we are in Bolivia 20.6.06

I am in Sucre.

Bolivia was/is amazing. I am really enjoying it. It is so very different from anything we have seen so far. The salt lake was terrific but we were sooooooooo very cold in the evening; then in the mornings for breakfast plus waiting for the truck to be loaded it took us until lunch time to warm up and then all afternoon the sun was burning throughthe window, cant win really!

But the whole trip was terrific and worth the discomfort. We were jolly glad to have decided to take a trip and not our own truck. The roads were awful. All the roads to Potosi were dust, dust and more dust, the worst ever. Dust got in where I have not had dust before!!! My chest is about the same; but I think I am getting used to the altitude which is good.

Potosi was very interesting. We had a couple of good guides for city trips, both were indigenous indians and very interesting. We declined to visit the mine - 1) because of my chest and 2) I really do not want to see how people work under such terrrible conditions - it is bad enough being told about it. But we saw everything else.

My back door had broken - again. One of the catches keeps breaking off. I have a dead lock which keeps it shut, but I worry about that. the last time it happened thank goodness I had bought 2 so had a spare, and then it was only a 2 minute job! Jocelyn is bringing me out 6!!!!!! (along with maltesers, cheese sauce and soluble aspirinD )

In Potosi we parked at the side of the road in the town near a market and church with a square. It was ok. The director of tourisim gave us 2 police men for the day to attend to our every need!!! This was good, they got us water and the gaspipe sorted. We are having
trouble filling up with gas, we have the wrong fittings. They also found a garage to
fix my door and told us we were ok to park where we were so all was
well.

Now we are in Sucre outside a church, along side a garden it's all nice and
quiet. This is also a very interesting town and has the most amazing textile
musuem with weaving done by the indigenous people; I have never seen anything like
it (and if you know mum you know how many weaving and textile museums she has been to in her life ). All the patterns are carried in the girls heads!! The patterns are so
small and intricate; telling of their lives etc. We were in the musuem all day.

We will be returning to Potosi to see a couple of things we missed, because the altitude got to us, it really knocks you out, so I hope I can cope with the altitude better this time. There is a wonderful market here in Sucre they sell THE most delicious fruit juice ever. I have been twice today always go to the same lady she is getting to know us asked where Margaret was today, a couple of the other ladies called out to me, it is really nice and friendly, I had chicken and fried potatoes at a stall in the market they were lovely cooked fresh and cost less then 50p!! not worth cooking.

If any of you are following Bolivian news this is where the new constituion will be made and signed this was also where independents was signed, so there is alot of history here.