Tiahuanaco

We can not believe that today is the last touring day and the last blog for this trip!

I woke early this morning so I decided to watch for the sunrise. The mountain, which I am going to have to get the name of, was dark against a clear sky. There was a mist over the city which was moving north as it was trying to reach the peak. I kept taking pictures but that black old cloud managed to cover the peak just as the first rays were getting ready to peak out.

At 8:30 we climbed aboard our delapitated bus again. I don't know how it made it to the archaeological site 1 1/2 hours away and back but it did. I think my toes were curled and I was putting on the brakes for the whole trip, my goodness do they drive fast and pass in unsafe places!!

Upon arrival it was into the museum for our last museum visit. If we hadn't all seen so many museums of pottery our attention span would have been longer. They did have a mummy there which was very interesting, he was wrapped in the fetal position in grass rope with his face visible. The face is visible so that the Gods would know who is was. We were not allowed to take pictures in the museum but I did sneak one of all the skulls when a guard wasn't looking. Just as the Japanese bound women's feet, The Tiahuanaco people use to wrap the head of children so that they had the long elongated heads.

Out of the museum we headed to the dig site, only about 2% of the entire site has been excavated. Again we were not suppose to take pictures but our local guide told us to go ahead as long as the guards were not there. It turned out that others were taking pictures with a guard around so we took some also. The site is much different, as you can see, from all the others we have been viewing built between 700& 1200 AD. This appears to be an ancient ceremonial site.

The Tiahuanaco are another vanished civilization, some think they are the ancestors of the Inca race. We have now found two places that our guides claim to be the ancestral site.

Back on the bus for the ride home around 11:30 with another 1 1/2 drive back, we were going to be starving before we arrived back. Our guide had the driver stop part way home at a road side vendors (nothing like in Canada) and picked up some freshed baked flat, unleavened bread which we all shared.

Our driver, Freddie, must have had the pedal to the metal as we made it back to La Paz by 1:30 where we would view the Witche's Market. Those that wanted to ride back to the hotel without shopping had a 10 minute tour, the others had to walk home once they finished their shopping. You know who wanted to hop back on the bus and we don't have any room for more shopping so I hopped on the bus also. The market was called that because the Spaniards thought the people there were witches. It does have a number of vendors selling herbs and dried body parts of animals plus amulets for good luck etc. as these people are still deep in their old traditions.

Again La Paz is a city I never wish to visit again. We were being constantly warned about pick pockets and the corruption in all of Bolivia. It is a shame this was our last city as it leaves a bitter taste but as you have already guessed the other days were wonderful.

We have a good bye dinner this evening and then we are all ready to be up at 4:30 tomorrow morning to catch our 8:10 American Airline flight to Miami. From Miami to Houston and on to Vancouver on Continental, arriving in Vancouver around midnight Vancouver time which will be 4 AM our body time. I can hardly wait to breath air that has lots of oxygen in it and that isn't polluted with diesel smells.

Good Bye South America it has been the most fascinating trip we have taken in a long time.