BradshawsinBolivia: #24 Tiawanaku #4

These are some of the mountains we saw. We are on our way to Tiawanaku
which is about an hour from LaPaz. This is a village where pre-hispanic cultures of the
south Andes are.They date back around 400 - 1100 AD.

The village is located in a large flat valley.

We stopped along the road before we got to Tiwanaku.
We found two men and two woman arranging small
objects on some cloths. They are chiefs and their wives.
They are making an offering to Pachu- Mama. Which is
Mother Earth.

This was all very interesting to watch.

They had everyone get in a circle and they gave us each several
of these white chalk items. We gave ours to someone else
in the circle and we just watched. Everyone walked around
and laid their objects on the cloth. Many were praying out loud.

One of the Chiefs. They were saying prayers.

We visited the Kalasasaya Temple, Acapana Temple, Undergound Temple,
Litic and Potter Museum.

This is a giant sandstone statue called the
"Bennett" It has many symbols carved on it.

This is a stone doorway found in one of the Temples.

This is thought to be a baptismal font. It is located close to the Temples.

This is the Gateway of the Sun.

There are many symbols carved on all these statues and rock.

An internal wall of the Temple with embedded head carvings.

The gateway of the Moon.

This is the way they held the large stone blocks together.
Their technology was remarkable. The picture below
show all their straight angles and lines.

On our way to the airport in LaPaz we saw these colorful costumes.
The people were also celebrating Pachu-Mama. They were
dancing along side the paved road.