Day 1: 08-11-2025

We started the day with a bus ride to Mercado 25 de Mayo for breakfast, which turned out to be an excellent decision. At the stall of a kind, motherly woman, we had fresh fruit and vegetable smoothies and warm buns filled with avocado, tomato and fried egg. Mine was vegetarian and the guys went for the beef version. It was one of those simple meals that still manage to feel perfect.

We sat among locals, chatting with them and with each other, while watching the steady rhythm of daily life unfold around us. I couldn’t help thinking that being a pensioner in Bolivia, provided you have a decent income and a market nearby, must be wonderful. You are never truly alone unless you choose to be. You are surrounded by food, conversation, kindness and the warm background hum of life.

After breakfast we wandered through town to see some of the sights. It is a beautiful city with grand colonial buildings, elegant plazas and an almost surprising amount of green everywhere. The whole place has a calm and relaxed rhythm, which made us like it immediately. We even decided to stay an extra day, partly because of the charm of the city and partly because our hostal had a free washing machine, which we just felt like we couldn’t leave unused given the opportunity presented itself so nicely.

Later in the morning we bought groceries at a Hipermaxi. Stepping inside felt oddly familiar, almost like walking into a European supermarket with wide aisles, bright lights, too many choices and the feeling that everything costs more than it should. Afterwards we returned to the market for lunch because there was a vegetarian stall we wanted to try. The food turned out to be delicious and very balanced with lots of vegetables, grains and beans.

With our stomachs full we tried to make our way back to the hostal. That plan did not go as smoothly as expected because we accidentally took the wrong bus. It had the same letter but was going in the opposite direction. We only realised this when the surroundings looked increasingly unfamiliar, so we got out halfway and walked back. The shortest path led us straight through the enormous and incredibly beautiful cemetery, which was a surprisingly peaceful detour. Back at the hostal I attempted to catch up on the blog, although it felt more like damage control than real progress.

In the evening we went out again for dinner and had different foods at some of the street stalls in the city centre. The entire area was buzzing with people enjoying food, conversation and each other’s company. The atmosphere had this warm and uplifting energy that inevitably rubbed off on us and put us in a great mood. So it was yet another evening of going to bed happy and satisfied.

Day 2: 09-11-2025

The next morning we allowed ourselves a lie-in before heading back to the market for breakfast. Same stalls, same smoothies, same lovely people. There’s something deeply comforting about being recognized and welcomed by locals after just one visit. We got some route advice for the coming days from a few chatty market regulars and this really confirms again just how kind people over here are. Even without knowing that we were crazy enough to cycle through Peru and Bolivia, they directly take interest in us and begin kind conversations, are curious, and help us as much as they can with advice.

After breakfast we bought vegetables for dinner, then took it slow at the hostal. I washed my shoes (which was long overdue) and we did laundry (which was long overdue as well). The rest of the day was spent relaxing, chatting with the hostal owner, and enjoying the simple pleasure of having time. Dinner was a good comforting homemade curry with plenty of vegetables and chickpeas. And tell you what? It was just as balanced but at least twice as tasty as the food from the vegetarian stall the day before. I just can’t help but think that people here do not really use spices to flavour their food. Only a bunch of salt and either oil or in some cases even lard. Yikes!