Much much too early, showered, packed and dressed we transfered to the airport eating a lacklustre boxed breakfast, watching El Alto flash by. Empty roads, few passengers, assistance (ushered on with the aged!) finally aloft, rewarded with views of the snow capped Andes we slumbered.
Changing flights at hot humid Santa Cruz airport, confusing shuffle through multiple bag checks over, at pre-boarding line-up we were sent away! No explanation. 30mins later once seated, club Blooming (1946) Santa Cruz football team joined us filling the remaining spaces. Did someone oversleep!
Landing at tiny mountain topped Sucre airport, where are we? Amid dusty road improvements an hour later, quaint, red and white, traditionally Spanish Sucre Bolivia’s capital and seat of their Supreme Court appeared!
After establishing the silver mines at Potosi, the Spanish chose to settle elsewhere creating lovely traditionally Spanish Sucre lower, cleaner air, and pleasanter weather; terrific! Seat of the second Spanish university created in S America (still famous for medicine, places sort after like Cambridge!) proud of its heritage, Sucre's vibrancy and change of pace again welcome. Bags dumped at our villa style hotel, (yep, really is the Brazilian consulate, for students) we set off to explore.
Climbing the precarious Eiffel Tower, created by Gustav Eiffel himself, in the central square historic Sucre surrounded us.
After a lovely courtyard lunch we visited the whitewashed Casa de la Libertad off the square. In 1809 dissent bubbling across all S American Spanish universities, with the aid of many Andean peoples (locally led by Juana Azurduy) Simon Bolivar triumphed! In 1825 the Declaration of Independence was signed (in the grand hall) creating Bolivia with the city renamed Sucre after Simon’s fellow liberator and friend Antonio Jose de Sucre. Subsequently the university vivas took place there, now it’s a museum.
Following two interesting craft museums we sat in a cafe below the plaza infront of the monasterio de la recoleta watching the sun set overlooking Sucre sipping a lovely mix of chocolate, passion fruit and iced water!
The first off, the main square museo de Tresero, introduced the Bolivian minerals, mining and their use as decorations (Incan stamped stars on clothes) and jewellery; gold, silver, quartz, bolivianista (combo of amethyst & citrine). The Incas bartered not realising the value of silver, the Spanish killed off half their conscripted work force trying to mass refine the Incan silver heat extraction process using mercury in mini kilns! Most interesting was the miniature silver mine and the huge blue and white quartz open vein. Especially proud, no English, and our tour mutated to French then transitioned to Spanish! No photos allowed, sadly.
The second, behind the monastery by the overlook, explaining local artisanal textiles (modern and original pieces), including a lady displaying her considerable skill weaving. Their designs depict nature and folklore.
We joined the student throng of the main square, dining in a bar where Simon sampled the craft beer with the sports channel only showing the managers no rights to the actual football game!
After a stroll round the illuminated square, back at the hotel, we braved their viewing platform rewarded with a panoramic vista, including the lit stadium where our fellow travellers were playing!
(Journey to Sucre)
(Andies from plane; plane leaflet; Sucre airport; Andes; road building; our hotel)
Sucre main square
(Government buildings Supreme Court ; Eiffel Tower; Theatre; unesco plaque; government buildings Supreme Court ; Casa de la Libertad, Cathedral; statue Antonina Sucre; streets; lunch restaurant)
(Hall were independence signed Aug6 1825; orig documents of independence; Juana Azurduy; Sucre; famous indigenous fighter from amazon)
Textile museum
(sample festival costume with charango; sunset over Sucre; monasterio de la recoleta; skilled Andean artisan weaver; hazy Sucre; sample modern and traditional weavings with traditional dress)
Sucre at Night from hotel viewing platform
(Football stadium with Blooming playing Sucre; monasterio de la recoleta; Cathedral)
Video to follow if technology back home allows.
We stayed at Mi Pueblo Samary Sucre, Bolivia.
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