Sacred Valley of the Incas - Paradise?

Friday, May 3, 2013
After the wonderful day in  Machu Picchu what could be better than a day in paradise.  Today we had the opportunity to travel the length of the Sacred Valley from Ollyantaytambo to Pisac, some 60 km, before climbing up to 12,000 ft and back to the city of Cusco.

Inca terraces near Ollyantaytambo

Typical Ollyantaytambo street

From the hotel we retraced our route along the Urubamba River to Ollyantaytambo.  It is an immaculately preserved Inca town and although a bit touristy, very interesting nevertheless.  It sits on a promontory safely above the river and the streets and houses date back for centuries.  The cobble stone lanes meander past a mix of Spanish colonial houses and older stone built dwellings.  Ancient aqueducts carry clear mountain water along the streets which slope down to the river. Many residents are dressed in typical Andean dress which is very colourful.  Hats seem to be a must here for both men and women.  A group of men wearing wide brimmed hats and woven red ponchos were identified by Luiz as "highlanders". They  come from villages much further up in the mountains, some as high as 15,000 ft (4500 metres).  Many highlanders work as guides and porters for people who walk the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.   There are various levels of walk - from 6 hours to two weeks in length.

Highlander in Ollyantaytambo plaza

Lovely ladies at the local market

One side of the main plaza in Ollyantaytambo

Most of the streets have aqueducts

Local women in typical Andean dress

We were able to visit an Inca home where we gained some insight into daily life in this region.  By our standards the house was primitive, but had electricity, water and sewerage and was spotlessly clean.  A central courtyard was home to some ducks, dogs and kittens and inside we were surprised to find  a large number of young guinea pigs all being fattened up for the pot.  Old Inca traditions were in evidence such as items hung from the ceiling and walls for good luck and to ward off evil spirits- e.g. condor feathers and skulls of ancestors!  Also hanging from the ceiling were various dried foods including corn, potatoes fish and meat. The thing that really strikes one about the indigenous population here is how healthy and robust they all look.  I think the abundant fresh food, mountain air, delightful climate and vigorous exercise contribute to a very healthy lifestyle.  Luiz said that they like to drink chicha (corn beer) but that is an age old tradition that does not appear to cause health problems.   The main health issue for the Inca population in Sacred Valley is the increase in cancers such as stomach cancer, attributed to an increased abuse of alcohol of the European variety.

Courtyard of Inca home

Good luck charm?

Ancestor skulls and stylized animals representing Inca beliefs

Next month's dinner!

Spreading across the lower slopes of the mountain which stands over Ollyantaytambo is a well preserved Inca site which was a temple to the sun god.  It was a large community with stone houses, terraces and store houses.  Inca people from the whole region are known to have gathered at this sacred site at the height of the Inca civilisation.  Today the site is quite well preserved and looks down over the town, a constant reminder of the history of the valley.

Inca temple at Ollyantaytambo

   Below the town on the river flats the fields are intensively cultivated with a huge variety of fruit and vegetables. There are also cows, pigs, donkeys, goats and sheep.  No llamas or alpacas!  They are found on the high slopes away from the valley floor . 

Fertile fields below Ollyantaytambo

The scenery is gorgeous - high mountains, beautiful flowers, adobe brick farmhouses, lush fields, and a variety of lovely trees.  The climate here is pretty good too.  High sunshine hours, clean air, long warm days and short chilly winters (no snow, except on the highest of the mountain peaks).  There is adequate rain in the summer months and of course there is always the river which has always been the life source of the inhabitants of this beautiful valley.  Although the people here live a simple lifestyle they are certainly living "the good life".  It is easy to romanticise such a way of living but this valley does indeed seem like a bit of a paradise.   On our way to Pisac and just outside one little village the bus suddenly stopped and Luiz announced that it was lunch time.  Puzzled we looked out the windows and there, beside the road were a couple of women with barbecues fired up.  Roasting on the barbecues were a dozen or more guinea pigs!  Sorry Luiz - none of us could bring ourselves to try this Inca delicacy!

Typical riverside hamlet, Sacred Valley

Abundant and fertile - Sacred Valley of the Incas

Lunch anyone?  Barbecued guinea pig!

Corn drying in the sunshine

River and mountains, Sacred Valley

Celebrating "Cross Day" - an important Andean tradition - in the village of Yucay

As we followed the river up the valley the river flats became wider and it was obvious that these lands are well used.  Numerous little hamlets dot the countryside and we passed through two larger towns, Urubamba and Calca before reaching the market town of Pisac, centre of silver crafts.  Calca the second largest town in the valley is a popular place for residents of Cusco to holiday, because of its lovely climate and it is the gateway to mountain trekking around the mighty Mt Sahuasiray (19.000 ft or 5818 metres) which we saw peeking above a few fluffy white clouds,
In Pisac we explored the huge market and bought souvenirs.  The quality of products here is much better than in Aguas Calientes market and much of what is on offer is genuinely handcrafted.  Of course the silver shops were the main attraction!  Pisac also has an Inca temple site and a vast number of very well maintained Inca stone terraces climbing the slopes.

Children in the Pisac Market

The oldest bakery in Pisac - bread and guinea pigs!

Old Inca terraces above Pisac - recently restored.

Pisac town

Leaving the Sacred Valley - Mt Sahuasiray in  the distance

Last glimpse of the Sacred Valley

So, it was goodbye to the Sacred Valley and over the mountains to Cusco for our final night in the Andes.  En route we stopped at an animal refuge to see a pair of condors and their youngster.  What enormous birds - they were rescued by rangers and will be released into the wild eventually.  Condors are endangered birds and of course the symbol of Peru.

Baby condor at the refuge

Nest stop was the Alpaca factory on the outskirts of Cusco.  Beautiful sweaters etc in baby alpaca wool and vicuna (very expensive).  Some of us bought items here and then we drove to the main plaza in Cusco where we had another delicious buffet lunch in a restaurant overlooking the cathedral.

Main plaza, Cusco

After checking into our hotel in downtown Cusco and resting for a while we joined Luiz for a walking tour.  The hotel was another Casa Andina and was formerly a convent.  It is very traditionally Spanish colonial with rooms facing onto pretty courtyards and gorgeous antique colonial furniture in the lobbies.

Hotel courtyard, Cusco

On our walking tour we first visited the remains of the Inca temple Qorikancha.  Much of the stone from the temple was used by the Spaniards in the 16th century to build the Convent of Santo Domingo on this site.  The remnants of the temple walls are all that is left now.  All the gold and silver in the temple were taken and used in the magnificent Cusco Cathedral which was our next stop.  The terraces and magnificent views over the city still remain.

Luiz gives us a history lesson at Qorikancha

Terraces at Qorikancha

We wandered through some cobble stone streets lined with Inca walls to the main square to visit the cathedral, completed in 1653 after almost 100 years of construction.The cathedral is totally over the top with gold and silver everywhere and massive oil paintings.  The gold and silver of course were all taken from Inca sites by the Spanish colonists. Huge vases of gladioli, grown in the Sacred Valley, are placed all around the three separate churches that make up the cathedral.  I felt a little dizzy while wandering about the cathedral so took the opportunity to have 5 minutes of the oxygen that is available to anyone who feels the need.  It certainly helped and I had no further problems with the altitude.  No photos permitted in the cathedral - by order of the Vatican apparently.

Cusco Cathedral

View across the plaza from the Cathedral steps

Finally this evening we were taken to dinner  - another buffet with very tasty food - and treated to a show of Andean music and dancing.  Once again the performance was of a high standard, very colourful and very loud. The musicians were highly skilled and played a mixture of traditional music and Western classical music - ie The William Tell Overture!  We were all feeling quite exhausted after packing so much into the last few days and look forward to  a bit of relaxation in Lima.  It has been a wonderful experience to travel in the Sacred Valley.  It is an enchanting place and I hope it never changes.

Traditional Peruvian music and dance