The complications ease

In an earlier post I described a few matters that were making life complicated. They are resolving themselves satisfactorily.

Complication no.1 is responding, slowly but surely, to the ointment.

Complication no.2 appears to be fixed. After 2 nights and a day wearing my spectacles I am back to using the contact lenses and all is well.

Complication no.3 was worked around. I arrived in Sucre, as previously reported, on the eve of the strike. On Tuesday the strike went ahead and Sucre was blockaded. There were no buses or taxis so the city seemed unnaturally quiet. The hostal had sufficient supplies for breakfast and although shops were generally shut, some street vendors continued to trade, several restaurants opened as usual and a few Internet cafes were operating.

In fact, it was quite pleasant to wander the streets and to my great surprise I found a must-see church open in the afternoon. Iglesia de la Merced is reputed to have the best interior of any church in Sucre. It was indeed ornate, but not as lavishly decorated as some of the churches in Peru. Admission included access to the roof for great views of the city and surrounding hills. There I met a couple of Mancunians (lads from Manchester) and we had an enjoyable discussion about world rugby.

The strike was accompanied by demonstrations, speeches and fireworks. Not the colourful, pretty kind of fireworks you understand, but ones that go BANG.

In the evening I joined up with two lovely ladies from the hostal (American Jenny and Mexican Michelle) for a stroll to a different lookout and a vegetarian meal before going to watch a film. "Who killed the white llama" was a Bolivian comedy with subtitles. The language was foul, but otherwise it was entertainingly ridiculous. My kind of nonsense.

Today is Wednesday and the city is operating normally.

Complication no.4 proved very easy to deal with. I was directed to the mercado negro (black market) to shop for clothes. The first stall I enquired at produced jeans that fit me. This is a small miracle because I am a full 25cm taller than the average Bolivian. I have also replaced my sneakers and had a hair cut. A very productive day.

Michelle is negotiating directly with a guide for a day´s guided hiking tomorrow.