Sucre is the constitutional capital of Bolivia and where Bolivia’s Declaration of Independence was signed. The city was founded by the Spanish in the 16thcentury and is often called the “white city.” We arrived on a Friday and stayed five nights. The weather was mild—cool in the mornings and warm in the afternoons. There was a hail storm one day and rain sporadically.
We stayed in a lovely hotel, Mi Pueblo de Samary. (Samary means relax in Quechan.) The courtyard was full of flowers and there was freshly made bread and api (a warm purple corn drink) each morning.
We enjoyed the view from the courtyard throughout the day.
One surprise was the number of museums in Sucre—at least 20! We did not have time for all of them but did visit: Casa de la Libertad, Museo de Arte Indígena (Asur), Museo Universaitario Colonial Charcas, Museo Artropológico, Galería de Arte Moderno, Museo de la Catedral, Museo del Tesoro, Museo National de Etnografía y Folklore and a local gallery opening of Jaime Mejía Ávila who has a painting in the Galeria de Arte Moderno. Each was interesting and worth the visit. Museo Charcas (part of the University San Francisco Xavier) was completely unexpected. Each room was filled with amazing European Mannerist and Baroque artwork while music played throughout the halls. Most of the museums did not allow photos inside the galleries.
We spent much of our time exploring the streets and wondering into to open doorways (of public buildings) or sitting in one of the many cafes/restaurants. There are many schools in Sucre (for Bolivians and those looking to take Spanish classes). We found one near our hotel and signed up for three lessons. If time had allowed, we would have stayed longer.
