Avoiding packing, wide awake way too early I opted to shower! Trying hard to not disturb, this baby elephant heard “Turn the light on. Just get on with it”. Now everyone was regretting my decision!
Early breakfast, early checked out, we wheeled our cases down the narrow cobbled streets to the tour bus. Chivalry is alive and well! (I was glad of assistance).
Our charismatic guide back, the bus negotiated now familiar chaotic tourist traffic retracing yesterday’s journey before turning towards the sacred valley. “uno dos tres … quince! Vamonos!” Today’s phrase.
Descending through the Andes we stopped to view the sacred valley; named after the sacred corn. Swathes of lush freshly planted crops nestle the urubamba river fertile banks between rocky peaks.
The Incas were great agriculturalists, supplementing the fertile fields with hand built terraces along the lower valley slopes; similar to the Duoro valley in Portugal. Largely vegan, Coy reserved for special occasions, their stored harvested produce (corn, potatoes corn, quinoa and sacred coca) meant insurance and wealth! Incas used foot ploughs; today Andean farmers use ox or rent tractors. Families farm collectively with each family responsible for a small section.
The corn sprouting as the miles passed. Turning, eschewing modern Pisaq we headed for the our morning Incan site at Pisaq. The terraced farming really obvious as we climbed. Our enthusiastic guide explaining Incan agricultural practices as we rested.
The elevated Incan town single story stone or adobe houses with grass roofs to one side; prized two story grain stores elevated to the other ( ~10years worth!) Domesticating many wild grains, the Incan farmers experimented using the differing elevations and growing conditions, narrower terraces for herbs and medicines.
Protected by a series of watch towers. Mirrors; conch shells and runners forming today’s internet! Stretching along the Inca trail; used by the Inca chief to travel from Cusco to Machu Picchu during their summer governing his subjects.
Released to roam, keen to practice hiking in our allotted 25 mins, we headed for the top to the sundial intiwatana, it's grain stores and views. The sundial intiwatana is sacred and used to predict the agricultural calendar, planting and harvest. Wrong turn! Summit reached, return via famous gate with un-remembered un-pronounceable name! It's amaru punku Simon says. Photo taken, exactly on time at rendezvous. Vamonos! Back to the bus.
We stopped briefly at the market in Pusaq. Much needed bathroom, obligatory baby alpaca jumper sales pitch including silver vs alloy; still not a fan! Interesting to see the skilled silversmiths working with hand held blow torches. Market no longer full of skilled craftsman just the same colourful offerings as everywhere, pretty amble though!
Next stop an hours drive to a buffet lunch. Why don’t I just sleep in a bus! Pretty garden, ok buffet, a gazillion shots in my coffee finally prized me awake.
Last stop Ollyantaytambo, a unesco site, a largely preserved Incan old town in the shape of a corn! Birthplace of our guide! 10th of 11 children he farmed with his family living in a tiny adobe house with a grass roof replaced every three years!
All of Peru present in streams of tourist busses and vans, jostled for space on the narrow cobbled streets. Alarming traffic. The Incan water channels still running down the old town streets, water still useable! Incas used a type of concrete (gypsum, sap and sand); advanced water management necessary to thrive and expand their empire. Encouraged to photo through the window, of course I obliged!
Bus abandoned, jumper donned, we joined the throngs of tourists wending through the market to the temple site. Schools being almost out, crocodiles of coloured track suited excited school parties everywhere! Total chaos!
Climbing 167 steps up the terraces to capture the view, see the faces in the opposite rocks; the smaller higher being highlighted by the sun on the solstice 21 June. Watch towers, grain stores located, the town in the valley; another pre-Incan settlement invaded/usurped!
You could see the construction as the temple was never finished, why? The Spanish, though the whole Incan town led by Ollantaytambo successfully repelled them! So they named the city in his honour. Stones littering the lower slopes. Lifting handles still present on some stones, others showed remains of carvings where they would have been richly coloured, decorated and guided. Evidence too of how they moved the stones from the quarry across the valley in rollers damming the river to cross via an island.
Interestingly our guide remembers playing on the terraces planted with cherry tomatoes! He thought everyone lived in an Incan city with a temple to play in, til the Peruvian government awoke to their heritage and Lima beckoned!
Abandoned amid the chaos ostensibly close but not that close to the station, we wheeled our cases through cobbled utter madness! Eventually we made it. So grateful for those Spanish lessons, we asked for access to the hotel. Yep you have to go through the station entrance.
Very quaint, lovely room. Unfortunately my backpack covered in gunk from the bus meant I had to wash the back and bottom. No water! Calling reception, by the time they arrived it was working! Los gringos loco!!! We think they regulate the water supply!
Later we braved the traffic, really hard to safely walk, looking at the narrow cobbled streets and waterways. Sitting on a balcony overlooking the square we watched the sunset! Finally the chaos subsided, the tuk-tuks now everything, some complete with solid frames and doors.
Lovely listening to the trains as we readied for bed. Not so lovely much later as Perurail appears not to sleep! Oh well cycling down the sacred valley and Inca trail packing to tire me out tomorrow. I have no idea how our duffle bags, poles etc are to find us tomorrow! I don’t want to think about what happens if they don’t!
Sacred Valley
(Bull icons for protection on houses; over looking sacred valley)
Pusaq Incan site
(terraces; 2 story grain houses; Pusaq Incan city; terrace grass control; sundial intiwatana; view from sundial intiwatana)
(Atop sundial intiwatana; looking down to terraces; down to sundial grain stores; grain store and through window; gate name forgotten! It's amaru punku Simon says)
Window shopping Pusaq market, and flowers in restaurant gardens
Ollantaytambo Incan site
(Incan water canal; Ollantaytambo site; grain stores; temple and buildings under construction; watch tower; face; face lit up by sun on solstice June 21, view across river valley to quarry)
(Stones chucked to repel Spanish; same stones from above; unusual ribs and remnants of decorations about to succumb to erosion; altar would be guided containing gold or silver offerings, corn, animals)
(Stone lifting handles for poles; sacred door uniquely carved from one piece of stone; Spanish moss; stone in process of shaping showing interlocking design)
Ollantaytambo town.
(streets, Incan warrior leader Ollantaytambo; Incan canal waterway; tuk-tuk central square; bridge we that was Incan but not!; balcony overlooking square; Andean mint tea, muña)
Video to follow if technology back home allows.
We stayed at El Aubergue Ollantaytambo train station. Yep the hotel really is inside the station!
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