Tihuanacu Ruins

There was no sunshine this morning as we headed out from La Paz 72 km across the country to the town of Laja which is where the town of La Paz was originally established.  It is there that we will visit the archaeological site of the ruins of Tihuanacu.

First we stop at the museum which is in the town.

Looking around town.

It is very small but does have all the necessary facilities.

This restaurant doesn't look used but there are others.

Out at the site of the ruins there is a model of what the site used to look like.  That is a good thing because a lot of it is missing.  The stones were taken and used to build the church so now to reconstruct they must find other stones.

This is the temple of Mother Earth (Pacha Mama).

This large area is the temple to the sun.

Showing the detail of one of the walls.

A carving.

This is the only side where the five levels of the pyramid are visable.

Here is our guide standing beside what amounts to an early microphone.  He asked us to stay on the other side of the temple and then went behind the stone and spoke through the hole.  We were able to hear him like he was standing beside us.

Looking at the hole from the other side.

This is the sun gate.  It is situated so that the sun, this gate and one of the corners of the temple line up exactly in a straight line on each of the equinoxes.

Here is a pretty impressive hotel for the size of the town.

The restuarent where they gave us lunch.

Back at La Paz and looking down on the city on the way into town.

A view of the mountains surrounding the town.

Tomorrow I go to Santiago by plane.