Sucre

Following Potosi, we caught a local bus to Sucre, the judicial capital of Bolivia. Sucre is a UNESCO listed world heritage site, also known as the white city, for all it's white colonial building. It is a beautiful city and has the most beautiful plaza we've seen yet.

 

The first afternoon we simply spent checking out the city around the plaza and relaxing at our great hostel 7 Patas. We then went out for a few drinks with some people we met at our hostel.

 

Paul in the Plaza

 

On the second day we ventured out to see the dinosaur footprints that had been discovered at a cement quarry. The cement quarry, still functioning, uncovered a huge 1.5km long by 100m high wall of over 5000 dinosaur footprints around 68 million years old. The footprints were validated as being from four types of dinosaurs, saw those of the sauropods and teropods.  The wall had multiple layers of footprints and trails going in all directions - it was pretty amazing to see. As Ian Belcher of The Guardian explains:

“It was unique climate fluctuations that made the region a palaeontological honey pot. The creatures’ feet sank into the soft shoreline in warm damp weather, leaving marks that were solidified by later periods of drought. Wet weather then returned, sealing the prints below mud and sediment. The wet-dry pattern was repeated seven times, preserving multiple layers of prints. The cherry on the cake was added when tectonic activity pushed the flat ground up to a brilliant viewing angle – as if nature was aware of its tourism potential.”

The prints are yet to be properly protected and are slowing eroding away from the dust and weather. Our guide said they were looking into protecting a section of the wall with silicon. However as more layers erode, more footprints are uncovered in layers beneath.

 

A section of the wall.

 



My hand with a teropod footprint.

Paul and I in front of some huge sauropod footprints.

 

In our time in Sucre we also wandered around the various markets full of fresh produce, meats, fake branded clothes, and well just about everything you could think of. The Central Market, which was located just around the corner from our hostel, was a great way to buy fruit and vege for dinner. The Campesino market, located a few km out of the centre, would have been a great place to buy some fake North Face (or other fake branded) warm clothing. However we decided it'd be a bit much to carry around for the rest of our trip.

The creepy mannequins at the Campesino market.

 

We made use of the mirador (lookout) during one rainy day.

The Mirador.

 

On our third day we went on a tour which took us up from Sucre where we walked 5km down hill along a section of the Inca Trail. Our guide pointed out different plants used for different medicinal purposes such as coughs and colds. These plants are still sued today by some of the local communities who do not rely on modern doctors or medicines. At the end of the trail we were driven a further 20 minutes to Maragua, a small community located within a large geological crater. What created the crater us still unknown. Here we met some local ladies who showed us the art of weaving.

Paul on the trail.

Me on the trail.

The colourful mountains surrounding the area.

A local showing us how she weaves.

 

On our last day we relaxed and filled ourselves up on salteñas, the Bolivian version of an empanada. A sweet-savoury pastry filled with a very juicy, spicy, tomatoey, meaty stew. So delicious, probably my favourite food of South America so far.