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Published: March 22nd 2017
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Suzanne here...
Not many people stay in Cusco, and Ollantaytambo, and Aguas Caliente and Urubamba. They're all close together so there is no real need to stay at them all. But we had a couple of spare days, and were keen to see as much of the Sacred Valley as we could. Plus we'd figured (wrongly as it turned out) that the accommodation in Olly and Aguas might be a bit shonky and we'd need a treat. In fact both hotels were fine, which left me feeling a bit guilty that I'd spent three times more than usual on a B&B in the middle of nowhere.
The collectivo from Ollantaytambo dropped us off ten minutes walk from Lizzy Wasi. It was slightly early but we headed straight there on the off chance, and luckily they let us check in. My guilt about the cost evaporated as soon as we were inside. It was indeed a treat. The room was so nice, with a balcony overlooking a fabulous garden with mountain views. Yes it was a mini splurge, but worth it. They even had a pet rabbit running around.
We didn't manage to tear ourselves away that afternoon, but
finally made it into Urubamba before it got dark for a quick look around. Pleasant enough, but not much to see. We had dinner at Kampu, sharing a massaman and a penang curry. Both were delicious. We really like Peruvian food but this made a nice change, and it was good to get some vegetables. Also, after ten days in Peru I finally got some Peruvian beer (although it was Cuzquena which you can get in the UK). It's was ok, not amazing. No Aguila that's for sure. Back on on our balcony we made the most of it with a beer and the aguardiente we'd brought from Colombia
The next day was sunny, perfect for a walk in the coutryside. We took a walk to the Maras salt pans, about 8km away. In use since Inca times, salty water emerges from a natural spring, from an underground stream (I tasted it, it was very salty!). The water is directed into hundreds of ancient terraced pools, each owned by a local family. Once the pool is full they block it off and allow the water to evaporate, leaving behind the salt which they collect. Nerdy I know, but I
found it really interesting, and they looked amazing. We spent about an hour poking around before hiking back. Even more nerdy - we saw an adobe house in the process of being built, with the mud for the bricks literally scooped out of the cliffside. It was fascinating to see the shell of the house - more or less made from mud, but already looking pretty sturdy. In addition to all this, the countryside was beautiful. It really was the most picturesque walk and a lovely day.
One notable difference with our B&B compared with our usual cheaper accomadation was the level of service. They really couldn't do enough for you. This was even more noticeable as on the first night we were the only guests. We felt slightly guilty that they kept asking if we wanted anything, and setting the garden furniture and TV room up just for us, only for us not to use it. So on the second night we decided to have dinner there rather than go into town. It was pretty good, not amazing. But they lit a fire for us and it was very cosy. The rest of the night was spent on
the balcony again, with some more beer and the remaining aguardiente.
Urubamba itself doesn't have much to do, but the surrounding countryside makes it a worthwhile stop. That, and the wonderful accomodation, made our stay. In fact we didn't want to move on and could easily have stayed for another day or two. But with a hotel booked in Cusco, it was time to go. At the transport hub we just avoiding getting in a taxi. The woman swore she was running a collectivo but a bit of pushing revealed it was a private taxi. Admittedly it was still pretty cheap, but we didn't like being taken for mugs. A bus was about to leave so we jumped aboard. After about an hour and a half of more stunning scenery, and for the princely sum of £1 each, we were back in Cusco.
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