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All posts for the month March, 2016

Bolivia's Declaration of Independence, signed here in Sucre in 1825

Bolivia’s Declaration of Independence, signed here in Sucre in 1825

We were excited about going to Sucre, the “constitutional” capital of Bolivia. To be clear, the seat of government – Congress, the Presidential Palace, the various departments – is in La Paz, but the constitution declares Sucre the national capital, with the judiciary still headquartered here. Sucre has a great reputation as a place to go, great climate, colonial architecture, the heart and soul of the Bolivian independence movement, the country’s most beautiful city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sounds pretty great.

Jesus watches over Sucre from the top of one of the big hills overlooking the city. After a long and steep hike up here, imagine my disappointment to discover cars up here with a bunch of people who'd driven up.

Jesus watches over Sucre from the top of one of the big hills overlooking the city. After a long and steep hike up here, imagine my disappointment to discover cars up here with a bunch of people who’d driven up.

Quick history. Known in colonial times as La Plata, the city was the capital of a region that includes much of today’s Bolivia and Paraguay along with parts of Chile, Peru, and Argentina; proximity to the mines of Potosí but at a lower altitude with access to the broader region was its forté. It was and remains the headquarters of the Catholic Church in Bolivia and it’s university, founded in 1624, is older than Harvard. It was here in a former Jesuit chapel that Bolivia’s declaration of independence was signed in 1825 and in 1839 the city was renamed for the revolutionary general Antonio José de Sucre. This was the heart and soul of early Bolivia. Only when Potosí’s silver mining start to flag and economic stagnation set into the region was the seat of government (though not the official designation of national capital) moved to La Paz in 1898.

So there’s a lot to take in here. Unfortunately our experience wasn’t so great. I’m sure part of it is that we were here over Easter weekend which just meant that a lot of the city was closed up. We were both amazed when we walked out of the hotel after breakfast Monday morning at how lively things were: people on the streets, markets open, everything abuzz. That’s not what we saw in our first three days in Sucre. In fact, as I review the pictures we took I find myself thinking, “Hey, that was a really pretty city.” It’s just that at the time it seemed so lifeless and dull.

These guys, celebrating Easter up at an old convent overlooking the city, were seriously drunk. Staggeringly, slurringly drunk. That bottle the guy in the middle is holding is pure alcohol, not beer.

These guys, celebrating Easter up at an old convent overlooking the city, were seriously drunk. Staggeringly, slurringly drunk. That bottle the guy in the middle is holding is pure alcohol, not beer.

Then next day the convent plaza was completely cleaned up and beautiful, but it was an unbelievable mess on Sunday morning

Then next day the convent plaza was completely cleaned up and beautiful, but it was an unbelievable mess on Sunday morning

The one memory for me that’s most vivid was climbing up a steep hill toward an old convent on Easter morning that was supposed to have great views of the city. While climbing, the stench of urine was unmistakable and overwhelming. As I got to the old convent at the top of the street I saw that there was a huge market/party going on, with lots of heavy drinking. Heavy. And countless men were relieving themselves on the wall along the street, creating quite literally a stream of piss going down the hill. Not exactly the Easter Sunday memory I was anticipating – or wanting.

And then there’s the food situation. As we traveled across Peru we were routinely surprised by how great the food was. We haven’t had that experience in Bolivia and in Sucre in particular we were quickly bored with the options. There was one good place for lunch, but after four days that was really old. Otherwise it was just a question of least objectionable options.

There were some highlights. Our hotel, the Hotel de Su Merced, was one of great values we’ve had in our travels. Beautiful interior courtyard with tiles and flowers, nice views, good service, lovely breakfast, all at under $70 a night. The central square was big and leafy and a pleasant place to while away the hours. I like hiking outside a city, and there were two big hills overlooking Sucre, both of which I managed to scale for some remote reading time.

We’d scheduled five nights in Sucre but after three we were pretty much ready to leave. So we rebooked some hotel and flight reservations (all at no cost; gotta love traveling in places where you can change your flight with no penalty!) to leave a day early. We flew back to La Paz for just one night – where we had dinner at an amazingly good French restaurant – and then it’s off to northern Chile for a little time in the Atacama Desert. We’re coming back into Bolivia briefly en route to Paraguay, but for now we’re off on a little side trip into Chile.

Sucre at sunset. No question, at times it was a beautiful city.

Sucre at sunset. No question, at times it was a beautiful city.

There was an old church across the street from our hotel with great views from the rooftop

There was an old church across the street from our hotel with great views from the rooftop

Mark up on the church roof. He's actually standing on the dome that's over the main alter.

Mark up on the church roof. He’s actually standing on the dome that’s over the main alter.

I was up there, too, representing the Minnesota Twins

I was up there, too, representing the Minnesota Twins

Our lovely hotel, the Hotel de Su Merced, with a couple of Sucre's big hills looming in the clouds

Our lovely hotel, the Hotel de Su Merced, with a couple of Sucre’s big hills looming in the clouds

One of my "if you follow a trail it must take you somewhere" hikes outside of Sucre took me to this spot. A fine place to read a history of England, I thought.

One of my “if you follow a trail it must take you somewhere” hikes outside of Sucre took me to this spot. A fine place to read a history of England, I thought.

A view of Sucre from another trail that took me high above the city

A view of Sucre from another trail that took me high above the city

And finally, a view of Sucre, set in its valley, as I was coming back into the city

And finally, a view of Sucre, set in its valley, as I was coming back into the city

Cerro Rico, looming over Potosí, was the source of most of the silver that financed the Spanish Empire

Cerro Rico, looming over Potosí, was the source of most of the silver that financed the Spanish Empire

Potosí, one of those once-great cities no one has never heard of. How great? You’ve heard of the Spanish Empire, right, and how all that New World silver discovered in the 16th century financed, well, everything, right? It pretty much all came from Cerro Rico (Rich Hill) in Potosí. According to a history of the Silk Roads – the trade routes across Central Asia and the Near East I just happened to be reading before going to Potosí – the mine there accounted for more than half of all global silver production for more than 100 years. Think of that, for over a century most of the silver mined in the entire world came from one mine high in the Bolivian Andes. The author goes on to talk about the impact this Bolivian silver had on civilizations as far-flung as Spain, Italy, India, and China.

It probably goes without saying that the conditions for 16th and 17th century miners weren’t exactly up to today’s OSHA standards. Slaves, both indigenous and imported for Africa, were impressed into the mines, working six-month shifts where they never saw the light of day. Lonely Planet says it’s estimated that as many as eight million slaves died in the 280 years of colonial silver extraction.

Here I am inside Cerro Rico, near the end. Not all of the tour was this colorful and through lots of it you were walking through tunnels at most four feet high.

Here I am inside Cerro Rico, near the end. Not all of the tour was this colorful and through lots of it you were walking through tunnels at most four feet high.

We toured the mine over a couple hours one day, which consisted of essentially walking through the mountain; there wasn’t nearly as much discussion of the history of the mine or the impact the mine had on the colonial experience, the Spanish Empire, and ultimately European history as I’d hoped. Still, it was striking to be walking in the very same mine that funded Spanish imperialism. You enter through the same entrance and walk some of the same passageways as those built in the mid-16th century. Today they still mine very modest amounts of silver, along with tin and … other stuff the tour guide told us about. The thought of staying in there for weeks on end was pretty overwhelming, and even today the conditions are abysmal. Potosí miners still have substantially lowered life expectations due primarily to the dust and various chemicals they inhale all day, every day.

A cute kid giving me a high five while parading in honor of Holy Week

A cute kid giving me a high five while parading in honor of Holy Week

Though it was once the largest and wealthiest city in all of the Americas, today Potosí is not much. The hotel and restaurant situation wasn’t much to write home about and the once-glorious churches are crumbling. Still, it had its charms. We arrived to the twinkling sounds of little kids parading in honor of Holy Week – Semana Santa – which made us think it would be a colorful place for a few days. What it meant in practice was that the only supposedly good restaurant in town was closed. And that from Holy Thursday through Easter Sunday no alcohol could be sold. Yikes – what is with these people?

A couple days in Potosí was just about all that was needed; a great if somewhat depressing taste of history. From here it’s on to Sucre, one of Bolivia’s capital cities.

We arrived to a parade of cute kids

We arrived to a parade of cute kids

Though not all the kids seemed quite as happy. Even his palm leaf is sad.

Though not all the kids seemed quite as happy. Even his palm leaf is sad.

Mark & I with our guide Wilson, himself a former miner, after our tour of Cerro Rico. You definitely needed the hard hat and light and face mask and all that inside the mine.

Mark & I with our guide Wilson, himself a former miner, after our tour of Cerro Rico. You definitely needed the hard hat and light and face mask and all that inside the mine.

Wilson & I high above the city, on the walk back to our bus

Wilson & I high above the city, on the walk back to our bus

A great big German Shepherd on a balcony saw a smaller dog down below and really wanted down there

A great big German Shepherd on a balcony saw a smaller dog down below and really wanted down there

And finally, these tigers were all over central Potosí when we got in. We never figured out the significance of them, but they all seemed to like Mark.

And finally, these tigers were all over central Potosí when we got in. We never figured out the significance of them, but they all seemed to like Mark.

You can avoid the chaos below by flying across the city on Mi Teleréfico.

You can avoid the chaos below by flying across the city on Mi Teleréfico.

I knew that Bolivia’s capital, Nuestra Señora de la Paz, is the highest capital city in the world. But somehow I pictured a remote, sleepy Andean retreat. Instead we discovered a chaotic city of a million souls spilling improbably down the sides of a steep canyon.

On the map La Paz looks like a short hop from the shores of Lake Titicaca. But our bus took its time winding through the rugged mountains of the Central Andes. As in the Sacred Valley of Peru I was stunned by the drama of the landscape. The colors are so vivid — deep blue sky, bright green trees, and billowing snow-white clouds. As I contemplated the drama of the clouds a thought suddenly occurred to me: Perhaps they are so stunning simply because we are so much closer to them! Here we are rolling through the landscape at 12,000 feet. Planes fly at 30,000 feet, and they are way above the clouds. So we must be roughly halfway to them. No wonder they form such an integral part of the landscape.

A cemetery peeks out from the roadside, backed by those stunning Andean clouds

A cemetery peeks out from the roadside, backed by those stunning Andean clouds

I was wondering how we were going to get across this narrow stretch of Lake Titicaca to cross into La Paz. Most of us passengers took a little speedboat, as our bus boarded this primitive looking ferry. A few sleeping Bolivians were left in the bus the whole time.

I was wondering how we were going to get across this narrow stretch of Lake Titicaca to cross into La Paz. Most of us passengers took a little speedboat, as our bus boarded this primitive looking ferry. A few sleeping Bolivians were left in the bus the whole time.

The Spanish founded La Paz in 1548 in a narrow bowl in this canyon, surrounded by the high altiplano. As the city grew it climbed up the walls of the canyon and spilled out into vast suburbs in the altiplano. The result is a city that ranges in elevation from 10,500 ft. to 13,500 ft. Transportation is a nightmare of long, twisting, clogged streets — until the birth of Mi Teleréfico.

Inaugurated in 2014, this will be the world’s most extensive (and only) rapid transit network consisting primarily of aerial cable cars. Today three lines — red, yellow, and green — whisk passengers from station to station, rising and falling over steep Andean peaks in between. The cars leave every 11 seconds, so you virtually never wait. Then you fly above the density and traffic, enjoying stunning views all the while — all for less than 50 cents a ride. Heck, you’d pay $15 for a ride like this in some other city! Seven more lines are in the planning stages.

It's nice to fly above the twisted chaotic streets of La Paz in a sleek cable car

It’s nice to fly above the twisted chaotic streets of La Paz in a sleek cable car

Back down in the colorful streets of central La Paz

Back down in the colorful streets of central La Paz

Looking across the roof of Iglesia San Francisco in central La Paz

Looking across the roof of Iglesia San Francisco in central La Paz

In the bell tower of Iglesia San Francisco

In the bell tower of Iglesia San Francisco

We enjoyed the modern Bolivian art at the Museum of Contemporary Art, but it was especially cool just to wander through the halls of this 19th century mansion partly designed by Gustave Eiffel

We enjoyed the modern Bolivian art at the Museum of Contemporary Art, but it was especially cool just to wander through the halls of this 19th century mansion partly designed by Gustave Eiffel

Plaza Murillo at the heart of La Paz with the presidential palace to the left and the cathedral to the right

Plaza Murillo at the heart of La Paz with the presidential palace to the left and the cathedral to the right

The tomb of independence leader Antonio José de Sucre, where these guys aren't going to be messed with

The tomb of independence leader Antonio José de Sucre, where these guys aren’t going to be messed with

On our last night in La Paz we met up with old friends from Copacabana, Law and Meg (pictured here with Jim)

On our last night in La Paz we met up with old friends from Copacabana, Law and Meg