DAY 177
The train yesterday was slow and not even luxurious... Just ridiculously expensive. But I said I wouldn't rant more about that (but it's hard not too!!!). We have sore legs this morning but still a lot to do and since it's Inca stuff, we'll have to climb up and down their bloody terraces ;) Ollantaytambo is a tough name to pronounce but a very interesting place. It was under construction when the Spaniards arrived so it was never finished but what was already done withstood the last five centuries without problems. It was a temple and a fortress, and the location of one of the very few Spanish defeats against the Incas. Once again the city planning and engineering is brilliant. The nearby river is channeled through underground canals into the city. The sound of water adds to the peaceful atmosphere of the place.
Our next stop on our way back to Cuzco is Pisac. We luckily catch a bus that departs right away. The scenery is once again breathtaking as we go from valley to valley, flanked by tall mountains. The city is very cute but we don't have much time, we want to go see the citadel on a nearby mountain. Supposedly dala-dalas can't go up because it's too steep but we find one who is willing to take us. He's asking for a ridiculous price though (more than what a cab would) but sadly for him we stopped by the tourist information center before so we know the price... And of course, he accepts a much more reasonable one (15 instead of 35!). The dala-dala is clearly dying on the way up but we get there eventually even though the engine dies on us twice. He drops us at the base of the terraces and we climb our way up to the citadel... At 3514m! Once again over 3500m, and no one is forcing us to do it! It must be an addiction ;)
Like in Machu Picchu, it's more than just a citadel. It's a whole village crammed onto the mountain spur. The views from up there are impressive and were strategically important. It used to guard the Urubamba valley but also a passage leading to the jungle. The opposing cliff is flecked with tombs but it's off limits (picture above). The day is ending and we still have to return to Cuzco so we walk down yet another Inca trail. It's steep and goes through more terraces. After a while, the gorge opens to the valley with Pisac at our feet. Luck is definitely on our side today because we once again find a bus that departs right away. Once seated, we learn it's the last of the day! Back in Cuzco, the bus drops us not far from the hotel and we arrive exhausted. With no energy left, we order pizza and have to count our remaining money to pay for it (no seamless in Cuzco!). After all that, we're left with 4 soles for the two of us. Tomorrow's first order if business will be to find an ATM ;)
DAY 178
To stay on the same pace, we get up before 7am, have breakfast, find a ATM, buy today's tour and get in the bus by 8:30. When given no choice, we can be punctual ;) Unfortunately not everyone is, and the bus has to do laps around a plaza for 40min waiting for the latecomers... Today's tour is about the sacred valley. We did bits and pieces yesterday with Pisac and Ollantaytambo and we do the rest with a group your today. First stop is Chinchero. Here, locals still use a barter system. We stop in a traditional fabric factory and the ladies there, show us the traditional way of doing wool fabric from A to Z. We were not expecting that stop but it's very informative. To learn that they use a root as a detergent to wash the raw wool. That they use corn to get purple, cochinilla (tiny tiny caterpillars) to get red, leaves for the green and roots for the yellow. That adding salt allows them to adjust the tint. That alum (a chemical compound) will help fix the color... And what happens after an impressive demo? The clients buy :D They have gorgeous fabrics and alpaca scarfs... And we can pay by credit card! We don't normally buy stuff because afterward we have to carry them around forever. But tomorrow we plan on sending a package back to France... Hence the splurge :D
Next stop is Moray. The two French girl we met in Uyuni told us about the place. As agronomists they loved the place and shared their passion with us. It was an Inca agriculture research center. They transformed 3 small valleys into terraces for research purposes. Each of them contains terraces in circle all the way down. It creates a micro-climate with temperature differences up to 15C between the top and bottom level! The bigger one is very well restored and is very impressive. To think they were able to grow cacao here... At 3500m!
Next up is Maras. Since time immemorial, the local population has been producing salt here. The sight of these 5800 ponds of salt with colors ranging from white to brown hanging from one side of this gorge is unbelievable. And very photogenic ;) It's overrun by shops now but once through, one can even walk on the paths between ponds. There's not much else to it but it's one of these place that can be contemplated for hours.
Back in Cuzco, we try a local specialty called chicharron. It's deep fried pork MORE ... i.e. A cholesterol bomb!
DAY 179
Last day in Cuzco! We spent 12 days in the city, not all of them visiting but still, the city and the surrounding region has so much to offer. Our first order of business is to send "the package". With the stuff we haven't used much and are sending back and the souvenirs, we have 3.7kg on their way to my sister's for safekeeping. Let's hope it makes it there safely and whole. Today we're trying another local specialty, the "cuy al horno". The place we were recommended is called la Cusqueñita. It has the feel of a beer-garden with its table setting. The crowd is mainly local, which is usually a good sign, and we even have entertainment while eating in the form of traditional dances. The place is definitely fun. The Guinea pig itself is OK. Not a lot of meat on it and nothing special taste-wise.
Our bus for Arequipa is tonight, that leaves us for yet another church visit. But the church of Santo Domingo is something special and unexpected. The structure of the church is classical but all the content is modern. The paintings, instead of the traditional descriptive views, use modern cinematographic photography technique. The archangels are Andean kids in jeans... The truth is, in our modern society, 10th, 15th or 18th century graphical codes don't have much impact anymore. But this does because it uses today's graphical code. The passion is especially impressive. The altars follow the same logic. They are all black wood, carved in a mestizo baroque style but with a modern twist. The angles are highlighted with gold painting. The use of light to increase the dramatic effect seals the deal. It's refreshing to see a mix of old stones and modern that works. It's the first church time I see a modern church that's not ugly actually...
We go for one last coffee in our favorite place, el museo del cafe, and have it in front of the fireplace. Perfect! With a little time left before the bus, we check out the pre-Christmas decoration in la Merced (a church obviously). It's a tradition that comes from Spain and they take it very seriously here too. It has the usual suspects (Joseph, Marie, the 3 wise men) and lots of animals. But this one also has a river, a waterfall and rain!!!