Took a 3.5 hours bus to Sucre. It was so uncomfortable. It was going on a dirt road, and I sat shaking all the way through. I really don't like day buses. Sucre is very nice. It's an ex capital, and is known as a white city. It's very clean, with a very nice central square, fountains, and statues, and a bunch of trees and flowers. In there, absolutely everything is closed 12-3. So it was difficult to sight see, because I'd get up late, and by the time I eat something and get out, everybody would be on a lunch break. And 3-5 doesn't allow much for sightseeing. I stayed in the worst hotel ever that's called "Friends", guess what? It's not friendly at all. One guy would just give you yes/no answers and without even looking at you. I was super nice to him, and 2 weeks later, he actually told me "hi" first !!! :))) Everybody was surprised :)) It was so dirty, I don't think they swapped the floors for whole 2 weeks that I've been there. Somebody stole my towel, of all the things !! And to go to the washroom, it's a good idea to close your eyes first, and the shower is in the washroom too. I tried to change hostels every day, but they were all full, so I just stayed there.
Went to a Bolivar museum, and didn't understand anything :( The guide was speaking way too fast, and wasn't pronouncing the "s"s. It's some Spanish accent to speak without "s"'s. So I got a bit down especially that in the last 2 tours I understood almost everything, I thought I was on the roll :) Went to the market the next day to buy a phone, it broke the next day, and it didn't help that I dropped it in the toilet :) So I got $1.5 back for it :) Went to the market the next day. I took the wrong bus (which said "market" on it), yeaaahhh ... it didn't go to the market. I got out and started walking. "How far is it to the market?" ... ooooohhhh.... it's way too far, they make that serious/concerned face, you must take a bus, it's wow, I don't have enough fingers to count the blocks ... anyways ... 5 minutes later I was there :)
Since I liked Sucre, and there is not much to do in there, I decided to sign up for Spanish classes. I paid $90 for 20 hours of classes, and since I missed Monday (cause I only signed up on Monday) I got 4 hours of private make up classes. They made me write a test to see at what level I am, I actually got nervous! Test??!! I haven't written one in years! They put me in intermediate 1. There were 4 people in the class, but 1 guy never showed up. The classes were so good! I didn't even feel that 4 hours have passed. The only bad thing about them, is that they started at 8:15. They were really structured, and really get into your head. We sang, watched and discussed a movie, had to write and to talk, and got homework, and with extra private classes, that's a lot of homework ! I made friends with the 2 guys who were attending the class. That was great! I didn't really meet anybody that interesting for a long time, so with them we hung out almost every night in the bar. On the last day for a few hours we went to some festival. It was interesting as usual. Not only they had these offerings plates, but now they had miniature almost toy like things which you could buy, and that will bring you luck to have the actual thing. So there were mini cans and bags of food, little cars and houses, stores, like textile store or even an internet cafe :) What's interesting is that they have a miniature suitcases with money, like 1 million dollars, and every bill will be printed! Some woman a while ago bought a real size suitcase with 1 million dollars, on each note it said "Feria de Sucre", and she brought this suitcase to Canada, they stopped her on the border, and claimed that it's fake money, and gave her 30 years in prison! She of course argued with them, so they lowered it to 6 years. Since then nobody is allowed to make dollar bills the exact size as original. Poor woman, I couldn't believe it !! :((((In the hostel I went out 4 nights in a row with 4 different groups of people. That felt very strange.
Went to a show! That was the first show I think I saw since I started travelling. It was so interesting! It was in a restaurant, and it was about different dances of different regions in Bolivia. The costumes were extraordinary!! So colorful, different with every dance, so many little details, and humongous costumes with huge masks with feathers and bells and anyway, so much imagination needed for that! The dancers had a high energy all throughout 2 hours, and it cost only $5 :) They welcomes all the guests by name and country :) I ordered cheesecake and hot chocolate. The hot chocolate was way too sweet, so I didn't drink it, a waitress came by and asked if everything's ok, I said that it was too sweet, and she brought me a new hot chocolate, wow! first time in Bolivia !! :) No pix again, since it was another $5 for the right to take pictures :S
Went rock climbing. What a difference between this wall and the wall in Banos. It looks like there is absolutely nothing to grab onto, and the wall is just vertical and flat. But because it's made of a different material, the climbing shoes just stick to it, and I felt like a spiderwoman :) Climbed 5 walls no problem (in Banos I couldn't do more than 2), and still felt fine. I wasn't satisfied just yet, so the guide put another rope beside a more difficult route. And oh it was difficult. First of all it had a 1 meter roof, with some hole to put the left hand in, a space for the right leg, then lean back, so I was almost horizontally, and then straighten the right leg and reach far far above for some rock to grab. I fell again and again and again :) Then the guide told me that I could climb a different route, but again I was stuck then fell, and the rope brought me to that roof again. I was almost ready to give up, but decided to give it another shot, and what do you know, this time I made it !!!!! Only when I grabbed the rock above, I had no energy to pull myself up at all, so I hung there and whined :) Then I got it together, and made it. On the way to the top it didn't get much easier. There were a lot of balance spots, and I was scared all the way to the top. A few times completely stuck, I had no idea what to do next, but made it again and again :) This time was nice because the guide didn't tell me where to step, what to grab, and I only asked him 3 times maybe. He said that I was good ! Yeiii :)))
Took an overnight bus to Cochabamba, that's the access point to park Torotoro where they have dinosaur prints. Got there at 6am, checked in the hotel, slept till 1pm and went out to eat, absolutely everything was closed (because it was Sunday), all the restaurants, all internet cafes, there are no people on the street. On top of that I found out that the buses to Torotoro leave very early Sunday and Thursday mornings. So I missed it :( I made a little circle in hopes of finding anything, came back to the hostel, checked out and took a 7 hour bus to La Paz.
In La Paz, I think my favourite big city so far (I think I can hear Eva swearing ;) but for me the beauty of La Paz is in it's ugliness, and it surprises you on every corner ), I went to the Brazil consulate. Speaking of efficiency! There is no information on the internet, so I got there, and they gave me a link to a website to print the form. I printed it, filled it out, came back. Ok, now you have to go to take pictures, it's 3 blocks up. Ok, went to do pictures, came back. Oh good, so now you have to go to the bank to pay!!!!! Couldn't it all be done in the first visit?? But the good news is that it takes only 2 days (in Toronto 10) and the longest I waited to see the clerk was no more than 5 minutes.
Went ice climbing. I didn't like it the first time in Huaraz-Peru, but my theory is, if you don't like it once try it at least one more time. But nope, didn't like it 2nd time either :) The group was great though, but they all continued climbing up to the top of the mountain, and no, I'm not doing that the 2nd time! :) We had a lot a lot of fun, and the mountain was beautiful, but there is no technique, and you just climb vertically up. There were only 2 routes, and only half made it up the 2nd one. 1 girl gave up almost at the bottom, and the other didn't even try. I took so many breaks, and half way there, I thought that I won't be able to make it, so like 20 minutes later, I made it :) When I came down, the guide who was securing me told me that he's more tired than I am :))
Before leaving Bolivia, I stocked up on everything, socks, underwear, bought a few souvenirs, I think they're the most beautiful in Bolivia. I love the indigenous art, it's so bright and colorful.
Wanted to buy some nuts and dried fruits, and they have a lot of them in La Paz. So I wanted a mixture. I asked the lady if I can have half/half. She told me "no", because they're different prices. I said, it's ok, I'll pay for the higher price, she thought and thought, calculated something, and said "no, can't mix". I told her, why not, you'll be winning money, still no mixing :)
One day there was a "back to school" carnival, I swear those Bolivianos find any excuse to party :) I was out all that day, and for the whole day it was going. It was huge !!! Thousands of participants, all in costumes, all dancing on the streets, it just never ended! They take their festivals seriously!
I waited until Saturday so I can be back in Cochabamba on Sunday morning to try to go to the park Torotoro again. For that I need to be in Cochabamba at 5am. Took the 8 hour overnight bus, I couldn't fall asleep at all, I don't know why. I was comfortable and it was a nice bed bus. It wasn't full enough so it was stopping and waiting and waiting, so it only got to Cochabamba at 5:55. Not again !!! I got out of the bus, and before I reached the entrance to the terminal, I heard "Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz", leaving in 5 minutes, so I got on that bus, another 10 hour bus ride. I was so tired, but I couldn't sleep because the scenery was so beautiful. It was going through a jungle like setting, with a lot of river crossings, very nice! I really wanted to go to the washroom, cause I didn't have time to go between buses, at 1 stop, I got out, but it was still closed, with a bunch of people just going on the street. I tried to go, even unzipped my pants, but with all these people and cars going by, I couldn't "I just can't" I said :) They laughed at ... yeah, I didn't have a skirt like they did :)
Got to Santa Cruz terminal, and half an hour later was on another 13 hour bus going to the border of Brazil. Saw some stupid movie, and fell asleep at 7.
Got to the border, and had to wait 2 hours until it opens. There was some strange guy sitting beside me, and while I was reading the book, he asked me if that Chinese I'm reading?!? Um ... noooo. Then he talked to me for a bit, asked me if I'm going to some touristic place in Brazil, I said no, cause I don't have time right now, and I only have time for important things. "Oh, important, huh? Then you have to go to this zoo in Sao Paulo" :)))
There is some military school beside the border, and while waiting, they all came out, and marched and sang. They didn't look to happy, and for me it looked very stupid ... all these huge steps, turn right, easy, attention!!! And then they pointed their gun forward, which was right at me. That was a bit freaky, I was hoping that it's not loaded!
Pix at http://picasaweb.google.com/evadikushin501/Sucre#
& added to http://picasaweb.google.com/evadikushin501/LaPaz#
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