Hola Amigos,
Day started well with more coca tea...hope we don´t get drug tested before the inca trail.
Superb day. Day tour of sacred valley starting at Saqsaywaman which is a large inca ruin situated above cuzco. Our guide told us that it was the palace for the inca king and there were 14 kings in 60 years of inca rule. Not so good to be king. Much of the stone from the site was taken and used in the cathederal in the plaza de armos in cuzco. The remaining stonework was too heavy to be taken down to town. There seems to be a certain irony that the jesus statue is located close to a sun worshipping site.
pisaq. Used to be the inca capital at one stage. Is purched on the crest of a mountain ridge and had wonderful stonework. Terraces on one side and graves on the other. Supposedly better than Machu Pichu.
This was a hard climb with lots of steps. Good to start walking a bit again.
There was a kid dressed in traditional outfit perched on a rock high above the ground playing flute VERY badly. Chilling. Should have paid him to stop.
A tragedy at the site today. A driver backed a vehicle off the road and it rolled for about 50m down a steep slope killing him in the process. It happened while we were in the town markets. We passed it on the way up to the ruins.
Lunch. Guy playing pan pipes that were over 1m long. Started with the usual el condo pasa then bridge over trouble water, yesterday, hey jude and hotel california. Vanessa was gracious enough to give a 1 soles tip (33c). She was the only one to tip the player. Tough being a musician.
ollantaytambo. Another super inca ruin. The roads are all cobbled made by the incas. On a steep hill again. The site was a astronomically significant site and a temple to the sun. Terraces supposed form a crouching llama shape. I think this is probably bull pardon the pun. Vanessa won´t commit without an arial view.
Heading off on inca trail tomorrow.
Adios,
David & Vanessa
