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Although Veerle was very sick at night, I must have had a sicker look... Everyone asks how it goes, although I feel quite good. However, getting multiple disturbances during a short sleep (wake-up call was at 5.45) is certainly not the best way to start the day. And altitude plays it's role as well.
At 6.15 our bus is waiting to drive to the airport (again). This is what call them blitz-visit to La Paz... but we will return... We create a human chain to get all luggage as quickly as possible on the roof of the bus (both against the rain and against robbery). While driving to the airport the rain changes into snow... Hopefully this isn't the start of an early rain season is...
At the airport luggage check in again. It starts to become a habit. Now we have enough time for a small breakfast. But surprisingly we then need to hurry to the gate, strange way of announcing the departure, well it's South America, isn't it. After take off, we get a sandwich and a drink, and then it's down to Sucre (2800m). The plane lands with a large circle over the runway, and touch down the plane makes an instant 180 degrees turn to taxi to the terminal. Bolivia has 3 capitals: La Paz, Santa Cruz and Sucre. Sucre, founded in 1538, is the official capital, but nevertheless is the airport and the airport building is very small and simple.
Luggage is loaded on top of bus, and off to "hotel Sucre". All chambers look out over a nice patio. And at last we can entirely unpack our luggage. We will stay here for three nights. Willem gathers the whole group to discuss the coming days. Decisions must be made concerning the different trails. At the end he concludes his work would have been simplified if he knew in advance that everybody would hike the Machu Picchu Trail. But that again, not everybody knows it for sure, just yet. Also 10 people will do the Takesi trail.
That afternoon are we free. We (Britta, Veerle and I) will go see some Dino-tracks at noon. But first we fill some empty stomach's with real Bolivian food (on a happening for the benefit of the Cultural Center). Afterwards we're searching for the 'bus'. Seems that it's just a track with seats on the open platform. Yes, this is the South American way... Together with some Italian and Israelis we leave... for the past... to dinosaurs tracks near a cement plant.
Some millions years ago this area was at sea level, but rising of the Andes has ensured that the different stone layers are now at 3000 meters and in an almost vertical position. Feels strange to study the tracks of the dinosaurs on an vertical wall. The longest track is about 250m long (in straight line), and the largest 'foot'print is 1m70 in diameter. The trained eye (of our guide) can recognize the different type of dinosaurs which have walked here.
At 2 pm we are back in Sucre to visit the central square, the market, the graveyard, … The graveyard has been build in a typical Spanish style, where the graves are five high on top of each other. Small boys make some money with helping visitors to reach the upper graves with aid of ladders. They even carry oil to open the rusty displays.
After purchases for tomorrows breakfast we go for some food in Repizza (pizza and lasagna). During our meal the rain starts to poor down and thunder and lighting, leaving no other option then to return to our rooms and get an early sleep.
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