20/8 Ollantaytambo day 2

This morning we set off to explore some of the ruins located around the town. First we went to an archaeological site called Pinkuylluna, a 15th century Inca site built during the reign of Emperor Pachacuti. It consists of massive stone qollqas (storehouses) designed with high-altitude ventilation to naturally preserve surplus crops like maize and potatoes. Positioned safely out of reach of invaders, it also served to secure food reserves during a siege. Crazy to think the Incas transported all their excess grain 300m up such a steep mountain! Pinkuylluna translates from Quechua as "the place where the pinkuyllu (an Andean flute) plays," likely referring to how the mountain winds howling through the vents mimic the sound of a flute. In the first photo to the left of the ruins you can see a rock formation on the cliff face that looks somewhat like a face. This formation was carved and weathered to resemble Tunupa, an ancient Andean deity and protector of crops.

We then enjoyed a delicious lunch, and Sal tried a traditional Peruvian drink called a Chicha Morada. It’s a sweet, non-alcoholic Peruvian beverage made by boiling dried Andean purple corn with pineapple rinds, apples, cinnamon, and cloves.

After lunch we went for a hike along the Inca Quarry Trail, but didn’t go all the way to the quarry as it was quite late in the day. The trail had stunning views of Ollantaytambo and its surrounding mountains, and gave us insight as to how difficult it would have been for the Incas to transport the large pink granite stones from the quarry to the Ollantaytambo Ruins (photos of these are in the 21/8 post).Read more