The highlands are beautiful framed with mountains. With nearly no wind or light tail wind we left the urban regions and followed the road South. (mi)

At the beginning the road went a little down, but at the 2^nd day it rised continously to our first 13.000 ft-pass, which we crossed by bike. At a very steep part a little boy offered his help for a little money, so that our "climb-hero" didn't has to walk. (mi, mi)

Lots of fields like this here the Inkas built into the slopes of the sorrounding mountains and bordert just by rock walls. Today only a fiew of them are still managed. (mi)

In the little villages on our way the life was still going on like 100 years ago. The people still drove cattle and sheep herds along the main road in town to the meadows arround.
Entrance of the village Checacupe (mi)

Then, at a rest, some curious chicken found a shady place under our bikes. They looked very interestes, how we prepared the vegetarian dish on the camping stove. "What a tranquil life" we tought. But then we found something unexpected for this highland (look below). (mi, ma)

By chance, we discovered the art college of Checacupe and immediately, we were invited to a two-day leadership through school and village (see also at "Who we met"). At the "Escuela Superior Autonoma-Bellas Artes-Diego Quispe Tito" is taught drawing, wall painting, sculpturing, ceramics, dance, music and theater. Left in the picture you can see the manufacturing of a theater scenery. After all the souvenir trash we saw in Cusco, it was a relief to see the excellent work of this master students. The director and the faculty dedicated big engagement to the conservation of the traditional culture of this region. And they clever include modern technologies and tendencies. A very interesting and support-worthy project with which the poverty is fought in this region! Mila likes to arrange contact to people, who are interested. (mi, mi)

And then we finally made it: our first pass over 13,000 ft. The pass La Raya between Cusco and Puno. Exactly 14,232 ft over sea level. A real good feeling! (ma)

The bicycle has in South America a very special importance for transportation. Especially as a taxi it is cheaper and in the dense traffic of the towns often faster than cars. Mostly the highest allowed load is exceeded by far, but that doesn't really matter, if the driver can manage the grades. (all fotos mi)

This also is part of the every day life on a bicycle trip. We asked a farmer to tent behind his barn. And at the next morning his two youngest children came to visit us. At frist they have been a little shy, but after some minutes they got very curious. Finally they wanted to know exactly, how to take down the tent! After a common breakfast we could admire the little lamb, which just was born in that stormy night. (ma, ma, mi)

Our companion in the highlands has been for a long time the highest railway of the world. On this part it is used mostly by tourists on their Peru-round trip. For the carriage of goods and local people it is irrelevant since the completion of the paved road. Locals only use trucks, but like on the bicycles the official maximum load doesn't really matter. (ma, mi)

At a visit of the Vicuña-research staton near the pass La Raya we discovered this herd of fresh sheared animals. (mi)

When we entered little villages, we very often gather lots of people around our bicycles. And when we afterwards started to answer questions, we couldn't escape the crowds. After we could avoid the answer to the question about the price of the bikes with the reference to our sponsor they often asked, if we cycled all the way from Germany or where in the States Germany is located. Finally they all admired the weight of our bikes. At the end, when we left the village often several bicyclists follow us for a while. (mi)