The most interesting place we visited this week was definitely Tiwanaku! Situated about two hours west of La Paz by bus, Tiwanaku is a city of ancient ruins. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Tiwanaku was the capital of a powerful pre-Hispanic empire that dominated a large area of the southern Andes and beyond, reaching the height of its power sometime between 500 and 900 AD. UNESCO also states that the monumental remains that have been uncovered at Tiwanaku represent the cultural and political significance of this ancient civilization, “which is distinct from any of the other pre-Hispanic empires of the Americas.” Not surprisingly, Tiwanaku is one of Bolivia’s most famous cultural attractions.
Josh and I also visited the animal sanctuary in Mallasa this week. We walked for about 45 minutes from the Green House at Up Close Bolivia to get there. We have a lot of exciting news to share with you about this visit, but we will be saving that for our Nature Field Note. Stay tuned!
