Maybe it's a mistake, but I let myself be convinced to skip the nighttime, extremely arduous bus ride to Sucre, and book instead the 30-minute flight.
So instead of having taken the night bus, I'm at the small airport at nine o'clock in the morning, getting checked in in seconds, not realizing that the flight is delayed by at least one hour. It' s understandable, all those connecting flights waiting for takeoff to Singapore and New York and London (Lol).
And Marquez again
So I immerse myself in "Cien Anos de Soledad " by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the book of my life (best in literary history, guaranteed), and although I've read it a few times, it has to be another time. Not only is it a great pleasure to read, it also helps me brush up on my Spanish.
However, the novel is teeming with so many rare and completely unknown words that I'm glad to have read it in German once in a while. So once again I follow the crazy deeds of José Arcadio Buendia and bow to the man who died just a few years ago Gabriel Garcia Marquez ...
The empty Altiplano
The flight is short, but as the clouds soon disperse, the empty brown and green altiplano lies below us, interspersed with deep cuts and rivers, and there indeed, like a scar in the landscape, emerges the brown strip of the road.
So down there I would have struggled to get through. Need not be, so I'm quite happy with the decision made.
Cloudy Sucre
The airfield is a little higher than Sugar, on a plateau far above the basin where the constitutional capital of Bolivia and seat of the Supreme Court is located.
It is a strange story with these two capitals (everyone thinks of La Paz as the capital). Until 1899, Sucre was the original capital of the country, due to the enormous wealth accumulated by the neighboring city of Potosi (the chapter on silver and mines will be discussed later). Because of Potosi's economic decline as well as poor connections to the rest of the country, Sucre was abandoned 1899 as the seat of government in favor of La Paz, but, as mentioned, it remains the constitutional capital.
Even from far up, it is clear why Sucre is considered one of the most beautiful cities (Ciudad Blanca) in South America and has been declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco. Its whitewashed buildings, the houses laid out in a checkerboard pattern, the well-kept parks, the countless churches and museums are a special kind of attraction.
Plaza 25 de Mayo
I'm lucky, my hotel, La Casa Solariega, is located near the central square, a wonderfully ornate building with quiet courtyards where you can relax and get away from the hustle and bustle.
So I set off along Calle Grau and after a few minutes I find myself in the midst of Plaza 25 de Mayo (Declaration of Independence Day), overshadowed by countless tall palm trees and others. Life is overflowing. Young people (pupils, students, nursery kids) fight over the plaza, you barely see other people because of all the colorful school uniforms. Sucre is also a university town, it is teeming with young people who, in contrast to many older locals, especially those of indigenous origin, make a upbeat and open impression.
Seeing them and especially hearing them (because they are quite loud), one does not have to worry about the future of the country. The present, however, the countless beggars, the poorly dressed Indians, the countless women selling things on the side of the road for next to nothing, refreshes the pessimism.
As mentioned before: I don't see any real progress compared to the first visit in 1981. If it wasn't for the women pulling the cart, as in many other poor countries, things might look much worse.
Fried insects?
The evening is accompanied by a rapidly falling temperature, so you very soon put on your long pants and a warm jacket.
At the Joyride, a restaurant recommended by the friendly young lady at the hotel reception, I struggle through the menu card and order something unfamiliar at random. When it finally arrives, I have to ask what it is. It is supposed to be dried meat, but in a form that reminds more of fried insects than meat (maybe it's insects, but in any case it tastes good, a little unusual and salty, but quite okay).
Well, the things you eat when you're hungry ...
Mileage: 2960
Matching Song: Emily Browning - Sweet Dreams are made of this
And here the journey continues ...
