cruz also wants to be independent and secede from the rest of the country, El Presidento Evo Morales has some work to do to keep his country from internally self combusting. On the positive side, Chile do want to give Bolivia back the land they stole from them in the Pacific War in exchange for much needed Bolivian gas so all is not bad. In fact, the land includes a sea port meaning should it happen, they will no longer be landlocked in South America.
My time in Sucre passed quickly and involved a lot of long sessions eating and drinking, a quick blink or you will miss it sunset from the Mirador, a meal of chilli con carne where the origen of the carne is still a mystery to me and a couple of Seinfeld episodes from the luxury of my bed, remote control finger going crazy....before my Bolivian bus sleep deprived body took charge and I was out like a light...until the dogs began howling but hey, welcome to Bolivia!
