SUCRE: Bolivia´s Current Protest Capital

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Bolivian politics. Best visualised by a game of rugby/gridiron. One side is given the ball, and run where they want to with it. The rest of the field is in a state of carnage.

• three distinct regions, with three distinct languages (plus Spanish)
  
• overlaid with the legacy of a colonial hierarchical privilege and race driven structure
  
• carefully placed natural resources (incl. natural gas en masse) sitting under some of the population - as it happens the wealthier group
  
• add the first ethnic president (ever) pushing for change, combined with his anti-US tendencies regardless of pragmatism.
  

And now you have a crude appreciation for some of the complexities exploding in this, the poorest Latin American country.

So as we entered Bolivia via the remote back blocks of the spectacular Uyuni salars, we were hearing reports of the political situation in our destination. This included (exaggerated?) news reports of disgruntled indigenous folk boarding buses, and taking tourists (and others) possessions. Bolivias latest political ´events´ saw El Presidente, Evo Morales being snookered into an opposition led referendum: Evo - Si, or Evo - No. Evo had actually indicated he was staying in power regardless of the outcome. So whatever the result, it was inevitable that one side was going to protest - and the standard currency of protest is blocking the roads preventing ANY passage for long periods of time. Political graffiti went as far as requesting the assasination of el presidente.

And so the outcome from the 'referundum': Evo, Si. 60%. (Evo, yes).
The power house (read: outboard motor) of Bolivian money resides in the Euro-Indigenous ('Mestizo') mixed population areas down South - and into the Southern city of Sucre we waltzed.

Sucre, the Judicial capital of Bolivia, is a nice enough place to hang around. The lower altitude gives a thorougly pleasant climate, and a whole fistful of schools are there to teach travelers Spanish. So ready to stay put for a change, we stayed put. Ten days of

• sleep catch up
  
• intense mornings of Spanish lessons
  
• homework in the afternoon sun over exceptional passionfruit juice
  
• visiting actual dinosaur footprints
  
• the occasional international movie at a serious gringo hangout
  
• recovering from tummy bugs from dodgy lettuce (?)
  

In all, it was the least we have done for a long time, and it was well enjoyed. And while we were enjoying, all the roads in and out of Sucre, and five other Southern cities, were blockaded. Our hostel was host to only us, as no tourists could get in (or risked coming in), while the city was trying to carry on as per normal.

Normal needs some clarification, as we managed to see these protests:

• the WHOLE city closed shop on a Wednesday in protest against the Government reducing money and fuel supply to the city
  
• University students were detonating small explosives in their protest at the large amount of money paid to the professors. Walking back from a game of volleyball in the dark, Benj ends up behind the press of riot Police plugging a whole street and moving slowly at the students.
  
• March in the Square by about 1000 people pushing for more finance for the primary schools.
  

It really is such a shame to see such a colourful and promising country going absolutely nowhere, while it is racked by the paralysis of diversity that is not working for it. And there is no apparent end in sight... so our delightful hostel, with its gorgeouslly friendly family running it, had only us to look after. Few tourists were 'adventurous' enough to ignore the situation.

When finally we realised we had less than 24 days to get all the way to the starting blocks of the Inca Trail in Peru, the pressure came on. A report from some NZ travel friends doing a bus journey from Santa Cruz to Sucre (two southern cities) - their 17hr ride took 72 hours. Their meagre food and water supplies were drastically insufficient, and they were treated to a truly Bolivian experience with a bus load of people who spoke little Spanish (indigenous Aymara instead).

And so we treated ourselves to our first discretionary flight to La Paz, over the blockades, and over the gorgeous Andes.

Adios Sucre, la Capitale con las muchas problemas. Tienne suave - tu lo necesitas.

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Photos

Nice place to sit in the sun
but Sucre has an enormous volume of street sellers, and mostly beggars. Anyone sitting looking content is a major target.

Energiser bunny
Insert batteries here.

Marshalling something happy.
Its not all bad here - these kids, accompanied by band (and busy teachers) are happily waving their Bolivian flags in celebration of the anniversary of their school.

Lost in translation
Internet cafe warning to look after your own belongings - we think.

FAMILY WAGONS EN MASSE
Benj is rapt - Sucre is the home of Family Wagons (aka Toyota Corolla 1987-9 Diesel). Every third taxi is one of these, and Benj flips when we get a ride in one. Awesome.

Closed for business at the moment
Security is best with belt and braces...

Conspicuous ride through town
The claws on the roof give it away that we are TOURISTS. The authenticity of the experience was enhanced by having NO rear suspension.

Hola!
You look tasty.

Jurassic park(ish)
The font used for the parks' name is identical to the movie... but these models were superbly done to bring to life the long buried passage of 4 types of dino which has traipsed this very place.

Lime excavations discover dino prints
Apparently the discovery of a magnesium deposit thwarted further ecavation, and subsequent erosion revealed something muh more interesting...

Wall coming out
Benj is intrigued with the removal of a wall in the hostel. The rubble - mostly MUD, was loaded in a truck, and returned to whence it came. We could learn a bit fom these people...

Almost done
Benj offers the builder some biscuits to keep hi going - but the ball of coca leaf in his cheek is not to be mixed with inferior foodstuffs.

Juana
Bolivias female independence hero against the Spanish - she lost her husband and children in the fight, and kept going. Amazing to see a woman being respected as a military leader in those days.

Fancesa concrete factory with dino footprints
from the air.

Sucre from afar.
Adios from the plane window.