I got on the bus to Tarabuco, together with the entire foreign population in Sucre, it seemed.

I was a bit grumpy from getting up early, but was soon sucked in by the beautiful landscape, which was all hills and valleys, greens and yellows. Tarabuco is a madhouse, with people buying and selling everything from cocaleaves, meat, toys and of course - artesania.

I'm not sure I've got the bargaining thing down yet, one time I started too high, the other time too low (the guy just laughed), but in the end I got some great stuff which I can't possibly carry. I'm sure sending it home in a package will actually be more expensive than the actual content, but so be it. I've been holding back on souvenir hunting for too long!

I was sitting in the shade next to the baño publico (not as awful as it sounds!) and a guy and two girls selling Christmas hats came and talked to me, without even trying to sell any. The man put his mini-Christmas tree in front of me while he was talking to me.

The toilet señor came to see what I was writing in my diary and I told him it was the story of everything that happened to me on my trip, to which he nodded sagely. His friend later asked something I didn't understand entirely, and when I said 'no gracias' he burst out laughing, and I gathered he had asked me if I wanted to be toilet señor's girlfriend.

The baño publico was the safest place from beggars and sellers, because Tarabuco has plenty of both. I had lunch in the square, talked to Joel, the Canadian I met yesterday, all the while fending off people selling exactly the same stuff. One guy lowered his price so much I'm sure he was kidding, he just wouldn't give up until the lady at the cafe told him to stop 'molesting' me (no la moleste, por favor!)

People are nice, but I was a bit travel weary I think. When I got back, I had a siesta and felt much better. I think what tires me out most is moving cities every few days, negotiating the taxis and buses, and trying to find a place to eat, as most places in Bolivia serve nothing but pizza. So I'm glad I have a few days to hang out in Sucre and to figure out how I am going to get all this stuff I bought home...