The sacred valley
Trip Start
Oct 14, 2007
1
89
92
Trip End
Jul 25, 2008
Ollantaytambo, Sacred Valley, Peru
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Our first stop was a women's co-operative market where they make llama wool and other Alpaca garments and sell at a very reasonable price compared to the touristy garments that you can pick up in the towns. We were walked through the process of making the wool and how they make them different colours which was very interesting. In some old style stone cooking ovens they boil the wool with natural ingredients to produce the colours such as flowers, berries, herbs and seeds. Alpacas and Llamas were wandering about freely in the market place. The Llamas were so soft to the touch (much softer than the Alpacas were) and they are very timid creatures.
After purchasing some Alpaca woolen socks to keep me warm on the trail, we drove onto our first archaeological site of the day in Pisac. Known as Inca Písac, the site lies atop a hill at the entrance to the valley. It is thought it defended the entrance to enemies and the Spanish. The view is pretty amazing as the ruins overlook the Valley beyond in the middle of the hills. In the hot sun, we climbed the many steps just thinking of preparing for the Inca trail. Let me tell you after about 300 steps, I was pooped! This made me worry slightly so I made sure I didn't appear too out of breath in front of the rest of the group! Best not let everyone know I was struggling - I blame the altitude...
After the obligatory photos at the top of the hill, we climbed down and flopped into the bus. Driving through the local towns we noticed a few red flags and asked our tour guide about them. Little red flags outside a small buildings would indicate that it was a local bar. So we stopped in for a little peek. They sell pink beer for women which tasted like strawberries and a stronger version for the men accompanied by lots of different salty snacks. After having our fill of the snacks, I went into the next room to find shelves upon shelves of Guinea pigs. My suspicions were confirmed when our guide informed us that these are raised to be eaten and many people that stop by to drink also come for the Peruvian delicacy of Guinea pig! You even get to pick which one you want - oh I'll have the very cute and fluffy ginger one please, he looks like he has a lot of fat on him!! I just don't know if I would be able to bring myself to eat one (I have friends that have them as pets!). Nick has told me that we will be trying one before our trip is over though. Poor little blighter's!
Leaving the thought of eating furry little animals behind, we arrived at Ollantaytambo. It is a very small town which backs onto a massive Incan citadel. During the Inca Empire, Ollantaytambo was the royal estate and served as a strong hold of Incan resistance against the Spanish. The ruins sit on a steep hillside as a ceremonial center known as Temple Hill. Looking up at the ruins we were confronted with hundreds of steep steps that look as though they go up to the sky. Massive complete flagstones make up the structure of the main temple, giving it a completely flawless surface and joinings. The Incas really knew their stuff when it came to buildings.
Impressive terraces start at the bottom of the valleys and climb up the surrounding hills. The terraces allowed the Incas to farm on otherwise unusable terrain; they also allowed the Incas to take advantage of the different ecological zones created by variations in altitude. One amazing feature is the fact that the waterways still work today. They have fountains that are still running with fresh water from the mountains. The designs and architecture are amazing. The Incas didn't write or record anything so the fact that they can build a whole citadel without writing a plan down and have the geometry of the place perfect, is incredible. The interlocking patterns on the walls are so perfect they have withstood any earthquake activity where other newer buildings just fall apart. There are no signs of tools being used on the rocks and bronze or Stone tools wouldn't have made a dent on these big stones. Some of the rocks are so big it makes you wonder how on earth they could have transported them up the hills and how they would have fitted them together with apparently no sign of tool work! It really is a mystery.
Until some years ago Ollantaytambo was seen as a passing point in the route of the Sacred Valley of the Incas and not somewhere to stop and look. Seeing the massive citadel, I am glad we had some time to explore. It was an incredible site. We made our way back to the hotel to chill out for the night and made our last minute preparations for the Inca Trail the next day (this included talking myself into it!). I am feeling pretty scared at this stage and thinking if I was ready to have an oxygen mask on stand-by after 300 steps, what am I gonna be like after a million steps!?! Oh dear, sleep won't come easy tonight...
