Cheers Bolivia..its been emotional

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Bolivia is a fascinating country - the way of life we have seen would be best described as being "from another time", but it´s scenery has been the country´s best feature - and that would be best described as being "from another planet".
This continued on our bus journey from Uyuni, which was bound for yet another of Bolivia´s "World´s highest" - this time "town" in the form of Potosi. The journey was spectacular with one sections scenery looking like a combination of Star Wars and Roadrunner - here we briefly stopped whilst the locals drank water from the stream and the Gringos did "outdoor wees" and took photographs.

The only thing Bolivia had lacked up to this point was any picture perfect towns or cities as Copacabana, La Paz, Coroico, Uyuni etc could all be best described as functional and unfinished. With this in mind we had high hopes for our next 2 destinations Potosi and Sucre - both of which had been granted UNESCO World Heritage Sites for their colonial - and hopefully finished - architecture.

Potosi

We have visted UNESCO towns in most of the countries we have passed through and are not ashamed to admit that the increase in tourism brings with it decent bars and restaurants all of which adds to our enjoyment of what tends to be very beautiful places whether tourism was there or not.
Potosi is no different, a buzzing place that during its height as a silver mining town in the time of the Spanish laid claim to be South America´s richest city. The streets are no longer paved with gold (or silver) but hoards of locals and students - although the ornate buildings which were built with its past wealth remain along with a steady stream of travellers and a maze of cobbled streets and markets where a half decent cup of coffee and cold beer can be found (still searching for Bolivian milk not in powdered form).

A lot of people we meet (and overhear) say they hate places like this and unless they are surrounded by filth and half naked tribes people don´t believe they are fully experiencing a country´s culture. I say this is rubbish and people come to places like Potosi for a reason!! because it´s worth seeing (note - we always meet/overhear these "real travellers" in Lonely Planet listed Gringo bars)

One of the bizarre activities you can partake in whilst in Potosi is hanging out on the roofs of the many churches and at Igles San Francisco we were lead up a hidden and narrow staircase by a gun toting Policeman by the name of Pedro.
As we emerged high above the city we walked along a narrow walkway to a further tower accessed by a rickety staircase where the views were pretty spectacular - the city to the right and the twin peaks, which still to this day hide the silver mines upon which this city was founded, to the left.

One other church roof was visited as well as a guided tour of the town´s former mint which in the 17th century produced all the coins for Spain from the silver found in the nearby mountains. Now a museum, the mint produced its very last coin in 1951 and the ironic thing is that Bolivia´s cheap alloy coins are now all manufactured in Spain (and its dirty notes in France).

The 2 nights we spent in Potosi were more than enough to take in a very worthwhile stop. We ate as well as we have in South America (try the trout at La Casona Pub) and enjoyed the sights before heading off to the bus station to catch our ride Sucre, and that´s where things took a slight turn for the worse.

We have been reading and hearing about robberies and scams since landing in South America (including a 5 person attack where you are lifted off the ground by each limb and put in a sleeper hold - waking up half an hour later naked and skint!!) These warnings keep you on your guard but often sound a little far fetched. But as we approached the bus station I felt what I thought was a splash of water land on my head before 2 "friendly" locals informed me that a dark liquid had been splashed over my head and backpack. Now the scam goes - if you believe what you read - that these "friendly" locals offers to help you clean up and then mug you. With the thought of being put in a sleeper hold fresh in my mind - I told these two "friendly" locals where to go and dashed off at pace until we reached the relative safety of the bus station only to find a sticky black liquid which smelt of gone off burger relish all over my head and backpack.

Sucre

We arrived in Sucre a little travelworn and smelling like 12 month old Big Macs, so immediately checked into our hostel where I took the longest and hottest (thank god) shower since we arrived in South America.
When I was finally convinced I had got the stench out of my hair we put my soiled clothes in the hostel laundry and headed out to explore. We weren´t disappointed, Sucre is cleaner, brighter, wider and greener than any of our previous Bolivia stops. Cleaner no doubt due to the UNESCO status, brighter due to the Government´s insistence that all the main buildings are constantly maintained and whitewashed, wider due to it´s more European style boulevards and pavements you can actually walk on and greener due to its tree lined streets and palm fringed plazas.

Being the educational centre of Bolivia, plus a major gringo destination for learning Spanish has led to a number of gringo friendly bars and restuarants including a great Japanese place that we ate at 2 out of 3 nights ( we were starting to get fed up of llama, cheese, corn and potatoes...all the time).
We also by this stage fully understand that Bolivians will get a gang together and form a marching band whenever they have a spare 5 minutes but on our first day in Sucre they took it a stage further with the San Juan festival which has both catholic and indigenous connotations and is related to the solstice which had just taken place. The marching bands increased in size, volume and tunefulness and the firecrackers that are a daily occurence were upgraded to actual dynamite. The bizzare parade which also took place contained pick up trucks full of posing and fully armed police and army officials....making it a bit like a louder and more violent Notting Hill Carnival.

Surprisingly Sucre is a really laid back sort of place and there´s little to do except wander through its wider, colonial streets and slowly take it all in.
Because if this an advertised trek into the surrounding mountains which included a section of Inca Trail grabbed our attention and on our second day we headed out with 2 Americans (Greta and Ruth), our guide Juan Carlos, and a fellowEnglishman Gareth (who had a few issues and fuzzy ears) into the unknown.

Unlike the trails in Peru, fewer tourists in Bolivia makes for a much less trodden route and much lower price (a tenner for the day) - and this was a pretty serious trek being 23km, the final 7km being the Inca Trail and completely uphill.
The scenery was absolutely fantastic - beyond description making me wish for a more professional camera to do it any sort of justice. The going was tough but the views and at one stage a small group of locals who had been drinking home brew Chicha (fermented corn and very potent) for about 48 hours kept us going. Apart from the last 2km when our legs nearly gave in, we enjoyed every single minute and now seriously considering setting up a "ramblers club" when we return to the UK (potential members please contact us via e-mail - only serious applicants need apply!).
We finished off our stay in Sucre with a meal and a few beers with our Inca Trail gang and although poor Gareth got a little weirder with a few pints inside him, a good night was had by all.

Bolivia, the good, the bad and the ugly

We now begin our travels to country number 11, Argentina. A 3 hour bus to Potosi, then a 6 hour bus to Uyuni, followed by an overnight train to the border and god knows what awaits us there (full body cavity search??).

Bolivia has been a fantastic country - and considering we had no plans to visit, the month we have spent here has been one of the most interesting and fascinating of the whole trip.
Bolivia has the whole range of emotions and experiences from the good to the bad to the ugly. But every shifty bank note, freezing cold night, dodgy meal, angry woman in a bowler hat and "burger relishing" pales into significance after :




Seeing flamingoes flying alongside your train or condors soaring above your head

A rosy cheeked little kid serenades you/slightly hurts your ears with a traditional song

The dazzling white beauty of the salt flats

The sense of achievement/relief at surviving the death road

The pace of life and breathtaking sunsets on Lake Titicaca

and

Experiencing what surely must be the most stunning and beautiful mountain scenery on planet earth.


Cheers Bolivia....it´s been emotional.

Paz

MandC

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Photos

Pink and blue Potosi
Potosi´s former wealth is a little weathered, but that only adds to its charm

In the foot steps of the Incas
Heres Carla (in that green top she is ALWAYS wearing) just starting the 7km uphill Inca trail

Greener Sucre
Tree lined paths and parks are not the norm in Bolivia, nor is a picture of Carla not wearing that green top !!

Mr Potosi
This evil looking fella guards Potosi´s mint and is the "face" of the town, said to be smirking at the Spaniards as they left the city in the 17th century

Breathtaking Bolivia
Trekking through jaggered rocks and looking out upon endless mountain scenery was worth every single blister we gained along the way

Meep meep....use the force Luke !
The spectacular scenery along the road to Potosi

Only 22km more to go
The early stages of our mammoth trek through the Mountains surrounding Sucre

Is that one of Madonnas bras in the foreground
Potosi, the burger relish capital of Bolivia

Potosi from above
As seen from the roof of Igles San Francisco. Our armed tour guide is just out of shot

Walking through another world
The spectacular and unforgiving scenery of Bolivia

Sucres "happy" parade
Instead of Beauty queens and school kids, sucre parades armed Police through its streets. Is he aiming that thing at me ??????

Comments

[Trev]

Scam
You did well to get clear of your "helpers".I had heard of that scam being widely used in Bacelona where s**t is sprayed onto your sleeve,hence your valuables disappear like magic.Pleased you enjoyed Bolivia though,look forward to reading about Argentina.Love Ya TrevXX

[chris]

Trevor Francis won't be best pleased when he finds out they used his face to smirk at Spaniards!!