On Sunday boarded the rickety collectivo along with all the locals and a few intrepid tourists to trek out to Pisac a local town known for its colourful crafts market and Inca ruins. On the bus I met a very lovely and friendly American couple, Danielle and Paul, who became my companions for the day. They were so much fun and sharing the experience of the day with them really made this a special experience.
First stop was the craft market which was a lot of fun. I couldn’t resist buying a table runner / shawl made from alpaca wool, dyed with naturally sourced dyes, and hand woven. I’m very much in love. I also picked up a supposedly hand woven cotton top. At these markets there is so much to see and purchase you can quickly get swept up in it and forget to have a critical eye for quality. I have to admit that I’ve definitely succumbed more than I should and have the extra luggage weight to show for it!
Procession of conch-shell blowing locals ending at the church
After a yummy lunch which did not include guinea pig, we headed up to the ruins. It is possible to walk up but that would have involved a couple of hours and many many stairs so we opted to take a taxi up and walk back. A much less strenuous approach! The ruins sit high up on a hill overlooking the long Sacred Valley and the modern town. In the Inca times it was a centre for astronomy and regulation of the calendars. For us it ended up being a fun ramble along green paths with amazing views of the hills and valley below.
Ruins and agricultural terraces – terraces no longer used as they are preserved as part of the historical site
This was a lovely spot with the ruins, the hills, and the breeze. As we were walking around someone was playing a bamboo flute. So we sat for a bit and just absorbed the atmosphere. It was a truly lovely spot.
The valley below
Walking the stairs and path back to town
The hill side path
The ruins of the religious centre
Paul loving the Inca masonry – build entirely without mortar
Looking down to the modern town of Pisac sitting on the Urubamba river through the Sacred Valley
Unfortunately on our way back from the ruins we got turned around and lost a few times as there are many paths running around the hills. Thank fully a local guide spotted us in a bad spot from above and came down to rescue us. As it was the end of his day he took us back down to the town. He makes lovely bamboo flutes and so gave us a demonstration part way down.
Our saviour-guide playing his flute
Unfortunately by late afternoon all the buses back to Cuzco were totally packed and so I had to separate from my lovely companions so our goodbyes came much too soon. This was a very fun day out from Cuzco.