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photo break as we ascend
what seems to be endless stairsWe'll that's what I thought to begin with...but I seemed to have forgot a small detail about the Pisaq ruins I wanted to visit. Just a small one, you know, that you need to ascend 600 METERS from the town by the river up to the actual ruins.
I was puffing by the time we got to the main entrance and the guard was like no worries it is easier once you get to the switch backs - yeah right? Maybe it would have been if you walked them every day of your life from incubation...
Either way we went, we climbed the stairs to the very top only to discover that a lot of people seemed to take taxis to the top and (wisely) walk down the length of the trail. Others didn't even do that the went to the top enjoyed the views then went back to catch their lift back to town - (this still a bit of a trek up hill but doesn't look it once you've come from the opposite side of the mountain).
Pisaq is not so well known as Macchu Picchu, but is also a fortress settlement hugging the contors of
the hill in a pretty spectacular manner. You climb up to find a few ruined huts, basically, and think that was it, but the site continues to open out, with one (rebuilt?) area including working irrigation.
It contines further round on a very narrow path, then through a tunnel no less (that had a different name going in than coming out the other end, kinda curious?) to see the fullest and most extensive section of ruins, which reaches up to the top peaks and reminded me in style a little of
Montezuma´s Castle in Arizona. Down the hill some way below are intact Inca terraces and plenty of looted tombs. Also plenty of real-life Incas inviting you to take their photo with a llama!
It was a lot of steps, I think they need to hire someone to count how many actual steps there are and call the site blah-blah steps to Pisaq!
We saw a lot of cool stuff along the way, dragonflys, and went through a tunnel that had a different name going in than coming out the other end, kinda curious?
Also, forgot to wear our hats so probably got too much sun. I was
Hilltop ruins
Is this it? we thought... very sleepy at the top may have been the thin air.... had fun on our day out and met some fellow travelers who were also staying in Cusco.
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