Ollantaytambo

Ollanta is a really cool town, halfway between Cusco and the town of Machu Picchu, it's the site of yet more Incan ruins, nestled at a really interesting spot in the sacred valley.

It's at the junction of 3 valleys, one heading to the coast, one heading to Lake Titicaca, from where the Incas originated, and one heading to Machu Picchu.

The whole valley and ruins are essentially one big sun calender, with various points in the ruins and along the mountain marking the solstices and equinoxes, and the Incans used these to plan their harvests and when to sow their crops.

It was also the site of one of the Incans greatest stands against the Spanish. It's terrible to think what we could be seeing had it not been looted and destroyed to such an extent.

The part of the town we stayed in is also built on thr original Incan stone work, and the streets, alleys, and first floors of the buildings all show the amazing Incan stonework we've come to appreciate greatly.

We are both very happy we made a stop here for a day to explore. It's been fun, we learned a bit about the history, and tried to relax some, (while climbing like 1000 stairs to get to our view points) it's going to be a busy stretch ahead!Read more