Ollantaytambo 20th June 2009
Trip Start
Dec 28, 2008
1
75
90
Trip End
Jul 25, 2009
Ollantaytambo, Sacred Valley, Peru
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Today is the start of our Inca Trail tour, with breakfast at 7.30am, ready
and set to leave at 8am for Ollantaytambo. We traveled with our local
guide through the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The Sacred Valley is a
lush agricultural region that was an important food source for the
Incas and today continues to supply the city of Cusco with much of
its produce.
Along the way we stopped at a little village and were shown how they spin,
dye and treat lama wool. We then hiked the impressive Pisac ruins,
before stopping for a buffet lunch in a little town on route, before
arriving in the picturesque village of Ollantaytambo. Before checking
in to the hotel at 4.30pm, we visited another large Inca ruin.
This major ruin site is known as the best surviving example of Inca urban
planning and engineering. It is admired for its huge steep terraces
guarding the Inca Fortress and for being one of the few places where
the Spanish lost a major battle during the conquest. Today was our
first taste of what lies ahead on the Inca Tail.
After checking in to our rooms, we went for a wonder around the small town,
picking up supplies for the Inca Trail. The town and fortress of
Ollantaytambo are strategically situated overlooking the beautiful
Urubamba River Valley. We went for an early tea at 7pm as to be back
for an early night and plenty of rest before heading out for the
start of the hike in the morning.
