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Published: July 14th 2006
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A weekend in Moray, Urubamba, and Ollantaytambo
I’ve been to my first Incan ruins now. A group of us students have made taken a tornado tour through some of the Sacred Valley, leaving early in the morning to see what should probably be a full weekend worth of sites.
Our first stop was at Moray, an Incan agricultural site. Here the Incas constructed terraces following the contours of three bowl-shaped depressions seemingly far removed from any of their settlements. Common thought is that the Incas used this place for agricultural experiments, to see what sorts of crops could grow in different conditions. The temperature and microclimate changes with each terrace and there is a marked difference between the temperature and humidity at the top as opposed to the bottom.
There is an apparent mathematical precision to these terraced walls, their built-in water courses, and the unusual steps (which I’m told is not unusual for Inca construction). There are steps built into the walls that are the only way of descending. There is no room dedicated to stairs. I find poetic geometry in the steps and enjoy the uncomfortable distance between them. It makes you take your time, to
be careful, and compels you to examine your surroundings and the details of the wall.
The construction of these things is incredible. You can see from the picture that there is much more to it than what you see on the surface. Archeologists have excavated exploratory pits to see what is there and they have uncovered some interesting things. The excavation and backfill for these terraces is much deeper than what is visible on the surface. This pit is a couple of meters deep and has a complex composition. There is about three feet of topsoil for the plants to grow in. Under that is a layer of sand that sits upon a layer of compacted clay hardpan. These two things in combination would have served a useful purpose by removing excess and unwanted water from the root zone. Without this, the roots would be left in water to rot. What is amazing is how much work it would have taken to accomplish this. And not only for one terrace, but for many, many terraces.
Also amazing is the water system. There are grooves cut in the rocks that allows water to go from one terrace to the
next from the very top to the very bottom. You can see the wet zone created by this too.
I did not find this place as spiritual as I had imagined and was disappointed. Maybe I was too expectant, wanting too much or expecting something that was not there. Nonetheless, it was an amazing and beautiful place and I am glad that I went.
We next went to Urubamba. This pueblo has no historical significance and is more of a jumping point for other attractions and for adventure sports in the Sacred Valley. After lunch, our party split up. My friend, Ashli, wanted to look for an orphanage that she planned to volunteer at. In fact, that was the whole reason she was here, to volunteer there. So, we made our way to the central square (which is always called la Plaza de Armas) as I wanted to see the church (always on the Plaza de Armas) and she figured she could get directions from there. Well, Ashli was not impressed with Urubamba and I could see her mood dropping. So, I took a nap while she took a walk and we then found refuge in a small
coffeeshop.
As we sat there, the town became more likable to us. We found beauty in the place and enjoyed the activity in the square, where young boys and girls were enjoying taking turns dunking each other, seemingly unwillingly, in the waters of the fountain. Before long, every one of them was soaked to the bone and laughing loudly. We saw couple after couple walk by holding hands. We saw children playing and we agreed that this place was not as bad as we had first thought. But, we also agreed that we should push on to Ollantaytambo as we were both anxious to see more ruins and would rather not stay in Urubamba.
The rest of our party arrived in time for us to go find the most interesting attraction in the city, a regionally renowned ceramic artist,
Pablo Seminario. We were invited on a guided tour and met the artist painting some bowls. I was thoroughly impressed with the house-turned-workshop and the operation. The gardens were incredibly beautiful and there was a small collection of exotic animals. As always, I wanted to buy everything and ship it all home. But, as always, I have little money for
such purchases and no room in my bag or anywhere to put it when I get home. So, on to the next stop without any of this beautiful pottery.
Ashli and I arrived late in Ollantay. We were both exhausted and neither of us was in a particularly great mood, but we were both energized and relaxed by the place. It is said to be the best remaining example of Inca city planning and it is beautiful. We needed to recharge our batteries so we ate at an empty but great restaurant where we could sit next to a fireplace and enjoy the sounds of the adjacent river. We then took the opportunity to explore the city while the rest of the city slept. The entire city is made of rock. The roads, walls and buildings have all been constructed with great care and precision. We scaled a couple of private walls to see what was inside and found little courtyard gardens in full bloom. Every house has a courtyard and most have gardens and as a rule, every hostel has a great garden. We stepped into a few to gaze at the wonderful arrangement of flowers and stonework.
After a long walk around the city, we finally found the ruins. On a dark night, they are hard to see. We were walking back to the hostel when Ashli pointed out the faint outline of what looked like Incan terraces on a hillside behind the city. We fought off our exhaustion and walked towards them. As we approached, it became apparent that this was a fortress that dominates the city. It is majestic in the dark and we head off to slumber with something to look forward to tomorrow.
Pictures of Moray:
Moray Pictures of Urubamba:
Urubamba
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What a great description of Urubamba, you make it seem as if I can feel like I am there too!!!