So I arrive in Sucre on the morning of Chrismas Eve and must say that the centre is really nice to stoll around. The Colonial architecture is just marvellous and they even have some Christmas decorations up. Christmas is celebrated here on the Eve and not on the 25th so a group of 18 of us head to the local gringo bar for dinner. (Local bars weren´t really open as they were having family time) It´s a fairly civilised affair with some local vino tinto and local music before retiring at 2am.

The next day we head into the plaza for xmas brunch followed by a film at the gringo bar called él Diablo de mines (The devil´s miner) which was an unbelievable doco about the life of a 14yo boy in Potosi (the world´s highest city) who goes to school each day before doing the late shift in his local silver mine. What an eye opener and I must say it was unbelievably sad to see his life and the extremes he and thousands of other fatherless kids go to to help their family make ends meet. There sure is a lot of poverty in this country and it really makes you appreciate what we have back in our western world.

That night I head out with Eric, Harvey and Sandy for a night on the town full of dancing and mingling. It appears that the locals certainly celebrate on Christmas Night and after three hours sleep i´m off for my first day bus in almost the whole vacation to Uyuni. On the way we pass through Potosi and I get a glimse of the Mountain the eats men featured in the film last night.