Today was a long day tour of the Sacred Valley. Located a little under two hours from Cusco we visited a half dozen locations in the span of a day. Our first stop was an annoying tourist trap where we learned about spinning and dying wool inside a courtyard filled with souvenir stands. The second stop was at Iglesia Chinchero which was built on the foundation of an Inca temple by the Spanish in 1607. The blending of the traditional beliefs and spanish catholism is a very interesting dynamic throughout all of the Andean highlands. The sites took a tremendous bound forward with our next destination. We visited the terraces of Moray which are circular terraces used to grow crops in the various microclimates of each level. An impressive area that we all wish we had more to take in.
Our next destination was one of the most unique places we have witnessed on our trip. The Maras salt flats are thousands of man made basins fed by a small salt water spring at one end of the valley. Words cannot describe the unique beauty and ingenuity of this place. Over 4000 flats are maintained and harvested by approximately 380 families with flooding and harvests taking place during the 6 months of the dry season.
The final impressive stop of our tour was Ollantaytambo. It is the best surviving example of Inca city planning and has been inhabited since the 13th century. We explored the huge terraces and the temple.
We made one more mediocre stop and Pisac before returning back to Cusco.
A long and incredible day.
Our next destination was one of the most unique places we have witnessed on our trip. The Maras salt flats are thousands of man made basins fed by a small salt water spring at one end of the valley. Words cannot describe the unique beauty and ingenuity of this place. Over 4000 flats are maintained and harvested by approximately 380 families with flooding and harvests taking place during the 6 months of the dry season.
The final impressive stop of our tour was Ollantaytambo. It is the best surviving example of Inca city planning and has been inhabited since the 13th century. We explored the huge terraces and the temple.
We made one more mediocre stop and Pisac before returning back to Cusco.
A long and incredible day.
Comments
Post a Comment