Lake Titicaca - Peru - page 364

ceramic toritos (bulls) often seen perched on the roofs of Andean houses for good luck.
Several local workshops are open to the public and offer classes where you can make your
own ceramics. Try the reader-recommended Maki Pucará ( 951-79-0618) , on the
highway near the bus stop.
The Museo Lítico Pucará (Jirón Lima; 8:30am-5pm Tue-Sun) , by the church, dis-
plays a surprisingly good selection of anthropomorphic monoliths from the town's pre-
Inca site, Kalasaya . The ruins themselves sit above the town, a short walk up Jirón Lima
away from the main plaza. Just S8 gets you into both sites, though there's nobody to
check your ticket at the ruin.
If you get stuck, there are some simple accommodations near the bus stop. Buses to
Juliaca (S3.50, 1 hour) run from 6am to 8pm.
ABRA LA RAYA
From Ayaviri, the route climbs for almost another 100km to this Andean mountain pass
(4470m), the highest point on the trip to Cuzco. Buses often stop here to allow passengers
to take advantage of the photogenic view of snowcapped mountains and the cluster of
handicrafts sellers. The pass also marks the departmental line between Puno and Cuzco.
For points of interest north of here, Click here .
Puno
051 / POP 120,200 / ELEV 3830M
With a regal plaza, concrete block buildings and crumbling bricks that blend into the hills,
Puno has its share of both grit and cheer. It serves as the jumping-off point for Lake Titic-
aca and a convenient stop for those traveling between Cuzco and La Paz. But it may just
capture your heart with its own rackety charm.
Smoke from unvented fires wafts through Puno's streets, along with jangling waves of
traffic, including mototaxis and triciclos (three-wheeled cycles) that edge pedestrians to
the narrow slivers of sidewalks. Its urban center can feel contaminated and cold. But
Puno's people are upbeat, cheeky and ready to drop everything if there's a good time to be
had.
As a trade (and contraband) hub between Peru, Bolivia and both coasts of South Amer-
ica, Puno is overwhelmingly commercial and forward-looking. For a glimpse of its colo-
nial and naval identity, you only have to peruse the spots of old architecture, the colorful
traditional dress worn by many inhabitants and scores of young cadets in the streets.