After our enjoyable adventures in Puno and on Lake Titicaca, we got up early and took a tour bus from Puno to Cusco. It was an all day drive across the magnificent Altiplano with breathtaking views of the snowcapped Andes. We stopped at several places along the way and had a wonderful buffet lunch - roasted guinea pig or alpaca anyone? And it was a great way see some of southern Peru's varied landscape...
Early morning in Juliaca and the stores are starting to open...
The locals are enjoying their breakfast at the local market place...
Plenty of fresh fruit for sale - even at this high altitude...
Our first stop was the colorful town of Pucara...
Then we climbed up to the highest elevation of the road
and got out to enjoy the scenery...
Wherever a tour bus stops, you'll find local crafts for sale...
After lunch we continued on to the village of Raqui
where we toured the unusual ruins of "Wiracocha"...
There is lots of farming around this area...
And lots of coco leaves for sale...
The usual sweaters and ponchos...
Typical landscape...
One last stop before we arrived in Cusco:
the charming colonial village of Andahuaylillas...
At last: late afternoon in Cusco...
The bus ride took about ten hours, but it was money worth spent and we got to see so many fascinating places along the way. Definitely a better alternative to flying. Coming up soon...the picturesque town of Cusco.
