Arrived in Sucre early on a wet Sunday morning and found our way to Casa de Flores, about a 15 minute walk from Plaza 25 de Mayo. Greeted by two small children, an even smaller kitten and a barking mad dog. Things were set for the next few weeks. Large room on the third floor with a patio (doubling as el bano de perro) and a great view over the suburbs from our front door. Shared bathroom and kitchen facilities with a few other language students. The shower was hot but literally electrifying - the water was heated through a combination of kettle and wires running to the shower head. Hazard. 

Conveniently located opposite Fox Language Academy, we started our Spanish lessons the following day where we met our very small (even for Bolivian standards) teacher, Edith, who has proved to be entertaining and good fun . How many times can you fit 'hemos comido pan con queso y jamon' in to a 2 hour lesson?!  The building leaves something to be desired, although it does have a roof and windows unlike a lot of the surrounding 'constructions.'  The school organises a traditional lunch for students and teachers every Friday, which begins with a prolonged grace. We cooked a Bolivian-style stew on the first Friday and more recently sampled the Bolivian Christmas Dinner - a soup containing a piece (not sure which part) of cow, chicken legs, maize and vegetables. Not too bad. Have played 'Wally' (no searching involved!) - volleyball, come football, come squash, with the extended families of the teachers including a rather large over-competitive Bolivian man. Our Spanish is progressing...

Sophie has settled in working at the hospital San Pedro Claver which is a 30 minute bus ride in to the countryside. There is plenty of TB to keep her interested. There is also a lot of silicosis particularly in people from nearby Potosi (see later blog) Silicosis is a disease that affects the lungs due to inhaled particles of silica which cause scarring . Sam is teaching English to a group of university students. We tend to go to 'work' in the morning, return for a lunch of 'pan con queso y jamon,' do our 'tarea' and then have a Spanish lesson in the afternoon.  We have managed to get our fix of Premier and Champions League football in the gringo bars but have also watched a couple of interesting documentaries - one about a 14-year-old boy in the Potosi mines, another about the water riots of 2000 in Cochabamba.

Set in a valley surrounded by low mountains, Sucre is thought of as the symbolic heart and learning centre of the nation. It is recognised in the constitution as the nation's capital and it was here that independence was proclaimed in 1825. The Plaza de 25 Mayo, encircled by white-washed colonial buildings, is a centre for locals and tourists alike. The gardens are incredibly well kept and there are numerous fountains with large trees providing appreciated shade. Sucre was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1991.

Thus far, our sightseeing around Sucre has included:
Casa de la Libertad, a museum on the plaza where the Bolivian declaration of independence was signed.
The best views across Sucre from La Recoleta, where we found a pleasant plaza and church as well as a beach-like café. A prime spot for sunset.
Some impressive dinosaur tracks on the mountainside at Parque Cretacico where we were given an amusing tour around the life-size models of dinosaurs.
A Saturday day-trip out to the dramatic Maragua Crater, a caldera. We reached this after a trek along an Inca trail and later visited an indigenous home.

After 3 weeks living with the Flores' we had had our fill of Bolivian family life. We moved into an apartment just off the plaza, above the laundry service (nice smells!) and over the road from el supermercado making purchasing of 'pan con queso y jamon' easier. We share the apartment with Amanda, an American girl, who owns and runs a hostel here. Life is now comfortable in a pet-free zone with WiFi, a safe shower, tefal pans and treadmill!