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Sillustani Tour Guide or Guardian?


Sillustani Tour Guide or Guardian?
Photo Information
Copyright: JC Ramos (jramos) Silver Note Writer [C: 7 W: 1 N: 78] (389)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-08-16
Categories: Nature
Camera: Canon PowerShot S30
Exposure: f/7.1, 1/1000 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2005-12-14 22:02
Viewed: 529
Points: 2
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This is a photo of our impromptu tour guide when we visited the pre-Incan Chullpas at Sillustani.

Let me explain:

32 kms form Puno are the Chullpas (pre-Columbian funeral towers) of Sillustani, beautifully set on a peninsula in Lake Umayo surrounded by stark altiplano.

The Chullpas were built by the Aymara-speaking Collas - a tribe that dominated the Titicaca region before the Incas. Each tower contained the remains of Colla nobility accompanied by their riches. Grave robbers have since removed their contents, although the towers are well preserved and well worth seeing. The engineering involved in their construction is more complex than anything the Incas built. Two of the towers are unfinished: one with a ramp still in place to raise blocks; the other with cut stones ready to go on a very ambitions dome.

We arrived at Sillustani as the sun was rising above the surrounding mountains. It was still pretty dark, cold, calm and deserted. It was just the two of us and our private tour guide. When we began walking the trail up the hill a stray dog decided to follow us. He stopped and waited patiently at each of our stops. he came close but did not approach us directly or sniff us. As we continued the stray became more confident and seemed to predict where we would stop and he started to lead the way. The dog walked brskly to the next stop of interest and then walked around the area slowly as if grazing, then when we began to move towards the next site he would do the same.

We parted only after we got back into our car. He did not seem to mind or try to get in with us. I saw him follow a local lady and her alpaca afterwards.

He may have been the tour guide or the guardian -- after all Sillustani is a large ancient burial ground.
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • nova Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2735 W: 263 N: 864] (8653)
  • [2005-12-15 22:59]

Nice story very well illustrated! The image is maybe a littl bit too dark but the composition is very good! Great shot! Michel

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