Sucre - the capital city, or is it?

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We arrived in Sucre (the constitutional capital) after a pretty good bus journey, comfy semi-cama seats (reclining with foot rests) and we bought travel cushions - aren´t we good to ourselves?? The road was pretty good if unpaved, and I woke up in time to see the sun rise. When we arrived we met a nice taxi driver who drove us around some places to stay (probably his drinking buddies) for no extra cost. We found a really nice place called Hostal Independencia and settled in there. We decided to spend the day walking around a couple of the museums as the next day was election day in Bolivia and most places would be shut. We visited the Museo Arte Indigena which was set up to preserve and progress native weaving. We saw two women from different communties weaving and the work they were doing was really intricate. After this we went to Casa de la Liberatad, where Bolivia was declared a republic. It had furniture and paintings from that era and one room showed thirty or so of it´s ex-presidents. Bolivia has had a troubled political past (and continues to have). There have been 189 changes of governement in its 179 years as a republic. Only last year the president at that time, Jorge Quiroga Ramirez, was ousted after protests about gas being exported from the country. He currently lives in the US but some want him to stand trial in Bolivia. The museum also focussed on Antonio Jose de Sucre, the first president and in a way liberator (Simon Bolivar was also a prominent figure but only ever governer of what was then called Alto Peru or high Peru).

Next day, with the elections in full swing we rested a bit and took a stroll through the mostly empty streets. There were hardly any vehicles on the streets as people had to display a special permit to drive. People were walking around in their Sunday best and there was a festive air around the polling stations with people selling food and the locals standing around eating and talking.

On Monday before leaving for Potosi we took The Dino Bus out to a quarry with fossilised dinosaur footprints. There are maybe six or so distinct types of dinosaur prints visible. The prints were made in volcanic ash which then hardened and preserved the prints. They are now on a vertical quarry wall due to the movement of tectonic plates which forced the ground upwards (Louise, Maria or Geraldine if you are reading this, think of Miss O´Connell´s explanation in secondary school). Due to the soft nature of the walls, the prints are constantly being eroded and falling away but luckily this only reveals further prints.

Later we took a shared taxi along the bumpy road to Potosi where we joined a mines tour but that´s another story...

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Photos

The Declaration of Independence
"I hereby declare the territory of High Peru a sovereign state and independent of any nation". Or something like that.

Simon Bolivar made of flowers!
This beautiful example was found in the carefully tended gardens in the main square of Sucre

Freak rainstorm!
No caption necessary, thanks

Inside the Hostel
The aptly-named Hostal Independencia (because it was the day of the elections). I know, it should be Hostal Democracia, but let´s not argue - you´re probably thousands of miles away from me

Let´s all go a-voting!
It´s not because we want to, it´s because we have to or we get a fine. Or maybe we want to, nobody knows.

The caption reads "No Grafiti, fine 200 Bolivianos"
Another Classic South American Shambles

The DinoBus!!
The very very very very slow Dinobus!!

Look, my hat fits over my helmet!
Now we´re ready to see dinosaur footprints.

An explanation of "Dinosaurs"
"and the fast carnivorous ones ate the slow vegetarian ones"

Look Closely
There´s a clear track where two Brontosaurii walked many millions of years ago (amongst many other smaller ones). You could lie down in the footprints!