Yesterday evening we noticed "The English Pub" just down the street from our hotel so we went in for bangers and mash for me and fish and chips for Anita, all washed down with Bolivian draught beer. Not bad. We were back in our room early as usual.
This morning after Skyping our granddaughter, who is 1 year old today, we had a leisurely breakfast and paid our bill. We had already arranged an airport transfer at 11 am for 70 Bolivianos ($14). After packing up, we were in the lobby by 10:50 and a small van was waiting for us. It took about 40 minutes to climb the steep, congested streets of La Paz to get to the airport in El Alto above the city.
La Paz was founded by the Spanish in the canyon where the Aymara indigenous people lived to avoid the harsh weather of the altiplano above. Gradually, the city expanded up the steep slopes and eventually the satellite city of El Alto grew on the flat plain. The airport in El Alto has very long runways because it takes planes a long time to take off at this altitude.
The natural setting of La Paz, with the steep canyon, high plain, snow capped peaks in the distance and lots of sunshine would be quite beautiful if the cities of La Paz and El Alto weren't here. El Alto, in particular is very drab - all 3 to 6 storey red brick buildings and grimy streets.
The La Paz airport seems quite small for a city this size. However, everything seems to work and it was no problem checking in with Bolivian Airlines and getting through security.
Our first 1/2 hour flight to Cochibamba left on time at 2:25 pm. It was a perfectly clear day so we enjoyed the rugged mountain scenery. When we arrived in Cochibamba it was sunny and hot. We quickly were escorted from one plane to the other and soon took off for Sucre. Again we enjoyed the rugged scenery. Much of what we saw was high, dry, treeless and devoid of human habitation. In some of the river valleys we saw small farms. It's amazing where people can eke out a living.
The Sucre terminal is quite small with only 1 little luggage carousel. After the quick turnaround in Cochibamba, we were pleasantly surprised to see our packs appear. Outside the terminal, about 6 or 8 taxi drivers were right in our faces immediately. I picked one old guy who didn't look like an axe murderer and he led us to his car.
We were a little surprised to see the jalopy he was driving. He said it would cost 30 Bolivianos ($6 CA) to take us to our hotel, which seemed a little high but within reason, so we got in. He was driving an old Datsun which he must have bought about 50 years ago when he first learned to drive. Even the dashboard was rusty. Looking over the front passenger seat, I could see the road going by through a hole in the floor. When we went around every corner, the wheel bearings squealed. When we stopped, the brakes squealed. Luckily the weather was warm because we had to drive with all the windows open because of the exhaust fumes. No doubt his exhaust pipe was full of holes. When he changed gears, the clutch seemed to slip. At each of the many small hills we wondered if we would make it over the top. Meanwhile he honked his horn at nothing. However, in about 15 or 20 minutes, we arrived at our hotel, none the worse for wear.
Sucre is in a valley surrounded by low mountains. At 2,750 metres (9,000 feet), it's 3,000 feet lower than La Paz so it's warmer and easier for breathing. It's the actual capital of Bolivia although all the governing takes place in La Paz. Sucre is known as the most beautiful city in Bolivia with many whitewashed stucco buildings.
We had decided to pay a little extra for a room because we're starting our last week of travel and we know we're well under budget anyway. The Hostal de Su Merced was highly rated so we decided it might be worth the $67 US + 13% tax they're charging. When we saw our room we were happy with our choice. We have one of two top floor rooms. From any of our 3 big windows, we can see over most of the rooftops of Sucre. We have a nice bright room, bathtub, an electric heater, a small fridge, good wifi, included breakfast and really nice decor. Well worth it.
After getting settled, we walked the few blocks to the main square and looked for a restaurant. We settled on one with good reviews from Lonely Planet and Trip Advisor called the Bibliocafe where we shared a plate of nachos and a one litre beer. Tomorrow we'll explore Sucre.
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