Sucre

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Left Potosi for the 3 hour (plus 1 breakdown) bus ride to Sucre at the dizzying lows of 2,800m - ahhh- smell that oxygen. The town is another world heritage site choc full of impressive Spanish colonial architecture, this time all white - Santorini meets Seville. Seems like a very high student population and the indiginous influence looks to be very much on the wane here. The whole town is in carnival mode. Everyone between 3 and 23 are in large groups marching around town hurling and receiving water bombs, spraying and copping white foam, giant water pistols etc. Tourists and older folks aren´t generally the targets but it´s difficult not to get caught in the crossfire. The marching groups, usually in some form of costume, are accompanied by a big brass band all playing the same tune which just may haunt me forever. If you can bang a drum loud or play some form of brass instrument loud (trumpet, trombome, tuba or even the french horn) you'll get a gig here. Not too many opportunities for a piccolo player. They go all day and most of the night. You can't even escape in an intimate second story restaruant overlooking the plaza at 10pm. Up they came, soaking wet booming away. It was like sitting in a rest room during a contemplative private moment and in romps the Daley Wilson Big Band accompanied by 50 innebriated singers/ dancers. Lots of fun but it could spoil the ambience.
Tried a glass of the bolivian red, note to self, leave all further wine experimentation until France.
Gary

Gary has pretty much summed up Sucre. It is a nice, relativey clean colonial town, where the locals seem more open to tourists and in general happier with their lot. However, it is carnival time so maybe that helps.
Our last afternoon was spent at the Mirador overlooking Sucre, Gary sipping on the local beer and I indulged in a large portion of chocolate cake. (you can do that when you have lost weight) The outlook over the town with mountains, villages and the bands playing in the background was a great way to see out Sucre. Oh, did I tell you we had Chinese for dinner!! our first Asian meal since leaving Oz.
Penny

More images at:

www.colvinyeates.zenfolio.com

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Photos

Sucre
The Carnival begins

Sucre
Shine your shoes Guv!

Sucre
The Resting place of the rich and famous

Sucre
From the Mirador