Early days in Bolivia

Sitting in a gorgeous colonial courtyard sipping cafe con leche and watching the Bolivian world go by.

Arrived here after a taste of luxury Sydney to Buenos Aries then a little more travel reality of 6 hour stopovers, changed flights and lost luggage. A day in Santa Cruz, though unplanned served as a gentle introduction to a new culture, despite the fact that we were equipped for cold weather not tropical. Pleasant enough place though unremarkable, except for the kindness of the people who seemed not at all annoyed by non-Spanish speaking Gringos trying to get phones and lost luggage sorted.

Sucre on the other hand is a beautiful white colonial university town. the buildings around the central square dazzle and already we have been caught up in two parades, brass bands and happy kids.
The local wine is a bit rough and bites hard so shall be avoided from hereon in. A good coffee is elusive but the atmosphere is layback and charming. Beginning to see quite few native people wearing traditional costume, including the bowler hats worn high on the heads of the women. The older women are quite quite beautiful, with folded (not wrinkled) coffee coloured skin with not an age spot to be seen. Waist length plaits, often trimmed with crochet bobbles seem to be worn mostly by the older native women who are very short and stout of stature and swathed in hand woven brightly coloured shawls. All the shawls, used for carrying everything from kids to corn seem to be trimmed in the same patterned crochet edging. Saw one tiny wee girl crouched in a doorway doing this crochet work. Feel it's a bit intrusive to photograph the people at close range though, so sticking to buildings and dogs for photographic subjects at the moment.

Col has been out playing with the taxis and bus drivers trying to work out local transport to villages as all the organised tours are quite expensive. He is having a blast and already has a collection of maps to which he constantly refers. As his Spanish is even more limited than mine, I am not sure where we will end up, but don't care much as it is all different and exciting. (He has since reported reducing the bus terminal staff to gales of laughter at his Spanish speaking efforts - read from the guide book with lots of hand waving.)

Have already seen some of the local weaving and it is quite exquisite - very very fine, with colours and styles defined by location - can't wait to see more on the morrow.