Home sweet home

I heard heard that travelling in Bolivia is as cheap as chips! I knew I spent a lot in brazil and Argentina, especially in Rio and Buenos Aires; but they are big cities and they cost the equivalent of the UK. However, by the time I got to Chile, I had my currency all mixed up and could not tell you the prize of anything 😉 however, what I did note was the cost of hostels of Bolivia seemed a lot more economical than elsewhere. As such, and due to the fact that I had spent the last six weeks or so in dorms, I decided I was going to be extravagant on my accommodation in Bolivia. As such, all rooms I booked in bolivia were private with an en suite, well a gal has to treat herself. It seems here is where an extra £5 makes all the difference.

Casa La Tronco was highly recommended in Lonely Planet and although there were no singles available (it only has four rooms), I splashed out on a twin room just for me. What a call. For about £20 a night I was treated to the style and hospitality of this gorgeous guest house in the lovely area of recoleta in sucre.

The couple who owned it, along with their son and their dog, had the utmost style and an incredible eye for detail.

Tania, the lady of the house had prepared a hand written guide for visitors, filled with history and really useful information about the city – it was truly special. What’s more, they also wrote my name on the the visitor chalk board…

And if this isn’t enough, they had a delightful balcony which provided gorgeous views of the city.

The only problem I had with Casa la Tronco was that I had only booked two nights here!

Sucre – sweet by name, sweet by nature

Hey, it’s 7.45pm and I’m enjoying my second night in my boutique hotel in La Paz. Had a fab day today which I’m dying to tell you all about, but first here’s some of the loveliness which in Sucre.

I arrived from Potosi late afternoon and a friend (Lisbet) I met in Buenos Aires was also in town, so hey, time for dinner and some wine. We met in the main square and decided on a restaurant with a view. We both opted for the Bolivian speciality, I’m afraid I can’t recall it’s name, but it was beef (or lama!), chicken and sausage in a tomato and vegetable sauce and it had the added extra of some French fries hidden at the bottom of the bowl. Given it was a BA reunion, a bottle of vino or two was definitely on the cards!

After the second bottle and some catching up we were having fun, so on to pub (the joyride cafe) and then some dancing where we met some French folks. Needless to say I did not arise until mid afternoon, so late lunch and early night was necessary.

I was determined, however, that my last day in sucre was not to be wasted – I had some serious sight seeing to do, plus i had to check out of my hotel at 11am and my coach was not until 7pm. I had decided to stay in the Recoleta part of town at the lovely casa la tronco (so lovely infact, it deserves it’s own post!), a lot of the cool things to see where just around the corner, so off with a hop, skip and a jump and camera in hand! I have rather stupidly thrown out my map of sucre, so I’m unable to let you know what these are, but sure you’ll enjoy regardless.

The views of the city were pretty amazing.

I was really keen to visit the Museo Textil Indigena which feature traditional weavings from the local area; the museum is a project which has been set up to revitalise traditional crafts. on arrival I was even given an English translation guide, which I was loving until I found out that my timings were off and it was shutting for lunch; I really should check out these things before going! Although you are unable to take any photographs in the museum, these are some of the goodies available in the gift shop.

I even got to see a local lady in action; I loved her outfit!

Next stop the local market. What a sight to behold! I felt a bit voyeuristic taking pix but did take one of the fruit stall I visited to get a freshly pressed mango drink – tasty!

Sucre’s centre is a delightful plaza, ranked by some beautiful buildings. Most folks congregate here to have a chat, chill out and feed the pigeons. It was a beautiful place to people watch.

Well what a delightful day in Sucre. Next stop La Paz, just a night bus (with no loos) to negotiate, although I did have a lie down bed – once I understood the instructions, lol!