Pisco Dreams; Nine Days in the Sacred Valley, Cusco and Lima
Sep 18th, 2014, 02:35 PM
#61
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I understand what you mean, Kristina, and your experiences are your experiences. I'm enjoying your perspective though.
And another vote for the Burma report. I thought about going there a couple of years ago, but it just didn't work out.
And another vote for the Burma report. I thought about going there a couple of years ago, but it just didn't work out.
Sep 28th, 2014, 09:19 AM
#62
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Ok, ok...I will do a Burma report. 
But first, more from Peru!
<b>A visit to Ollantaytambo and Pisac</b>
Percy picked us up at 9am in his car, with just him driving his personal car. David sat in front which meant a lot of the discussion was in Spanish, but when it got too detailed for me to follow he switched to English no problem.
Our first stop was the town of Ollantaytambo, in the direction of Machu Picchu. In fact, the train from Urubamba stops there to pick up most of its passengers before heading up to Machu Picchu. Many people choose to stay there instead of Machu Picchu Pueblo because it’s more central for seeing the rest of the Sacred Valley, like Urubamba. From what we saw, it’s a cute little town, definitely geared more toward tourists than Urubamba, meaning more hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops.
Percy drove through town and parked in a dirt car park which while big enough for several dozen tour buses, was thankfully empty. We walked a few blocks through the town which was very traditional at its center; cobblestone streets, colorful buildings, and water from mountain snow runoff flowing down open irrigation channels along one side of the street.
At the base of the Ollantaytambo ruins there are three or four rows of souvenir stands. On Monday we’d purchased the Bolleto Turistco and our tickets were checked at the entrance to the ruins. Then it was a long, long way up to the top. Make sure you bring water. And snacks. It’s tiring. In the photos on my blog you can barely see the people below from the top and yes, we climbed all the way up. It’s worth it. The views are spectacular.
At the top of about 200 steps is the unfinished Temple of the Sun and the Temple of Ten Niches. Here it’s possible to see how the stones were moved. There are little rock nubs on the large stone faces used to help move the stones into place. Had the temple been finished, it’s thought those would have been chiseled off. You can also see how the stones are carved to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle, which makes them stronger and less prone to movement than if they’d just been straight stacked one atop the other.
But first, more from Peru!
<b>A visit to Ollantaytambo and Pisac</b>
Percy picked us up at 9am in his car, with just him driving his personal car. David sat in front which meant a lot of the discussion was in Spanish, but when it got too detailed for me to follow he switched to English no problem.
Our first stop was the town of Ollantaytambo, in the direction of Machu Picchu. In fact, the train from Urubamba stops there to pick up most of its passengers before heading up to Machu Picchu. Many people choose to stay there instead of Machu Picchu Pueblo because it’s more central for seeing the rest of the Sacred Valley, like Urubamba. From what we saw, it’s a cute little town, definitely geared more toward tourists than Urubamba, meaning more hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops.
Percy drove through town and parked in a dirt car park which while big enough for several dozen tour buses, was thankfully empty. We walked a few blocks through the town which was very traditional at its center; cobblestone streets, colorful buildings, and water from mountain snow runoff flowing down open irrigation channels along one side of the street.
At the base of the Ollantaytambo ruins there are three or four rows of souvenir stands. On Monday we’d purchased the Bolleto Turistco and our tickets were checked at the entrance to the ruins. Then it was a long, long way up to the top. Make sure you bring water. And snacks. It’s tiring. In the photos on my blog you can barely see the people below from the top and yes, we climbed all the way up. It’s worth it. The views are spectacular.
At the top of about 200 steps is the unfinished Temple of the Sun and the Temple of Ten Niches. Here it’s possible to see how the stones were moved. There are little rock nubs on the large stone faces used to help move the stones into place. Had the temple been finished, it’s thought those would have been chiseled off. You can also see how the stones are carved to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle, which makes them stronger and less prone to movement than if they’d just been straight stacked one atop the other.
Sep 28th, 2014, 09:28 AM
#63
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After Ollantaytambo, we stopped at a place set up so that tourists could see how chicha (fermented corn beer) is made. There we saw how the corn kernels are sprouted and how the mash is poured though a hand woven basket, tasted the chicha, including one flavored with strawberries. Let's just say the flavor was "interesting".
We also stopped for lunch at a restaurant called Dona Clorinda. It was acceptable, but mostly set up for large tours. We did get to try Inca Kola here, a soda only made in Peru and which outsells Coke and Pepsi. It tastes like bubblegum and frankly, I'm surprised it's not pink. I had an avocado "salad" and the soup which was made with quinoa. David had a heart-stopper plate of steak, eggs, fries, avocado and plantain.
After lunch we drove back toward Urubamba, passed it, and went about an hour towards Cusco to the ruins of Pisac. Knowing what I know now, I would have arranged for us to visit here on our way to Cusco the next day because this turned out to be a long tiring day with half of it spent in the car.
It took about 15 minutes to drive from the base of the valley floor up to the entrance of Pisac. Looking down into the valley at the homes and villages dotting the mountainsides, it reminded me very much of Switzerland, sans the window boxes filled with geraniums.
Our final stop was at the Pisac market. I bought some little wooden salt bowls with spoons and a few beautiful alpaca scarves and a wrap, but in general the market has the same stuff we saw everywhere else.
We also stopped for lunch at a restaurant called Dona Clorinda. It was acceptable, but mostly set up for large tours. We did get to try Inca Kola here, a soda only made in Peru and which outsells Coke and Pepsi. It tastes like bubblegum and frankly, I'm surprised it's not pink. I had an avocado "salad" and the soup which was made with quinoa. David had a heart-stopper plate of steak, eggs, fries, avocado and plantain.
After lunch we drove back toward Urubamba, passed it, and went about an hour towards Cusco to the ruins of Pisac. Knowing what I know now, I would have arranged for us to visit here on our way to Cusco the next day because this turned out to be a long tiring day with half of it spent in the car.
It took about 15 minutes to drive from the base of the valley floor up to the entrance of Pisac. Looking down into the valley at the homes and villages dotting the mountainsides, it reminded me very much of Switzerland, sans the window boxes filled with geraniums.
Our final stop was at the Pisac market. I bought some little wooden salt bowls with spoons and a few beautiful alpaca scarves and a wrap, but in general the market has the same stuff we saw everywhere else.
Sep 28th, 2014, 10:01 AM
#65
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Once again, there's more than I can cover with just words, so here are the photos to go with the post above.
http://www.wired2theworld.com/2014/0...mbo-and-pisac/
http://www.wired2theworld.com/2014/0...mbo-and-pisac/
Sep 29th, 2014, 04:39 AM
#67
Actually Inca Kola is also manufactured in the US (using HFCS) and is readily available in many Latin grocery stores.
It is very sweet but I sort of like it with ceviche for some inexplicable reason.
It is very sweet but I sort of like it with ceviche for some inexplicable reason.
Oct 21st, 2014, 06:29 PM
#69
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Still plugging away...
For our last day in the sacred valley we hired Percy to take us to Cusco by car with stops at various sites along the way, combining transportation and sightseeing. As I said in the post about Pisac, knowing what I know now, I would have scheduled Pisac for this day, and perhaps skipped the stops at Tambomachay and Pukapukara. That would have saved us a couple of hours in the car the day before and allowed for more relaxation. All of the entrances to the ruins were covered under our Bolleto Touritstico Pass.
Our first stop was at a cultural center clearly set up for tourists but it was interesting nonetheless. There were several large pens with all the different pack/wool/meat animals in the region including llamas, alpacas, vicunas, all of which could be hand-fed grasses. There were people demonstrating weaving and exhibits about how the various natural dyes are made and examples of the hundreds of types of potatoes and corn grown in the area. Worth a stop. No cost (unless you buy souvenirs) and they have clean restrooms.
The next stop were the sites of Tambomachay and Pukapukara which are across the road from one another. Tambomachay, also known as Los Banos del Inca (the baths of the Inca) is the home of a freshwater spring and most likely used for ceremonies by priests and royalty, rather than public bathing. Water still flows today.
Across the road is Pukapukara which has a stunning view of the valley from the top of the site.Pukapukara is thought to be a fortress or a resting place for travelers on the way from the Sacred Valley to Cusco as it sits right on an ancient pathway between the two.
The next stop, Q'enqo, gave us our first look over the city of Cusco. This site was a temple and has limestone rocks which have been hollowed out. We walked through the passageway to see the carved altar inside.
The last stop before going to our hotel was the site of Saqsaywaman (yes, like everyone says, pronounced "sexywoman"). This is a huge site with acres of land around it, often used for festivals, including the world famous Inti Raymi festival. Percy said he remembered coming here as a child for it. There's so much land and grass that we saw several herds of llamas grazing in the area. The stones at Saqsaywaman are big. Really, really big. They make you wonder how they were cut and moved there and if it would even be possible today.
For our last day in the sacred valley we hired Percy to take us to Cusco by car with stops at various sites along the way, combining transportation and sightseeing. As I said in the post about Pisac, knowing what I know now, I would have scheduled Pisac for this day, and perhaps skipped the stops at Tambomachay and Pukapukara. That would have saved us a couple of hours in the car the day before and allowed for more relaxation. All of the entrances to the ruins were covered under our Bolleto Touritstico Pass.
Our first stop was at a cultural center clearly set up for tourists but it was interesting nonetheless. There were several large pens with all the different pack/wool/meat animals in the region including llamas, alpacas, vicunas, all of which could be hand-fed grasses. There were people demonstrating weaving and exhibits about how the various natural dyes are made and examples of the hundreds of types of potatoes and corn grown in the area. Worth a stop. No cost (unless you buy souvenirs) and they have clean restrooms.
The next stop were the sites of Tambomachay and Pukapukara which are across the road from one another. Tambomachay, also known as Los Banos del Inca (the baths of the Inca) is the home of a freshwater spring and most likely used for ceremonies by priests and royalty, rather than public bathing. Water still flows today.
Across the road is Pukapukara which has a stunning view of the valley from the top of the site.Pukapukara is thought to be a fortress or a resting place for travelers on the way from the Sacred Valley to Cusco as it sits right on an ancient pathway between the two.
The next stop, Q'enqo, gave us our first look over the city of Cusco. This site was a temple and has limestone rocks which have been hollowed out. We walked through the passageway to see the carved altar inside.
The last stop before going to our hotel was the site of Saqsaywaman (yes, like everyone says, pronounced "sexywoman"). This is a huge site with acres of land around it, often used for festivals, including the world famous Inti Raymi festival. Percy said he remembered coming here as a child for it. There's so much land and grass that we saw several herds of llamas grazing in the area. The stones at Saqsaywaman are big. Really, really big. They make you wonder how they were cut and moved there and if it would even be possible today.
Oct 23rd, 2014, 11:11 AM
#71
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Oh my gosh Kathie! I can't believe you are already leaving so soon. I really am behind. I'll try to get my posts on Cusco done before you go. ;-)
Here are the photos for the post above.
http://www.wired2theworld.com/2014/1...as-and-stones/
Here are the photos for the post above.
http://www.wired2theworld.com/2014/1...as-and-stones/
Oct 27th, 2014, 07:17 AM
#74
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<b>Mercado San Pedro, Cusco Peru</b>
If a town has a market, you know we’ll be there.
On the morning of our second day in Cusco we got up fairly early and headed out toward the Mercado San Pedro, Cusco’s central market, where any and all manner of foodstuffs are sold.
This is my kind of market; not only can you find the raw product; eggs, vegetables, meats, fish, but there are plenty of stalls selling prepared foods to eat there or take away. We were so entranced by all the chicken soup stalls that we decided to come back later for lunch (which will be covered in a later post about dining in Cusco).
Warning: if you are the type who is squeamish about things like pictures of pig’s heads you might not want to scroll down too far when viewing the photos. Or maybe go really, really fast past them… ;-)
If you find yourself in Cusco, and are ready for something other than stones and ruins, get yourself on over there, you won’t be disappointed. It’s only about a 5 or 6 block walk from the main square.
They say a photo is worth 1000 words so I’ll let the photos speak for themselves….
http://www.wired2theworld.com/2014/1...ro-cusco-peru/
If a town has a market, you know we’ll be there.
On the morning of our second day in Cusco we got up fairly early and headed out toward the Mercado San Pedro, Cusco’s central market, where any and all manner of foodstuffs are sold.
This is my kind of market; not only can you find the raw product; eggs, vegetables, meats, fish, but there are plenty of stalls selling prepared foods to eat there or take away. We were so entranced by all the chicken soup stalls that we decided to come back later for lunch (which will be covered in a later post about dining in Cusco).
Warning: if you are the type who is squeamish about things like pictures of pig’s heads you might not want to scroll down too far when viewing the photos. Or maybe go really, really fast past them… ;-)
If you find yourself in Cusco, and are ready for something other than stones and ruins, get yourself on over there, you won’t be disappointed. It’s only about a 5 or 6 block walk from the main square.
They say a photo is worth 1000 words so I’ll let the photos speak for themselves….
http://www.wired2theworld.com/2014/1...ro-cusco-peru/
Nov 4th, 2014, 04:11 PM
#76
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Thanks for this report, and for the links to your great blog. I've read many of your blog posts in the past since we seem to travel to many of the same places, and it's great to reconnect with the blog AND the places. My husband and I will be traveling to Peru and Ecuador in May and June for 4+ weeks. Looking forward to your dining recommendations for Cusco--and we'll definitely be adding a visit to the market there.
Also will be following your Burma report when you get it started.
Also will be following your Burma report when you get it started.
Nov 5th, 2014, 10:19 AM
#78
I ate here and thought it was pretty good (especially recommend alpaca and a salad).
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...co_Region.html
Although it sounds vegetarian, it isn't.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...co_Region.html
Although it sounds vegetarian, it isn't.
Nov 5th, 2014, 10:25 AM
#79
Here is more information for Greens
http://www.cuscorestaurants.com/greens-organics/
I had the alpaca in Ají Panca http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/12/s...-peruvian.html
http://www.cuscorestaurants.com/greens-organics/
I had the alpaca in Ají Panca http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/12/s...-peruvian.html
