WorldTravelReynolds

Today is our big day, well almost. We didn’t make it to Machu Picchu but we’re being taken to the Sacred Valley in Ollantaytambo. Now that’s a mouthful! It’s pronounced Oh-yahn-tai-tam-boh.

We were up early, like 4:30 am and since we didnt get hardly any sleep the night before because it was so darn hot in our room and factor in the higher altitudes, we felt like zombies. We had the window open during the night and it was very cool outside but the noise from aggressive drivers kept us from opening it too much. We had a nice continental breakfast with some tea that was made from real full sized tea leaves. They weren’t crushed and placed in bags. You just place a few leaves in a cup and pour some hot water over it. There were even some spices like whole cinnamon and anise to add to it. A different take on how I would prepare it but sure gives me some ideas!

Our tour guide was there and as chipper as he left! He appeared even more excited than us (even if we weren’t awake)

Our trip to the Sacred Valley was about an hour away. Our tour guide filled our head with so much information and showed us many sights along the way of his country. He was very proud of where he came from. He is Inca but also Catholic. Two different types of religions but they make it work. They believe that nature, man and Pachamama (Mother Earth) lived in harmony and perpetual interrelation. They worship the sun, the moon and Mother Earth.

Along the way we saw many alpacas, llamas, sheep and cattle. We also learned that Guinea pigs are eaten here. They are not pets. They are a delicacy and only eaten on special occasions. To each his own but not for me.

As we drove down the elevation several thousand feet, it didnt help our bodies much since we were still at a very high altitude. He kept giving us bottles of water and said DRINK!

Seeing the rolling valleys with the Andes in the background as we drove were so beautiful. The closer we drove to the mountains, the more clouds became prominent at almost eye level. I love clouds. I think they make the landscape so beautiful. These looked almost like smoke on the ground.

We stopped at an overlook to see the most gorgeous mountain scenery I have ever seen. I always thought the blue ridge mountains in Virginia were beautiful but I’m afraid they have come in to a hard second. The Andes are awe inspiring. While walking around and just taking it all in, we walked along the locals tables to see what they have to offer. Mostly alpaca and sheep type garments, handmade and these hats. They were very tall. The locals were also dressed in their traditional dress that was very nice.

Our next stop, Sacred Valley is a pre-Hispanic archaeological ruins site that was built by the Incas and used as citadels or resting places. The Spanish conquistadors conquered the Incas in 1572 after 40 years of fighting in the Battle of Cajamarca.

Nestled between the Andes mountains, the ruins were still about 9500 feet. It took the Incas over 50 years to build and they didn’t finish due to losing the war to the Spanish. No one knows the real reason as to why the ruins are incomplete other than the destruction as a result of the battle and the Incas just abandoned them. Some stones left as if they weren’t finished.

Chuck and some others decided to stay at the bottom and myself and 4 others walked 200 steps/300 feet to the top. It wasn’t easy. This old lady isn’t in the best of shape and the altitude change didn’t help any at all. But I made it and I was proud of that accomplishment. Then we had to go back down. The steps weren’t the best. They were made by the Incas as well. Climbing up, there were some new steps and rails along the way, I’m sure for safety if some of the rocks weren’t stable enough. Looking across the way we saw many different carvings in the mountains that meant something different for each one. I’ll explain those under the pictures.

The walls were so perfectly made. Like the Saqsaywaman, they fit perfectly and have tongue and grooves made with heavier stones as hammers.

There were food and grain stores built by the Incas on the upper parts of the mountain to take advantage of the cold and strong gusts of wind to preserve their food.

We stopped on one level and watched as this guy was trying to take a picture of the alpaca. Well, alpacas are known for spitting at you if you agitate them. Guess who got agitated.

It was time to leave so we drove along some very, very bumpy roads. I made the comment that if anyone lived here, they should move just because of the roads. They were terrible. We passed the Urubamba river, also known to the Incas as the sacred river, that flows into the Amazon river. Very wide and brown. I tried my best to get a photo but the van just wouldn’t stay still! There were more houses built into the mountains. It was very interesting how the architecture here was so different.

It was a great relief when we stopped for lunch. Mainly because the roads were killing us! We stopped at a corn and potato farm. The corn here is called Jurassic corn because it is so large. The stalks can grow on average up to 18 feet. Only one stalk grows every 9 months. That’s not very much but they also have a purple corn called Maiz marado. The kernels of purple corn are soaked in hot water by the people of the Andes to yield a deep purple color for foods and beverages, a practice now used as a colorant. So that’s where all this purple hair is coming from!

They grow a variety of potato’s called Chuno which is still widely available in Cusco markets. The Incas also developed a number of ways to prepare it and then the potato very soon became the main ingredient in Inca cuisine at the time! The potato’s we ate were very small and had a different taste to them. They grow over 3000 different varieties.

Our meal consisted of this corn and potatoes and a beef that was like a roast beef. Very tender and so good. And no, it was not Guinea pig! However we had cheese made from a Guinea pigs milk. We cant figure out who milked that Guinea pig!

We were also provided a choice of drink besides water. I had the Inca Cola. It was actually bottled by Coca Cola. It tasted like a vanilla cream soda. Not bad but very sweet. We weren’t offered any diet versions.

Dessert was coming but I skipped out to get a good seat to the main attraction. A Peruvian horse show! My favorite. They are such beautiful horses. The horses have a certain dance with their legs in how they prance around. Very beautiful. The owners stated they do not practice the old art of shackling the legs to make them move a certain way since it was too painful for the horses. I’m happy to see they are being more humane to the animals. The show was good and the some dancing was still prominent. The rider and the woman dancer were dressed in their traditional dress. The music played to a traditional dance as the horse and rider moved around the woman “courting” her. It was very nicely done and beautiful. What I didn’t mention was that Royal Caribbean put this together in less than 24 hours after they found out about Machu Picchu.

Three hours later we were back in our hotel and we were absolutely exhausted. We were scheduled for dinner with the other 150 people in our hotel. We had 3 in all and 500 + people altogether. First on the agenda was to get a fan for our room and then freshen up for dinner. We decided not to have dinner with the group and to have just some dessert and coffee before retiring for the night. We had another early day to get to the airport. This time we had a wake up call at 4:45 to get our luggage out the door and get some breakfast before heading to the airport. These long days and short nights are brutal! But I wouldn’t trade it for anything. This experience of a lifetime has been phenomenal.

Tomorrow we will fly to Lima, Peru. The ship moved from Pisco to Lima overnight. In Lima we will have another tour of the city and dinner once again. Royal just cant quit. They have wined, dined and entertained us non stop. What an amazing company.

May God bless you always!

Chuck & Lea Ann