Today was supposed to be the day we visited Machu Picchu, the crown jewel of the Incan Empire. However, a protest and strike by locals over a government plan to privatize ticket sales shut down the access railway and closed the site, so we weren’t able to go. This was to be one of Royal Caribbean’s featured excursions for passengers who had booked the full world cruise, and the line was forced to scramble at the last minute to put something together for us that would serve as a decent alternative. All I can say is, wow, did they deliver.
We began our day by piling into vans with Ronny, our local tour guide, and climbing out of Cusco even higher into the mountains to our first stop, the impressive Incan fortress of Saqsaywaman, or as the locals jokingly call it, Sexy Woman. The fortress sits at an elevation of 12,142 feet above sea level, a thousand feet higher than Cusco. During the day our travels would take us as high as 13,000, which incredibly is a full mile higher up than Machu Picchu, which is “only” 7900 feet above the sea. We’re talking some serious altitude here, but fortunately no one in our van had any problems. Pro tip: if you’re coming here get a prescription for altitude meds. They worked wonders for us.
But back to Saqsaywaman. The fortress is huge, and the walls are built in a zigzag pattern, resembling a bolt of lightning. Not only does that strengthen the fortress’s defensive capabilities, but it also pays homage to the Incan god of lightning. The workmanship is remarkable, with the gigantic stones fitted together perfectly without the need for mortar. That, and the irregular pattern of the stones in the walls, made the walls resistant to the region’s many earthquakes. The Spaniards later learned painfully that the Incans knew more about earthquake-proofing than they did. We spent quite a bit of time exploring the ruins, and I got some nice photos, before we returned to the van and continued on to our next stop.
I should add at this point that none of our stops today were near each other, and in fact they took us progressively farther away from our base in Cusco. So far, in fact, that after our last stop the trip back to Cusco took two full hours. While this might seem like a negative, it actually gave us the opportunity to see the Peruvian Andes in a way that wouldn’t have been possible if we had spent the day making a surgical strike from Cusco to Machu Picchu and back. We agreed that maybe, just maybe, we’d had as good a day, or even better, than if we had been able to visit Machu Picchu.
Returning to our day’s itinerary, we next drove to an overlook where we had a fantastic view of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The Sacred Valley was important to the Incas because of its fertile soil and flat terrain, a rarity in this region of the Andes. Irrigated by the Urubamba River, the Sacred Valley produced a multitude of crops, helping make it possible to feed the large Incan population. More on the remarkably fertile soil shortly. The view from the overlook was impressive, and we took quite a few photos before dropping down into the Valley to our lunch destination.
At the bottom we pulled off the asphalt onto a narrow, very bumpy dirt road that took us to Casa Hacienda del Maiz, a large farm and catering business owned by a delightful couple. There we enjoyed a traditional family style meal in a glass walled semi-open air pavilion next to an impressive corn field. I know I’m guilty of using too many superlatives, but in this case it is truly fair to say this corn is remarkable. The Sacred Valley produces the largest ears of corn I have ever seen, and I’ve seen a lot of corn in my lifetime. I literally couldn’t believe my eyes when the owner came to our table to show us an example. We were told that you can plant this corn anywhere else and get fine corn, but the ears will not approach the size of those coming from the Sacred Valley. The fertile soil is that special. Check out my photos below. And by the way, the owner told us his corn will soon be available at Trader Joe’s, so look for it.
After lunch our hosts treated us to a traditional show featuring a man on a prancing horse interacting with a dancing, elegantly dressed woman. The whole experience was magical, and I can’t imagine how Royal Caribbean put it together with about a day’s notice. I also can’t imagine what it must be like for the owners to wake up every morning, walk outside and see the spectacular Andes peaks that serve as a backdrop to their farm in the Sacred Valley.
Still, there was more to see, so it was off to our next stop, the Incan site of Ollantaytambo. Here, several massive tiers of stonework eventually take those who have the fortitude to climb them (at 9350 feet above sea level) to the top, where there was a not fully completed temple. Climb it we did, though I will confess to a couple rest stops along the way, which I attributed to the thin air. That’s my story anyway, and I’m sticking to it.
At the top we were rewarded with an impressive view of the small village below and the next mountain across from it. The mountain across the way is also important because it also features Incan ruins that are truly remarkable. Built high into the cliffs are two ancient granaries, and between them is a giant carved face. This is the face of Wiracocha, the Incan god who they believed was the creator of all. Photos below.
After catching our breath at the top of the stone tiers and exploring the temple site, we climbed back down, poked around the craft stalls at the bottom for a few minutes, then got back in the van for the two hour ride back to the hotel in Cusco. Though a long drive, we had the opportunity to see some interesting sights along the way, including a few glacier capped peaks. We also learned about chicha, an alcoholic corn beer dating back to the Incas. Chicha is low enough in alcohol content that it’s not regulated by the government, and it is brewed in local homes, many of which advertise that you can stop and get some from them. I’ll show you the unique way they advertise in the photos below.
We returned to the hotel around 7:00 pm, and had dinner in one of the hotel’s two elegant restaurants at 7:30. Then it was off to shower, pack up, and head to bed, because we had a very long day ahead of us, with a 5:00 am wake-up call, but I’ll tell you about that tomorrow. Until then, enjoy the photos of a fantastic Plan B day, with kudos once more to Royal Caribbean for putting it together so quickly when the visit to Machu Picchu fell apart.
Breakfast at our hotel. It really is an elegant facility.
On the way to our first stop of the day. That’s Cusco down below. Our travels took us as high as 13,000 feet above sea level, almost a mile higher than Machu Picchu.
The fortress walls at Saqsaywaman were built in a zigzag pattern, honoring the god of lightning and strengthening its defensive capabilities.
The odd looking pattern of the stone walls was no accident. The irregular shapes helped with earthquake resistance.
Some of the stones were really large. Especially impressive for a people that had not invented the wheel. It is believed that they used stone rollers to move the massive sandstone boulders.
Doorway leading higher into the fortress.
Note the parabolic shape of the window. The Incas learned that they better withstood earthquakes.
On our way out we got up close and personal with some llamas.
The Sacred Valley of the Incas. The soil is very fertile and produces wonderful crop yields.
Our lunch stop at the hacienda in the Sacred Valley. The owners have a beautiful facility, including the indoor-outdoor pavilion where we ate.
The owner showed us his magnificent corn, which will soon be available at Trader Joe’s.
I’m not kidding when I say these are the largest ears of corn I’ve ever seen. Michele agrees.
Wonderful performance on the lawn next to the pavilion after lunch.
On to the impressive fortress and temple at Ollantaytambo. The temple is at the top, so you have to earn a view of it by climbing up these stone terraces at high altitude. It really is a beautiful site.
On the way up. Not resting, just posing for a photo.
Quite a view from the top.
Zoomed in to get a closer look at the granary and face of Wiracocha built into the cliffs on the mountain on the other side of the valley. How they did it is beyond me.
Another view from partway up.
On our way back to Cusco we passed a vendor selling guinea pigs on a stick. If you did your homework yesterday you know all about this 😀
I can’t leave this post without showing you a tuktuk. They’re everywhere.
Look at the top of this photo. This is a very popular hotel that can only be reached by scaling this mountain. Once there you’re fed a wonderful meal and you sleep in one of those little rooms hanging out from the cliff face. We were told that in the morning guests get down by zip lining, presumably down the other side, because I saw no wire.
We also saw glaciers. What an amazing place.
Want some chicha? Homeowners advertise that they’ve brewed some for you by filling a red plastic bag with pretty much anything and attaching it to the top of a pole, which they display by the roadside.
At last, dinner. What an awesome day.
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