I had plenty of time to kill in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Potosí while trying to figure out how to break the roadblock to Uyuni. I decided to go on a silver mine tour and found a street with a few tour offices.
When my bus to Uyuni was cancelled because of a protest and roadblock, I decided to hop on another bus to Potosí. It was once the richest city in the world because of its silver mines and is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. I went to the La Paz bus station and stopped at four or five different companies before I found Trans Copacabana, who offered a cama, or reclining bed, for the 10 hour overnight trip. My goal was to see as much of Potosí as possible and find a way to break the roadblock and get to Uyuni.
Bolivia’s most important archaeological site, Tiwanaku, lies just a couple hours away from La Paz. Located in the modern town of Tiahuanaco, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site that was the capital of a Pre-Columbian empire from about 300 to 1000. The original name of the city has been lost because the inhabitants had no written language. The ruins are still being excavated.
On the hills just above the city of Cusco are the Inca ruins of Saqsayhuamán (pronounced by some tourists as “sexy woman”).
A prominent site just above the UNESCO World Heritage city of Cusco is Cristo Blanco, built on a mountain called Pukamuqu. It’s a large statue of Christ built by a group of Christian Palestinian refugees who came to Cusco in 1945. They built it as a gift of thanks to Cusco when they returned to their homeland.
A short walk uphill from Plaza de Armas in Cusco is a much smaller plaza, Plazoleta Nazarenas. There are a few historic buildings around the square that have been refurbished for modern uses.
A pleasant area of the UNESCO World Heritage city of Cusco worth visiting is San Blas. It’s a pleasant walk uphill from Plaza de Armas.
Cusco is not limited to Plaza de Armas, Qorikancha, and the churches. The rest of the UNESCO World Heritage listed historic city is well worth discovering. You’ll find many interesting places along the way.
The UNESCO World Heritage listed city of Cusco has a wealth of historic churches in the city center. Many people visit the churches at Plaza de Armas and don’t bother with the others, but it’s worth wandering around the city to see them.