Bolivian Inca Trail hike Day 2

 After a breakfast with bread and fruits in the hostel, we started hiking from Maragua to Potolo (another 5 hour hike). We took the road, which is easy to follow, to Potolo (only on maps.me, but not on Google Map); otherwise, it would be difficult to navigate the trail, especially some sections are unmarked. We passed by Niñu Mayu, but did not hike the dinosaur tracks at Niñu Mayu, because we saw enough dinosaurs footprints elsewhere.  

In Potolo, we found a bus back to Sucre. The bus schedule is not exact, roughly every half hour yet waiting in the town square to leave when full. The last bus departs at 4:00 pm. We got on a bus on 12:30 pm, yet started moving towards Sucre around 1:00 pm, and back in Sucre 3:00 pm. I only had some cookies for snacks during today’s hike, so I was very hungry and ate on banana before jumping into a taxi back to the hostel. I showered, did some laundry, and then walked to 2nd floor of the central market for dinner (before restaurants opened again at 6 pm). 

You can take hiking tours to save time. For example, FindYourGuide listed (1) 1 Day Trek in the Crater of Maragua and Inca Trails in Sucre $70; and (2) 2-Day Icla Canyon Tour from Sucre $88 (similar to the 1st plus tubing). However, these tours require minimal participants and will be hard to reach during low season.  Our DIY hike costed only 23b taxi (shared by three), 37b buses, 20b admission, and 100 b hostel (bed + dinner + breakfast). 

Since the Bolivian Election Day 10/19 has no public transportation, I had to rearrange my travel plans.