Day 16 - Sucre and Tarabuco

I decided to visit the Mercado Central (top floor) for my breakfast first thing and had a couple of coffees and a couple of bread buns with cheese, all for the princely sum of 5.5 Bolivianos! I love the market areas for food; you get good honest food at great prices.

I headed back to my hotel so as to catch my bus to Tarabuco, (booked at the hotel) which had about ten other passengers. We arrived at Tarabuco at 10am and were told we had to be back at the bus by 1:20pm for our return trip to Sucre. Tarabuco was a little more touristy than I imagined but it was still a great place to walk around and look at all the amazing people and all the wonderful crafts. I was really keen to buy a poncho for my Dad, but just couldn't make my mind up. Some I thought were quite tatty (I preferred the antique ones) and had a few defects, the stall holders suggested they could be repaired, but I doubt in the time frame I had! I was also quite amazed at how heavy they were and as I had over two more weeks of travelling I thought it would be best to leave it until my return to La Paz. I did however buy a small money pouch for 35 Bolivianos, which I probably could have bought for less if I had bartered!

Tarabuco Market

Tarabuco Market

Tarabuco Market

Tarabuco Market

Tarabuco Market

Tarabuco Market (Offerings to Pachamama)

Tarabuco Market (Offerings to Pachamama)

Tarabuco Market

Tarabuco Market

Tarabuco Market

Tarabuco Market

Tarabuco Market

I had some lunch of chicken and chips in the center of the market (10 Bolivianos), and later I witnessed a wedding in the nearby church, where I managed to sneak in a few photographs. I was a little annoyed at the other tourists getting in the way and literally poking their cameras in the local’s faces! If they want to take close up photographs they should ask!

Tarabuco Market (Food coming my way!)

Tarabuco Market (Great cheap food!)

Tarabuco Market

A wedding at Tarabuco Market

A wedding at Tarabuco Market

A wedding at Tarabuco Market

A wedding at Tarabuco Market

A wedding at Tarabuco Market

I arrived back in Sucre at 3pm and decided to visit an internet cafe. It took about five attempts to find one that had a free computer; all the other places I visited were full of backpackers! I later visited the Mercado Central again and had my evening meal which consisted of beef, rice, chips, a fried egg and a slice of fried plantain which I think is a dish called 'majao'. I then visited another stall and had a drink of 'api' (sweet and thick maize drink) and some 'bunuelos' (deep-fried pancakes).

Entertainment whilst eating my evening meal - Mercado Central in Sucre

'Majao' in Sucre

Api & Buñuelos in Sucre (Mercado Central)

On the way back to my hotel I bought some cakes from one of the stalls nearby, before calling it a night. I plan to be up early in the morning to catch the first bus to Potosi at 7am.