Legacy of the Incas

Titicaca to Lima

2.8.16 - 2.8.16 65 °F

We were all about done with the beauty of the high altitude and were ready for our flight back to Lima and Sea Level. Our flight wasn't until early afternoon, so we meandered through the high plateau on the way to Juliaca. Our first stop was with a local family to get a taste of how the high country Andes natives live. They were very friendly and really enjoyed showing us their lifestyle and living conditions. You could see that they were proud of their Inca heritage.

We reboarded our bus, and headed to the ruins of Sullustani (an elevation of 12,700ft) Sillustani is a pre-Incan burial ground on the shores of Lake Umayo near Puno. The tombs, which are built above ground in tower-like structures called chullpas, are the vestiges of the Colla people, Aymara who were conquered by the Inca in the 15th century. The structures housed the remains of complete family groups, although they were probably limited to nobility. Many of the tombs have been dynamited by grave robbers, while others were left unfinished.