Life Through My Eyes: Cusco to Puno by Bus

Today we did things a little bit differently. We packed up those trekking shoes and opted for a bus tour from Cusco to Puno.

We boarded the Inka express at 7am. The tour bus made a quick stop at a local market just outside of Cusco to get some fresh sweet bread. It was so yummy, and I want more!

Scott happy to see bread!

We headed 36km from Cusco to Andahuaylillas to visit the temple of San Pedro Apostol. We were again awed by the Inca influenced artwork, silver and gold that covered the walls. This site is one of the temples that the Route of Andean Baroque is dedicated to sharing the regions cultural heritage through preservation and restoration. Each ticket purchased goes to not only the restoration projects, but to local children for food, medical care and educational assistance. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside, but they did give us a little CD with photos. Of course my computer doesn't have a CD drive.

Keith in front of the temple

Next stop was the Inca bridge in Checacupe. It was built between 1400-1448 by order of Inca Wiracocha as part of an expansion project. We enjoyed stretching our legs for a bit and walking across this piece of history.

Me on the Inca Bridge

We continued along and stopped to visit the Raqchi temple that was built in the late 1400s by the Inca. The site was used for worshiping Wiraqocha, creator of the sun, moon, stars, animals, plants, human beings and earth. The stone statue of Wiraqocha was nearly destroyed during the colonial times as it was believed by the Catholic Church to be demonic, and the Inca were forced to become Catholic. Modern Peru is still home to Inca beliefs and traditions that are widely acknowledged and respected. These beliefs have merged with the dominant Catholic faith. This can be easily seen when looking at the artistry that cover many church walls.

What remains of the temple

The next stop was Sicuani for lunch where we enjoyed a wonderful Peruvian buffet. After lunch Keith walked across the street to pet a baby lamb.

Lunch spot

Baby lamb and Keith

After lunch we had about 10 minutes to shop. Scott got himself a super soft sweater. I don't have a picture of him in it!

Our last stop was the Pukara cultural museum and ruins where we were able to see some pre Inca artifacts that date back to 2400 years ago.

One of the many pieces we saw at the cultural museum

We continued along to Puno. The drive through Julica was interesting. It was comparable to Lima, but dirt roads. Keith has a pretty good time-lapse of it. haha. We finally made it to Puno and enjoyed a wonderful dinner with our Inca trail friends Kat and Dave. Tomorrow we are off to Lake Titicaca!