As a part of my South American itinerary, was a visit to Lake Titicaca to see the Uros People, and from Cusco, there is no flight to Puno. You can choose either a train or a 9 hour bus. I chose the latter. I was dreading the thought of a 9 hour bus journey at first, but this is the best way for me to take lots of cultural photography in between several stops.

City of Cusco

While the bus does leave from the bus station in Cusco at seven in the morning, people can arrange to be picked up at their hotel prior to that time and driven to the bus station in time for departure.

Once the bus pulls out of Cusco, travelers can sit back and relax while listening to their guide give them information about what they are passing, where they are, and anything else that seems important or interesting.  Some of the information that the guide will share is what people need to know about the stops that they will be making during the journey.  The five stops will consist of archaeological sites, churches, and an area with views of the Vilcanota range and the grasslands.

San Pedro Apóstol de Andahuaylillas

One of the churches that everyone on the bus will see is the San Pedro Apóstol de Andahuaylillas Church.  This church was built during the 16^th century by the Jesuits and is located on a ceremonial space.  The ceiling inside the sanctuary was built using a kur-kur construction method which combined cane, straw, and mud to create the ceiling.  The church also has a beautiful mural painting and many people who visit the church proclaim that it is the Sistine Chapel of the Andes.

It was a nice church, and again I learned a lot about this cultural history. We learned that after the Spanish conquest, painters from Europe, educated local artists to make the same religious paintings in the new churches. Some of its decor are made up of gold leaf. You are not allowed to take photos inside the church, but I did it anyway.

As the Peruvian artists had never seen European churches or art, they adapted their own style and form. Our guide showed us the key elements of catholic religion intertwined with the local Pachamama culture.

Outside the church are shopping stalls for souvenirs

Head to the shopping stalls and look for local crafts

Roadtrip snapshot inside the bus with my Iphone. Photography documentary of the place and culture.

Witness traditional life. Embrace Incan culture past and present and get a taste of the culture with this sanpshots of street photography with my iphone.

In between archaeological sites and ruins lies the town of Sicuani and land of La Raya Pass.  The town is quite small, but has a restaurant that serves delicious cuisine. The views at La Raya Pass rival those found anywhere else and people are encouraged to take pictures of the llamas and alpacas that roam the countryside.

La Raya 4.335m / 14.222 ft. above sea level

There isn’t much to see or do at La Raya, but this is the highest point on this bus trip from Puno to Cusco. Local people have set up some things you can buy and you can get a picture with the altitude sign. Always nice to have proof of where you’ve been.

The surrounding area is striking though.

High in the mountains, the river beneath it, the snow covered peaks and the railway tracks approaching the gorge. This is a great point to stretch your legs!

To be continued in part 2

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