As sweet as Sucre

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Sucre - a welcome stop for 3 reasons: 1) we were getting tired from moving on so much and wanted a base for a while; 2) we wanted to enjoy the year round spring like climate Sucre enjoys and 3) we fancied brushing up on our Spanish and wanted to do a week´s language course. We were able to do all three. We found a good Spanish school, Jonty learnt loads of new verbs and I was able to chat away all week with someone paid to correct my every mistake (not a job I´d want to take on, ha, ha) locals never correct you but its the only way to improve. We also found a place to relax at the highest point of the city (La Recoleta) where you could sit in a deckchair and take in the magnificent views of all the white painted buildings ( the residents have to make sure the buildings are kept as white as possible by painting them once a year, a dream come true for the Sucre painters and decorators I bet.) On the frst Sunday of our visit we travelled to Tarabuco market 64km southeast of Sucre, well worth a visit, even if you don´t fancy shopping you can sit in the town square sipping a coca leaf tea and watch the locals go by in their traditional dress going about their business. A word of warning: if you stay in Sucre the week before Carnaval, you´re likely to get a waterbomb thrown at you from across the street or a moving car. Bolivian youngsters and gringos are prime targets, watch out!

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Photos

Streets of Sucre
In the run up to Carnaval it´s traditional to throw water bombs. We gave these three lads a bit of space.

La Recoleta
It´s a great view for tourists and locals alike

Our home for 10 days
The Instituto Cultural Boliviano Aleman (yes they have rooms we told many surprised locals)

Doing my Spanish homework
outside our room in ICBA

Road to Tarabuco
On the way to the Sunday market

Tarabuco
table football around the square

Shopping in the market stalls
Louise with a purchase, llama finger puppets.

Statue in main square
To commemorate the war against the Spanish

Sucre Fruit Market
Colourful, bustling and not quite as cheap as we´d expected (had they seen us coming?)

Pre Carnaval
The band march round Plaza 25 de Mayo

Pre Carnaval
The ladies dancing in their beautifully colourful dresses follow

Teatro Gran Mariscal
on Plaza Libertad