Down the Road

Well late last week we left our temporary home in Montero, saying goodbye to kids and housemates, and headed for the hills. Our first stop was the cool (in every sense of the word) town of Samaipata, where we spent Holy week. Samaipata is up in the mountains a ways, and is consequently free of the horrible heat and many, if not all, of the mosquitoes, that we had been fighting in recent weeks.

We were in Samaipata for Holy Week, which was very cool indeed. On good friday a procession of several thousand people took Jesus out of his chapel in the town church (which, incidentally had an amazing gold sanctum) and took him on a funeral procession around the town, stopping at each of 13 houses which had been prepared as stations of the cross. At each, the priest said a prayer over the loud speaker and there was singing as the walk continued. There must have been an army base near Samaipata, beacuase there were always young soldiers lolling around the plaza with nothing to do. On good friday, however, they were pressed into action as Jesus´ body guards.

We left Samaipata on an overnight bus that traversed a mostly dirt road for about 12 hours up into the mountains, finally arriving at Bolivia´s judicial capital, the lovely city of Sucre. Somewhere in there I (MattP) started feeling kind of sick, a condition from which I am still recovering. Matt L has started some spanish lessions, and I will too when I get my voice back. Until then, I will rest and enjoy the inexpensive fresh juice which friendly women sell all over this city. More on Sucre soon. It really is a cool place.

MP