Cusco to Puno by bus

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We heard there was a train but it didn't run today so we had to take the coach. A 6.45 start to get to the bus station and we left at 7.15 and we would not get to Puno until 5pm. We were not looking forward to this. The coach was a luxury air conditioned reclining seats with a loo and drinks service. The on board guide told us we would be stopping 5 times to visit various places of interest along the way. These would cost and we would pay him and it would save time at each place. 56 soles between us however when he came to us our ticket included the cost of entry.The first stop was in Andahuaylillas to see the church. This was a very small village and there were ancient trees with red flowers called 'sable' and these are used to decorate Christmas trees. The church was undergoing renovation but inside there was so many paintings all with 24 carat gold frames and so much decoration all adorned with gold and silver and the village looked poor. The church was built on the site of an Inca temple that was destroyed.Our next stop was Raqchi where an Inca chief had rebelled against the Spanish and after being pulled apart by 4 horses and not dying his eyes and tongue were cut out then he was decapitated. His family received the same treatment as a warning not to rebel. The Inca temple remains were a site to see.Lunch nothing to write home about. We are following the railway line and another quip by Steve Pacachuteh is the head Inca and Inti was the God of the sun and Steve added so who's the God of the Rain why Pacamaca Cusco is 3000 m above sea level we are gradually getting to 4500 m above sea level so we have to drink lots of coca tea yuk!Two more stops to visit museums that describe the ancestry of Peru, the time before the Inca's where beautiful women were sacrificed to please the earth. The road follows the railway line and there are some interesting landscapes looks a bit like the North American prairie very dry as this is the end of the dry season. The houses that people live in are made of mud bricks with no windows and I can't imagine the life they live. Then we hit upon Juliaca, the worst place I have ever seen, I'd rather live in a mud hut than live there. Bigger than Puno it is the most filthy industrial place I have ever seen. I suppose at least it provides jobs but everywhere there is building going on litter is everywhere and roaming the streets are dogs of every variety, homeless searching for food or companionship as some look well fedSitting in a luxury coach, clean and well fed listening to sketches of Spain we can't really describe the feelings and thoughts, just lets say this makes us appreciate the life we have. The last picture is the best view of Juliaca so you can imagine what the worst was like

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