And so after a couple of boarder crossings (still think those town are so so strange) we moved into Bolivia by way of taxis circa 1980!

 

I’m not quite sure what I expected from Bolivia, in fact I don’t think I had any expectations at all. Bolivia is one of the poorest countries in South America but let me tell you this, it has been fan-feckin-tastic so far!!!!

Our first stop was Santa Cruz and after me forcing Susie to drink tap water, ha, ha, ha…… (hasn´t killed me since I arrived in Asia!!)

……..and dinner in an Irish pub (the old reliable, but damn it they had run out of Irish stew!! Boo), a few of these innocent girlies (including me!)……

…..decided to head off to a (male) strip club!! Kinda a spur of the moment thing and not really my scene but it turned out to be really funny!! One of the strippers, Tony, was talking to me about his kids before the show started. So I did find it a little surreal when he was gyrating in front of me an hour later!!

Eeeeeeuuuuuukkkkkk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For the first time since I can remember I felt embarrassed, cringe….. Very funny night though, followed by a horribly early start. Took a flight to Sucre and got to see some amazing scenery as we flew in…..

…….just beautiful 🙂 Sucre lies about 2800 metres above sea level so altitude sickness is kinda common. Altitude sickness and a hangover is particularly disorientating, especially when you get hum-dingers like I´ve developed this year – must be old age 🙂 Anyhoo Sucre is just lovely, the only problem is there is too much to do there!!! You can go motor-cross biking, mountain biking, trekking and heaps more. Headed to Tarabuco market, which was about 70km outta town. Yet more great scenery on the way……

 

…….It was fiesta time there so there was a real buzz about the place and packs of people everywhere. It´s a really old style village where the people still wear traditional clothing……

…….and of course there were locals dressed up for the fiesta also.

We strolled around the market and there were loadsa stalls with nice knits and jewellery………

……….so I got to so a bit of bargaining with the locals which I just love!! Difficult though as my spanish is quite limited but they speak a different language anyway!! I maintain that 95% of a conversation can be carried out with body language and a calculator!! (oh dear, that sounds really bad doesn’t it??! I mean it with total innocence I assure you! 🙂 ) It was a pretty long and hot day, the altitude is weird, you get tired and out of breath from doing the tiniest of tasks! Makes you feel really weak and unfit, not good omens for the upcoming trek in Peru!!!!

Headed back to Sucre as the following day was set to be a big one!! Myself, Julie (after some persuasion) Lyn and Phil decided to go paragliding. I was interested in this to see how it would compare to bungee jumping and sky diving. I also was thinking the scenery would be spectacular as we are so high up travelling through Bolivia. So we set off early the following morning…..

……Julie was dead nervous but I knew she’d love it. Lyn was a little nervous too but retaining her composure nicely. Phil had done handgliding before so was all good and I was trying to stop myself falling asleep (as I mentioned before I think I fall asleep when I get nervous!?) I wanted to get myself nice and nervous because I reckon you get a better adrenaline kick afterwards. We trucked up a big mountain for about an hour, enjoying the views along the way….

We also met this lady……

…….and gave her a lift to save her wallking the miles and miles (and miles) she does every day!!! Finally we reached our spot and Julie was up first to get it over with and she ended up loving it. She was expecting a bit drop off the mountain but you really just run off the mountain and glide away. Lyn had a bit of a rough take off so I did get a little nervous by the time my turn was up which was all good. All went great though, just run a couple of strides and away you go……… 

It is kinda freaky though as you literally run off a mountain so you do need to lose the nerve a little and just go with it. I’m getting better at that too, don’t know whether it’s bravery or stupidity 🙂 

 

 (Have a video of my paraglide but having a few technical difficulties so will paste the link in at a later date)

Paragliding is amazing though because you keep getting these rushes from it as the thermals catch and drop you. The thermals were particularly good for my jump and I ended up going really high…..

…..resulting in loads of stomach flips. Excellent, I likey 🙂 Amazing rush and I think I’d rate it second to a sky dive but better than a bungee in the way that you keep getting rushes over and over.

The scenery was amazing too, honestly Bolivia, and indeed South America in general, is just amazing in that respect. The landscape is so dramatic and the sky here is just different somehow – my obsession with the sky here continues….

 

Great day had by the four of us……

……..and we headed back down the mountain enjoying the views….

 

……and the curious glances from the locals. Headed out for a few drinks on our last night in Sucre and a good old night……….

……..The following morning I had a pedicure – what a treat!!! Headed over to see Casa de la Liberdad……

……a beautifully preserved house whose furniture, strangely, is kept in a museum in the city centre. Hmmm weird?! Still though a really beautiful castle with many different types of architecture but it still blends together somehow…..

 

Headed back into the city for a wander…….(check out my very fashionable sunglasses marks!!!)

 

……and a browse around the markets, the potato is big here in Bolivia…..

 

………which pleases me as it reminds me of home and it’s real potato as opposed to the powdered crap in Brazil – bleugh!

That ended our time and Sucre and we headed off to Potosi that afternoon but as I sat on the bus, I kept thinking just how impressed I am with Bolivia 🙂

More photos on http://www.flickr.com/photos/lindybear/sets/72157615528947216/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/lindybear/sets/72157615521002131/