Tiwanaku stands on the Altiplano of Bolivia, at about 3,850 metres, in a bare, cold plain ringed by far mountains. The road you take there passes through the little town of Tiahuanaco, where the colonial church is built partly of stone taken from the ancient ruins, and where the central square holds some of the carved monoliths. This segment is part of the Qhapaq Nan, the Inca road system, which linked the empire from Colombia to Chile and was inscribed by UNESCO in 2014.
The roads of the Incas were built on the foundations of earlier routes, and the people of Tiwanaku, who flourished here between about 500 and 1000 AD, had their own network of tracks and way stations. Llama caravans carried goods from the lowlands and the lake, and the ceremonial centre drew pilgrims from a wide area. The Incas, who arrived later, treated the site with reverence and incorporated its myths into their own, and the ruins stood as a reminder that even their great empire had predecessors.
The landscape is high and harsh. The air is thin, and the sky is deep blue. The wind is cold, even in summer, and in the morning, frost can cover the fields. Farmers grow potatoes and quinoa on the plain, and herds of llamas and sheep graze among them. The Andes, with snow on the high peaks of the Cordillera Real, form a long line on the horizon, and Lake Titicaca lies not far to the north-west.
For a rider, it is an easy ride on a good main road from La Paz, though the altitude makes engines run rich and riders breathless. Fuel is available in Tiahuanaco in small quantities, but it is wise to fill up in El Alto or at larger stations along the highway. The best season is the dry winter, from May to September, with clear days and freezing nights. Bring layers and sun cream, as the sun at this height burns quickly, and drink plenty of water.