Sucre

Hi all,

Yesterday after I posted, Rachel, Sarah, Serena and I went to the witch's market. It was a little creepy! There were llama foetuses everywhere in the shops. Yuck. While we were there it started pouring with rain and we all got soaked walking back!

Then we all got on our overnight bus. Rodrigo (our new guide, who is super friendly!) had told us not to expect much. But we had more leg room than ever before and the seats were huge. There was free wifi and for some reason mine was the only phone that connected! Had the clearest conversation so far this trip with Mum, Dad and Brendon - good to talk to you all! Weird thing was though while we were talking the bus kept stopping without explanation and beggars would get on board! Very strange. 

The wifi cut out after that and 'Taken' and 'Taken 2' started to play in Spanish with no subtitles! I watched 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' on my iPad and then tried to sleep. I tried, but mostly failed. It was so hot on the bus so after 13-14 hours my cold was worse and I felt awful. 

We got to the hotel and then had breakfast at a nearby cafe. I had a delicious panini and a banana and coffee smoothie. Then we went to a travel agent type place to discuss activities for the next couple of days. They were all overpriced, Courtney, myself and a couple of the others have decided we will do things ourselves. 

Anne, Courtney and I set off for the day walking around the city. Sucre is apparently Bolivia's prettiest city and is also known as the white city of Bolivia. Sucre is technically the capital, but for some reason the government resides in La Paz!

Firstly we went up a lookout. It was a good view but the weather was quite cloudy today, so we couldn't go hang gliding like we wanted to. We looked in some markets and walked back down to the main square. Here we saw the cathedral and government palace where Bolivia's constitution was signed. Then we ran into Daniel, Michelle, Rick and Rodrigo and went to a chocolate shop and the central markets. Here we all had a juice, I got banana, strawberry, apple and passion fruit - yummy!

Then us three girls walked to Bolivar Park. There was a dinosaur themed playground here, Courtney and I got very excited but were quickly told off when we got on the stegosaurus seesaw, apparently only for kids. Isn't 22 counted as still being a kid? :( So we went to another part of the park. Anne and I climbed an observation tower that looked like a mini Eiffel Tower. I got a bit scared at the top, the fences weren't very good and it swayed in the wind - eek! 

Next we all had an ice cream, then Courtney went back to the hotel. Anne and I walked to the general cemetery, apparently one of the biggest in South America. It was massive and we spent a while walking around the graves, tombs, walls of gravestones and little shrines. 

Tonight we are meeting at 7pm for dinner but I'm considering staying in as my stomach isn't the best still. Rodrigo assures me it's the altitude and it'll go away in a few days when we get closer to sea level. I hope so!

Love to all

Claire

Xoxox