Ollantaytambo

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Ollantaytambo is a fortress at the confluence of two rivers in the Sacred Valley of the Incas to the northwest of Cusco. It took us about an hour and a half one to travel there by minibus, making our way through the uncontrolled housing development on the outskirts of Cusco and then climbing over a pass with views of the Andes.

On the way we stopped and Chinchero, the site of three Inca palaces. This small Andean village is high up on the plain of Anta at 3762 m above sea level. We were given a demonstration of dying wool with local natural materials, spinning it and weaving cloth.

Ollantaytambo is the best surviving example of Inca city planning with the modern buildings using the foundations of their Inca predecessors. The site has the most amazing terraces held back by beautiful Inca walls. They were constructed for a number of purposes, to hold back erosion, to create more agricultural land and for defensive reasons. At the time of the Spanish conquest the 8,000 inhabitants were able to provide food for the 100,000 people living in the wider region.

There is an intricate irrigation system bringing water from 8km up the valley to the summit of the fortress.

The area is still mainly agricultural though with very little mechanisation. We were told the farmers plant up to 50 different varieties of potato!

We walked to the top of the terraces to the military area, resting on the way to catch our breath. Although it isn't as high above sea level as Cusco (3,399 m), it is still 2,792 m, (9,160 feet), over twice the height of Ben Nevis at 1346 m (4,416 feet).

As with Stonehenge one can only marvel at how the huge pieces of stone in the Temple of the Sun at the top of the fortress were transported from the valley the other side of the mountain range.

We stopped or lunch at a hotel called Sonesta Posadas del Inca in the small village called Yucay. The Sonesta Posada Yucay is a former 18th century colonial-style monastery and is surrounded by beautiful gardens - mainly geraniums and hydrangea. We were treated to a three course buffet lunch when I tried alpaca with rice.

We all felt we had had a really good day which had included a little preparation for the Inca Trail by climbing the terraces.

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