Puma Marca - To Cuzco

Three mornings a week we journey up the unmade road to Puma Marca. The village sits high in the hills, some 35 minutes bouncy drive up the dusty road. There is only one road with the village houses clinging to the slopes on either side of the road. These are some shots of what we see on the way.

(Left - the main street - traffic is 2 way,and very narrow - passing is difficult. An added problem is that there are no parking restrictions.Vehicles are left where the driver alights)

(Right - two of the school teachers wait by the side of the road, for some form of transport. A taxi service operates between Cuzco and Puma Marca. The fare is 1 Sol (Aus 0.40 cents), however there is no limiton how many passengers travel. The objective to get as many people in at a time - even if they have to sit in the rear of the station wagon, or sit on some other passenger's lap!!)

(Left - further along the main street)

(Right - the local carpenter is making some more chairs for the school)

(Left - another villager is hard at work making adobe bricks for a new building - these are drying in the main street)

(Right - further along we leave the houses and enter the open spaces - a lovely view)


(Left - vehiclesa are not the only road users!!)

(Right - another villager walks their animal home)


(Left - animals come and go in all directions - watch out vehicles!!)

(Right - further down the road another villager wheels loads of mud for new bricks)

(Left - villagers carry completed mud bricks up the hillside - despite the strength of the locals, and their custom of carrying heavy loads, two bricks at a time is the limit)

(Right - we are almost down to Cuzco and looking forward to the sealed roads again)