Two Amazing Day Trips from Macusani, Carabaya Province, Peru

In October 2016 Rocío and I undertook two amazing day tours in the southern Peruvian Andes Mountains as part of our 2016 Interoceanic Highway Trip. We saw stunning scenery, prehistoric history and witnessed something extremely rare: a condor hunting and dive-bombing. From Macusani, guide Ulices and our Hilux driver took us one day to Ayapata District and the next to Corani District.

Video of the condor hunting and dive-bombing near Lake Qañuqota, Ayapata District

Located in Puno Region’s north, Carabaya Province is rarely visited by foreigners. In fact, in ten days, we did not see a single foreign tourist. This is despite being situated between touristic cities Puno, Cusco and Puerto Maldonado. One reason for limited tourism is elevation. Carabaya Province’s capital and largest city, Macusani, lies an inhibiting 4,315 metres high.

With fun couple adjacent Lake Qanuqota, Ayapata District, Carabaya Province, Peru

While hiking to Pitumarka we met a fun couple relaxing against a stone wall seemingly in the middle of nowhere, Ayapata District Continue reading

Condor Dive-Bombing and other Animals Around Macusani, Carabaya Province

A condor dive-bombing was the biggest highlight of Rocío and my two amazing October 2016 day trips from Macusani. Other animals in the Carabaya Province of Peru’s Puno Region included flamingos, Andean geese, a native rodent and domestic livestock.

Andean Condor Hunting and Dive-Bombing

Hiking back from Pitumarka to Ccochauma we had just turned the corner after Lake Qañuqota when we witnessed a truly special sight. In the sky an Andean condor, one of the world’s largest flying birds, was repeatedly hovering then flying, hovering then flying, sometimes as a silhouette in the sky, other times against mountains.

Although I had seen condors before, even quite close, nothing matched this occasion.

Andean condor hovering in front of snowy mountain, Ayapata District, Peru

The condor hovering in front of a snowy mountain peak Continue reading

Prehistoric Rock Art in Carabaya Province, Puno Region

Rocío and I visited multiple prehistoric rock art locations on our second Macusani day trip. Amazingly, no site had signs or barriers around them. Without our guide Ulices we wouldn’t have known they were there.

Between Macusani and Tantamaco Ulices showed us prehistoric rock paintings with white, red and orange pigments. Either the artists only used these colours or the other pigments had faded with time. Ulices didn’t know the painting ages, responding in Spanish that they were possibly as old as 3,000 BC.

Prehistoric rock paintings, Macusani District, Peru

Geometric rock paintings of different patterns Continue reading

Jaylluwa Stone Forest and Odd Rocks

The Andes Mountains have lots of rocks. Lots. In southern Peru’s Corani District there are enough rocks together to form a stone forest. The same day Rocío and I visited Jaylluwa Stone Forest we also ‘rang’ a bell stone, saw the result of lightning and searched for uranium.

Jaylluwa Stone Forest

Near Aymaña in Corani District is the Jaylluwa Stone Forest (Bosque de Piedras de Jaylluwa), a large area covered in rocks. Approximately 4,000 metres high in a remote part of the Andes, Jaylluwa receives fewer tourists than other stone forests I’ve visited including Turkey’s Cappadocia, Bolivia’s Moon Valley, and Argentina’s La Leona. In fact, here we didn’t see another tourist.

Welcome to Jaylluwa Rock Forest Sign

Sign welcoming people to the Jaylluwa ‘Stone Forest Natural Ecotourism Sanctuary’ Continue reading

Corani and its Colonial Church, Carabaya Province, Peru

Corani, 4,000 metres high in Peru’s southern Andes, is one of Carabaya Province’s 10 district capitals. Enveloped by impressive mountains, Corani’s district has several places worth seeing including prehistoric Titulmachay cave art, Jaylluwa Stone Forest and colonial and pre-Inca gold processing sites.

Corani District shield, Carabaya Province, Puno Region, Peru

Corani District’s shield includes a llama, tree and gold Continue reading

A Mysterious Cavern in Corani District, Peru

Why was there a hole in the ground with separate entries south of Aymaña in Peru’s Corani District, 4,000 metres high in the Andes Mountains? Even guide Ulices did not know the cavern’s purpose.

The cavern's two entrances from the outside, Corani District, Peru

In the foreground is the cavern’s side entrance while the hole above is visible as a depression in the hill Continue reading

Colonial and Pre-Inca Gold Processing Technology with a Bonus Sun Halo

Gold has been found in southern Peru’s Carabaya Province for centuries, if not, thousands of years. On our second day trip from Macusani, guide Ulices showed Rocío and I two historic gold processing sites in Corani District – one Spanish colonial, the other pre-Inca. Each site in the high Andes used different methods to apply similar processing principles.

Colonial Gold Processing

Not far from Corani town are the ruins of a gold mill set up by the Spanish rulers during colonial times. Gold ore was crushed between two millstones on a channel. The milled ore then washed into a pond with the heavier gold falling to the bottom and the lighter waste rock travelling downstream.

Spanish Colonial gold processing, Corani District, Peru

The colonial gold mill’s runner stone remains partially on top of the larger bed stone Continue reading

Ruins and Ceramics at Pre-Inca Settlement Marca Marca

Near Tantamaco on the Corani and Macusani district border in southern Peru lies Marca Marca. Settled during pre-Inca times and situated on a hill, the village overlooked the surrounding high Andes valley.

Low level cloud soon replaced beautiful late afternoon light on our October 2016 visit. That didn’t stop guide Ulices, Rocío and I exploring the ruins and searching for ceramic fragments.

View from Marca Marca, Carabaya Province, Peru

Viewed from Marca Marca, the surrounding valley and mountains are covered in dry stone walls and terraces Continue reading