Sucre - The White City To Visit (Bolivia)

Member Name: indiecater

Product:	Bolivia
Date:	06/12/02 (1031 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: As close to tourist heaven as Bolivia gets.

Disadvantages: The poverty wading between the tourist dollar.

Sucre was founded in the late 15th century and quickly became one of the most important cities in Spanish ruled Latin America. Four centuries later it was the venue of Bolivia's declaration of independence. Curiously, it remains the constitutional capital of Bolivia despite it size (250,000) and the fact that La Paz holds most of the governments law making institutions.

Aesthetically, Sucre is probably the most pleasing city in Bolivia. It has a easy going nature that is only partially blighted by a sizeable community of beggars. It is a little more expensive than the rest of the country which you'll notice straight away as you look for a bed for the night. That said, it is quite easy to fall in love with the place. The climate is quite temperate and the altitude of 2,800 metres, while by no means easy at first, is much less taxing than La Paz.

Sucre is a monumental bus ride from Santa Cruz in the North East of the country. Make sure you pay for a good bus as the road is badly potholed and the majority is unpaved. This is an overnight journey but you won't be able to count on getting much sleep. To add to your misfortune Sucre's bus terminal is not within walking distance of the town centre. A taxi there is quite reasonable, however, at 5 Boliviano's (B) which is about 75 cents.


ACCOMMODATION

Sucre has one of the most well developed tourist accommodation scenes in all of Bolivia. There are many categories to choose from with the budget end well catered for. Calle Ravelo has perhaps the biggest concentration of budget hotels. These hotels are frequently called residencials or alojamientos for the bargain basement.

We stayed at the charming Hostal Charcas (2 stars) which was right opposite the central market. It has a big breakfast and TV room and a sun lounge that was bright for most of the day. Our room shared a toilet with 2 others but it was cleaned se

veral times a day. The room itself was spotlessly clean, if a little small, and the bed was so soft getting out of it was sometimes the days biggest chore.

Hostal Charcas have really friendly staff, some have broken English, the others thankfully, have lots of patience. There is a laundry facility available (7B per kilo) and remarkably they manage to return all the socks you send for cleaning. At reception you can buy tickets for daily buses to Uyani (90B) and Potosi (15B) and on Sunday transport is arranged for trips to the huge craft market at the nearby town of Tarabuco.

Double rooms in Hostal Charcas start at 65B but you can negotiate a discount for longer stays. Rooms with private facilities go for 90B which includes a TV of the non cable variety, in other words a total waste of time (if your Spanish is pigeon).


ATTRACTIONS

The Plaza 25 De Mayo marks the heart of the city. It is made up of a very leafy square that has all manner of colourful flowers in bloom. No matter what time of the day you visit it there is always a cross section of people wandering around. It is a good place to admire the imposing Cathedral and the several other surrounding buildings.

Sucre's central market is a little laid back in comparison to its equivalent in La Paz. That said, it is an interesting way to spend an afternoon with an eye opening meat section (calling it primitive would be an understatement) and good value electronic stalls. There are plenty of CD stores selling copies at dirt cheap prices but it is difficult to get hold of any meaningful western releases (except for Coldplay, Bon Jovi et al).

Sucre's cemetery is renowned as the most beautiful in South America (and after seeing Buenos Aires' Recoleta Cemetery we would agree). As you enter the sign reads 'Hodie Mihi Cras Tibi' ('Today for me, tomorrow for you') and once ins
ide y
ou'll witness well maintained gardens and an eerie silence that is quite, well eerie. The cemetery contains the tombs of Bolivia's most important personalities and by the size of it there are lots of them. Entry is free and you can get guided tours (in Spanish) for a nominal fee.

Simon Boliviar Park at the end of calle Ravelo is seen as one of the town's highlights but apart from some nice green areas it lacks anything of note. It's most interesting feature is a miniature copy of the Eiffel tower (donated by the Prince and Princess of La Gloried) that you can climb if you are willing to suffer some alarming creaks and waivers from the metal frame. There is also a small man-made waterway with paddle boats for rent but when we visited the water level was about 2 inches.

Cal Orck'o is the world's largest paleontological site and is situated a few kilometres outside Sucre. The site is part a limestone quarry and is in fact a huge sloping wall measuring 25,000 metres. The wall hosts thousands of dinosaur foot impressions. The biggest dinosaur to leave its mark was a Titansaurius whose footprint measured 25 metres across. While the whole thing gets a little tiring after about half an hour it is still spectacular. The site was only found in 1994 but it has had paleontologists in a tizzy ever since. To get to Cal Orck'o you can take the Dino-truck that leaves from the Cathedral 3 times a day. The truck resembles a well built cattle transporter and is an experience in itself as everyone packs into the seatless back. Delivery and entry to the site costs just 25B.

There is an impressive array of museums in Sucre and most are within an easy walk of the centre. The most famous is Liberty House on the Plaza which is where Bolivia's Act Of Independence was signed in 1825. The most important feature of this ornate building is the Baroque Choir with the carved Presidenti
al armchai
r taking pride of place.

Other museums of note are the Ecclesiastical Museum (61 calle Nicolas Ortiz) which has an art gallery, Chapel and the aforementioned Cathedral. The Anthropological, Colonial and Natural History museums also draw in the crowds but museum burn out is a definite possibility if you manage to see them all.

Sucre is the chocolate capital of Bolivia and no matter what street you walk down you will come across a speciality chocolate store. Prices are reasonable and some places offer tastings to induce purchase. As you can imagine this situation can be abused by some budget chocoholics!

You might find it hard to believe but finding an air conditioned supermarket on calle Argentina was a major delight for us. Not that we bought that much but a fleeting reminder of life at home was enough to again brave the world outside. Sad, but after a few weeks in Peru and Bolivia glimpses of western conveniences can warm the soul.


EATING OUT & DRINKING

Sucre has an impressive selection of restaurants. Some are pretty expensive especially those near the Plaza but the lunch specials offered by most are fabulous value for money. Bolivian food is fairly bland and variety is not something that is easy to track down. In saying that eating out is cheap and portions are big enough to satisfy most bellies.

Chifa Dragon Hong Kong 111 was our favourite because of its wholesome and filling dishes. Like many Chinese restaurants in Peru/Bolivia the food offered is great value for money. Chifa Dragon's almuerzo (lunch) of soup and chicken main for 7B was a steal. Their a la carte menu had the best chicken curry we'd tasted on our travels in the continent, even if was a little more expensive at 15B. Chifa Dragon is very popular with locals which is always a good sign.

Bibliocafe is a quaint restaurant bar that overfl
ows with wooden
furnishings. Inside it is quite dark but this adds to the intimate atmosphere. Their menu's are perhaps a little expensive considering there is little flair but on the positive side they do stay open later than most.

La Viegja Bodega has the feel of the wild west. With its cow hides, saddles, wooden beer kegs and Billy the Kid music it is as contrived as there is. The plant pots hanging upside down as lights are pretty except for when you stand up and beat your head against them. The service is great, the waiters make good use of the little English they have and are very friendly. Each lunchtime La Viegja Bodega has a set lunch for 12B and you still get your soup poured from ladle.

Joyride Bar on calle Espana just off central Plaza 25 de Mayo is probably the best place in town to have a beer because it puts more emphasis on drink than food. It has a small balcony and outdoor patio for those sultry evenings. The music policy is more western than most places in town and its opening hours are flexible. The most popular cervaza (beer) in the Sucre region is Taquila. It's worth noting that the bottle version is much stronger than the draft equivalent. At 8B per 33cl it is quite expensive by Latin American standards but it is tasty.

The Karaoke/Disco bar on calle Arenales is the place to head for late night drinks and watching the locals having fun. Looking like it could have done with a renovation about 20 years ago and giving off a seedy vibe this is true low rent stuff that could only be glamorised if you take to the mike yourself!


WHERE TO NEXT?


Uyani is about a 7 hour rough bus journey from Sucre. It is isolated in an arid landscape that is not very inviting. The reason the gringos arrive in their droves is that Uyani is the nearest sizeable town to the spectacular Salar De Uyani salt flats. Saying you visited the biggest sa
lt flat in the world
might not impress many of your friends until they see the photos however.

The Salar De Uyani covers an area of 12,000 square kilometres. At an altitude of 3,600 it is not for the faint hearted but visiting the flats is an experience you won't get anywhere else on earth. Salar De Uyani is perfectly flat and has a blindingly white blanket of salt (15 metres thick in some places) on its surface. The effect is otherworldly as you squint as far as the horizon where the distant mountains tell you that perhaps you haven't been abducted.

Salar De Uyani was once a prehistoric salt lake that gradually shrunk under the heat of the sun leaving the minerals in the water behind. Each winter the lake is partially restored but the water soon evaporates under the intense heat. According to our guide the Salar is actually getting bigger each year. Even though it is a National Park the locals are allowed to recover some salt deposits to sell throughout Bolivia. This work is tedious and the rewards are negligible.

There are many tour companies operating out of Uyani that do trips to the Salar. The most popular one has a 4 day/3 night itinerary that includes all food and accommodation and visits the Salar, the coloured lakes of Laguna Colorada and Laguna Verde and huge geyser fields. This tour is great value for money at $65 but accommodation is very basic and being squashed into a 4WD van for 4 days can be taxing.

Due to a lack of time we plumped for the 1 day tour (there are 2 and 3 day tours available also) that included lunch and cost $15. For this you get to see the cottage salt industry at Colchani, Hotel Playa Blanca (made completely from salt but now closed due to a health scare) and Isla De Pescadores. The latter is an island in the middle of the white expanse that hosts giant Cacti and a rodent colony of Vizcachas (c.f. Rodents Of Extraordinary Size
in 'The Princess Bri
de').


MISCELLANEOUS

Sucre has innumerable internet cafes and if you look around you can find rates as cheap or even cheaper than in the capital La Paz. Connection speed is not at all aligned with the price being charged so its best to spread your usage around until you find the best one. The pedestrian mall at calle Junin has several cafes that offer hourly rates of 2B with reasonable speeds.

It is advisable to carry a copy of your passport details at all times when in Sucre. Irregular checks are made by police (we saw none) and if you have no means of identity then a fine is likely. Sucre has a fairly good post office on calle Ayacucho. To be sure that your more valuable post arrives safely you can use post certifico (certified) for an extra few Boliviano's.

You'll find the biggest concentration of tourists in Bolivia in Sucre. Unfortunately this fact means that there is a large beggar population, especially around the Plaza. Most are not pushy but many look as if they could do with a little help. The town is also overrun by packs of dogs. While they don't seem to be vicious the sight of half a dozen haggard fluff balls heading quickly in your direction can be a little disconcerting.

If like us you can't afford to fly from town to town the alternative is the dreaded bus system that operates within the country. As a rule most of the journeys offer spectacular scenery but a combination of crowding, breakdowns, lack of air conditioning and insufferably bad roads can lead to at least some stress. There are some good companies but they often charge up to twice as much as their more economical peers. For comfort you should stick with Flota Copacabana or Flota Cosmos. Flota San Francisco on the other hand are to be avoided at all costs with Trans Turismo Emperador only marginally better. Remember that taking a bus in Bolivia is a
ll part of the experience, eve
n if at the time this will be of little comfort.


On your way in to Sucre you'll be hit by the isolation of the surrounding area. The suburbs are dusty and strewn with rubbish but once you get to the Plaza De Mayo you are transported to a very different place. As a glimpse of Bolivian life Sucre is perhaps a little sanitised but the town has carved a near perfect niche for itself that appeals to both the natives and visitors.

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