Excursion to Inca Ruins

Hot springs and Inca Ruins with Friends
February 27, 2018 Our final adventure with Brad Burritt, Danielle leCarre, and Asa Burritt-Carre was to take a dozen or so Taquileños on an excursion to hot springs and ruins. We split the cost for a big van, brought a lunch and took the highway west of Puno. Here we are at a brief stop in the town of Loripongo on the way, with Elias, Rita with little Lesly, Edith, Lisbet and Natalia with her baby on her back

Our first stop was the hot springs of Laraqueri, which have been improved since last year. Price went up from one sol to three (still under one dollar). A roof over the tubs provides shade shelter, the dressing area has curtains and a bench, and the walls between the tubs are higher, providing more privacy. The water is scalding hot. In previous years, the cement tubs cooled the water after 5 minutes or so, but this year the place was BUSY! Each tub is emptied and cleaned between uses, but since it is still school vacation the cement didn't have time to cool down. Definitely therapeutic. Many of us didn't even use our full 20 minute allotment.

Cutimbo is a seldom visited archaeological site southwest of Puno. It shares the round tower architecture of Sillustani (ruins also nearby), but also has square structures and caves.

The cave (really a deep overhang) features rock art: note the llamas and people.

Edith in her city clothes before the cave

Asa and Brad before these enormous rocks. Note the serpent behind Brad.

Eight corners on this rock.

We had good weather all day, watching the play of light and shadow across the distant valley and mountains.

Tara blends right in.

Puma deeply carved into a large stone.

Add caption

We came home tired and happy. The next day we had time to visit some solar shops and finally send our North Fork Friends off to the airport. Their visit was fun, educational, THE BEST! We hope to see them all in Peru again soon.