Trail to Puno
19-2-11: Up at 6:05 am, shower, pack, fruit salad (Sra Carlinas fruit salad is the maxima!- I think all the fruits in Peru help with that), And at 7am sharp Percy is ringing the doorbell and I am off. He brings me to the bus station, well where the bus leaves from, and at 730am we are on our way.
The bus to Puno... little did I know it was a tour bus, so we dont go directly to Puno, we go from Cusco to Andahuaylillas, Raqchi, Sicuni, La Raya, Pukara and then PUNO. Lunch is included, but each place we stop is also a tour.. but the price to see the ruins isnt included. It did not cost much more to buy an all inclusive enterance, BUT I was toured out from the city tour and the sacred valley that I decided not to, SO at the first stop, Raqchi, I pay 1 s/. for the bathroom and then check out the artisania... I find these two little toros. Here in the country side, many houses have toros on their roofs. The toros (bulls) are a symbol of good luck and prosperity. Also some houses have little ladders onthe roofs as well, and that represents that the family is moving upward and likely growing in size. I opted out, Im not quite ready for a family, nor one that grows in size... no babys yet. Then I sit on the curb while the rest of my bus mates tour the ruin.
Again I am the youngest on the bus. There are several couples in their mid 60s.. Two are from Argentina, another two might have been from France, but they live in Mexico, then there were three Chinese men and then other couple I didnt talk to and lastly a really cool lady from Holland, but she travels all the time. I think she lives in Chile half of the year, then Holland and then traveling. She is a highranking offical on the Waldorf Teaching circuit.. I had a good chat with her when I didnt go into the Andahuaylilla church. Then we had lunch together at the typical buffet.
The trip is typically about 6hours but our tour made it significantly longer, but the plus side was that we would be able to get out and strech. Plus it was during the day (unlike my Lima Cusco trip) so one gets to see a lot of the landscape. We are heading up up up and soon there are no trees and you start to see snow capped moutains. This where we passed La Raya, the highest point in the camino, 4335mts. I leave the bus and then this freezing rain begins to fall...There was a little girl outside dressed in the typical attire, holding a little sheep. She will pose for a photo if you pay her, but it was so cold.. The people that live here are so strong, and so used to this. It is truly amazing that they can put up with these conditions. All alone the way in the distance there are little houses and you can see the women out there working... They are easy to spot because of there skirts and bare legs. The are llamas and alpacas and these women. The walk and walk. There is nothing for miles, and the wind is so harsh, its absolutely incrediable.
Then we stopped at Pukara... I splurged and paid to get into the ruin/museo.. but I really just wanted to use the bathroom... But there was a really amazing church. I attemped to draw it because the say that cameras are not allowed. but my drawing did no justice. First it was completely dark. The only light that came in was the faint light from the setting sun. The wooden floors we old and sunken in, the ceiling was arched and hanging from it were cardboard doves that seemed to be on fire. It was quite fantastic really. But then I realized the bus was waiting on me.. so I hurried along. Next stop... PUNO.... But first we pass through a city called Juilaca.
So supposedly this city is a major business center- lots of industry. Well I dont wanna hate on the citys government, but somebody is riping people off. Its a city of over 250,000 ppl and it hardly has paved streets. The guide said that when it rains the streets flood, and it rains a lot. Just from the looks of it, it seemed like no one has done business there is a long time. Later a guide told me there is also a large "black market" of sorts for weapons and things or that nature... sad. But the ONE good thing I found inspiring there was the amount of BICITAXIS! Not motor bikes, but bike bikes.. and theses arent rickshaws.. they are different.. and our guide said there are over 40,000 bicitaxis! How cool is that! Completely eco taxis! Also it seemed as if the taxistas are there own bosses, or they own the taxis so each one had its own flare to it.. some were BADASS and others more flirty.. it was interesting. And all this has inspired me to get some sort of bici taxi going in Samara! CREARS bici-Taxi! How cool huh?
Okay. We arrive in Puno. The guide is there waiting and she takes me to the Hotel. Slick. I didnt have to look around or anything. SO I get to the hotel in the earlier evening and do the whole check in thing. The guide tells me she'll see me in the morning at 740am to take me to the docks. Cool. I decided not to check out the town because Im am alone and well one of the presidental canidates, Toledo was in town, and I can just tell by the the noise outside things were going to get rowdy.. So I hit the hay early to save up that energy for my trip out on LAGO TITICACA!
The bus to Puno... little did I know it was a tour bus, so we dont go directly to Puno, we go from Cusco to Andahuaylillas, Raqchi, Sicuni, La Raya, Pukara and then PUNO. Lunch is included, but each place we stop is also a tour.. but the price to see the ruins isnt included. It did not cost much more to buy an all inclusive enterance, BUT I was toured out from the city tour and the sacred valley that I decided not to, SO at the first stop, Raqchi, I pay 1 s/. for the bathroom and then check out the artisania... I find these two little toros. Here in the country side, many houses have toros on their roofs. The toros (bulls) are a symbol of good luck and prosperity. Also some houses have little ladders onthe roofs as well, and that represents that the family is moving upward and likely growing in size. I opted out, Im not quite ready for a family, nor one that grows in size... no babys yet. Then I sit on the curb while the rest of my bus mates tour the ruin.
Again I am the youngest on the bus. There are several couples in their mid 60s.. Two are from Argentina, another two might have been from France, but they live in Mexico, then there were three Chinese men and then other couple I didnt talk to and lastly a really cool lady from Holland, but she travels all the time. I think she lives in Chile half of the year, then Holland and then traveling. She is a highranking offical on the Waldorf Teaching circuit.. I had a good chat with her when I didnt go into the Andahuaylilla church. Then we had lunch together at the typical buffet.
The trip is typically about 6hours but our tour made it significantly longer, but the plus side was that we would be able to get out and strech. Plus it was during the day (unlike my Lima Cusco trip) so one gets to see a lot of the landscape. We are heading up up up and soon there are no trees and you start to see snow capped moutains. This where we passed La Raya, the highest point in the camino, 4335mts. I leave the bus and then this freezing rain begins to fall...There was a little girl outside dressed in the typical attire, holding a little sheep. She will pose for a photo if you pay her, but it was so cold.. The people that live here are so strong, and so used to this. It is truly amazing that they can put up with these conditions. All alone the way in the distance there are little houses and you can see the women out there working... They are easy to spot because of there skirts and bare legs. The are llamas and alpacas and these women. The walk and walk. There is nothing for miles, and the wind is so harsh, its absolutely incrediable. Then we stopped at Pukara... I splurged and paid to get into the ruin/museo.. but I really just wanted to use the bathroom... But there was a really amazing church. I attemped to draw it because the say that cameras are not allowed. but my drawing did no justice. First it was completely dark. The only light that came in was the faint light from the setting sun. The wooden floors we old and sunken in, the ceiling was arched and hanging from it were cardboard doves that seemed to be on fire. It was quite fantastic really. But then I realized the bus was waiting on me.. so I hurried along. Next stop... PUNO.... But first we pass through a city called Juilaca.
So supposedly this city is a major business center- lots of industry. Well I dont wanna hate on the citys government, but somebody is riping people off. Its a city of over 250,000 ppl and it hardly has paved streets. The guide said that when it rains the streets flood, and it rains a lot. Just from the looks of it, it seemed like no one has done business there is a long time. Later a guide told me there is also a large "black market" of sorts for weapons and things or that nature... sad. But the ONE good thing I found inspiring there was the amount of BICITAXIS! Not motor bikes, but bike bikes.. and theses arent rickshaws.. they are different.. and our guide said there are over 40,000 bicitaxis! How cool is that! Completely eco taxis! Also it seemed as if the taxistas are there own bosses, or they own the taxis so each one had its own flare to it.. some were BADASS and others more flirty.. it was interesting. And all this has inspired me to get some sort of bici taxi going in Samara! CREARS bici-Taxi! How cool huh?
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| Juilaca, left turn |
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