Andes Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Bolivia For 91 Days

Our Three-Day Hike Around Sucre, Part I

This past weekend, Jürgen and I embarked on a three-day hike offered by Condor Trekkers: a relatively new, non-profit tour operator in Sucre. Starting at 5am on Saturday morning, our hike led us into the heart of the Andes, along the Inca Trail, into the Maragua Crater, past dinosaur footprints, through waterfalls, into the houses of Quechua-speaking campesinos, and over mountains, before depositing us into steaming hot thermal baths. Three days of spectacular scenery, unexpected adventure, sore shoulders, and starrier night skies than I've ever seen.

The Unfairly Maligned Coca Leaf

Consider a distinctly US American product. Let's say hot dogs, invented in 1870 on Coney Island and enjoyed in our great nation ever since. But in 2015, Korean scientists learn how to distill the noble hot dog into a lethal drug. Hotdogaine. International hot dog trafficking becomes a lucrative business and, over decades, people across Asia become addicted to hotdogaine, even while aw-shucks, overall-wearin' Americans continue to enjoy the hot dog in its "natural" form. You see where I'm going with this?

The Chirimoya – Mark Twain’s Favorite Fruit

On our second day in Sucre, we ventured into the Mercado Central, which was quite the experience. Before leaving, we stopped at one of the stands and bought some strange-looking fruits, including the chirimoya.

Quechua 101

I was sitting on a bench in Sucre's Plaza 25 de Mayo, waiting to meet Jürgen for lunch, and fell into conversation with a gnarled old indigenous man. Quickly identifying me as a foreigner, he asked why my hair isn't blond. Apparently, this guy hadn't met all that many gringos...

Rimaykullayki, Bolivia!

In May 2011, Aerosur brought us from Buenos Aires to our new home in Sucre, Bolivia. The "white city" is heralded as the country's most beautiful, and would be our base of operations for the next three months as we explored Bolivia's nature, towns and landscapes, met its people, and learned about their customs and culture.