On the way to the pre-Columbian archaeological site, Tiwanaku we drove through the city of el Alto (1.2 million) which used to be part of La Paz (2 million) but became separate.The Tiwanaku culture lasted 2700 years - the longest in South America !The site has been declared a Unesco site and they will still be working on excavation there for years to come.We saw the local people working on the excavation of the Kantatallita pyramid but weren't allowed to take pics of that for Unesco reasons.We learned that 7 was the magic number because it represented the 5 closest planets and the sun and the moon. (7 steps on the pyramid).It was also the reason for the days of the week!(remember that they come from the planets & the sun & moon!)Next, we saw Kalasasaya (meaning rocks sticking up since that is what the local people saw before they started excavating everything) a big area surrounded by a type of fence w/ 2 important monoliths and the sun gate.The monoliths were calendars but also held a scepter and something else representing the political and religious power.Also the right hand was always carved with its fingers in the wrong direction.The sungate represented the months of the year w/ September (the spring equinox) being the most important in the center.Also, there were special holes in the walls that were shaped like inner ears that were used as megaphones to project your voice and there were 7 rooms on each side of the big monolith.Also on Sept. 21st the sun shines directly through the eastern gate of Kalasasaya onto the big monolith there.Next was the template semisubteraneo that was half underground.All around the inside were different heads - thought to be various leaders.In the middle there was a bearded monolith that was different from the others.From there we walked up the side of the Kantatallita pyramid to see it all from above.It was an amazing place.Back in La Paz that evening I went to the Museo Tambo Quirchincho which was a modern art museum which just had some not very interesting lithographs.After that I saw a University tuna group playing that night at the MUSEF.They were pretty good.