After Machu Picchu, we took a 2 hour train to the Sacred Valley, an area of Peru (in the valley, of course) surrounded by the majestic Peruvian Andes mountains. Arriving at the hotel after dusk, we could not witness the dramatic backdrop until the morning. The next morning, our driver was waiting for us after breakfast for a short drive to Ollantaytambo, a small and historic village at the foot of some of the most spectacular Inca ruins outside of Machu Picchu. At 2,800 meters (about 9,100 feet) above sea level, the trek to the top of the ruins was rather exhausting. About 1/2 way up to the top, a small boy of about 7-8 years of age appeared out of nowhere. He approached us speaking Quechua, a language native to this area. He didn't speak any Spanish (nor of course any English). The only word we were able to decipher was "comer" or "to eat." We didn't have any food so we gave him a bottle of water and he was extremely grateful. Mario later explained that children venture from village to village and they move very quickly through the mountains. He was right. In less than five minutes, this boy had traveled further than we had in 30 minutes.
The view from the top of these ruins was spectacular (and thankfully it was a clear and very sunny day - evidenced by the sunburn I have on my neck and forehead today). After climbing down the ruins, we hopped back in the car to venture further into the Urubamba Valley and arrived at a shop that makes chicha, a local drink made from corn and served cold. The owner of the shop demonstrated how chicha is made and gave us a glass of both the non-alcoholic and alcoholic versions of this delicious drink.
After this pitstop, we continued on to Pisac, where there is a daily market (geared toward tourists). Here I bought handmade alpaca socks for only $1.25 US a pair and handknit hats for just $3.00 US. I noticed a lot of young women carrying heavy bags over their backs. I thought they were taking supplies to the market, but this is how they carry their babies (covered in a bag on their back, protecting them from the wind and the sun). Driving further, we encountered yet another religious celebration on the highway so the driver pulled over and allowed us to watch (see photo above).
On the way back to our hotel in Cusco, we made a final stop at Tambo Machay. At this point, we were over 11,000 feet above sea-level and our lungs felt it. It was a difficult journey to climb 400-500 feet higher to reach the bathing spot of the old rulers here. About 1/4 mile further along the road were more spectacular ruins with local women raising alpaca. After a quick photo, we headed back to the city of Cusco for dinner. We ended up runing into the kid who I bought the scarf from a few days back and he and two of his "cousins" were eating a dirty leftover salad someone had thrown out, so I bought all three of them Happy Meals from McDonalds, since I couldn't stand to watch them eat someone else's leftovers. Because they were not allowed inside McDonalds, they stayed outside while I bought the food. The line was quite long so it took awhile and one of the kids had the audacity to tell Mario that I was spending too much time checking out the prices! Like normal kids, they also fought over the little toy included in the meals.
As I write this, I am sitting in the VIP lounge at Cusco's International Airport as our flight was cancelled and we are stuck 3 hours waiting for our next one back to Lima.
The view from the top of these ruins was spectacular (and thankfully it was a clear and very sunny day - evidenced by the sunburn I have on my neck and forehead today). After climbing down the ruins, we hopped back in the car to venture further into the Urubamba Valley and arrived at a shop that makes chicha, a local drink made from corn and served cold. The owner of the shop demonstrated how chicha is made and gave us a glass of both the non-alcoholic and alcoholic versions of this delicious drink.
After this pitstop, we continued on to Pisac, where there is a daily market (geared toward tourists). Here I bought handmade alpaca socks for only $1.25 US a pair and handknit hats for just $3.00 US. I noticed a lot of young women carrying heavy bags over their backs. I thought they were taking supplies to the market, but this is how they carry their babies (covered in a bag on their back, protecting them from the wind and the sun). Driving further, we encountered yet another religious celebration on the highway so the driver pulled over and allowed us to watch (see photo above).
On the way back to our hotel in Cusco, we made a final stop at Tambo Machay. At this point, we were over 11,000 feet above sea-level and our lungs felt it. It was a difficult journey to climb 400-500 feet higher to reach the bathing spot of the old rulers here. About 1/4 mile further along the road were more spectacular ruins with local women raising alpaca. After a quick photo, we headed back to the city of Cusco for dinner. We ended up runing into the kid who I bought the scarf from a few days back and he and two of his "cousins" were eating a dirty leftover salad someone had thrown out, so I bought all three of them Happy Meals from McDonalds, since I couldn't stand to watch them eat someone else's leftovers. Because they were not allowed inside McDonalds, they stayed outside while I bought the food. The line was quite long so it took awhile and one of the kids had the audacity to tell Mario that I was spending too much time checking out the prices! Like normal kids, they also fought over the little toy included in the meals.
After dinner, we stumbled across a new boutique hotel/bar that has only four rooms that will soon be available for just $500 US a night. The hotel wasn't finished but the manager gave us a VIP tour.
As I write this, I am sitting in the VIP lounge at Cusco's International Airport as our flight was cancelled and we are stuck 3 hours waiting for our next one back to Lima.
1 comment:
It was a great trip. I look forward to repeating it again. Good luck in Buenos Aires,
M.
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