We met our group at 8:00 a.m.
and it's Wednesday so off we went to Ollantaytambo, an Incan ruin. This
was the last stand in the Incan defense against the Spanish
conquistadors. We had a beautiful day, the gods were smiling on us.
Yesterday we saw amazing views of the Sacred Valley and today's were
equally spectacular. The first steps were steep and I feared I hadn't
done nearly enough work on the stair stepper before coming. It got
easier as we went on and Ron had no problem. I think we are adjusting to
the altitude by staying hydrated, drinking coca tea, chewing coca leaves, and smelling Agua
de Florida given to us to sniff by our tour guide. We made it to the
Temple of the Son and walked down the steeper way. We went back to the
hotel only for 10 minutes to pick up someone with altitude sickness who
didn't make the trip this morning. We got a boxed lunch and continued on
to Pisac/Pisaq another Incan ruin which defended the south side of the
Sacred Valley. The views and terraces continued to amaze. We left Pisac
and went to a chincheria, a place were they make corn beer. From there
we got an explanation on silver jewelry making and got a chance to do
some shopping at the market. We got back to the hotel at 5:00. We
decided against an optional tour tonight as we wanted to get a good night's sleep to be rested
for tomorrow's trip to Machu Picchu and then a bus trip to Cuzco. I
know I won't get to blog tomorrow. It's a bit hard sometimes with the
long days and the remoteness of the areas in which we are staying.
Views of Ollantaytambo
How about those steps! |
Love the llamas! |
Oh no, Can I make it? |
The view from the top - yes we made it! |
Ancient structures |
No Mortor |
Temple of the Sun! |
Taking the hard way down |
Used for food storage - natural refrigeration |
The Old Incan Wall |
An altar for good luck in a home |
Natural Beauty |
Our Visit to the Chicheria
Only one Sol - anyone game for some corn beer? |
Ron was dominating the game! |
Views of Pisac
The Incans love their terraces |
Enjoying the history and beauty of Peru |
Ron connecting with a Peruvian - He gave her part of his lunch |
The Pisac Market
Shopping anyone? |
All kinds of goods |
Back in the lobby of our hotel |
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