We wrote this all out yesterday and then the computer crashed on us so here we go again and fingers crossed, it will work this time!
There isn`t much more to mention that happened on Sunday, apart from going for a really delicious chinese in the evening with Banafsheh – we`ve tried a couple while we`ve been away but none have been as good as that one! On Monday, we had a bit of an `admin´ day. We did some washing and sent a load of stuff home – the difference in weight of our rucksacks is amazing and we can both zip them up really easily! Apart from that, we didn`t really do an awful lot again – this is partly because I`m still not feeling particularly fantastic – still got a dodgy tummy and feeling quite lethargic. Admittedly, going out for chinese probably isn`t the best idea in the world but I have tried to be reasonably good since...
On Tuesday, we thought it was about time we got out and about a bit and so got up a bit earlier to take the 9:30 `Dino-truck´. We left the hotel a bit earlier than we needed to and sat in the square to wait for it, which proved to be a bad move as we were sitting ducks for the various kids wandering around offering to shine our shoes and sell us salteñas, which are a bit like small pasties, or newspapers. Chris bought a couple of salteñas and then another one for the newspaper boy as that seemed the only way that he would leave us alone. We have also heard that it`s better to give food than money anyway and he said he was hungry.
The Dino-truck takes you to Cal Orko, which is a big quarry owned by the national cement company. In 1994, whilst they were quarrying, they discovered a load of dinosaur footprints, which have since been verified by scientists from Switzerland, Italy and the US. Apparently, there are over 5,000 footprints on the wall (it is now a vertical wall rather than the `floor´ that it was, because of when the Nazca and South-american plates crashed), with various types visible, although we can only remember the Triceratops and Brontosaurus and a Tyrannosaurus Rex type dinosaur. The Rough Guide had warned that it took a good guide and a good imagination to get a great deal from the visit so we weren`t expecting too much. It was much better than we thought it was going to be though and you could make out some of the prints really clearly. Considering they have been there for 65 odd million years, it`s quite amazing there`s anything there at all really. Our guide was explaining to us that there are quite a few prints that they don`t have any information on because they have appeared since the investigation team first looked at the wall. The wall is eroding, meaning that they are losing some of the prints that are visible today but the positive side to this is that more prints are appearing. They are thinking of trying to cover the wall with silicon but funds are preventing them from doing this at the moment. They are also trying to get the team of scientists back to look at the new prints but again, funds are a problem.
We returned to Sucre after about an hour and had lunch in our hotel, which was a bit of a bargain – under 1 pound each for four courses! After lunch, we went back to the post office as you can go up to the roof for a small fee. We had some lovely aerial views of Sucre, which looks quite pretty from above as there are lots of whitewashed buildings with orange roofs. It is a very attractive city and as it`s a UNESCO world heritage site, they aren`t able to change it. I think there is also some rule that says that buildings have to be repainted at regular intervals as well, which gives it a nice clean feeling. It is a pity that you get hassled by people either asking for money or trying to sell you things you don`t need (our sandals really can`t be shined!). We understand that the people are very poor but it`s impossible to give everyone something.
We then went back to the hotel, where Chris managed to find Liverpool vs. Burnley in the FA cup on TV (the less said about that the better). Not being too interested in that, I went for a wander to try to find a market that Banafsheh had mentioned to see if I could find another jumper to replace the one I stupidly left in Uyuni. I found the market but couldn`t find a jumper, although I did later find a fleece in an artesan shop so that was good. It`s very similar to one my Mum has though – should I be getting worried...or maybe more to the point, should Chris???
Wednesday was Banafsheh`s last day in Sucre (we decided to stay an extra night as Chris had a bit of a dodgy tummy as well on Tuesday so we thought we`d give them a bit of time to settle down a bit) so we decided to have a look around one of the museums together. We went to the `Casa de la Libertad´, or `House of Liberty´, which was where the Bolivian declaration of independence was signed in 1825. We tagged along on a Spanish tour, which we didn`t understand an awful lot of! About the only thing I can tell you is what the colours of the Bolivian flag mean - red to represent the blood of the people who fought for independence, yellow to represent the minerals in the earth in Bolivia and green to symbolise hope...so at least we learnt something :0)
After that, we went to lunch and then decided to wander up to the cemetery as they are normally quite interesting places. We were met just outside by lots of 10 – 12 year old boys offering to give us a tour so we decided to go along with the first boy who reached us (after sprinting down the hill the moment he saw us coming!). Again, we didn`t understand an awful lot and it was quite funny as he was obviously reciting a set script (especially obvious when another boy came along and was mouthing the words as well), but we respect the fact that he`d done the course about it and was doing something to earn a bit of money. We paid him probably rather too much but hopefully made his day. The cemetery was a bit different to other ones we have visited over here as it was a bit like a cross between something like Recoleta cemetery in Buenos Aires and what we would normally expect a cemetery to look like. It was nice and peaceful and had lots of greenery, although there were still lots of very grand mausoleums and tombs.
After the cemetery, we headed back to the hotel for a couple of games of cards before saying a very fond farewell to Banafsheh who headed off to La Paz. It was a bit strange to see her go and a bit sad as we`d been travelling together for just over a week and we got on really well...
We didn`t do very much for the rest of the day – a couple more games of cards and a bit of telly about sums it up.
On Thursday, we made maximum use of our hotel room, checking out at 11:58 (two minutes before the deadline). Again, I wasn`t feeling too great so after checking our emails, we wandered leisurely to Simon Bolivar park, which wasn`t too far away. It was reasonably attractive, although nothing too exciting. Chris did climb up the miniature version of the eiffel tower though...looking a bit nervous at the top as apparently it was a bit wobbly!
After that, we had lunch, went to the supermarket to buy stuff for tea, tried to get into the cathedral, which was shut, and then made our way to the bus station to get our bus to Samaipata.
As it was our first experience of a biggish Bolivian bus station, we got a bit confused as we didn`t realise that we had to go to the bus company office 30 minutes before our bus to exchange the voucher we had for our tickets and check our baggage in (in other countries we`ve visited, you just queue up to shove your bags in the hold...). Luckily, there was a kiwi couple getting onto our bus as well so they pointed us in the right direction!
The bus left quite promptly and we didn`t have people packed in here, there and everywhere as we have had on other Bolivian buses, which was quite nice. So, off we set. The road was very windy, meaning that Chris got quite travel sick, which wasn`t so nice for him. It was almost a relief then when we stopped after a couple of hours. We`re still not entirely sure what we stopped for but we suspect it was a mini-road block as there seemed to be an awful lot of buses and lorries stopped and people sat at the side of the road. We didn`t get off the bus to find out though and after about three quarters of an hour we were off again...only to stop again at 8:30 for dinner! The Bolivian buses do seem to stop quite a lot.
After dinner, we managed to get a bit of sleep until 4:45 when my alarm went off as we were supposed to arrive in Samaipata at around 5:00. When we woke up, we were stopped in a small town so I went to the front of the bus to check where we were. The buses over here have a door between the passengers and the driver, which is locked from the driver`s side, so you have to knock on the door until they open it for you...which took quite a while and we had left the town by the time they did so. Luckily, it wasn`t Samaipata though and he said that it was further on. When I asked how much further, he just said that he`d tell us when we got there – so helpful! We eventually arrived at about 5:20 and off we got. (Chris – I think there may have been someone in the baggage hold as one of the drivers got off and was talking to someone in there and the door had been left slightly open presumably to let air in.) We didn`t have a clue where we were and everything was shut but luckily, there was a bloke stood nearby so we asked him the way to the centre and set off.
We were aiming for the plaza, where we were going to sit for a couple of hours until the town woke up, when we walked past a place with rooms that was open. Our room isn`t anything spectacular, but it has a (Chris – comfortable) bed, is clean, has a reasonable bathroom and is incredibly cheap – 2 pounds per night – so we took it. We grabbed a couple more hours sleep and then headed out again to find some breakfast.
The cafe where we had breakfast had some information on walks around the town, and one in particular had been recommended to us – up to a viewpoint of the town and surrounding valleys – so we decided to do that. The walk up was fairly tough, at least on me, and it was very hot but we reached the first viewpoint after about an hour and I decided that I was a bit tired to continue so I returned to our room while Chris went a bit further to a second viewpoint, which he said was very pretty – I`ll just have to look at the pictures, like all of you :0)
When he came back, we went for (Chris – a delicious) lunch, after finding out that there are now problems with road blockades in Santa Cruz, which is where we need to go to get to La Paz (or probably anyway, there is an alternative way to go, which we might have to take – we`ll find out more tomorrow). It`s a bit typical that we were worried about getting to La Paz because of blockades but apparently it`s fine there now and not where we`ve come to! I`m sure it`ll all work itself out though. We`re going to stay here a couple of nights, maybe do another walk or two and head out on Sunday all being well. As always, we`ll let you know how we get on!
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