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Spinning Wool above Ollantaytambo
Behind these women in their colourful traditional Quechua clothing, you can see the intricately fitted bricks leading up the hillside to the tambo, or inn, built during the time of Pachacutec (1438 – 1471), the ninth ruler of the Inca state.
When you are trekking at altitude in Nepal, the Sherpas will tell you: Go high, sleep lower. In the Peruvian Andes, the guiding companies seem to take the opposite approach.
Cusco, in the south-east of Peru, is the starting point for most Inca Trail tours. This little city in the Central Peruvian Andes sits at 3350 metres (2 miles) above sea level, while the surrounding towns like Pisac or Urubamba at 2,900m (9,514ft), Ollantaytambo at 2,792m (9160ft), or even Machu Picchu at 2,400m (7,874ft), are lower. So, for our first three days in the Andes, we slept high (not very well, I might add!) and toured lower.
At the time of our trip to Peru, my husband and I were living in Bangkok – which at 1.5 m (5 feet) above sea level is as low as you want to get – especially in rainy season! Fortunately, like most other Inca Trail tour companies, ours gave us two full days to acclimatise.
Cusco and its surrounds are historically and culturally fascinating, and time there is easily filled! We spent our first day walking around the city itself, and visiting the remains of Inca sites nearby (see: Cusco, Heart of the Inca Empire).
On this, our second day, we were heading a little further afield, into the Sacred Valley.
Unfortunately, the pictures that I took were on my very first little digital camera and often fall into the: ‘What was I thinking?’ category. I often can’t crop them into a more modern 2×3 format because I have filled the frame so completely. I am horrified by how many feet I have cut off!
But, they are fond memories of a unique place.
What I never could come to grips with in the region was the smell! I eventually identified it as alpaca and/or llama. It can only be described as being like rancid oil and it permeated everything, even the tap water – which we naturally were warned not to drink, but nonetheless washed in – and was especially strong in the woolen clothing worn by the local people.
Join me in Cusco’s Sacred Valley:
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Llama
Our first stop of the day was at the Awana Kancha Llama Farm. I knew from meeting a guanaco (Lama guanicoe) in Patagonia (see: Patagonia’s Autumn Colours) that llamas weren’t the only camelids in South America, …
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Camelids
… but I was surprised by the range – all of which were on display at the farm.
Llama Portrait
They are all very affectionate – but smelly! Their soft but strong wool is known for its warmth.
Natural Wool Dyes
The centre seeks to maintain and foster ancestral knowledge.
Traditional Andean Weaving
They are working to preserve traditional techniques for the production of textiles …
Young Quechua Weaver
… and to make sure that younger generations understand the meanings in the complex patterns.
Grazing Llama
The Awana Kancha project is an association of several communities; as well as rescuing ancestral traditions, they provide economic opportunities to hundreds of local families. The shop was full of traditional fibres made into modern products, and I couldn’t resist going home with a beautifully knitted alpaca evening cape.
Písaq /Pisac and the Sacred Valley
Before descending into the valley and crossing the Urubamba or Vilcamayo River, we admire the town of Pisac from above.
Peruvian Pink Peppercorn Tree – Schinus Molle
Pisac Church
The little church here is more modest than those we had visited in Cusco the day before!
Vegetable Market
I love the colour and chaos of village markets – and the insight they give you into local foods.
Heritage Corn
A quick internet search tells me there are 55 corn varieties in Peru!
Woolen Weaves
The market is full of wonderful woven fabrics in rich colours and lively Peruvian patterns.
Embroidered Appliqués
Little Cutie
Cheese and Onion Bread Turnovers
Fresh and hot from the clay oven, these were delicious!
Ollantaytambo and Pinkuylluna
Further up the valley, we come to Ollantaytambo, which was an Inca administrative, religious, agricultural, and military complex. The mountain looming up behind is Pinkuylluna, which features grain storehouses and the face of Tunupa. It is believed that the face is natural, rather than man-made. His eyes appear to open or close depending on the light and shadows.
Storehouses
The storehouses were built out of fieldstones to keep grain. The high altitude and dry mountain air kept the produce fresh; when the Spanish arrived, the Inca had enough food stored for more than six years.
Ollantaytambo
The town of Ollantaytambo is home to two massive Inca ruins, those storehouses up on Pinkuylluna, and the ruins of a 15th-century fortress built by emperor Pachacuti.
Gate to the Tambo or Inn
We walked up the Ollantaytambo side, to the entry gate to what was believed to be a travellers inn above the city.
Stonework
The stonework around the inn is another example of Inca precision.
A Fertile Plateau
The fertile valley below us is the product of the meeting of the Patakancha and Willkanuta rivers.
Cactus Graffiti
People the world over feel the need to leave their mark!
Houses at Ollantaytambo
Ollantaytambo is said to be the only remaining example of pre-Columbian urban planning. The buildings and courtyards as well as the narrow lanes have their original form.
Terraces at Ollantaytambo
From the bottom of the river valleys, extensive andenes, or agricultural terraces, rise all the way up the surrounding hills. They permit farming on otherwise unusable terrain, and create micro-climates, allowing farmers to grow a range of crops at different altitudes.
Village Well
More Stairs
Fertile Valley
The altitude and the stairs took their toll, and returning to Cusco, we were glad to admire the fertile valley from the comfort of our bus!
It was a fascinating insight into an almost-lost culture, and helped prepare us for the trek were were about to undertake.
Until next time –
¡ Salud !
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Pictures: 06April2006
