Photos By Date| Cusco to Puno | 1 | 2 | 3 |
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Note: For more information about these pictures, read about our first-class bus ride to Puno.
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Riya Pass — A small, yellow church stands out as the only noticeable structure for dozens of miles in any direction from this high point along the Cusco-Puno route. |
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Riya Pass — A young Andean boy peers over the only section of stone wall at Riya Pass not swarming with alpaca fur-based souvenirs. Behind him, the train line running from Cusco to Puno fades into the valley in the distance. |
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Wild Alpacas — A field of alpacas and at least a handful of llamas with identity crises roaming among the fields near Riya Pass, the highest point on the road between Cusco and Puno. |
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Adopted Andean Daughter — Keith and Erin pose at Riya Pass, along with their newly-adopted Quechua daughter (cost: 1 sol — about 29 cents). |
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Pukara — The pre-Columbian village of Pukara, populated as long ago as 1000 BC. The indigenous people of that time carved some amazing stonework, which resides in the adjoining museum. But what is most curious is where the village is located in relation to when the Incans took it over.... |
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Pukara —
The Incans were very big on a shape that we later termed the "southern
cross"  . If you draw this figure
on a map, about 450 miles across or so, you'll find that the most important
Incan villages lay on each of the corner points, with the largest ones
on a line going exactly 45 degrees NW/SE. But if you think
that's impressive, you can also plot all the lesser important cities on a
map, and find out that they are laid out in such a way to spell out the
words "Mayans Suck".
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Pukara — The town of Pukara, viewed from the ruins just up the hill. |
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Pukara Museum — Stone carving from the pre-Incan Pukara people. I'd hate to be the guy posing for that sculptor. |
