The R&R Big Adventure

All Souls Sucre

We thought Bolivians would make a big effort for All Souls Day, but we weren’t expecting the turnout we saw for Halloween on Thursday night, as we made our way to a restaurant for dinner. It seemed that at least half of Sucre was squeezed into the main square, and the other half was gridlocked in traffic in every road leading into it. The crowds were as big as we had seen in Valencia’s main square for NYE, except this time practically every child was in costume. Unlike the U.S., where it seems any costume goes, the majority here were dressed in Halloween appropriate outfits. The cutest were the toddlers, some still in their parent’s arms, dressed as vampires, complete with mini-capes and make-up. My favourite though was another toddler in a superb Minion outfit, who due to his size, looked like he could have been a real one. It seemed to be very much geared for the children here, as most of the adults were not dressed up.

Yesterday morning we went on a tour of the Casa de la Libertad where our guide gave a fascinating insight into Bolivia’s history and independence from the Spanish. Clearly there is still no love lost with the Spanish, or Chileans, who took Bolivia’s last bit of land, that gave them access to the sea, at the end of the War of the Pacific in 1884. Lunch lasted longer than expected due to an impromptu thunderstorm (a good excuse for another glass of wine) but, when that passed, we did a tour of a convent (Sucre’s Oratory), that gave access to the roof, and great views over the city. We only got to see the exterior courtyards and passages, but got a glimpse of a very modern basketball court in their buildings. Who knew.

We then walked to the city’s cemetery (Cementerio General) which was on a list of things to see. We expected it to be busier, being All Souls Day the next day, but again, we were not expecting the crowds we saw. I can only imagine some of these people had only just got out of the previous day’s traffic jams, and then turned straight round to join yet more gridlocked streets in order to pay respect to deceased loved ones. The place was heaving, with police crowd control measures in place. It was a beautiful (and what normally would be a peaceful) setting, with large scented pine trees everywhere creating dappled shade over the many mausoleums and walls of tombs. Most of these tombs were glass fronted, and behind these were offerings (food, drink) or mementoes of the deceased. Particularly moving was the area devoted to babies and children, and seeing photos, dummies and toys behind the glass frontages. However the mood overall was uplifting rather than sombre. There were vendors, food stalls, and many small bands playing near several of the tombs, where large groups of friends and family had come to celebrate those lives. Many people had dressed appropriately – even if just a black shirt or shawl – and then there was R and me – the two 6’ gringos in shorts and t-shirts.

Leaving there, we found a rooftop bar for a sit down and rest. It had great views across the rooftops of Sucre, although their initial choice of music was questionable. Whilst enjoying a drink as the sun was going down, we really didn’t want hear a rapper telling a (offensive slang for a black person) that he wanted to (copulate) dat (offensive slang for a black person) (female dog) (offensive female genitalia slang), especially not on repeat, at high volume. They must have seen our faces, as the track list soon changed. We discovered that the hotel had a restaurant in the basement-come-crypt, and went there for dinner later. It was a great setting underground, with old stone walls, gothic paintings and furniture, and tall candelabra on the tables. The only problem (and we have found this in many restaurants in South America) was that the ambience was spoiled by bright lighting everywhere. Dimmer switches and accent lighting clearly aren’t a thing here.

It’s Saturday morning and we are now in Sucre airport, waiting for our flight to Santa Cruz de la Sierra. We are going to the commercial hub city in Bolivia, partly to see it, but mainly as that is the most convenient stop to get a direct flight to Chile tomorrow, our fourth and final country we are visiting in South America. The flight has been delayed (so far) by an hour – our first most significant delay since we started this trip over a month ago, so shouldn’t complain. Let’s see what mood the Bolivian cabin crew are in when we finally take off.