Machu Pichu and the tall peaks of Andes left a lasting impact on me. Next morning, I woke up re-charged with energy to start the next leg of my journey, the enticing Lake Titicaca. We looked forward to the long bus ride that will take us along the towns and villages, historic churches and buildings. We decided to take the Inca Express bus. Our first stop was the Andahuilillas, where the San Pedro church was built on top of the Incas sacred temple. Our guide showed us the remains of the Incas Huaca or sacred place. The paintings are amazingly well preserved considering that the church was built by the Jesuits in the 16th century.
The serene villagers moved around in their traditional Peruvian dress, the dogs were running around the central plaza and we move on to the next town called Wiracocha. Wiracocha is a beautiful small town with very important archaeological remains of an ancient Andean temple called “Apu Kon Titi Wiracocha”. The tall structure in ruins remind the prosperous past of this town. After a typical Peruvian lunch we headed to the La Raya Pass situated at an altitude of approximately 14,000 ft. The yonder mountain peaks of the Andes glistened with snow and the glacier. The water from the glacier feed the Lake Titicaca. The smiling Inca merchants stay on the side of the road with enticing textiles and hats.
We stopped at Pukara another town which during the heyday of the Inca civilization boasted impressive monolithic sculptures. We visited the Museum to check out the artifacts. As always it is wondrous to see how much knowledge the ancients had. We are the link in that long chain of inheritance and in every step there has been innovation and experiment. What a grand tapestry is human life!
PEACE ON EARTH
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