Peru Border Crossing

Hi all
Here is Linda on the bridge that devides Bolivia and Peru.
The water under the bridge is Lake Titicaca which is at an altitude of 3810 metres.
Here is the process to cross this border.
1. Disembark from bus with hand luggage only. Main luggage to stay on board.
2. Walk 300 metres to border police. We cued for 90 minutes to get our exit stamp from Bolivia.
3. Walk onto Peruvian soil via bridge to Peru Border police.
4. Fill in a declaration form and wait in cue for entry stamp into Peru.

The whole process took 2 hours. No money exchanged and nothing x-rayed or searched.

Back onto the original bus for our final destination.
We arrived at Puno to an awaiting Taxi that our new host had organised.

Regards Sam

Bolivian Road of Death

Hi all
Yesterday  Linda and I completed  the Bolivian Death Road. Photo from a vantage  point at the road block.
Bolivia's Road of Death is an 80-90 kilometer stretch leading from La Paz, Bolivia to the small city of Coroico, located to the North in the Bolivian yungas, a jungle high in the Andes mountains.
We were stopped by locals to pay tax for the use of the road and future maintaince.
15 km further down was another group demanding tax.
Anyway we got through unscathed, very wet and hungry.
Our initial altitude  was 4700 metres and freezing cold. As we descended into the jungle the temperature  increased to 30 degrees. When we arrived we were also hanging for a beer. No Speights or Waikato. Special jungle brew called Pacena.   Very nice thanks.
The tour company did a great job and we stopped frequently  to discuss hazards. Pretty cool.
Everyone completed. 5 of us..including moi,  did an 8 km uphill section at 3500 metres.
My lung were screaming...as for my poor heart.
Leaving La Paz tomorrow for Peru and another fresh start.

Take care
Sam

Stone work

Looks like cavemen at work. Stop laughing Mr Speights.
To me it looks like machine  tooling.
One stone we looked at had a grove machined down one side 50 mm in from the edge.
To make it even more spectacular is the line of 5mm holes drilled down the grove at about 50mm centres.
Sam

Tiwanaku

Hi all
Made it to Tiwanaku and Puma Punku today.
The photo is of the "Gate of the Sun"
This was originally a 1 piece block made of andesite.
It was first found to be lying horizontal and broken.
More recently it has been stood up in what some think is it's original position.
The whole site has been largely reconstructed after many attempts to loot it of gold and from mining that started in the 1500s  when building materials were hard to come by. The Catholic church built in the town of Tiwanaku is built of these stones.
We visited the church and saw many fashioned blocks in the structure.
A lot of the ground work is original and you can tell by the lack of  cement.
Puma Punku is mind blowing in the intricate stone work and the sheer size of the blocks.
Supposedly local tribes were cave men using flint tools and in 1000 years acquired the skills to work stone.
Mr Speights is having a good laugh.

No broken down taxies today but I did navigate for the driver to get us back using Linda's android google maps.
Handy tool and navigates without wireless or network data.

La Paz is a nice city to be honest with the place looking pretty up beat. A change from Cochabamba.
We are staying in a house at an altitude of 4000 metres.
I puff to even get out of bed.

Bye for now
Sam

Inca grain storage

Hi all
Here is a place near Quillacollo called Cotapachi.
Linda and I got here by bus and taxi..and yes the taxi broke down, so we got out, paid for his ride and walked to the next taxi. The only map I had was on the tablet and it took a little convincing that my map gps would take us there. Don't  think he'd  seen that technology.
The site are old Inca ruins and were used to store grain.
You see the towers in the photo, that have been reconstructed  for tourists.
The reconstruction  was built on the original rock base that was laid by the Inca.
You also the remains of bases in the picture.
Built in long rows with a 2 metre spacing.
In this region there are 2500 of these rock bases so that represents a lot of grain.
The site is a dry ridge above a fertile valley which is currently growing corn.
The locals have some sort of annual festival  here to remember  the old times.

In LA Paz tomorrow

Sam

Incallajta

Hi all
Linda and I made it to our first inca ruins. It was a trip we organised ourselves with a bit of researching.
Said to be tricky to get to, but when we arrived reckoned it was easy.

This site is the Machu Picchu of Bolivia. The whole site is Inca built with no earlier civilization underneath.
This however is disputed by some researchers who claim it is 700 years older than first thought.

Took us 11 hours return and saw some amazing countryside and people.
I had the GPS on for the trip and our altitude peaked at around 3500 metres.
http://www.bolivia-online.net/en/cochabamba/134/incallajta

Have a nice day
Sam

Bolivia's past

Hi all
Thought I'd share a pic from a museum in Cochabamba.
The elongated skulls are causing lots of controversy amoung the conspiracy theorist communities.
These supposedly are from an alien race of beings. Actually they are former Bolivian who have had the skull shaped as a new born.
Talk soon
Sam

Arrival in Bolivia

Hi all
Well were in Bolivia after a small flight from Rio to Sa Paulo and a connecting flight onto Cochabamba.
The flight into Bolivia was amazing with good weather and nice views. Very friendly bunch here. The building style is very similar to the rest of South America. Hard case watching the workers on construction sites. Lots of wood used for supports and hardly any scaffold at all. No work safe Bolivia over here. Lots of old cars here in Cochabamba with Toyota being the dominant make.  Banks all have fully armed gaurds, usually holding a shotgun and also carrying side arms.
Police here are hardly seen and not armed. Carnival tomorrow so we get a taste of real culture in Bolivia. No bikinis here though...just lots of long skirts and hats. Going to see some Inca stuff on Sunday so that will be good.
Bye for now
Sam

Favela

Here  is another shot

Rio De Janeiro Favela

https://youtu.be/8TIEFWfWINY

This is a small unedited video of an incredible place.
If you come to Rio, this is  must see and can be an emotional experience.
I spoke and shook  hands with many locals keen to see tourists.
The electrical system  is little short of incredible  and bloody  dangerous.
Most power is borrowed..as they say here...taken before the meters is my interpretation.
Most houses are constructed without consents and build with what can be found or purchased materials.
We walked down through a market which was quite unlike any i have experienced before.
The smell and the vib were something else.
Favela's have a huge police  presence as they were typically  were drug gangs lived and  worked.
Brazil authorities  have now recognized  Favela's and are actively helping to change the people's  lives for the better.
Talk soon

Sam

Corcovado mountain Rio de Janeiro

Hello all
What a day today:

Unofficially it was 40 degrees with clear skies and a slight breeze.

We made our way to Copacabana beach for the sugar loaf and the statue of Christ the redeemer.

The beach was spectacular and busy in the morning with bathers setting in for the day.

We bussed our way there and  back which was a long hot trip on the return. Need a cold beer to recover.

On the beach tomorrow for a nice swim and relax.

Mowing the lawn in South America

His all

Quite funny to see different ways to do the same thing. In NZ we all have lawn mowers.
In South America a lot of people use a weed eater. Going to Sao Paulo tomorrow..only one day as we go to Rio de Janeiro after that and stay for a week to absorb more Brazilians. Carnival starts on the 9th so that should be a lot of fun.
Looking forward to a rest with no travelling and booking stuff.
Have a nice week
Sam