April 27, 2017 - A Tour to Remember

A Tour to Remember

A young man arrived at my hotel at 8:30 to take me on a walking tour of Sucre.

“Hello, my name is Camilo,” he said as we headed out the door.  My first impression was that he was a rough looking street kid.  He quickly changed my opinion and reminded me not to prejudge people.

“Nice to meet you,” I said, shaking his hand.  “Will we join the rest of the tour at the Plaza?”  I had purchased a small group tour.  The website said there would be between five and ten people on the tour.

“The rest?  You are the only one.”

It turned out to be a private tour, with one of the nicest young men I have met in Bolivia.  He loves photography and travel.  We talked about both a lot.  Who could ask for better?  As we stopped at churches or monuments, he knew the right place to stand on the correct side of the street, or out of the sun.  He was always patient, making sure I was comfortable, that I understood what he was saying, and that I was happy.

Our tour began at the market, where he treated me to a traditional Bolivian breakfast, a corn drink that tasted like tapioca and banuelos, a delicious sweetbread.  We stopped at a fruit vendor who gave me bites of chirimoya, peaches, and papaya.  Before leaving we had an explanation from a potato vendor about the varieties and preparation of different potatoes.

Past the market is Bolivar Park, the Old Supreme Court Building, arches resembling the one in Paris, a grand Theater, and the national asylum.  In the park were statues that reminded me of ones from Versailles and a miniature version of the Eiffel Tower.  This one is more accessible, easier to climb, and you don’t have to wait for hours to visit it.

We then took a city bus to La Recoleta.  I spent the afternoon there the day before, so I didn’t take a lot of pictures.  He explained to me about indigenous weaving, the art of the region of Chuquisaca, and about the founding of the city at the site of the Recoleta, or resting place.  The view from La Recoleta is stunning.  White arches overlooking the beautiful city below and mountains of the Andes.  The school on the plaza let out and children invaded to play soccer or laugh at each other’s stories.

Our tour ended with a visit to the cemetery.  My guide impressed me as we were entering.  There was a blind man looking for a taxi, but of course, he couldn’t tell which was a taxi and which a car.  Camilo stopped my tour to help the man with a taxi, making sure he was comfortably inside and sent to his destination.  It looked to me that he paid the driver too.  Impressive.

I have mentioned before that the cemetery in Santa Cruz is beautiful, but the one in Sucre is gorgeous.  Tall trees line the walks creating a shady park.  If I were to ever live in Sucre, even for a short time, I would regularly visit the cemetery to write in solitude.  Camilo said he has come there to study at times.

That is where the tour ended.  Camilo talked to me about places I should visit on a future visit to Sucre, and promised he would show me his photography one day.  I thought that was the end of the tour.

The next afternoon he texted me to ask if I were free.  I was writing in my hotel room, so I said I was.  He came over to show me some his photography.  He sells them very cheap, but he is talented.  Someday he could make money off his photographs.  Before he left he invited me to taste some real Bolivian food for dinner, so again I had a guide.  I was surprised that when the bill came, he was going to pay.  I didn’t let him of course. 

Sucre is definitely on my list of places to visit again.  Camilo already has an entire week planned for me.  I am truly grateful to him for opening my eyes to such a beautiful city. 

This was also the day that I decided I could be an author.  I might not ever be financially secure writing, but I now know I must write.  I fell in love with Sucre and Bolivia.  This is where I want to be, for a while at least.  While I am here, I know I must write.