Entering the Sacred Valley
We are collapsed on our beds after climbing countless steps up and down this morning in the world-reknown Machu Pichu sanctuary. I am travelling with ny childhood friend Margery Fine. This is my first time in Peru, someplace I have wanted to visit and finally decided, when Tara Tours offered me a short condensed trip, that it may be now or never given the uncertainties of life.
I arrived a day later than Marge into Lima so she was able to enjoy some of the cultural treasures of the capital city while on the next day I experienced horrendous traffic on the sea road due to November 1 Day of the Dead concerts. My taxi driver told me that Peru has the second worst traffic in the world, next only to India. He also said Elon Musk chose Peru to test his fully automatic car because if it could work here, it could work anywhere.
Once together, Marge and I walked around the shopping area of Miraflores, stopping in several pharmacies and noting how very small they were, no big box CVS here. We did find a large supermarket and enjoyed walking around and seeing all the different products. A welcome dinner at the hotel allowed me to meet the other 10 participants of our group, many of them travel agents, and to enjoy an excellent meal, the first of many in this country which appreciates good food, holding the honor of hosting the top rated restaurant in the world in Lima.
Our flight to Cusco and immediate transfer onto a small van ride to the Sacred Valley was movement from the sea to the high Andes and a drive through towering brown mountains cut by a running river to the Urubamba Valley with green corn growing on the lower fields.
Our first stop is the historic town of Pisac with a beautiful main city square. It is Sunday and there is usually an active market in town but today it is muted as it is the Day of the Dead when families are visiting cemeteries. And also because it is cloudy – a very light rain came down for a few minutes while I was eating my fabulous quinoa salad on the balcony of a small restaurant.
After a restful night at the Casa Andina, we wake up to find Llamas and Alpacas in the gardens of the hotel as we head out for a day back in time.
We drive up and around into the mountains to the small town of Ollantaytanbo, which still maintains many of its old traditions.
We then continue on to the nearby ancient fortress near Ollantaytanbo built against people invading from the Amazon jungle and once an Incan religious site with a temple of the Sun and temple the Moon high up the terraced mountainside. There are the remains of various buildings including small water falls and ancient stones telling the time of year, all situated among imposing jagged mountains.
We later visit a textile and weaving center where we are shown details of ancient dying techniques and of course, strongly encouraged to purchase some of their beautiful products from hats to scarfs to blankets. They are not cheap. Some are indeed made locally but many are obviously manufactured elsewhere to fulfil the needs of the visiting tourists.
Packing up to leave tomorrow for our journey to Machu Pichu.