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Published: July 24th 2010
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Today was a travel day but a fun one. We took the Inka Express bus from Cusco to Puno. Inka Express($45/person -http://inkaexpress.com) is a tourist bus service that breaks up a long drive by stopping at restaurants, churches, markets, and ruins along the route. The normal drive from Cusco to Puno is about 5 - 6 hours but on the Inka Express it takes 9. There is tea service and a very knowledgable guide. Lunch is included. We had a very anxious start to our day when we asked our driver to drop us off at the Inka Express Bus Station and he dropped us off on what seemed to be just a random street corner. We were already a day behind and were worried about missing the bus but is was early in the morning and there really wasn't anyone around to ask. Releif came at five minutes to seven when, finally, another cab full of gringos pulled up and asked us if this was where you catch the Inka Express. "Apparently!"
Our fist stop was a Cathedral at Andahuaylillas. Just like the cathedral in Cusco it was ornate to the point of being gawdy but rich with history.
There were many baroque oil paintings, sculptures, carvings, etc and as before no photos were allowed. The next stop was Raqchi and just like in Cusco there was a big party going on when we arrived. On our way to the ruins we passed a field, about an acre square, with a carnival amosphere. There were rides, a bouncy room, vendors selling anything and everything, and a stage in the middle of it all with groups performing traditional dance in costume. The ruins, a pre-Inca ceramic culture, were very cool as was the whole scene in Raqchi. I was really bummed when time ran out and we were herded back onto the bus. A buffet lunch in Sicuani was next on the adgenda. The food was very good but the deserts were sort of ho-hum. As usual with this type of tourist bus buffett...hot drinks were included and cold drinks are extra. Next stop was a scenic overlook, and at 4335m it was the higest point of the trip, at La Raya. Here we finally get to see, up close and personal, the Mismi Glacier that is the source of the Urubamba River we had spent so much time on
the previous week. WE also got to see some loooong haired Llamas. The stop was shor tand sweet and of course there was a market in case you neede to buy another chullo. Pukara was the last stop before Puno. In Pukara we toured the cathedral and a museum of pre-Inca(and Inca) culture. I thought is was really neat how the cathedral, made from the same stone, blends with the mountain behind it. Also notable was the change in scenery as we started our day in the mountains and ended on the altiplano (high plain). We pulled into Puno, a little early, just after sunset and our transport from the Totorani Inn was there waiting for us with our name on a sign.
We checked in and went on a walkabout looking for, superglue(now needed to glue my boots back together after the Inca Trail hike), cambio(money exchange), and dinner. We made a left turn when we should have gone straight, ended up on Avenida El Sol, and in the local market. It was an assult on the senses. It was noisy, crowded, and smelly and didn't have anything we needed. We wandered a little more (with the aid
of a crude map) and found the Plaza de Armas and pedestrians mall. Money exchange and super glue were easy. Finding a good restaurant is a little more challenging but we had a bit of beginners luck. We got roped in by a restaurant hawk(restaurants compete by placing people on the streets, with menus in hand, trying to persuade you to eat at their restaurant) and found Mallku. At Mallku we finally tried the "set menu". This is a phenomenon unique to Peru. The set "menu" is usually a starter, entree, and desert combo at a very reasonable price. We paid 15 soles each(about $5) for a three course dinner and the food was great(patty had chicken in garlic sauce I had grilled lake trout). The catch is that the "menu" is very limited. I would compare it to an "early bird special". We liked the food and atmosphere at Mallku so much we ate there every nite we were in Puno.
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