Your plane from Santiago touches down on the dusty tarmac and the airbrakes begin to wrench you to a halt. The summery southern hemisphere January that you left in the blue-skied capital, is not quite so apparent here. From sea level, you have arrived at the high altiplano of the Atacama Desert. Stepping from the […]
Cuzco
August 20, 2013 By Leave a Comment
The Plaza de Armas is entirely enclosed by burnt-brown coloured buildings. A swathe of Spanish-style colonial architecture makes for an impressive vista. The cloisters of the surrounding structures are filled with touts for overpriced tours to Machu Picchu and the other sites in the valleys of the Inca heartland. Apart from turning down their offers, […]
Horca del Inca
July 16, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Walking through the colourful Bolivian town on the shores of Lake Titicaca, the glittering waters tickle the buildings with their bright reflections. The rainbow of colours lights up the green banks that frame the sapphire blue lake. Copacabana is a small, ramshackle town on the Bolivian side of the lake. As you explore, you see […]
Why Do People Build Temples?
June 18, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Since the dawn of civilization, humans have felt compelled to raise structures to their gods. Before this, they modified things in nature and worshipped Mother Earth. This chain of events explains the development of votive structures. Starting with simple offerings placed in nature, places of worship evolved into small shrines, then large stone structures and […]
Tiwanaku
January 21, 2013 By Leave a Comment
From the valley that marks the centre of La Paz, you begin to climb upwards. The minivan rocks and shakes with each further push upward. The brakes are pushed to the limit as the steep inclines up and down through the streets of the capital challenge the skill and nerve of your veteran driver. Soon, […]
Ollantaytambo
November 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The journey from Cuzco is relatively event free. The well kept road takes you through terraced fields that cut into the Andean landscape. Filled with potatoes and quinoa, they feed the Incan descendants who live in the valleys that were once ruled by their ancestors’ glorious empire. The road takes you into a sleepy little […]
Isla del Sol
October 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Protests are lodged with the captain. The boat is too full. He has decided to increase his profits and stuff a few extra passengers on board. The vessel sits dangerously low in the ice-cold water of Lake Titicaca. He dismisses the complaints with a wave of his arm and continues to load. People are forced […]
