Day 5 — End of the Road in Ollantaytambo

Tuesday — April 7

An uneventful drive brought us from Salineras to Ollantaytambo — the end of the road in the Sacred Valley. Well, OK; the road does continue for a bit from here into some of the nearby villages, but for the average visitor, this town is literally the end of the road. There’s only two ways out from here — you can take the train or you can hoof it out of town. We'll be using the train, thank you very much. But that's a story for another time.

Night had fallen and our tummies were signaling dinner time, but we went to Hostal Sauce first to check in. (Hostal simply means a hotel that has less than 50 rooms; in the case of El Sauce, that means 8 rooms.)

Sauce means “weeping willow” in Quechua.

As luck would have it, the room that we had requested (13 or 15; with a view of the ruins) was not available for the night and we were temporarily put in room 16. Our spacious room is decorated quite simply. It has twin beds with cozy comforters, en suite facilities, and an electric space heater to break the nighttime chill. On the pillows we found chocolates and miniature clay pots with a note bidding guests a good night; a cute little gift. Although the room is technically on the opposite side from the ruins, the window looking out on the narrow service corridor, which is fronted by large panes of glass, provides us with a direct view of the ruins, but we'll have to wait until daylight to see them.

Good night chocolate with pillow gift.

After settling into our temporary quarters, we joined Vidal and headed out to get a bite to eat. It didn’t take us long to walk the short distance to the town square. I had a list of recommended restaurants to pick from and heading the list was Hearts Café, known for serving good, homemade fare as well as supporting programs focused on improving health, nutrition, education, and cultural and natural conservation in the Sacred Valley communities. Nothing like supporting a good cause while enjoying good food.

Everything on the menu looked good. Wanting to keep it light, I ordered the lentil soup — it was very tasty and quite filling. Mui opted for the quinoa soup, which he deemed excellent. We topped off our meal with an order of banoffi (banana pie) that was really yummy.

Dinner at Hearts Café brings the day to a close.

Afterwards, we wandered around the square for a bit, but the nighttime chill quickly drove us back to the hotel. Tonight we rest … tomorrow we start exploring again. The plan is to take it easy during our two-day stay in this charming town. Will we do that? Wait and see.

Next Up: Day 6 — Ollantaytambo: the Ruins

Day 6 — Ollantaytambo: the Ruins

Wednesday — April 8

After a good night’s rest, I was raring to go when I woke up around 6:00a. Even Mui, who’d had a bit of difficulty with his breathing yesterday while we were at the highest altitude of our trip, was ready to take on the Ruins of Ollantaytambo. Low-lying clouds were covering the tops of the nearby mountains when I stepped out for a peek at the scenery before breakfast. Patches of blue sky gave hope for a nice morning at the ruins that were visible from Hostal Sauce in the light of day. In fact, except for a few sprinkles here and there, we had a grand morning.

Glimpse of the Inca ruins from Hostal Sauce.

Around 7:00a, we met up with Vidal for breakfast, which was set up on the ground floor of the hotel. All of the buffet items were fresh and tasty — I especially enjoyed the fresh, cut-up fruit and the warm crêpes that were served with homemade jam. As we were finishing breakfast, we were joined by a family visiting from our neck of the US — it’s a small world. We chatted with them for a while before taking our leave and heading to the ruins.

Breakfast is at 7:00a unless an earlier time is requested.
(the chullos on the wall are part of the proprietor’s extensive collection)

One of the advantages of working with Vidal to organize our itinerary has been that with the exception of a few unavoidable instances, we’ve been able to arrange our schedule so as to have the sites mostly to ourselves. His knowledge of regular tour schedules has enabled him to plan around these times — a definite advantage for us. Case in point: when we arrived at the ruins, the only people there were a few other independent travelers. Showing our Boletos Turistico (tourist tickets), we quickly gained entrance and started exploring this fantastic Inca site. We took our time going up the terraced levels, stopping frequently not just to catch our breath, but also to enjoy the scenery.

The ruins of Ollantaytambo from a street in town.

There are over 200 steps to the top — and they’re steep!

Apu Pinkuylluna towers over the town.

Although the site did serve a defensive purpose, it was built as a ceremonial center, using stones from a quarry located high on a mountain on the other side of the Urubamba River (about four miles [6.5 km] away). I can’t fathom how they managed to move these massive stones — after all, they didn’t have vehicles to use for transport (the wheel did not exist) or cranes to lift them. I know they had thousands of workers and that they built ramps to get the stones from the quarry to the construction site … still, the effort it must have taken! Combine that with the smoothness of the polished stones and the alignment of their placement, and you have something that is awe-inspiring. Even the fact that construction was interrupted by the Spanish conquest does not detract from the spectacular nature of the site.

Ollantaytambo has gone into history books as being one of the few places in Perú to have successfully resisted Spanish attacks. The story goes that after Manco Inca was defeated at Sacsayhuaman, he retreated to Ollantaytambo, where he managed to defeat the Spanish force that was sent to capture him (flooding the plains below the fortress was partially responsible for this success). Alas, his victory was short-lived; the Spanish returned with a much bigger army and defeated Manco Inca, forcing him to retreat to Vilcabamba in the jungle.

Catching our breath at the ruins of Ollantaytambo.
(photo by Vidal)

We spent several hours at the ruins, exploring the nooks and crannies, the terraces, the Sun Temple, the qollqas (store houses), the fountains, and anything else that caught our attention — which was a lot. Vidal was a virtual encyclopedia, demonstrating the close alignment of the stones in the walls — so much so that in most places it is impossible to slip a piece of paper between the joints; discussing the primary function of the ruins — more ceremonial than defensive, as evidenced by the highly-polished stone slabs used in the construction of the site; telling us how the massive stones were moved into place — it involved ramps, ladders that provided leverage, and lots and lots of manpower; giving the Quechua names of the various sectors — the main terraces, for example, are known as Pumatallis; discussing the potential use of the t-shaped grooves in some of the stone slabs — they may have been filled with molten bronze to pull some of the megalithic slabs closer together; drawing our attention to the likeness of Viracocha, the creator of the universe, carved into the mountain on the other side of town.

Vidal demonstrates the tightness of the joints — a hallmark of Inca construction.

Push, Mui, I can’t move this stone slab by myself!
(photo by Vidal)

Crossing over to the less-visited side of the ruins, we ran into the family whose acquaintance we had made at breakfast. Sitting on one of the stone walls, we chatted with them for a while, taking the opportunity to rest as well. That it was sprinkling rain did not bother us at all; in fact, we appreciated the cool drops as the sun had warmed things up considerably by then. It wasn’t quite noon when we left the ruins, but we were famished …

Next Up: Day 6 —Ollantaytambo: the Town

Day 6 — Ollantaytambo: the Town

Wednesday — April 8

Leaving the ruins shortly before noon, we walked the short distance back to Hostal Sauce. We were famished after our morning of clambering around the ruins. The smell of wood fire emanating from the restaurant next to the hotel had us craving for pizza, so we followed our noses to Pachamama Grill. It turns out, the ovens had just been lit and they weren’t quite ready to serve pizza. We decided to stay anyway and took a seat at one of the tables on the second floor. The food was very tasty — I really enjoyed the crema de choclo (cream of corn soup) that was served in a clay bowl; Mui followed Vidal’s lead and ordered the hamburguesa con queso y jamon y huevo (hamburger with cheese, ham, and egg) and was not disappointed.

Mui and Vidal have a bit of fun pretending the jacket completes the foursome at our table.

After lunch, Vidal left to return to Cusco and we went to the hotel to drop off our backpacks. While we were out, the staff had moved us into room 15 — a bit cozier (for that read, small) than our original room, but with a view of the ruins.

Room 15 at Hostal Sauce.

Room 15 has a view of the Inca ruins.

A bit about Ollantaytambo. The town is located at approximately 9,200 feet (~2,800 m) above sea level; as we’ve noticed since our arrival last night, it is much easier to breathe at this altitude. In fact, many visitors to the region come to the Sacred Valley first to acclimate. Since we’re working around a specific date for the Machu Picchu portion of our trip — namely, my birthday — we opted to start in Cusco and then move down to the Sacred Valley. But, I digress; back to the town.

Ollantaytambo, is the only Inca settlement in modern day Perú that has survived with its original street plan still pretty much intact. Historians believe that it was the royal estate of Inca Pachacuteq; the quality of the stonework seems to give credence to that claim. It is strategically located at a narrow choke point in the valley, which made it the perfect spot for a stand against the Spanish after the conquest. The town is said to have been named for an Inca general, Ollantay — combine his name with the word tambo, which means storage place/lodge/shelter, and you have the town’s name. I should note here that some historians believe that the reference to tambo, in this case, is to a pre-Inca tribe.

A statue of Ollantay stands in the town square.

(There’s a legend about Ollantay, but I’ll post that separately so as not to stray from the topic at hand.)

Leaving the exploration of the cobblestone streets for tomorrow, we wandered around Ollantaytambo’s main street; we walked to the mercado de artesanal (handcraft market) located outside the entrance to the ruins to look at the colorful displays of tapestries, dolls, and polished stone jewelry; intrigued by the canal running down the center of a pedestrian-only street leading from our hotel, we followed it to find kids playing in the water and women rinsing out dishes; we stopped to enjoy the fluffy muscovy ducklings in front of a nearby store for a few minutes before continuing onto the plaza.

You can take a taxi if you don’t want to wander around on foot.

One of the many shops near the handcraft market displaying colorful tapestries.

These canals date back to Inca times.

Muscovy ducklings.

It seems every Latin American town has a Plaza de Armas; Ollantaytambo is no exception even if the plaza is quite small. After our meandering walk through town, we joined the locals sitting on benches in the plaza — well, some of them were sitting on the steps, but you get the idea. We watched people going about their daily lives — chatting with friends, selling goods, caring for babies that were rolling around on the ground, impervious to the grime. We chatted with a driver waiting to pick up a contingent of tourists visiting the ruins. He was especially curious about our video camera, which Mui demonstrated to him while I munched on choclo con queso purchased from one of the street vendors.

Local color at Plaza de Armas.

This choclo has smaller kernels; it is tasty nonetheless.

When it started to sprinkle rain, we walked over to a nearby internet shop to check mail and make contact with friends and family. Eventually, we found our way back to the hotel, where we spent some time re-arranging luggage for tomorrow’s train trip — Perú Rail prefers that Vistadome passengers bring one small bag each as storage space is limited in the cars. (Our luggage needs are complicated not just by our photography equipment, but also by the fact that unlike most people who go to Machu Picchu for a day — at most, two days — we plan to be there four days.) After a bit of finessing, we managed to fit into two small carry-on bags, setting the rest aside for storage at the hotel.

After debating where to have dinner, we settled on Hearts Café once again, hoping that our patronage and small donation helps with the programs they support. After my snack of corn and cheese, I wasn’t very hungry, so I ordered their excellent lentil soup once again. Mui opted for the fajitas de pollo (chicken fajitas), which turned out to be different from the fajitas we’re used to — the chicken was served with barbeque sauce — but tasty nonetheless. Skipping dessert, we ordered chocolate caliente (hot chocolate), the perfect drink for a chilly evening.

Hearts Café — good food and a good cause.

Chocolate Caliente — liquid dessert.

While we enjoyed our liquid dessert, we chatted with the family that we met at the hotel. We also made a new friend — a young Danish woman working for an NGO (non-governmental organization). Based on Taquile Island (Lake Titicaca), she was in Ollantaytambo on vacation for a couple of days. When we inquired about her project, she told us that she works with the people of Taquile on a communitarian tourism program. It was fascinating to hear her take on the island people and their lives, all the more so because we will be visiting Taquile during our stay at Lake Titicaca in another week. An interesting end to a great day.

Next Up: Ollantay & Happy Star

Ollantay & Happy Star

The story of Ollantay, an Inca chieftain, is based on an old Quechua legend. As with any such story, I’m sure there are variations, but this is how it was told to me.

Ollantay — standing proud in Plaza de Armas in Ollantaytambo.

General Ollantay falls in love with Inca Pachacuteq’s daughter Cusi Coyllor (“Happy Star” in Quechua) — a big no, no. Even though it is forbidden by law to wed outside his class, Ollantay asks the Inca’s permission to marry Happy Star. Pachacuteq’s response is predictable — he sends his daughter to the house of chosen women (an Inca convent, if you will) to be a handmaiden to the sun and has Ollantay arrested.

Ollantay somehow manages to escape and flees to the location now known as Ollantaytambo in the Urubamba Valley, where he starts a rebellion. Pachacuteq sends Rumi Ñahui (“Stone Eye” in Quechua) to capture Ollantay. Despite fierce fighting that lasts 10 years, Stone Eye is unsuccessful in his quest to seize Ollantay. In the meantime, Happy Star has given birth to Ollantay's daughter, Imac Sumac.

When Pachacuteq dies (of natural causes), his son Topa Inca succeeds him. Ollantay, in the meantime, continues to be a thorn in the side of the empire. Stony Eye, who is still seething from his failure to capture Ollantay, devises a trap to seize him and deliver him to Topa Inca for justice. This time he is successful. He recommends that the Inca order Ollantay to be hurled off a cliff. Instead, Topa Inca orders Happy Star and Ollantay to be brought to him. Imac Sumac begs for the life of her father and mother. Topa Inca accedes to the pleadings of his niece. Ollantay and Happy Star marry.

Does the couple live happily ever-after? The legend says they do and that Ollantay becomes a sort of deputy-Inca. Historians, however, claim that Ollantay is put to death after his failed rebellion.

There’s a play based on the legend; you can find it here if you’re interested.

Next Up: Day 7 — Another Day in Ollantaytambo

Day 7 — Another Day in Ollantaytambo

Thursday — April 9

At breakfast we debated how to spend our day. We considered hiking to Cachicata, the quarry from where the material for building the ruins was extracted; we discussed going on a horseback adventure to nearby Pumamarca, a well-preserved site of Inca ruins; we talked about exploring some of the tambos part way up Apu Pinkuylluna (an apu is a sacred mountain). In the end, we reminded ourselves that this was supposed to be the R&R (rest and relaxation) portion of our trip and decided to take a pass on anything that would require us to exert ourselves. Not ones to sit around the hotel until it was time to take the train out of town, however, we came up with a plan for leisurely exploring Ollantaytambo.

Before we could put our plan in effect, however, we had to get past El Sauce’s quaint security system! It seems that when the front desk is unattended, they tie a rope around the handles of the front door to deter people from just wandering in off the street. As we were gathering our belongings, one of the staff came back to the front desk and thus we were freed before we had to take matters into our own hands.

Quaint but effective security system.

From the hotel, we headed to Plaza de Armas where we took a moment to photograph the porters preparing to head off on the 4-day Camino Inca (Inca Trail) hike to Machu Picchu. The Incas built a vast network of roads to connect the four corners of the empire. The trail to Machu Picchu is part of that network. We considered the hike when we started planning our trip. It would have been interesting to follow in the steps of the ancient people of the land to arrive at what is commonly referred to as the Lost City of the Incas. Ultimately, however, we decided that at this altitude, even with porters carrying the heavy stuff, we’d be biting off more than we could comfortably chew. Hence option two: the train to Machu Picchu. But that’s a story for later.

Porters awaiting transport to the trailhead.

Turning into one of the narrow, cobblestone streets leading off the plaza, we explored the neighborhoods where the locals live. We followed an ancient canal bordering one of the streets, seeing some of the realities of local life (case in point, a man washing his feet in the water flowing through the canal while a woman, just a little ways up the road, used the same water to rinse some lettuce).

We stopped to peer into a cancha where the residents were going about daily chores. Canchas are literally the building blocks of ancient Inca towns. Each cancha has one entrance, usually a stone doorway, that leads into a central courtyard rimmed with houses.

Mui stops to videotape an ancient Inca Canal.
Double-jambed stone entrance to a cancha.

At the end of one of the streets, we found the perfect vantage point to see the stone face of Viracocha that is carved into Apu Pinkuylluna. Legend has it that after the creator god appeared on earth, he began a voyage that took him through the Sacred Valley to Ollantaytambo, and later to Machu Picchu. To honor him, the ancient people carved his likeness into the mountain that towers over the town — a bit of symbolism that the creator is “watching over his people.”

Viracocha continues to watch over the people of Ollantaytambo.

Next we went to the handcraft market where we browsed the stalls displaying colorful tapestries. Knowing we had limited space in our bags, however, we had to be content with purchasing a couple of pieces of stone jewelry instead. With Mui’s need to “haggle” sated for the time being, we then headed to the small museum near our hotel.

Colorful markets are a hallmark of towns in Perú.

El Museo CATCCO, founded in 1997, was worth the visit. There were no other visitors while we were there and the staff was preparing the courtyard for a luncheon, so we had the run of the small museum. We took our time studying the murals and the displays in the small rooms on the second floor, learning a bit more about the culture and history of the area, as well as the social structure of the ancient people that inhabited the valley.

The CATCCO Museum is well worth a visit.

Mural depicting the production of chicha, a type of beer made from maize.

Following our meandering walk through Ollantaytambo, we stopped in at an Internet shop to check email. With the knowledge that all was well with loved ones, we then took a break in the plaza, enjoying the local color and munching on choclo con queso while we rested our weary feet.

Mid-morning local color at Plaza de Armas.

The ice cream vendor is color-coordinated with the sunflowers in Plaza de Armas.

Our next stop was at the market where the locals shop for everything from clothes, to produce, to meat and chicken, to cheese and grains, to flowers, to plastic laundry tubs, to primus stoves. The colorful market was very crowded; so much so that navigating the narrow aisles without bumping into anything or anyone was quite a challenge. Nearby, a small parking lot was chock-a-block with vans and minibuses waiting to transport locals and tourists to the various towns dotting the Sacred Valley. We debated taking a collectivo (shared van/bus transport) to Urubamba, a nearby town, but decided that with the short time we had available to us, the visit would be much too rushed. Instead, we headed back to Plaza de Armas where a sidewalk table at Hearts Café called out to us — time for lunch.

Perusing the excellent meal options at Hearts Café.

As usual, everything on the menu looked good. Although I was tempted to order the lentil soup again, I decided to get the local version of a BLT (bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich), served with guacamole — excellent. Mui’s grilled chicken and cheese sandwich was topped with sautéed onions and came with homemade chutney on the side — also excellent. (By the way, Hearts Café uses purified water to wash produce ... having noted above that we'd seen a woman washing lettuce in the canal water, just thought I should mention that.)

After lunch, we ordered the café’s signature hot chocolate and sat at our table for a while enjoying the mid-day activity in the plaza. In particular, we were captivated by an old woman setting up a display of bread on a nearby sidewalk. When some of the pita-like loaves fell on the ground, she calmly picked them up, slapped them against her apron to remove any dirt, and put them back on top of the pile. She then sat down and proceeded to bag the bread in stacks of six or eight. Yes, the ones she picked up from the ground went into one of those bags. (Note to self: be careful where you buy bread!)

Old woman setting up her sidewalk display of bread.

On that note, we headed back to El Sauce to meet up with Vidal for our train trip to Aguas Calientes.

Next Up: Day 7 — The 4:03p Vistadome to Aguas Calientes