Long Drive to Puno

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It was going to a be long drive to Puno, with a few stops along the way.

Our first stop was the Andahuaylillas Church. The Christ here was depicted as a dark-skin person, to be more similar to the locals. Apparently Christ has been getting darker over the years, some said because South Americans are more devout vs Europeans. Others argued that it was simply from the candle smoke in front of the altar. Our second stop was some historical storage place. Most people didn't go in, but rather shopped at a local market outside. I think I finally got my bargaining skills down pat, getting a ceramic bird for 1.50 soles instead of 2. Quite the accomplishment, I think :-)

Our guide said that previously transportation between Cusco and Puno was primarily by rail. Thanks to Fujimori we now have a road. The road, however, is not without problems. There were so many potholes, some huge, that the driver was busy manouvering around, a few times we nearly collided with oncoming traffic! Along the way we sucked in some more diesel exhaust, sometimes I almost passed out!

We passed the highest peak in this region, and there were many alpaca and sheep farms. We stopped at a buffet place for lunch, where the highlight was a puppy trying to pull on the rope of a alpaca many times its size. Before getting to Puno, we had to pass Juliaca, where the airport is located. This place was literally a dump, with so much garbage and dead dogs all over the streets. Many building were intentionally not finished, with rebars sticking out to avoid paying taxes. We were told that no tax, no service; it's as simply as that. This also is a big hub for contraband stuff from Bolivia, where many things are much cheaper. I saw many people selling gas out of jerry cans, but I suppose anything is fair game, including cookies, according to our tour guide. That was why we were stopped frequently by police, looking at the driver's papers and permits.

We finally arrived in Puno near dusk. Like so many other cities we've seen, it has a main square and a cathedral. It also is an uninspiring city, but its proximity to Lake Titicaca makes it a resting place for many tourists.

There wasn't much to see in Puno so after supper we just went to bed.

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Photos

Juliaca
don't stay here

Puno
not very inspiring either