Tour of the Altiplano in Bolivia and Peru
Day 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14
of our best pictures from the Altiplano.
La Paz, Bolivia
City
tour
Valley of the Moon
Indian/witches market
colonial section
main plaza and Cathedral
welcome dinner
Tiahuanaco Ruins/
Huatajata, Bolivia
Tiahuanaco
Ruins
Tambillo town
Koani Pampa
Kalasasaya
Huatajata
San Pablo Museum
Titicaca Hotel on Lake Titicaca
Huarina
port
Huanamarca section of Lake Titicaca
Suriqui
Kalahuta Islands Ruins
Huatajata for lunch
Straits of Tiquina crossing
Calvario Hill hike
Rosario del Lago Hotel in Copacabana
Yampupata
peninsula
Titikachi
Sikuani
Yampupata
Island of the Sun
Pilko kaina
Copacabana
Rosario del Lago Hotel
Copacabana
Puno
Inca Fertility
Temple
Sillustani Hotel
DAY
07 (Friday)
Puno/
Cusco, Peru
Puno
Cusco
Chokepukio
Pikillacta
Lake Muina
Cusco
Coricancha
Hatunrumiyoc
Street
Sacsayhuaman
Tambo Machay
DAY
09 (Sunday)
Chinchero, Peru
Chinchero
colonial artwork
weekly market
Inca Yupanqui's palace
handicraft market
weaver's family
highland lunch at weaver's home
Sacred
Valley of the Incas
Pisac
Ruins
Intihuatana
Urubamba Valley
Ollantaytambo Ruins
Sun Temple
Princess' Bath
tourist train then bus to Machu Picchu
DAY
12 (Wednesday)
Machu Picchu/
Cusco
First
bus up to Machu Picchu from Agua Calientes
additional hikes:
- Huayna
Picchu peak
- Gate of the Sun on Inca Trail
bus down at 1 pm from ruins, eat and
take last tourist train to Cusco
flight from Cusco
to Lima
Gold Museum
Roberto (guide) picked up at airport and taken to Sebastian Hotel
Caneled city tour, because Gary had food posioning
Quote from Southwind: The ancestors of today's Andean dwellers developed a culture and belief system uniquely adapted to the new world which reflected their deep connection to Pachamama, or the mother earth, and their respect for the towering, glacier-clad peaks which so strongly influenced their lives. Indian customs blended mystical traditions of the past with elements from the beliefs of later conquering peoples like the Spanish colonists, forming the heritage of the native peoples inhabiting the Bolivian and Peruvian highlands today. Imbued with a magical beauty, the spirit of the Andes can still be seen in the smiling faces of the Aymara and Quechua farmers who inhabit these lands. It is made tangible in the colorful festivals and markets which continue to be held between the stone walls of the palaces and temples built by their forefathers.
Accompanied by an expert local guide, we begin in La Paz, Bolivia (11,900') where we'll walk the cobbled streets of the city’s colonial section, tour colorful Indian markets and visit the cathedral and other historical monuments. The next three days are spent exploring the Altiplano. We’ll visit the pre-Incan Tiahuanaco ruins, sleep in typical communities like Huatajata and Copacabana, meet the reed boat builders of Lake Titicaca and hike along ancient trails on the Sun Island and Charca Peninsula. Afterwards, we’ll drive across the border and continue overland to Puno, Peru (12,555') and fly to Cusco, former capital of the Incan Empire. Here we'll visit the archaeological sites of Pikillacta and Chokepukio learning about Cusco’s prehistoric Huari and Inca cultures. We’ll meet Andean weavers in Chinchero, visit the weekly Indian market, and walk through Incan ruins such as the Coricancha in Cusco, Sacsayhuaman and Tambo Machay in the nearby hills, and Pisac and Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley. Next, we'll focus on the jewel of Incan architecture, Machu Picchu, which we’ll thoroughly explore during our 2-day stay. Returning to Cusco by train, we'll fly to Lima and enjoy a guided tour of the renowned Gold Museum. A criollo farewell dinner that evening concludes our odyssey before we fly home.
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