Day7

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A lie-in until 8am!
Our guide for the day was Revellino who first off took us to a women's collective, along a high remote road a few miles along the Sacred Valley. There we met women busy knitting and weaving, using Alpaca wool from the animals they kept. We watched demonstartions of knitting and weaving, colouring the wool with dyes from the nearby plants and of course the finished articles which we were invited to buy!
Next a visit to Pisac ruins high in the mountains, which were steep but an amazing sight. Unfortunately we bumped into a Forest fan who was on a 6 month tour of South America but meeting up with his parents in Peru. After a good hour walking the extensive ruins we left for the fine market down in the valley below, (and I left my camera case & spare memory card - but bought a "new case" for 1 Sole in the market.)
A welcome buffet lunch at a very pleasant hacienda before we reached a roadside bar where we were introduced to "corn beer." We played a game of "shoot the frog" (Sapo,) tossing brass discs into holes on a table including a brass frog's mouth. We also saw a pen of guinea pigs, (Cuy,) which would provide plenty of meals!
Our final stop of the day was at the spectacular ruins of Ollantaytambo. Steep Inca terracing once again leading to a "Sun temple" with unbelievable views over the Sacred Valley. Ollantaytambo was a larger Inca City than Machu Picchu and was raided by the Spanish conquistadors, whereas further round the Valley was the only Inca site not discovered by the Spanish.
Our Hostel in Ollantaytambo was Las Orquideas close to the ruins. This Hostel in keeping with all the other places visited to date was simple but clean.

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