SACRED VALLEY, PERU

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Sacred Valley - day 4, Awanakancha, Wayra, and Yanahuara, Peru

We started the day very early, 4:30 am wake-up and luggage out by 5:00. The bus left for the Lima airport at 6:00 for a flight on StarPeru to Cusco at 8:35. The Monday morning traffic was tough enough, but one stretch of road was under reconstruction. It took more than an hour to reach the airport, but all went OK, thanks to our tour guide and the Tauck representatives. The flight was smooth and uneventful and the view of the snow capped mountains was very impressive, but when I got off the plane I immediately noticed some altitude effects (11, 300 ft.) so I bought a bottle of “Oxishot” in case I needed it later. We were leaving Cusco by bus (I’ll be back Thursday) to go to the Sacred Valley which is lower elevation, so the effects lessened as the day went on. This area was a key settlement for the Incas. The good climate and fertile plains made it a rare combination in the high Andes. It currently produces a lot of Peru's corn. It also provided a route to the Amazon, thereby giving access to the fruits and plants of the tropical lowlands. In addition, the Sacred Valley served as a buffer zone, protecting Cusco from incursions by fierce jungle tribes who occasionally raided the highlands. Since we used smaller buses, our group split in two and each had a tour guide that will be with us for the next 5 days. There were a couple of photo stops along the way and then we stopped at the Awanacancha Alpaca and Llama Farm to see, touch and feed the animals. The farm also had demonstrations of weaving and many had coca tea to see if that helped in adjusting to the altitude. Of course there was a large gift shop to go through to get to the restrooms. We then went to a nice restaurant at Wayra Ranch for lunch and a demonstration of Peru’s Paso horses famed for their natural lateral gait known as paso llano.

We arrived at the Casa Andina Sacred Valley in Yanahuara where we will be for the next two nights. The hotel is at 9,000 ft., so I will use my computer. The internet is free, but it is rather slow, so I’ll have to see how many pictures I can upload. The hotel is nice, but not in the class of my Lima hotel. Instead of viewing the Pacific, I’m viewing the Andes mountains. Dinner tonight is a la carte but included in the tour price.



We have been cautioned to carry protection against sunburns and rain gear every day. DON’T FLUSH THE TOILET PAPER! ILYS

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Photos

VIEW FROM MY ROOM
CASA ANDINA SACRED VALLEY

Comments

[Laurie Zeh]

Sacred Valley
What a lovely valley! You are an intrepid traveler, Chuck. I always enjoy your blogs.