Having my trip to South America severely shortened by the unfortunate news of my grandfather's passing, I really needed to maximize my time here. So the first thing I did was book a couple of tours of the inca sites I wanted to see. Most importantly was Machu Picchu. So rather than book turlough our hostel (which we had heard bad things about), we went to a place called SAS Travel. These guys were a lot more expensive but in the end, turned out to be an awesome choice. We (Morty and I) ended up booking a two day tour of the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. Amazing!
After booking the tour, we headed out around town to check out Cusco. We found this market just around the corner from our hostel. The place was really cool. It was broken up into sections, with textiles up front, followed by juice bars, trinkets, herbs and produce and hot food.
The butchery section stank and I found these Cow snouts to be particularly fowl.
Nothing is refrigerated.
But the produce section was amazing.
And we found bags of Coca leaves for s/.1,00 (1 soles, or 30c or so).
The next day saw us heading out for the tour. A van drove around 8 of us through the Sacred Valley with our own guide, Martin. He was born in one of the towns on the tour called Chincherro. The sacred valley is an interesting place, sacred because of it's fertile soil and many micro climates. First we visited a small market just outside of Pisaq, where all the goods are made by locals in the area. This is where I got the photo of me with the baby llama and the little Peruvian dude. Then it was on to Pisaq, to the first Inca ruins we would get to walk around.
When I first saw the old Inca site of Pisaq, my mind was blown... yet this was the smallest site I would see. These terraces were mainly used for growing crops. Many of the crops were experimental and quite ground breaking for the time. Adapting plants to grow at this altitude was an Incan speciality.
Like all Incan sites, the professionals such as astronomers, priests, architects etc, lived atop in the most prestige of buildings. The workers such as farmers, would live lower down, around the crops surrounding the village.
This plant only grows at altitude and has a soothing effect on tired, sore muscles when boiled in water and rubbed locally. Pretty cool. I think it's called... Ah shit, I can't remember.
Pisaq is home to the largest Inca graveyard in Peru. They would bury their dead in the side of the mountain. Here is a larger tomb, built for a wealthy family or priest.
Just amazing.
Yes! I made it to the top of that rock there... Fuck yeah!
Every Incan site has a healthy water supply.
And a ceremonial water feature fed by the site's river water supply. Like dipping hands in holy water, the Incan priests would hold rituals around these water fountains. They're cool, still running today!
The next stop was in a town called Urubamba for lunch. Again, feeling like the rich, we ate in a place that seemed out of place for a couple of bearded hobos.
Set amongst the mountains, live pan flutes and scuttling servants everywhere. Heaven!
Got to try their traditional Incan white corn. Huge white kernels with a really dry, pasty texture. I didn't really care for it. It's a lot more savory that our sweet yellow corn. The Inca people grew upward of 200 different types of corn. In fact, the town of Ollantaytambo was built in the shape of a corn cob in honor of the vegetable.
After lunch we headed to Ollantaytambo (pronounced Olly-Un-Tay-Tum-Bo). I loved this place. So much cool stuff to talk about.
Looking back across the town of Ollantaytambo, you see a very important mountain. Mount Pinkuylluna and the monument of Wiracochan.
Wiracochan... Can you see him?
This guy... He protects the valley and the town of Ollantaytambo.
This is where I got to really see the Incan's ingenuity in architecture. All the temples where built using a method requiring no forms of mortar. Just stone carved and polished in a convex/concave fashion that locked them together.
This is the site of the Temple of the Sun.
Working fountains carved in natural rock, still working till this day.
The Moose and I were having such a good day. There are too many photos and too much to talk about here. Machu Picchu next.
Location:High St,Hailsham,United Kingdom
No comments:
Post a Comment