After completing all my computer work in Oruro I rode to Sucre, Bolivia. The City of Sucre is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is a beautiful colonial city. Sucre reminded me of several other cities I have visited on my trip. Cities like San Miguel, Mexico; Antigua, Guatemala; and Granada, Nicaragua. Sucre is known by four names but the one that I feel best describes it is Ciudad Blanca (the white city). All buildings are whitewashed with red roof tiles. The city had a very relaxed atmosphere with great restaurants, plazas, and markets. The climate was also great – not too cold and not too hot. The city is located at an elevation of about 7,000 feet.
I had a great ride from Oruro to Potosi. I rode along the altiplano for the first 100 miles with the mountains on one side and pampas on the other. The second 100 miles I climbed into the mountains on a twisty road. This area reminded me of Arizona and Utah in the USA. The scenery was a mixture of Monument Valley, Zion National Park, and the Painted Desert. The colors in the valleys and mountains were rich reds, greens, and yellows.
It was a nice ride in a beautiful place with great temperature and no rain. All that came to a halt when I was pulled over by the Bolivian police. It was the same old song and dance. They claimed I was traveling twice as fast as the speed limit. Yes, of course they tell me “you have to pay” and I say “I have no money”, etc. This carried on for about 45 minutes. Finally they asked if I would give them a few bucks to purchase fuel for their patrol car. All I had on me was 10 boivianos which exchanged to about a $1.40 US. They gladly took the offer and we were both on our way. I hated giving money like that because it only adds to their temptation of doing again to someone else. However, they caught me on a good day and I happened to be in a generous mood.
