Touring the Sacred Valley

We started the day with a walk down the hill to the tour office. After a short wait, we were led to our coach and met our tour guide, Jose. Our first stop was an unexpected visit to a cooperative, where they raise llamas and alpacas for educational purposes. I did clarify that the oldest camelid fossils were actually found in New Mexico. I also was corrected about the number of potato varieties. Apparently there are 7,126 types of genetically different potatoes in the world and 90% of them originated in Peru.

Our first stop, once we got to the Sacred Valley, was Pisac. The Inca ruins are very impressive, clinging to the hillside, looking over a mass of terraced farm land. The terraces themselves are impressive, when you learn about them. They are very sophisticated feats of engineering. The Incas took into consideration, drainage, heating, and soil quality. The complex is large and stretches around two hillsides, with residential, military, and religious areas. Unfortunately, our time was limited, so our exploring was kept to a minimum, before we left for Ollantaytambo.

The ruins at Ollantaytambo are the site of one of the last great stands of the Incas against the Spanish. According to Jose, it was likely that the area was under construction, when the Spanish arrived. This is lucky for us, as we were able to see how they constructed the complex. The precision the Incas used in their stone work is utterly amazing. Rocks were fit so closely together, that there was no need for mortar. Many of the stones, up to six tons in size, were drug by rope from a quarry about six miles away. Little knobs stick out of the large stones, where the ropes were tied on and used for pulling. They laid cobble stones, which were then wetted, to slide the larger stones along the valley to their resting place. From the top of Ollantaytambo, you can see grain storage buildings across the valley and rising up on other hillsides. The valley runs about 18 miles, and it seemed like you could see every foot from this vantage point.

We returned to Cusco around 6:15 and met with our tour guide for the Inca Trail. Julian gave us the rundown of what to expect the next two days, as we hike into Machu Picchu. We are excited, yet a bit apprehensive. I'm sure it'll be great.Read more