Retirement Day!! Ollantaytambo, Peru 13th April 2017

 

Thursday 13^th April 2017 – Retirement Day

Tampu Machay, Sacsayhuaman, Ollantaytambo.

 

 Collected at 8 for a full day tour. Frist Tampu Machay and the fortress and religious Inca site of Sacsayhuaman (pronounced sexy woman!), allegedly famous for its cosmic energy.  Had never heard of it before so was very surprised to see some superb Incan architecture and stone masonry – huge stones which had to somehow be transported from the quarries and dovetailed together so that you couldn’t even get a razor blade between the joins. 

Then on to the village to wander around the colourful indian market, sample some empanadas baked in a massive oven, take a picture of what looked like a ‘guinea-pig hotel’ but was likely to be the first course of lunch, and bought a multi-coloured belt. 

Lunch was at Tunupa del Valle restaurant in Urubamba – again a mass-catering establishment but with a huge selection of meats/fish/salads/puds and a couple of musicians playing Peruvian pan-pipes in the lovely gardens.  

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hen on to the town and Inca fortress of Ollantaytambo, the last living Inca town. Treated the 1000 steps up the fortress as a warm up for the Inca trail.  Dropped bags at Samanapaq Hotel, which was sheltered from the busy road by a huge wall, security entrance and then a surprising beautiful garden within. Many plants similar to UK (fuschia, azalea, herbs) but usually bigger. Back into town to buy last minute provisions for the Inca Trail – cord, Tshirt, energy drink, and celebrated with the group with a Pisco Sour and glass wine.