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TRAVEL BLOG ENTRY
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We caught a flight from Arequipa to Cusco around midday. It was just a short hop (around 45 minutes), so we got a free afternoon there once we'd arrived. Cusco comes from the Quechua word Qosqo meaning "navel of the world". The town is full of very narrow cobbled streets (wrongly claimed to be "pedestrianised" by one certain guide book) - which are fraught with traffic. Throughout the town you can see many of the original Inca walls - being used as foundations for more modern buildings. There are also a number of beautiful squares & churches, plus markets-a-plenty. How much fun did us girls have?!
That evening we had a meeting with Willy who was to be our main guide for the forthcoming Inca Trail (3-day hike). Then it was time to pack for the next few days (as we were only allowed to take 6kg of stuff with us on the trail) - which seemed to take both Lucy & I most of the evening. It's amazing how little 6kg actually is when you're trying to take a variety of clothes to account for all weather conditions (as well as a chunky sleeping bag). Anyway, we got there in the end & collapsed into bed.
The following day we headed into the Sacred Valley. En route we stopped off in a handicraft village where we were shown how sheep & alpaca wool is taken, spun & then died, before being woven into clothing etc. I felt obliged to buy something at the end of our "tour", so got myself a pair of gloves to take on the trail. Next is was onto a camelids farm - where we saw more vicunas, llamas & alpacas. We were given food to feed to them, but they are quite big scary animals, so I kept running away before anyone could take a photo of me with one of them :o)
Next we went to see some ruins near to Pisac (the genuine start of the Sacred Valley). Despite the excellent condition of many of the structures, little is conclusively known about the site's actual purpose. It appears to have been part city, part ceremonial center, and part military complex. It was a religious temple & might have been a royal estate of the Inca Emperor (Pachacutec). To see the ruins we climbed the hillside following the path that most Quechua descendants from remote villages use to get around these parts; many people at the Pisac market (which we visited later on) walk a couple of hours or more through the mountains to get there.
Whilst following the path we saw hundreds of dugout holes in the hillside where huaqueros (grave robbers) have ransacked a cemetery that was among the largest known Inca burial sites.The most important component of the complex is the Temple of the Sun which was an astronomical observatory. There is also an instrument called Intihuatana ("hitching post of the sun") which looks like a sundial but was actually used to help the Incas determine the arrival of important growing seasons, rather than to tell the time of day.
We were just near to the end of our walk when the heavens opened, so we pegged it back to the bus & headed down into the town of Pisac. Once we'd ordered our lunch (stir-fried rice for me & Lucy to share) we went for a wander around the market (I managed to buy MORE gloves & scarves!!!). Then it was on to Ollantaytambo - a town located at the foot of some spectacular Inca ruins. The temple area is at the top of steep terracing - used for both ceremonial & agricultural purposes (with foods needing much water at the top & those needing less water towards the bottom). Supposedly the complex was built in the shape of a llama (but not sure I'm too convinced about that theory!). The stone used for the buildings was brought from a quarry high up on the opposite side of the Urubamba river - an incredible feat requiring thousands of workers.
Once we'd checked into our hotel I headed out to buy some "essentials" for our forthcoming trek - a bamboo walking stick (which I'd been warned would be very useful for the downhill sections of the trail as well as to fend off stray dogs), some new sunnies (as my $5 pink shades had broken - booooooo!) & some high-energy snacks (mostly chocolate - ha ha!). Everyone was stocking up on carbs at dinner time, in preparation for the trip tomorrow. I, on the other hand, fancied banana milk, so that was all I had!!! Hmmmm......
previous travel blog entry
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