Sondor

Day 920,
26.08.2013,

The Route: Andahuaylas – Sondor – Sojccamuyu – Matapuquio – Huancarama – Abancay (158 km).


The Great Pyramid of Sondor is a small pyramid - shaped mountain 17 kilometres from the town of Andahuaylas town. The Pyramid was originally built by Chanka civilization.

Vilcashuaman

23.08.2013 - 25.08.2013
Route: Lircay – Julcamarca – Ayacucho – Vilcashuaman – Astania – Conception – Puente Pampas – Chincheros – Andahuaylas (404 km).

Huancavelica

22.08.2013,
Day 916
100 862 km since the beginning of the journey
Route: Huancavelica – Abra Huayraccasa – Huachocolpa – Lircay (122 km),  
New altitude record: Abra Huayraccasa – 5059 m.
New door mirrors bought: 1


Sunny morning in Huancavelica, or in the local Quechua language Wankawilka. The city was founded in 1572, currently there are about 40 thousand inhabitants.

Chupaca

21.08.2013
The Route: Chupaca – Huancayo – Huancavelica (151 km),

While having my car repaired in Chupaca, that is a small town near Huancayo, I found an overnight place in "Campamento La Perla". And the place was ok in every way - enough room, plus electricity, hot water, and of course, Wi-Fi, which worked most of the time.

Huancayo

Day 915
100 581 km since the beginning of the journey
Huancayo, Peru,


Huancayo former railway station. Lima - Huancayo railroad is South America's highest railway and the second highest in the world Link, and on route it covers 69 tunnels and 58 bridges.

Nazca

11.07.2013 – 14.07.2013
The Journey: Nazca – Chauchilla – Nazca – Lima (565 km).

Near the town of Nazca in the Andean foothills there are strange lines and shapes on the plateau of 400 square kilometers. The mystery of those lines and shapes is fully unsolved till now.

Here in this rock desert there are hundreds and hundreds of straight lines and geometric shapes and nearly 70 images of animals and plants. Different sources give different numbers, of course.


The technology of making of the lines is simple. Here in this picture all the big and small stones are removed from the area of a half -meter width so that the lighter line of the ground has appeared. Some of the lines are, of course, wider than half a meter, but the technology is the same. The brighter spot is the stone-free ground.

Ollantaytambo, Moray, and other places

07.07.2013 – 10.07.2013

The journey: Aguas Calientes – Santa Teresa – Santa Maria – Ollantaytambo – Moray – Abancay – Nasca – San Juan – Nasca (1085 km).


One can cross the river this way as well.

Lost City of the Incas

06.07.2013.

Machu Picchu in Peru has become one of the symbols of Peru, the place is in UNSECO World Heritage List and belongs to the group of the seven new wonders of the world (New 7 Wonders of the World http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New7Wonders_of_the_World).

Machu Picchu was discovered, or is more correct to say that " re-discovered " for public in 1911, by professor of Yale University - Hiram Bingham, although the locals knew the location of the city already before. Hiram Bingham was looking for the legendary Inca city Vilcabamba, and had initially considered Machu Picchu to be Vilcabamba (Vilcabamba, Espiritu Pampa, or the Inca Empire was the last stronghold of the Spanish conquerors, which was captured in 1572, burned down and the location of the town was forgotten).

Machu Picchu was built in the reign of Pachacuti (approx. 1450), then it was abandoned for unknown reasons long before the Spaniards came. And the purpose of Machu Picchu being built on top of a hill is still quite unknown.

Back Road to Machu Picchu

04.07.2013 – 05.07.2013
The journey by car : Cusco - Urubamba - Ollantaytambo - Santa Maria - Santa Teresa - Hidroelectrica (224 km).
The journey on foot along the railway track : Hidroelectrica - Aguas Calientes (3 hours).

There are usually three different ways to visit Machu Picchu.

The first : four - day guided walk along the Inca Trail and that must be booked in advance, as only 500 hikers are allowed on that route per day. And in June the web page showed - the first free chance will be only mid-October, so this trip was canceled. Besides one could choose between routes of various lenghts like - , Salkantay Trek, Choquequirao Trek, etc. (google help ').

Second : by train. It used very likely by most of the visitors

Third : Drive your own car or use public transport (Ollantaytambo - Santa Maria - Santa Teresa - Hidroelectrica), leave the car at Hydroelectric power station and walk 8 miles along the railway up to Aqua Calientis, located at the foot of Machu Picchu.


Here is the map - the third option is in red.

Cusco

02.07.2013 – 03.07.2013,  
The Journey: Puno – Rachi – Cusco (385 km),

Rachi archaeological complex is located in Cusco - Puno highway and consists of many different parts. First - Temple of Wiracocha, from which is only 20 meters high wall has preserved and as to the adjacent columns - there is only a meter high part left.

Titicaca Lake Islands

01.07.2013
Boat trip : Puno - Uros Isla - Isla Taquile - Puno (the whole day long, several tens of kilometers).

An important attraction of Titicaca are the floating islands of Uros and the inhabitants of the island. The islands are named after their builders – the Uros Nation, who built them in order not to fall under the power of the Incas as the Incas expanded their empire in the 14th century. The Uroe language is now extinct, the Aymara language is spoken nowadays on the islands, because the people mixed with Aimaras over the years
.
The people of the Islands of Uros make their living on fishing and tourists at the present time. There are islands where tourists are not allowed, and there are islands where to trips of varing lengths are organized., from a few hours visit up to overnighing on the island.


Puno, Cerrito de Huajsapata - a monument dedicated to the creator of the Inca Empire, First Inca Manco Capac – is up at the hill.

Peru

30.06.2013
The Journey : Copacabana (Bolivia ) - Yunguyo - Puno (Peru ), 143 km
The Border of Peru - Bolivia.

Leaving Bolivia is nothing extraordinary. Passport control will add one more stamp, the customs will take away the document of temporary import of the car, and asks something about fuel. In Bolivia the fuel is almost 3x cheaper than in nearby countries.

 Then the next South American country of Peru is ahead. Here formalities take also no time at all. Immigration - and then the vehicle insurance. Farther- on the wall of a shop "Welcome to Peru".


Ten meters further there was another check-point.

Tiwanaku

27.06.2013 – 29.06.2013
The Journey: La Paz – Tiwanaku – Copacabana (266 km).

First a few facts: Tiwanaku is an important archaeological monument of the pre- period of Incas in South America, the place is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is situated 72 km away from La Paz, it is also referred to as the "American Stonehenge" and "Baalbek of the New World."


The precise time of the construction and the builders of it are unknown. But it is believed that Tiwanaku`s current location was inhabited as early as 11,450 BC.