We arrived late into Ollantaytambo, exhausted, damp and with achy legs. We were past the point of going out to eat, so ate some emergency stash biscuits and in true anniversary celebratory style, hit the hay. In an attempt to make use of the exorbitant Boleto Turistico, we got up relatively early to visit the Ollantaytambo ruins. Thought by many to be another fortress located just outside the town, it is in actual fact a religious site with temples and funerary sites. The size of some of the stones that must have been hauled from the quarry five miles away was astonishing and each had been lovingly polished to remove the roughness. Such civilised folk. An old French couple who were staying in our hostel were considering hiring a driver to take them round some of the Sacred Valley sites that day so we joined forces to reduce costs. It is definitely the best way as some of the roads are not bus or pedestrian friendly! They were fine (the Frenchies) apart from the dry political chat and the incessant chain-smoking. Our first stop was the heavily restored Moray ruins. Although unsure of the purpose for these circular depressions, it is presumed it is an agricultural experimentation site. There is a difference of 15'C between the top and the bottom terrace which gave them the opportunity to see which crops grew best at which level. Ingenious and rather fascinating. Next up were the Salinas de Maras, annoyingly not on our Turistico ticket so we had to pay extra, but it was worth it. Never seen so many shades of white and for an arty type like me, very aesthetically pleasing! The Incas were the first to start harvesting these salt ponds centuries ago. Where the salty water that pours out of the mountain comes from is still a mystery! Our final stop was Chinchero, known to the Incas as the birthplace of the rainbow (seriously?) and is now a touristy village full of tat, a beautiful colonial church built on Incan foundations, and some more ruins. It is also the home of weaving so has a lovely selection of fabrics. If I didn't have to carry everything I buy around the world with me, I’d have gone crazy here. This site is thought to be our friendly Incan Mr. Tupac’s country resort, the land remains rich and fertile and locals still grow potatoes, quinoa and fava beans here. And there is a grand old stone throne decorated with carving which I didn't see (but Rob did), because my legs are aching so much from yesterday's climb I can barely get my arse on to the toilet seat without assistance and a lot of groaning.
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AuthorsRob & Charlie's travelling adventures on their long journey back to London after living in Hong Kong. Four continents, twelve countries, lots of experiences. Archives
July 2017
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Robert Ware & Charlotte Nunn |