Sucre

Sucre is Bolivia's other capital, housing the national court and being the only city mentioned in the constitution. La Paz, however, has all the bustle while Sucre is much more laid back. Sucre is also at a much more agreeable 2800m, compared to La Paz's 3600m. We like Sucre a lot.

While we were in Sucre we made a few trips outside the city to the surrounding mountains. We took two tours with Eusebio, who was a great guide and took us to some less-traveled spots in the hills. We visited two rock painting sites: Pumamachay and Incamachay. We passed through and near many small villages and settlements, including some abandoned farms. We went to Potolo, a village known for its textiles, and watched one being made. Each thread is placed by hand!

We also took a hike to the second-largest collection of dinosaur footprints in the area. The largest set is located in Parque Cretacio at the local cement factory; however you are kept about 200m from the prints there (and apparently the preservation of these is not great due to the continued activity of the factory next door). We saw prints from several different species after a climb up a cliff. Amazing! After seeing the prints, we went to a local bar where the owner had a collection of rocks including two meteorites.

Besides some hikes, we spent some time enjoying our hostel: Casa Verde. We visited the Mercado Central most days and cooked a lot. We also spent time trying the local beers and wines. Paceña is from La Paz, though it is common in Sucre as well. The local brand is Sureña, and we had several of their beers including Chanchito, which translates to "little pig". We also had what appeared to be the Bolivian version of mass-market craft beer, Judas, complete with flaming letters and a whopping 7% abv. Not bad. Our attempt at a Bolivian black & tan (Paceña Black plus Huari) failed due to high carbonation, but was still tasty. The Bolivian wine is by far the best we've had in South America, and by all accounts rivals Chile and Argentina in quality. We had some very good table blends from La Concepcion and Campos de Solana, as well as some Malbec. Wine country in Bolivia is centered in Tarija, which is close to the Argentine border and we won't have a chance to go.

Other highlights included a few trips to the a plaza on the southwestern side of town, which is near a few forested hills and boasts a cafe and great views of the city. We also took advantage of the community DVD player and the really cheap movies to be found on the streets.