Sacred Valley

Today is the start of a stretch of early mornings, so there is just a hint of grumpiness as we head to the main square for our 9:00 am tour of the Sacred Valley. I don’t know a whole lot about the place, but from what I’ve been told, there are some interesting archeological sites and small towns that still have some local charm (i.e. less tourists).

Crossing over the ridge above Cusco and starting our descent into the valley, our first stop is a small roadside market. There isn’t a whole lot to see, but Sam manages to spot another llama and immediately heads over.

We hit another market next in the town of Pisac, known for the quality of its silver. Here Angela walks away heartbroken, defeated by a ring just one size too small. Sammy on the other hand walks away thrilled with his new traveling companion, whom he has named Terrence.

Shopping finally out of the way, we head into the hills above Pisac to the first set of ruins. These are the first examples of the extensive terraces the Incas used that we have seen, and they make for a very impressive sight.

Our guide spends the next 30 minutes or so talking about the history of the buildings, Inca religion, and the tombs built into the walls of the adjacent hills where most of the mummies on display in Peru were discovered (all the holes you can see in the picture). He then turns us loose to explore on our own.

After a quick lunch in Urubamba, we continue on to Ollantaytambo, which has another set of ruins. These are similar to Pisac, but we get to walk straight up all the terraces here, so they seem more interesting (to me at least). Connecting two sections, there is also a great example of an Incan trail (very narrow, very high, and with very little between you and a quick trip to the bottom) that is impossible to resist.

Quite a few people end the tour in Ollantaytambo as the train to Machu Picchu departs from there, so with only a handful of us left, we head back toward Cusco, stopping at the small town of Chincerro on the way. According to the guide, this is where the Inca bloodline remains the strongest, and the old traditions adhered to the closest (or they have a great marketing department). We watch a demo of how they clean and dye alpaca wool for making blankets and such, and then pile back on the bus for the final hour back to Cusco.

A fun (long) day, and Sammy is very anxious to FaceTime his brothers and show off Terrence.