Advertisement
Published: March 19th 2009
Thurs 12th - Went out looking for something for breakfast and found a different kind of salteña, was soo yummy. I have just read in my guide book, while checking the spelling for salteña, that the best salteñas are found in Sucre so score. Sadly they only sell them in the mornings. Sucre is also known as La Ciudad Blanca de Las Americas (the White City of the Americas). Went and got some fruit from the market and had a totally awesome breakfast. We got a bus out to buy our bus ticket onto Santa Cruz and decided to walk back. Got some good street meat from a lady beside the bus station with boiled corn bits, potato and spicy salsa. While we were walking we came across a phone inside the belly of a dinosaur. Had seen two big dinosaurs on the way in the evening before, which seemed odd. We walked to the main square, Plaza 25 de Mayo, where there was a demonstration about something going on. Was mainly old people, and the police were just lounging around on the other side of the street in front of the building opposite. I had picked my travel book up
from the hostel and read that there were dinosaur footprints discovered just out of Sucre and you could go and see them - which explained the dinosaur theme in the city. We went to see the Iglesia de San Miguel, which was meant to have sporadic opening hours, but when we arrived it was open so we went in. I took a few photos and thought the folk in there looked dressy, even the few kids, but didn´t give it any thought until as we were walking out the door a coffin was being brought into the church entrance! We stood to the side and let everyone pass before exiting the courtyard in a hurry. For dinner that night I had barbecued chorizo from the place opposite our hostel. Was mmm but the cheese rice was a bit weird so covered it in the spicy sauce and then it was ok.
Fri 13th did turn out to be a bit unlucky. We went to do the dinosaur footprint thing at 9:30am and arrived at the pickup point in Plaza 25 de Mayo to be told it was a bit too cold to go and could we come back at
noon. We figured sure why not, killed some time and went back at noon. The lady said there were no other people, was it possible for us to come back for the 2pm tour. This time was annoying since we had a bus to Santa Cruz booked for 5pm. I told her this and she assured me we would be back in plenty of time. We didn't really have a choice so killed some more time and went back, thankfully to a nearly full truck (third time lucky on the unlucky day...) Was quite interesting, had a guide that spoke English so got taken round the museum and to the lookout to view the footprints. There are about 5000 prints on a nearly vertical rock face. The guide explained that the area used to be a lake and the footprints were left by dinosaurs going for a drink and then when there was an earthquake the tectonic plates pushed together and pushed the ground up until it was vertical instead of horizontal.
Got our night bus to Santa Cruz after getting some more of the good street meat from the lady, and some fried chicken from another lady. And
some street cake. Was a good paved road until we ran out of paving! There were a lot of rock slides as well, some with boulders the size of a mini! The driver didn´t slow down, would go round a corner, come on to a slip and just go into the other lane! And this was at night! Arrived to Santa Cruz the next morning and went and bought our train ticket to the Bolivia / Brazil border for the Monday afternoon since it was cheaper than the Sunday afternoon train (website if you need the info is http://www.ferroviariaoriental.com/Pasajeros/Itinerariosytarifas/tabid/59/Default.aspx). Got a taxi to the hostel and I spent the day chilling out by the pool and watching DVDs and doing stuff on the internet. Was great. The hostel was fantastic, good swimming pool, awesome breakfast of fresh fruit, toast and eggs either fried or scrambled - all included in the price. Put some laundry into be done.
On Sunday 15th most of us at the hostel were in the pool, or beside it in the sun. Me and an aussie guy and girl went for a walk in the afternoon into town to get some ice cream. Sasha (the
guy) had his map out to make sure we were heading the right way since we had gone a slightly different way to what they did the previous day. As we were passing a parked 4 wheel drive two guys appeared and one knocked into Margo and put his arm against the wall in front of her. I figured he had just stumbled and was steadying himself but then he didn't move. I turned round to say something to Sasha and the second guy had his backpack on his back which I thought was really odd until I saw that guy was holding a gun. It all happened so fast I don't think I registered straight away we were being mugged at gun point. They were saying something in Spanish, probably give us all your stuff or else, but the gun didn't look real and the way he was holding had more of a hey yeah so I have a gun what will you give us feel rather than I know how to use this gun you stupid tourists, now give us everything or I will use it! So I went to walk off and the other guy put his
arm up again, so I said, "Disculpe"(excuse me) and he didn't move his arm and was speaking in Spanish, so I said more forcefully, "Disculpe por favor" (excuse me please) and he moved his arm and let me walk off, but still probably telling me to come back cos I turned round and he was gesturing for me to return. I said nuh and walked to the corner hoping to see a police man but there was nothing, no locals, no cars passing - not even a stray dog! After hiding my camera memory card I went back round the corner and Margo and Sasha were right there, all fine. Sasha had asked the guy with his bag if he could just get his passport out (cos they had a flight the next day to Salvador in Brazil for carnival) and the guy opened the bag looked inside and gave it back. He asked for money so Sasha got his wallet from his shorts pocket and gave it to the guy, who took out a 10Bs note and gave it back, not seeing there was a US$100 in there! He made Sasha open his other pocket which had his camera
Cathedral Basilica
With statues up the clock towerin it, so he lost that. Margo had given them her change purse from her bra, they took US$1 and gave it back leaving other Bolivian money in there, and she wouldn´t hand over her bag so they left.
We were a bit shaken but more shocked at how crap they were in what they actually ended up getting - 17Bs (£1.70 / NZ$4.50) and a camera. So instead of just ice cream we got lunch as well at Dumbos and then ice cream which was amazing. I got the dulce de leche with nuts (sweet milk, kind of caramely - it's a spread they put on bread here) and strawberry yoghurt. As we were leaving we spotted their cake section so I got a strawberry mousse for tea later and a chocolate one for Lorna since she hadn't been able to come cos she had to stay back to ring her folks. We went to find the police station so Sasha could report his camera for the insurance, but since it was Sunday it was closed and the police dude said to come back the next morning. We checked it was the main HQ to go back to
and not a local police station and he said no here. There was a parade of some sorts going on as well, but only had one float with a kid on it and lots of water being squirted so probably something to do with carnival.
Monday wasn't much busier than the other days, went and spent my bolivianos at the supermarket and got some microwave popcorn to have on the train ride. Was the best idea, way better than chips/crisps. The train ride was good, had movies in spanish and the seats were comfy enough to sleep most of the journey.
Woke the next morning (Tues 17th) to the train going the other way which woke me up quickly. Got a taxi to the border crossing and met up with the 2 aussies who had missed their plane the day before and so had got the train and then were having to bus to Salvador once in Brazil (it took them 82 hours in total to get there). Turns out it was a local police station he should have gone to, but the plane time had changed 2 hours earlier and they didn't know. After getting our exit
stamps we walked across a bridge into Corumba and got a taxi to the bus station to get our Brazilian entry stamp, we were in BRAZIL!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.084s; Tpl: 0.023s; cc: 7; qc: 45; dbt: 0.0368s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
