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Published: August 16th 2009
Our first impressions of Sucre as a pretty town were proven right. Apparently there is a local law that requires all buildings to be whitewashed once a year, and the local mayor owns a gardening store in town and is prone to giving herself a lot of business. The result is a town that seems very clean, bright and inviting. The town centre is also well laid out so we got our bearings fairly quickly.
We arrived at our hostel in Sucre at 8am after the night bus. The owner kindly let us leave our luggage there until our room was ready. She also gave us a map of the town, a guidebook on Sucre and explained all of the main attractions. After a tour of the hostel we instantly decided to extend our stay by another two days. It had an excellent kitchen and a lovely sundeck, and the all important hammock!
While our room was prepared we went for a wander through the town centre. It was Independance Day in Bolivia and the President was in town. The town centre was mobbed with Bolivians who had come in to enjoy the festivities and parades. While they celebrate
Independance Day each year, this year was spectacular as it is the Bicentennial ceremony. Platoons of soldiers came to town to march from villages in the mountains once past the officials. It was a colourful spectacle, but we were so tired that we didn't last long looking at the parade. We set off to find the supermarket. We had been told that it sold European style food, and we were in desperate need of a normal baguette sandwich. We were not disappointed. We went crazy buying ourself nice "normal" food and went home to prepare a feast for lunch. When we returned our room was ready. It was by far the best room we have stayed in since we started our trip. We had a private bathroom, a little dining area and shelves and all for just eleven euros per night. We essentially moved in for a few days.
It was probably because we were in such comfort at the hostel, but we really weren't very touristic in Sucre. We generally just enjoyed the hostel and got to know our way around the town. Each morning we would buy eggs and fruit at the market and then prepare our
meals in the sun. Bolivia is incredibly cheap, especially if you are not eating out every day. It is the first country where we have actually managed to consistently hit our budget. Several people choose to study Spanish in Sucre. Unfortunately we arrived mid-week and so couldn't get on a course, but it did make for a good bunch of people in the hostel. Many had come from places that we are going to, so we picked up some tips and recommendations.
One day we took a micro out in the countryside near Sucre to visit some waterfalls. The waterfalls themselves were pretty pathetic, but climbing them made for a good work out. Philippe even went for a dip in the freezing water. As we were walking up the hill I got flashbacks of Machu Picchu trek, and was amazed at the difference in difficulty level in climbing the same incline in lower altitude. It was nice to be able to breath easily. After the tour we boarded another micro to take us back into the city. We were shocked to see our bus-driver looked about 12 years old. We assumed he just looked young for his age, but
when the bus jerked and stalled as he started the engine, we realised that he was getting driving lessons with 20 passengers! Thankfully we were spared his driving through town as his older brother took over, but we were struck by how much we accept here that we wouldn't stand for back home, because there is not much you can do about it!
We also walked up a steep hill to the
Mirador Cafe. It is a lovely italian cafe with views of the whole city that is about 20minutes walk from the centre of town. We whiled away the afternoon, basking in the glorious sun, playing chess, enjoying beer and pasta. It is a must do for any visitors to Sucre!
As you might gather we didn't do a whole lot while in Sucre, but that was really the goal. We enjoyed having a bit of a normal routine for a few days, taking a break from dorms and being permanently on the go. Sucre is a fantastic place and we really did enjoy the good life at
La Dolce Vita Hostel.
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karin counet
non-member comment
climbing up
Philippe is it really you who is climbing up near to the waterfalls? What is happening with you? You lost you fear for hights? Big boy!!!