"SACRED VALLEY FULL DAY TOUR-Embark on a captivating day as you explore the enchanting Sacred Valley of the Incas.
This fertile river valley unfolds a tapestry of vital sites for the Incas, blending both strategic and religious significance
seamlessly. Our initial destination is the charming village of Pisac, renowned for its bustling market and ancient Inca Ruins.
Take leisurely moments to wander through the vibrant market stalls, alive with a myriad of colours, before ascending to
explore the Pisac, Intihuatana, Q’allaqasa, and Kinchiracay ruins. As the day unfolds, relish a delightful lunch in gardens that
offer panoramic views of the Valley.
Continue your journey tracing the meanders of the river Urubamba, guiding you to Ollantaytambo. This town, crowned by a
colossal Inca fortress, stands as an exquisite testament to Inca town planning. A rare historical chapter unfolds here—a
momentous Inca victory over the Spanish invaders."
I had no idea about Sacred Valley until our travel agent said we can't come to this area without exploring here. From the YouTube research we did it is going to be amazing.
Woken up feeling marginally better, headaches have decreased and my heart rate has slowed down a bit, so hopefully we will be able to enjoy our day.
Hotel grounds.
The clouds are low and it's drizzly rain or cloud mist maybe. Time to get the wet gear back out.
Inca chess set at the hotel.
We were picked up at 7.45am to start today's adventure.
Entrance to the ruins at Pisac.
The name “Pisac” comes from the Quechua (native people) word for “partridge”.
If you zoom in you can see holes in the hill which were Inca tombs. Apparently the bodies were lowered down by rope and placed in the foetal position. The tombs have been raided and the treasures taken.
I couldn't climb due to not being able to breathe properly due to the altitude so I took an easier route with not so many stairs.
What an amazing achievement to still have these walls still standing after being built in the 15th century.
'The Inca built the ruins on a mountain ridge that overlooks the current town of Pisac. The ruins were built during a time of rapid territorial expansion for the Inca Empire. Emperor Pachacuti also built Machu Picchu, Ollantaytambo, and expanded the city of Cusco. The ruins are located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The ruins include wide agricultural terraces and the remains of buildings on the hilltop. The ruins were invaded by the Spanish in the 16th century, and the main monuments were damaged. The Inca cemetery was destroyed and looted. '
Phone vs GoPro
Marks GoPro photos below
Next we stopped at a small town to have a coffee and wander along the main street. It was more of a 'shopping experience ' that I would have preferred the time spent back at the ruins.
Jewellery store where we heard about precious stones and silver in the hope we would buy something.
Main street.
A couple of photos I took from the van as we headed to lunch. Lots of corn fields.
Tuk Tuks are everywhere.
There's a house almost at the top of the hill with no roads visible.
Lunch stop.
Amaranth.
Quinoa.
Made by the Incans and still used today.
Mark made it to the top but I only got about a 1/3 of the way.
That was as far up as I could manage before it got too hard to breathe. I'm so disappointed as I have been so excited to see all the ruins. Mark made it up to the top.
Luna the llama.
Marks GoPro photos
Back in the van and headed for the hotel.
The little white blobs on the side of the mountain are holiday accommodation perched precariously. It's a hike up, carrying all your gear. Apparently you use ropes and a harness to get there.
Back to our hotel about 4 pm and just rested and packed up our gear ready for our big adventure tomorrow to Machu Picchu.
Todays temperature range was 11° overnight, 13° when we were at Pisac and a top of 16° back at Urubamba.
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