Today we toured the ancient ruins of Tiwanaku and Puma Punku. Not Incan, but instead, built by the Aymara people ... so they think. There's a pyramid, temples and statues like the ones at Easter Island. They even have some stones that have a magnetic power. They make your compass lose its ability to point in the right direction. (Since I jet so happened to have mine, we tested to be sure.) Archeologists can't really explain how it was built, leaving much to theory. Some say aliens built it, while others think aliens taught the Aymara how to cut perfect 90 degree angles, etc. and, haul 40 ton stones over 80 kilometers to the build site. Don't say the word aliens to the Bolivians however, or they take offense. I was hoping that by seeing it first hand I would come up with a theory of my own. Nope, I'm just as puzzled as everyone else. The fact is that both the Peruvians and Bolivians are excellent craftsmen and have a work ethic second to none. But still, it makes you wonder.
Upon returning to our "lovely" hotel in the heart of La Paz, a city with 1.5 million people, a protest took place. There must have been 1,000 men marching in unison and chanting down the street right below our window. They we're carrying banners, shooting blanks into the air and eventually started a fire on the stairs of a nearby building. I'm guessing it was a government building. The Policia were present and thankfully, it didn't get out of hand. I think this type of thing is fairly commonplace. Can't wait to go to our final destination tomorrow, Cochabamba.
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