Sucre
Oruro - Sucre : 350 miles
The direct route to Sucre is a dirt road, so I chose the faster, asphalt option over Potosi. The ride was nice and smooth, but the only gas station en route was out of gasoline; and 240 miles away, Potosi was out of a tank's range. After the Suycutambo experience (see: Nowhere), finding gasoline by the jug (S 19°04.529' W 66° 12.689') was only a suspect relief. Once the gas came clean, it became easier to enjoy the scenery and the curves.
When you travel alone for this long, you start seeing things.
Both scenery and road got nicer as I approached Potosi.
Potosi showed up in only three hours, and Sucre took another two. The beautiful white washed city could accommodate us for as low as $7 with parking and all (Pachamama hostel, Aniceto Arce street) but I preferred to splurge and stay at a swanky hotel two blocks from the plaza. My $20 room came with a little balcony and included breakfast, in-room internet, tv, and a fridge to keep the "Bock"s cold. I had no idea I'd be staying for two weeks! (Hostal Patrimonio, Grau street)
Lessons learned on the trip and the upcoming trips through Salar de Uyuni and Paso de Jama required a solution to Katirga's puny tank range of 180 to 220 miles. In their little motorcycle shop up at the market, Ricardo and Esteban did an excellent job of fabricating auxiliary tank holders, enabling Katirga to carry 20 liters (~5 gal.) of extra gas. While at it, they also fabricated a custom GPS mount for my unit, and did all the work for only $35. Not only that, they also let me work in the already cramped shop a whole day on other things, like fixing one of the grip heaters that was heavily damaged during the Nowhere truck ride.
The local night life in Sucre can feel like time travel with a couple of very basic clubs spinning tunes from the 80s and 90s. The Salsa nights at Locot's (Bolivar street 465) are really popular and the place has a very spicy spin on Pique a lo Macho, a delicious dish with everything from meat to fries. And in case you're sober enough to wonder when starving late at night, the $0.25 yummy street burgers won't kill you.
Before leaving Sucre, I also paid a visit to the cement factory which also happens to be one of the world's largest archeological dinosaur sites. Built around the discovered dino tracks, the park features little more than full scale models. The fossilized footprints are seen from a far, on a wall which used to be the ground before the movements of the earth lifted it up.
Next : Potosi
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