Outside of Cuzco stretches the Urubamba River Valley that was thought by Incans to mirror the sacred coils of the milky way in its twists and turns. This sacred valley was, and is, home to many of the treasures the Inca civilization left behind. It is also a place to meet the local people before jumping off on a trek up to its most famous archeological site: Machu Picchu. To read my blog about the valley check out the Cuzco blog as well as the Ollantaytambo blog here.
Pisac is one of the famous fortress towns in the Urubamba. The curves of its graceful terraces made me feel like I had stepped out into another world.
The ruins of Pisac sit on a crag high above the valley floor. (2011) Photo (c) Karen Abrahamson.The lovely dream landscape of Pisac’s terraces. (2011) Photo (c) Karen ABrahamsonThe availability of water was always important to the Inca and features prominently in all their communities and sacred sites. (2011) Photo (c) Karen AbrahamsonThe field work is still done the old ways in the Urubamba and environs. (2011) Photo (c) Karen Abrahamson.The stream at Pisac. (2011) Photo (c) Karen Abrahamson.
Moray and Salinas can be visited together in a day.
The circular terraces of Moray are thought to have been where the Inca experimented with crops because each terrace was a different micro climate. (2011) Photo (c) Karen Abrahamson.The verdant terrain around the Urubamba. (2011) Photo (c) Karen Abrahamson.Even Peru has its cowboys. Near Moray. (2011) Photo (c) Karen Abrahamson.Shepherdess, Moray. (2011) Photo (c) Karen Abrahamson.At Salinas the salt vats use the saline water of a small spring to produce salt that has been traded throughout the Andes. (2011) Photo (c) Karen Abrahamson.The village of Chinchero not only has Inca ruins, but also an excellent weaver’s market. Each of the traditional weaving contains a story within its threads.(2011) Photo (c) Karen Abrahamson
Ollantytambo, or Ollanta to its friends, is a friendly town and the jumping off spot to many adventures like motocross biking, horseback riding, camping and the hike to Machu Picchu.
Hello-goodbye, waves a little girl in traditional clothing in one of the friendly villages above Ollanta. (2011) Photo (c) Karen AbrahamsonAntique bridge over the main river that runs down to the Urubamba at Ollanta. (2011) Photo (c) Karen Abrahamson.Mountain woman in traditional clothing, in the mountains above Ollanta. (2011) Photo (c) Karen AbrahamsonAn ancient Spanish church in the Urubamba with Datura growing out front. (2011) Photo (c) Karen Abrahamson.At one of the weaver’s gatherings in a small mountain village. (2011) Photo (c) Karen Abrahamson.In the mountain villages above Ollanta the women weave some of the beautiful handicrafts you see at the Co-op in the town. (2011) Photo (c) Karen AbrahamsonVendors at Ollanta’s market. (2011) Photo (c) Karen AbrahamsonAn old man walks the narrow streets of Ollanta. These walls date back to Inca times. (2011) Photo (c) Karen Abrahamson.A lovely walkway to a home in Ollanta. (2011) Photo (c) Karen Abrahamson.
