http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Ollantaytambo/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from South America , Peru , Cusco , Ollantaytambo en-us Mon, 28 Dec 2009 07:07:00 +0000 Mon, 28 Dec 2009 07:07:00 +0000 Our third day in Peru was spent with our GAP guide Ozzie and group in the Sacred Valley and Ollantaytambo. It was as expected breathtakingly beautiful scenic and HIGH. By spending each day at a higher altitude we were supposed to be acclimating our bodies before attacking the trek which gets as high as 4440m about 14600 ft above sea level. I fell in love with the children of Peru. They http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Ollantaytambo/blog-441058.html On Thursday 082709 I woke up feeling sick and weak. We got dressed went to the hotelrsquos cafeteria for breakfast and then I just collapsed in one of their lounge couches. Irsquom not a whiner and have a high threshold for pain and fatigue so if I say I need to rest itrsquos because I REALLY need it. Ben and Cathy were good sports and watched TV for about three hours while I napped t http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Ollantaytambo/blog-435010.html We headed out of cusco to a little town called pisac around 1 half hours away by our mini bus and we also found another aussie to talk to as he was from swan hill and has been traveling for 3 months throughout south america and still has another 3 months to go before heading back to Oz.We arrived at the pisac ruins and got a very good heads up by our Tour guide Marc Anthony his spanish name non http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Ollantaytambo/blog-411720.html After spending one day in Cusco we departed towards Ollantaytambo. Before departing the hotel we met another local tour guide for the day. We boarded our bus with our day packs and duffels towards Ollantaytambo. Our guide talked a lot of the drive about the different places we were passing. We also stopped at a few different Incan ruins on the way. In Incan times the royal family was very http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Ollantaytambo/blog-408476.html Buenas Tardes mis amigosOk whew... wow wow wow... Where to begin with this one.. Well right now we are sitting in a tiny internet cafe in the tiny town of Ollantaytambo.. Google it seriously. This place is tiny but enormous all at the same time youll see why. We are supposed to be back in Cusco but thanks to a farmers strike over privatization of water rights here we sit. And no better p http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Ollantaytambo/blog-400351.html OllantaytamboPacked up after breakfast and headed for the public bus station. Taxi driver was having trouble with my Spanish but as he admitted that he was Italian there was probably some fault on both sides. Bus to Urubamba was 3.5 Soles approx 90 minutes and we were early enough to get a seat. Trip was extremely scenic not as bad as wed thought it would be in terms of road safety certainly n http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Ollantaytambo/blog-398165.html It was another early start down for breakfast at 7am in the Hotel Prisma and we left for the sacred valley at 830 not before loading up the mini bus with our huge 6kg bags for a week The drive was about 45 minutes to Ollantaytambo home of the Sacred Valley of the Inca's. This was a very important site in Inca times and it was the 1st place that we learnt about why they have the shelved grassy http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Ollantaytambo/blog-395193.html What is it with Inca ruins in February First sun then clouds and rain and shelter in a thatched cottage....Tip get there before two oclock because that is when the fleet of tour buses arrive and you will share a thin path with a dozen people and guide going the in opposite direction. I got the partial ticket for 70 soles which is about 25 I think. I have two days today and tomorrow to s http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Ollantaytambo/blog-376530.html There was a cold rain this morning and that meant coming to Internet Cafe to wait for sunshine. I see it now but the trails are probably still soaking. Best use of time is to upload last photos of village before I take my leave and return to Cusco. I suppose I should pay to see the official Inca ruins in Ollantaytambo this afternoon. Shame to spend all this time here and not do that Tshirt m http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Ollantaytambo/blog-376468.html I lost my watch along the way and really do not need it here. Im not sure what day of the week it is and I view this as a good thing. Life is slow here for those of us who visit. Today I wore a hat and long sleeves to protect my sunburned skin and walked to nearby village.This series of photos will show some of my day. I get up and shower and enjoy the view. Then I step out to the street a http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Ollantaytambo/blog-375637.html Yesterday I decided to climb up the mountain behind the town to where you can visit Inca ruins for free. The clouds were undecided about the weather for the day so I took jacket and shortsleeved top for rain or sunshine. I need to get rid of this farmers tanthat I got when I went up MachuPicchu in a tshirt. I was curious to see the view from above. When walking through Ollantaytambo you http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Ollantaytambo/blog-375586.html I must have died and gone to heaven. Im in the Peru version of Banff surrounded by Inca buildings in blasting hot weather booked into a jewel of a hostel and in an Interet cafe with fast computers At this point I am thinking....MachuPicchu who I want to stay here. In fact Im taking an overnight bag to A.C. running up that Machu hill and coming back here. Ive picked a room and i http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Ollantaytambo/blog-374328.html This morning after breakfast we set out with a bus group to the Sacred Valley. Because were heading to Machu Picchu tomorrow and you cannot take big luggage with you on the train we left our suitcases in storage at our hotel in Cusco and headed out with 3 days worth of clothing stuffed into backpacks.Our first stop of the day was at a Peruvian arts center and private zoo where we were able to se http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Ollantaytambo/blog-331604.html I had twice tried to buy train tickets to Aguas Calientes the town closest to Machu Picchu from the main PeruRail ticket office in Cusco once midmorning and once at 730AM and both times had been met with an untidy queue of tourists snaking out of the door. Inside was a further sea of wouldbe ticket purchasers numbers indicative of a multihour wait to actually get to a ticket clerk. Li http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Ollantaytambo/blog-309125.html The one place where the incas kicked the conquistadors in the goolies thanks to the strategic positioning of the fort. And its one of the best examples of inca town planning still in use. I even drunk the water from an aquaduct.What did the romans ever do for the Incas One has to wonder. Nothing. That was hard wondering wasnt it.Aslo famous for bus loads of tourists and expensiv http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Ollantaytambo/blog-300540.html Ollantaytambo est construite sur des restes dun village inca. Les rues sont toujours basees sur les plans inca dil y a plusieurs siecles et le systeme hydraulique de la ville est dorigine et fonctionne encore. Ils sont doues ces Incas quand memePres dOllantaytambo on a visite les ruines dune cite Inca et les incroyables terrasses a plusieurs centaines de metres daltitude.On a aussi visite http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Ollantaytambo/blog-286516.html The big exporationAll alone I set out to visit the town of Ollantaytambo a religious and military stronghold of the Incas situated at the junction of three important valleys. My travel brought me to the village Chinchero which has a nice little church...the ward even lights up the gloomy church if u ask and kindly. The market of Chinchero which is supposed to be very nice Ive missed because it is http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Ollantaytambo/blog-279413.html I shall try and tell you all of the wonders of the Peruvian landscapes and our trek through the mountains to get to the sacred city of Macchu Picchu but i will not be able to do it justice. In any event here goesAfter arriving in Cusco and realising that my lungs were complaining of having 10 less oxygen getting to them than normal we had our city tour which was described by Em in the last b http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Ollantaytambo/blog-268345.html Marco We arrived in Ollantaytambo pronounced Oyantietambo on Saturday at lunchtime and we headed straight for the hostel. Julie had picked the hostel a little family run place called Andean Moon. The first sign that things werent right was the dog poo everywhere in the small lane way which turned me off. But Julie was very keen to continue with the booking. We got to the hostel and th http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Ollantaytambo/blog-267424.html Today was another early day. We boarded a train 6am for Ollantaytambo leaving behind Aqua Calientes and Macchu Picchu. BOOHOO We arrived to our station after only 2 hrs and met our guide for the day. It was still very very early. As a matter of fact we arrived to the Ollantaytambo city we had the whole historic site to ourselves.... at least for most of the morning. This was another plac http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Ollantaytambo/blog-264146.html