The White City

A dusty, bumpy, crowded, stinky midnight bus from Samaipata to Sucre reminds me that not everything is a small, peaceful mountain town.

Sucre, the White City, shares the capital role with La Paz and is a historically wealthy town, packed with colonial buildings, ornate, well preserved churches and a large, shady central plaza. Why the moniker? Because the buildings around town center are maintained in their original colonial paint color. The effect conveys power, cleanliness and purity, but that posturing falls apart two blocks off the plaza. You'll find mangos, queso criollo, chicken feet and beef heart next to each other at a gritty everyday food market where lunch is a buck and taking in the scene is free and comfortable.

Cochambamba next! Then on to Peru!