day 12 - Puno - Cusco

Had an organised bustrip from Puno to Cusco ... this bus made some interesting stops on the way ...
First stop Pukara named after the first civilisation on the altiplano. The most famous Pukara-temple is on the way to La Paz in Bolivia, but I had no time to go there ... for the next time perhaps.
We visited the museum in Pukara ...

and further we went to the pass of the altiplano ...

... in front you see the sowy peaks who allimentates a little river that passes the secret valley (see later) and joins the Amazone ... then down to the valley direction Cusco ... a little stop in a workshop ...

... where are more cuy's ... the biggest one are ready to be eaten ...

and lama and alcapa ...

from left to right ... alpaca long hair (the best for wool) , alpaca short hair and lama

I like most the alpaca short hair ... nice face ...

there was also a baby-alpaca

then further to another inca temple on the way ...

the main temple consists of one high wall in the middle ...

and colums on either side to support the roof ...

nearby are storage-silo

and habitations for nobles, priests, ...

view of the main-temple from the habitations

and a view to see the size of the main temple

Afterward direction Cusco and stop at the sixtine chapel of the Andes

a glimps of the interiour ... photo not permitted inside ... gold everywhere ...

spanisch jesuites

... an inca toll passage ...

and hop to Cusco ...

view from the room in San Blas ...

Went for dinner in a gay-friendly restaurant ...

and to bed ...

day 11 - Puno

I promised something special ...
There is a inca temple near Puno that I had to see ... simply by curiousity
So I took a collectivo (local little bus with place for 10-12 persons and very cheap 1 sol = 0,25 Euro) and went to the near village of Chucuito ... with it's church ...

It's view on lace Titikaka ...

... and its Templo de fertilitat ... see for yourself ...

very small but if you see the stonework, you know that it's a Inca-temple

... and the subject is ...

... let's enter and see the main issue ...

and that is not the only one ...

around a hundred ... some decaptitated (poor them) ... other's still used by the locals ... woman who are not having baby's come and sit upon them ...

Wet afterwards to a little museum (only one room)

and back to Puno ...

In the afternoon went to a special place ... Pre-inca and Inca tombs on a peninsula in Lace Mayor around 45km near Puno.

There are around 50 tombs here but not all are in a good state ... in one tower they put 4 different mummies ...

The tallest one is over 12m high

you start to recognise the stonework of the inca's ...

... there is wildlife over here ... try to find the cuy ...

The cuy is a delicatesse over here ... you can find almost everywhere on the menu ... I haven't eaten it yet ...

...some tombs are square ...

 

... and this one is pre-inca ... see the different stonework ...

... in front some alpaca's ...

... and the view on the lace are breathtaking ...

the island in the middle is a natural-reserve on which about 300 vicuñas are living ...

 

back to Puno ...

day 10 - Arequipa - Puno

Joupie !
The blocade is finished .... now quick the breakfast and then taxi to the busstation ...
I will get post perhaps this evening ...
Hugs,
Servaas

Yes I am in Puno !!! I got the bus at 8:30.
The following pictures are a bit blue ... must be the windows of the bus.
I have taken a few pictures from the volcanos beside Arequipa ... some of them are still active and you can not say  the difference between the clouds and the smoke ...

The road went around these volcanos and we got on the high-mountains

We passed a natural reserve where three different alpagas, lamas and another kind of animal of which the name I forgot (get it later)

Then we arrived at a first lake ...

and arrived at Juliaca for a bus-stop ... luckely this town was not on my program

After a little hour we arrived in Puno where I found a room (they lowered the price from 70 to 40dollars)

I immediately got into the little town and done all the center already: I visited the little museum ...

a gold ornament covering the complete shoulders

a golden frontal crown ...

and a golden necklace

The church

the local streets ...

and a view from the top-level of my hotel ... where I am sitting now ...

Lake Titicaca in the background.

So ... I already prepared my program for tomorrow ... with something very special ...

Hugs

Servaas