08.18.2003 Transfer to Sucre and city tour
Excursion to a valley where dinosaurs footprints are still impressed in the rocks

(Click on a picture to see an enlarged version)

 

Bus from Potosi to Sucre

It is just a short ride by bus (less than 3 hours) from Potosì to Sucre and it is the time to leave the dusty gravel tracks behind us, as, for the remaining part of the trip, the roads will be always asphalted.

 

Potosi, Bolivia Potosi, Bolivia
The trip starts from the suburbs of Potosì, then the road climbs on a hill from where there is a nice view of the city.

 

Sometimes the bus stops to let passengers to climb and descent (there are several small towns between Potosì and Sucre).

 

We finally arrive in Sucre, in a nice 4* hotel, with a beautiful internal garden.

 

Footprints from dinosaurus, Bolivia
Footprints from dinosaurus, Bolivia A few kilometres from the city's center, there is a site where materials for making the concrete are extracted. Incidentally, while working in the mine, a strange pattern was discovered on a huge rock composing an hill: further investigations have concluded that they are footprints from dinosaurus, so the affected part of the site was put under protection and no longer excavated.

 

Footprints from dinosaurus, Bolivia Footprints from dinosaurus, Bolivia

The footprints are well preserved and very clear. They are vertical because hundreds of millions of years ago, the place was situated at sea level and was flat / horizontal. Because of the action of the Nasca tectonic plate, the continent received a tremendous push from the west to the east, which caused the Andes to raise and the footprints to go vertically at an altitude of 2800 metres above sea level.

 

Sucre, Bolivia Sucre, Bolivia
Back in Sucre, just before the sunset, we take a short city tour of Sucre.

 

Sucre, Bolivia Sucre, Bolivia
Like Potosì, Sucre is also declared a World's Heritage and Cultural site by UNESCO. Because of its white buildings, Sucre is also called "the white city". At 2800 metres above sea level, here it is much more warm than Potosì and it is easier also to breath.

 

PICTURES OF PERU - BOLIVIA - CILE: IMAGES FROM THE TRIP DAY BY DAY
Santiago del Cile

09.08.2003 - Santiago day tour

Guided day tour of Santiago, visiting Plaza de Armas, the downtown with its tall skyscrapers, and the outskirts.

Winery tour from Santiago

10.08.2003 - Winery tour from Santiago

Chile is getting every year more competitive in the wine market, thanks to the quality and to the increasing quantity. A winery tour in a farm near Santiago lets to discover the wine production process and to taste excellent wines.

Moon Valley

11.08.2003 - San Pedro De Atacama

The Atacama desert in Chile is considered one of the world's driest place where, in several areas, there are no registered rainfalls for many consecutive years. But this doesn't mean that there is no life or nothing to see...

Atacama Desert

12.08.2003 - San Pedro de Atacama and Salar De Atacama

Day tour from San Pedro de Atacama to Salar de Atacama, a huge salt flat surrounded by majestic volcanoes, where flamingoes have made their home.

Laguna Verde, Bolivia

13.08.2003 - from Laguna Verde to Laguna Colorada

Today the groups gets into Bolivia where an adventure by 4x4 begins. The today itinerary goes from Laguna Verde (green lake) to Laguna Colorada (red lake) driving off road or onto dirty roads, between spectacular lunar landscape of extreme high mountain.

Tree rock, Bolivia

14.08.2003 - Crossing Bolivian plateau by 4x4

The Bolivian desert expedition by 4x4 continues at altitudes between 3.500 and 5000 meters above sea level, in an incredible landscape of rocks sculptured by winds and other extreme elements.

Salt flats in Bolivia

15.08.2003 - Salar De Uyuni tour

With an average altitude higher than 4000 meters, the Bolivian plateau offers spectacular scenery, like the immense Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat. We make a stop at Isla Pescado (fish island) a small hill in the middle of the salt, where there are giant cactus.

Uyuni - Potosi road, Bolivia

16.08.2003 - Travel from Uyuni to Potosi

Travel by public bus service from Uyuni to Potosi, over partly paved roads at extreme altitudes, in the middle of the Andes.

Potosi, Bolivia

17.08.2003 - Potosi city tour and silver miner excursion

Excursion to the interesting "museum of the coins" in Potosi, then tour into a silver miner where people work in terrible conditions, inside a mountain above 4.000 meters of altitude.

Sucre, Bolivia

18.08.2003 - Sucre city tour <YOU ARE HERE>

Travel by public bus service from Potosi to Uyuni, Bolivia, then short Sucre city tour and excursion to the "dinosaurs footprints" park, a vertical wall of rock where dinosaurs tracks were left impressed after a sudden catastrophic event.

La Paz, Bolivia

19.08.2003 - La Paz city tour

Flight from Sucre to El Alto, one of the world's most elevated airports, near the city of La Paz, Bolivia. A short city tour of La Paz follows.

Tiahuanaco ruins, Bolivia

20.08.2003 - Tiahuanaco tour

Excursion to Tiahuanaco ruins by bus, departing from La Paz. This archeological site is very interesting and belongs to pre-Inca time.

Copacabana, Bolivia

21.08.2003 - Travel La Paz - Puno via Copacabana

Travel by public bus from La Paz to Puno (Peru) via Copacabana. Today, we cross the border line between Bolivia and Peru, traveling along the Titicaca lake shores.

Titicaca lake

22.08.2003 - Titicaca lake cruise

Like the ancient Uros people, about 2000 Peruvians still populate the floating islands built of Totora reeds, over lake Titicaca in Peru. Everything, from homes to the floating islands itself, is built using Totora reeds, a plant growing along the shores of lake Titicaca.

Perurail train

23.08.2003 - Travel Puno - Cusco by train

Travel from Puno to Cusco by train, over one of the world highest railway. The entire journey takes almost 12 hours, but worth because of the beautiful scenery.

Sacsayhuaman ruins, Peru

24.08.2003 - Excursions from Cusco

Cusco, in the middle of the Andes in Peru, is a city full of history and fascinating museum. The first day spent in Cusco is dedicated to an excursion to Sacsayhuaman fortress and to the temple of the sun.

Pisaq, Peru

25.08.2003 - Pisaq and Ollantaytambo tour

Drive from Cusco thru the Sacred Valley to Pisaq with its ancient ruins and the local handicraft market. Continue to Ollantaytambo where we spend the night.

Rail to Machu Picchu

26.08.2003 - Travel to Machu Picchu by train

Travel to Machu Picchu by train from Ollantaytambo. The narrow gauge railway finishes in Aguas Calientes where we have some rest and overnight.

Machu Picchu

27.08.2003 - Machu Picchu tour

Machu Picchu, the ancient Inca town, has been discovered only in 1911, although was always known by several local farmers. A tour of Machu Picchu gives the possibility to better understand the everyday life of who has lived here.

Inca wall

28.08.2003 - Cusco city tour and museums

Only one day in Cusco is never enough, so, in this second day, I visit several interesting museums and do more hikes in the city, where many modern buildings are built over ancient Inca walls.

Andes

29.08.2003 - Flight Cusco - Lima

Short flight from Cusco to Lima by a Lan Peru Airbus A320. This journey thru the Andes of South America is now about to finish.

Pre-Inca cemetery in Lima

30.08.2003 - Lima day tour

Excursion to a pre-Inca cemetery, before visiting Plaza de Armas and the interesting San Francisco monastery.

Minolta Dynax 5

Collection of the best pictures

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