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Sex And Empanadas: Farewell To The Sacred Valley
Mystique surrounds our village of Ollantaytambo. We wake each morning to the sound of rushing water and the sight of the Inca terraces looking down from the towering mountain, the early morning sun creeps over the summits and, although we can’t see it, we know that just a short distance away the sundial obelisk erected by the Incas centuries ago is still announcing the dawn of another day just as it did back then. Ollantaytambo stirs. Guides for those on the Inca Trail pack up their tents on the green next to the ancient Punku Punku gateway ready for the next leg; cafe owners clean the dust from windows; souvenir…
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The Wonderful City Of Cusco
Sometime during 1993 the Peruvian Government took it upon themselves to draw up a national constitution. Within this document was a declaration that the city of Cusco should be officially recognised as Peru’s Historic And Cultural Capital, so providing this lovely city with an accolade to match its indisputable and enduring appeal. In truth, it really is a lovely city, especially the narrow cobbled streets which gravitate on steep hills away from Cusco’s beating heart, the bustling Plaza de Armas. The cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin of the Assumption and the almost as large Iglesia de la Compañia de Jesus dominate the two sides of the square which aren’t taken…
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Cusco & The Rainbow Mountain: Life At Over 11,000 Feet
So now we enter the first part of this journey – there’s plenty more coming – where altitude sickness is a looming enemy, so as a result we have developed a strategy long before the day we arrive in Cusco. Flying in from Puerto Maldonado adds to the risk, coming straight from low lying wetlands to a city at 3,400 metres in less than an hour gives no opportunity for graduation, just a steep learning curve in which a large dose of being sensible is called for. We’re not always good at being sensible. Consequently we hatch a plan. There’s a certain regime to follow for the first 48 hours…
