Day 5 — Chinchero (Part 1)

Tuesday — April 7

From Sacsaywaman, we headed towards the Sacred Valley — immediate destination: Chinchero. We took a different road this time and found it to be just as scenic as our first two forays into the valley. En route, we stopped at the highest elevation of our trip to date —12,500 ft (~3,810 m). While Vidal and Yoaquin stayed behind to listen to the broadcast of the indictments against Alberto Fujimori, the former president of Perú, we went off to enjoy the scenery and the fresh air. The landscape was breathtaking — orange-red adobe structures set against lush green fields; blue-gray mountains partially hidden by low-lying clouds; fields of purple lupine swaying to and fro in the gentle breeze. I have to admit it wasn’t just the scenery that took our breath away; at this altitude, we had to remind ourselves to slow our pace as we wandered around.

Highest altitude on our trip to date.

A bit of dalliance in the lupine fields.

(I’ll digress just long enough to say that by the end of the day, Fujimori was convicted of human rights violations and sentenced to 25 years in prison for his role in the killings and kidnappings by the Grupo Colina death squad during his government's battle against leftist guerrillas in the 1990s. My blog is not a political one, so I won’t get into a debate as to the rightness or wrongness of the sentence.)

In his guidebook, Exploring Cusco, Peter Frost notes that Chinchero was the major population center of the Pampa de Anta (Anta Plateau). He goes onto say that some historians believe Chinchero to have been the capital of a small state before the expansion of the Inca Empire. The Inca ruins in town are said to be part of the royal estate of Inca Tupac Yupanqui (aka Topa Inca). In the days before the Spanish arrived, the Inca belief that the rainbow was born here led to Chinchero being known as town of the rainbow.

Our first stop in Chinchero was at a weaving cooperative. When we asked Vidal which one we would be visiting, he said, “We have to look for the flag.” Apparently the cooperatives that are open to visitors on any given day so indicate by flying a small flag. I am especially happy that we went to a locally-owned textile center, in our case Awana Wasi, instead of one of the popular commercial operations. That we were the only ones there made the experience that much more personal.

We’re greeted by some of the weavers of Awana Wasi.
(left to right: Inez; Amelia and her son, Wayra;
and a young girl who was too shy to introduce herself)

We were welcomed into a courtyard rimmed with displays of colorful handcrafts. There were several women inside, each dressed in traditional costume, which we found out the villagers wear as a matter of pride and not just as an attraction for tourists. Each woman had a specific role in the presentation that described the weaving process, starting with how they use a root to create a soap-like substance to wash the wool (llama or alpaca in most cases); how they spin the wool into yarn; how they dye the yarn using organic materials, including plants, bugs, and salt; how they weave the basic fabric; how they finish their products with decorative edges. The women showed us examples of the designs they weave and explained the symbolism behind each. We spent an interesting and informative hour at the cooperative.

Inez demonstrates how adding salt to the dye
changes the color from purple to red.

Lydia demonstrates how she weaves a table runner.

Our visit concluded with us browsing the stalls set up along the edge of the courtyard. There were items brought from outside and some that were commercially made, but we asked them to show us only those things they had made themselves. I pointed out the things that I was interested in and let Mui, the master of bargaining, go to work. It turned out to be another win-win session all around.

Lucy and Mui bargaining over the price of a table runner.
(photo by Vidal)

The design on this wall tapestry represents Tumi;
it is a symbol of good luck, and some say the god of health and medicine.

Fabric goods from Awana Wasi — some are for us, others are gifts.
(The dolls in a pouch is a gift from one of the weavers.)

Next Up: Day 5 — Chinchero (Part 2)

Day 5 — Chinchero (Part 2)

Tuesday — April 7

After our time at Awana Wasi, we took a meandering walk through Chinchero, munching on choclo con queso (corn with cheese) as we went. (Choclo is a kind of corn with really big kernels; you eat it by prying the kernels off the cob with your fingers. Add a slice of Andean cheese, and you have a tasty snack.) We explored the narrow, stepped streets; stopped to take photographs of whatever caught our eye; chatted with some of the locals; made the acquaintance of Iliana and Lucy, two charming young girls.

Chinchero villagescape.

I imagine the narrow channel running down the center of the steps comes in handy during the wet season.

Eventually, we walked through an arched gateway and arrived at the main plaza and the handcrafts market. Although Tuesday is one of the regular market days, it was not very crowded — a definite plus in my opinion. The market is set up in the spacious plaza in front of the church, with plenty of space for the vendor displays and lots of room for visitors to wander around. Again, a plus as far as I’m concerned. The whole market experience was very relaxed. The vendors did not try to attract our attention by hawking their goods, letting us come to them at our own pace instead. Mui had a great time bargaining, and at the end of our visit, we walked away with a couple of alpaca knits that will be nice reminders of our time at Chinchero.

Mui puts his barganining skills to work.

Alpaca purchases from the Chinchero market.

Our most remarkable memory of the Chinchero market, however, has got to be one of the vendors we met. He waved me over while I was waiting for Mui and Vidal to join me, presented his hand in greeting, and introduced himself as Jesús. Dressed in traditional costume, a genuine smile on his sun-bronzed face, he was quite the character. He asked me where I was visiting from and we chatted about this and that for a while. As I took my leave, he said, “Tell your friends that Jesús is waiting for them in Perú.” As I said, quite the character.

Jesús, a genuinely nice man, is one of the vendors at the Chinchero market.

Later, while I was photographing the market scene, Mui and Vidal met Jesús as well. He gave them a concert, playing the various instruments from his display. The three of them were obviously having a good time as there was a lot of laughter and bantering when I joined them. I regret not having bought something from this friendly man, but he didn’t have anything that was of interest to us. (Mui did give Jesús some soles for the privilege of taping the music performance.) If you visit the Chinchero market, look up Jesús. You won’t regret making his acquaintance.

Our next stop was the church, which sits on a wide, elevated terrace that is fronted by an impressive Inca wall. There is some conjecture — partly because of the construction quality and the trapezoidal niches — that the retaining wall formed the base of an Inca palace, maybe the one that historians attribute to Inca Tupac Yupanqui (Topa Inca). The church is very simple, and I have to say, quite neglected, although recent restoration work has brought some of the murals, back to life. Nonetheless, I found this 17th century colonial church to be quite charming — what can I say, I prefer simple over elaborate baroque. Inside, the walls, ceilings, and beams were decorated with flowers and religious paintings. I was especially taken with one of the murals on the outside wall that depicts how the organ was transported to the church. As with other churches, no photography was allowed inside; alas, no postcards were available either.

The church complex is on an elevated terrace; the entrance is just beyond the triple arches.

The mural tells the story of how the organ was transported to the church.

After the church, we wandered around the adjacent Inca ruins that may or may not have been the royal estate of Topa Inca. We sat on an altar-like rock to enjoy the scenery and catch our breath — have to take it easy at this altitude. We’d noticed the range of snow-capped mountains in the distance while we were exploring Chinchero’s streets, but seeing them across the wide-open expanse at the ruins added to their majesty.

Inca ruins attributed to being part of Topa Inca’s royal estate.

The landscape is breathtaking.

Portrait of a traveler in thought.
(photo by Vidal)

Our fondest memory of our time at the ruins includes two girls from Chinchero. We initially met Iliana in town, posing for pictures with her doll. Later, we ran into her again; this time with her friend Lucy. They kindly posed for me in front of a house with a blue door. When we saw them playing amongst the ruins, they smiled and waved at us. From their furtive glances, it was apparent that they were curious about Mui’s video camera, but they were too shy to approach. We asked Vidal to distract them and Mui taped them while they were playing. After a few minutes, we waved the girls over and Mui showed them the video clip. The expression on their faces was priceless — I think we made friends for life.

The girls see themselves on video — priceless.

The girls accompanied us back into town, chatting with Vidal in Quechua all the while. When we arrived at the vehicle, he opened his ever-present bag of gifts and gave each girl a notebook and some pencils. He had something extra for Iliana — a pair of new shoes. I felt bad that Lucy didn’t get a pair of shoes as well, but there was only one pair and the shoe size determined the recipient. Next time it will hopefully be Lucy that gets the "special gift."

After trying on the shoes, Iliana removed them, saying she would go home and wash her feet before putting them on again.

With hugs and smiles we took our leave from Chinchero.

Next Up: Day 5 — Lunch with a View

Day 5 — Lunch with a View

Tuesday — April 7

Since there are few, if any, restaurants on the road between Chinchero and Moray, Vidal had a picnic lunch planned for today. Our favorite form of dining is al fresco. It really doesn’t matter if the site is a sidewalk café, a restaurant with open-air seating, a picnic blanket in a field somewhere, or a scenic spot where we just stand around. The site of our picnic may not have been of Vidal's choosing, but it worked out beautifully.

On our way out of Chinchero, we stopped to pick up the makings for our noon meal — bread, Andean cheese, avocados, and mini-bananas — the latter for dessert. True to form, Mui and Vidal turned a simple shopping experience into entertainment, laughing and bantering with the vendors as they selected the best produce from the cart. Another quick stop for beverages, and we were on our way.

Mui and Vidal shop for produce.

Once we were on the road, Vidal borrowed Mui’s Swiss army knife and started to slice the cheese and peel the avocados. I didn’t think there was any particular urgency in my voice when I asked if we could stop for a photo-op, but Joaquin hit the brakes so hard that we almost had a disaster with the plate of cheese and avocados that was on Vidal’s lap. Fast reflexes saved the day, and the few pieces of cheese that did fall were quickly retrieved and rinsed with bottled water — the 10 second rule! Seeing as how we were already stopped and the scenery was so beautiful, we decided to have an impromptu picnic at a spot overlooking Lago de Huaypo (Lake Huaypo).

Panorama of Lago de Huaypo.

I would like to have gone down to the lakeshore for a closer look, but we didn’t have much time since we had a full afternoon planned already. Besides, we didn’t want to get abducted by aliens. OK, I jest, but in addition to being known for its scenic location, the lake is also known for a UFO sighting in the 1970s, when several cars reportedly stalled simultaneously as a silver disk floated into the waters and disappeared. (Insert theme music from the Twilight Zone here — wink, wink.) Anyway, with time at a premium, Joaquin parked the van just off the road and we turned our attention to making sandwiches.

Chef Vidal prepares avocado and cheese sandwiches.

The three musketeers — Vidal, Mui, and Joaquin.

As there were ominous clouds overhead and we felt the occasional sprinkle, we did not sit down for an elaborate picnic. Instead, we ate standing up, enjoying the scenery, the fresh air, and the quiet countryside. There was no one else in our immediate vicinity and passing vehicles were few and far between. In fact, the only people we encountered were two young boys herding sheep back to their farm.

Young sheep herders on their way to the farm.

As we’ve come to expect by now, Vidal engaged the boys in conversation, asking them if they go to school and how their studies are progressing. The result of the conversation was predictable — the boys walked away with notebooks and pencils — I imagine they were grinning all the way home.

A pastoral scene complete with a herd of sheep.

As the boys and the herd headed off to their farm on the shores of Lake Huaypo, we pulled back onto the road for an afternoon of Sacred Valley exploration.

Next Up: Day 5 — Greenhouse of the Incas

Day 5 — Greenhouse of the Incas

Tuesday — April 7

The road to our next destination was mostly deserted — a vehicle or two traveling in the opposite direction from us; cyclists in a hurry to reach their next sightseeing stop; kids herding farm animals — mostly sheep; jennies (as female donkeys are affectionately known) and their foals browsing near a creek; panchitas (pigs) rolling in the mud. We made a few stops along the way, mostly so that Vidal could dole out more gifts.

The small of any animal is cute.

Gifts distributed, Vidal and the girls share a moment of laughter.

One of the things that we’ve been struck by is the seemingly ever-present smile on the faces of the kids. No matter that life is not easy; no matter that many of them have to walk long distances to go to school; no matter that they have to spend every spare moment helping out at home instead of playing with carefree enthusiasm. It was, therefore, all the more striking when we came across three boys, one of whom had a deep scowl on his face. As usual, we stopped so Vidal could chat with the kids. He handed the two younger boys notebooks and pencils, and then turned to talk to the frowning boy. After a few minutes, he handed the boy a couple of pencils, shook his hand, and rejoined us. It was obvious that he was moved by the boy’s story. When we asked him why the boy seemed so unhappy, Vidal explained that he doesn’t go to school. The boy's answer, when Vidal asked him why: “My mother’s an alcoholic; I have to work the field.” Heartbreaking when a kid has to deal with such things — no matter where in the world it might be.

Eventually, the unpaved road led us to Moray. There were very few people here, which was perfect. Our first glimpse of the concentric terraces was one of awe. We had seen photos of the place, but to see it in person was a very special experience. I was especially struck by the beauty of the undulating lines of the retaining walls.

The main depression at Moray is known as Quechuyoc (warm being); it has 15 levels of terraces.

Undulating lines of retaining walls and floating stairs.

Of all the places we have seen in Perú to date, I have to say that Moray — the “Greenhouse of the Incas” — is the most unique. Archeological discoveries here indicate the presence of the Wari, a pre-Inca culture (approximately 1000 AD) — but the terraces, especially the higher ones, were definitely built by the Incas.

Here’s how Peter Frost describes Moray in his book, Exploring Cusco: “… The ancient peoples of the region took four huge natural depressions in the landscape and sculpted them into levels of agricultural terraces that served, hundreds of years ago, as an experimental agricultural station for the development of different crop strains.”

Frost continues “… Long ago, the ancient Peruvians made a curious discovery here. The deep natural bowls caught sunlight and shade in such a way as to create drastic variations of temperature within a very small area. In the thirty or so meters [~98 feet] between the bottom and top levels of Moray’s main depression one scientist, John Earls, has recorded a full 15 degrees Celsius difference in temperature. That is about equal to the difference between the mean annual temperatures of London and Bombay.” Simply fascinating.

The people at the bottom provide perspective for the depth of the depression.

This temperature differential in a relatively small area enabled the locals to plant crops at the bottom and progressively move them to higher terraces, thus developing crop strains that could then be grown at higher altitudes. They were especially successful in doing this with maize. This achievement allowed people to settle high-altitude communities that would not have otherwise been possible.

Alas, we didn’t have time to go down into any of the muyus (the Quechua word for the depressions); nor did we have time to climb part way up one of the mountains for a view of all four. But we did walk around to see two of the three smaller depressions further back at the site. Our timing was perfect; at one of the depressions, preparations were underway for a spiritual ceremony.

We watched as a group of six slowly walked down the trail leading into the muyu. They were holding onto each other, and it looked like they had their eyes closed. (In fact, at first we thought they might be blind.) They were led by a man dressed in white. As they made their way down, a shaman in the center of the bowl, played a few notes on various instruments. At the bottom of the trail, the chain was broken, and the group made its way down to a narrow path leading into the center of the muyu. Here, the man dressed in white cleansed each person's spirit by waving a condor feather around the individual. The people in the group then entered the final circle, removed their shoes, and formed a ring around a blanket placed on the grass by the shaman.

The ceremony site in the bowl of the muyu.
(The shaman is sitting at the end of the upper-most terrace on the left side of the photo.)

Waving a condor feather, the man in white cleanses each individual.

The group forms a circle with the shaman.

It sure would have been interesting to see the outcome of the ceremony. However, we had to take our leave at this point. We had one more stop to make and miles to go before reaching our final destination for the day.

Next Up: Day 5 — Salineras

Day 5 — Salineras

Tuesday — April 7

This is going to be a short entry for what turned out to be a very brief stop at the Salineras (salt pans) on the outskirts of Maras. We’ve seen salt pans in other countries; what made these pre-Hispanic pans interesting is that they cover a major portion of a hillside — I read in one of the guidebooks that there are over 3,200 ponds that are operated by a cooperative of local families. Another interesting feature, aside from the fact that the operation has been in production for hundreds of years, is that the Incas incorporated their terracing system here as well. The pans are fed by an underground stream that carries saline water. It is said that the stream is what’s left of an ancient sea that once covered the area.

When we arrived at an overlook on the opposite side of the terraces, dusk was already falling. There was an incredibly strong wind blowing as well. Weighing those two factors together with the fact that the salineras are closed at the moment (the wet season has only recently ended), we decided not to go down for a closer inspection. After capturing our digital images, we got back on the road — destination: Ollantaytambo.

Salineras on the outskirt of Maras.

The terraces allowed the Incas to make efficient use of the land.

Salt-encrusted pans.

Next Up: Day 5 — End of the Road in Ollantaytambo

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