Sucre

In America, Bolivia 2001 On  02/08/2001  One comment

On my arrival in Sucre, I caught a taxi with more 3 people to know Tarabuco,  65km distant. Every Sunday this small town has a popular open market. It is crowded with tourists and people walking around and buying. We spend three hours in this town with a strong aboriginal influence. Then we came back to Sucre. I believe that Sucre is one of the richest cities from Bolivia. It was the place where I could see a bigger number of middle class people. It used to be the town where many Spaniard who explored the mines of Potosí lived.

One of the attractions of Sucre is to know the footprints of dinosaurs. These are in a cement factory. The first footprint was discovered 14 years ago, but they had only started to study and preserve the footprints 7 years ago. Tour is well organizing, they have a truck that takes the people to see the footprints in different parts. The guide explains the place very well and speaks an excellent English and Frenchman (a rarity around here).

Another attractive place is the old castle ¨La Glorieta¨. Today it is part of the Bolivian military school. Not so long ago they started the restorations, there are still a lot of work to be done. A very young guide tells the stories of the only castle in Bolivia.

I decided to know a little more the region around the city. First I took a bus until Yotala, a small town with colonial style houses. I walked a little on the streets, I photographed and seated in the kiosk in the square to observe the students going in and out of classes. It was the only place alive in the city, the rest it was completely dead. From there I went to Ñucchu, a place where people from Sucre go for the weekends.

In Ñucchu, I stayed in the large house of Sr. Alberto. He toured me around the house, showing the mills and telling its stories. There were many. His grandfather was president of Bolivia’s Republic and Alberto have traveled around the world for 11 years. He had maps and good memories of so many places. Lots to hear. It was a life lesson…