Peru, Bolivia, Brazil Fri'Sat

Peru, Bolivia, Brazil Fri'Sat



Friday rest day visited inca museum fascinating stuff 1000BC to 1400AD weapons, stonemason tools, pottery (some 1 metre high), pins, spoons, waeving instruments and loons, whistles, musical instruments, all well presented in a yniversity building near the main square.



Back to hotel, informed by manageress that Cindy and Dianes rooms walls are original inca stone walls. Next to hotel is archeological site and this plus hotel atea was home of one of the great inca kings.



Evening taken by Claudia to show. Brilliant. It was a story-fable about an inca girl who died to save her town. Teriffic dancing and choreography with visual effects and actors swinging about in the air in all directions. Great stuff, really enjoyed it.



Saturday, journey Cusco to Puna, everyone else went in train, second best scenic train journey in the world ( London to after Birmingham? I think someone was pulling my leg there) but no ticket for me aaaaaaaaaaaaw! But I went in minibus, just me and Claudia and driver ha ha, on road that mostly followed railway so saw all the scenery, stopped twice to visit ´sistine chapel of america´ and fascinating arceological site (more later), had amazing lunch, help yourself so went up 5 times including 2 puddings, journey took 3 hours less so had lie-in and saved 150 us dollars less 5 pounds for lunch ha ha.



Claudia excellent guide (with us to end of trip in La Paz), took me around Raqchi, the archeological site which includes the 500 year old central wall of a temple, 92 meters long and about 12 meters high, 1.7 to 3 meters wide. The bottom about 5 meters is made of huge stone blocks perfectly fitted together by the incas. the next 7 meters is made of clay, soli, silicon , other minerals, straw and other stuff and has amazingly survived 500 years. Also saw sets of houses, qolqas = large storage buildings, artificial lake, an inca wall surounding the town, inca bath places and part of an inca trail through the town. A great place to visit.

The Andean Sistine Chapel of America was very old 1572 and beautiful. It had an array of intricate artwork + loads of paintings by well known artists + gold plated woodwork and frames everywhere. A beautiful building in a small otherwise very ordinary village called Andahuaylillas in the middle of nowhere.

Now in Andina Hotel in Puno on edge of Lake Titycaca. Got to go now for evening meal, All the Best,
John