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Well, we’re finally in Peru. After a three hour drive to Miami, across Alligator Alley (which had been closed several nights because of smoke from a major forest – swamp – fire), a few hours in the Miami Airport (which doesn’t seem to have restaurants, only food courts), a 6 hour flight to Lima, a two hour wait in Lima and a one hour flight to Cusco, we’re finally here. Originally it was going to be even longer than that because we had planned to take a taxi to the bus station in Cusco, a bus to Urubamba and a collectivo to Ollantaytambo before we started sightseeing. Instead, as we were walking out of the Cusco airport, we spoke to a tour lady about finding a taxi. We ended up taking a tour with her company that eventually dropped us off in Ollantaytambo. (We asked her about her tours, it wasn’t a sales job). The price was right. She went with us to get our Machu Picchu train tickets (already reserved by us) and planned when we could get our Turistic Boleta (tourist pass, which you have to get on site – soles only, no credit cards or U.S. dollars) which we had already planned on getting. We decided to take the tour because it went to several places that we already wanted to see, but didn’t know if we would be able to see or not, because of the distance and expense and effort involved. Ollantaytambo is a good 40 miles from Cusco. Mountain miles. Andes miles.

By the way, ignore the dates on the photos.  Oops. 

 

We went straight to the tour and didn’t see any of Cusco except for what we passed through getting tickets etc.

 

First, we went to the ruins at Pisaq, where we could pick up our boleto, which gets you into 16 different museums, ruins, etc (but not Machu Picchu). I think we’re going to be able to visit 15 of the 16 so it’s a good deal for us.

Then through towns with names like Lamay (their “welcome to..” sign said that they had bathrooms – you have to play to your strengths, I guess), Calca, Yucay and Pinkuylluna. We had a really wonderful lunch (buffet) in Urubamba. That was a pleasant surprise. It was our first meal today (and our first in Peru) so we were really hungry. The buffet actually had more vegetables than meats, and the vegetables with done with some style. A really pretty restaurant, too. Vegetarians visiting a new country never truly know if they’re going to be able to eat right, even if they’ve done their homework beforehand.

 

The tour involved quite a bit of hiking. We said that we were just going to take it easy the first day, to help avoid altitude sickness, but we wound up hiking at elevation anyway. It wasn’t ALL hiking, of course. There were long drives between hikes, the longest drive being almost an hour. At several points we were actually hiking at altitudes above Cusco. But the rule is Hike High, Sleep Low, and that’s what we’re doing, since Ollantaytambo is about 2000 feet lower than Cusco.

 

We liked the ruins at Pisaq. Definitely worth seeing, but the ruins at Ollantaytambo were more impressive, and larger, and higher. It’s an interesting place. Our room (as we requested) has a view of the ruins from one window. The other window has a view of a sunflower garden. And both windows look out over some of the most interesting streets (people-wise) that I think I’ve ever seen. At the end of the day, while Sherry was downloading and naming photos, I sat on the window seat for an hour, a full hour, and just watched the activity in the street. There were people in the traditional Quechen clothing (not costumes, as this is their daily dress), Mototaxis (3 wheeled enclosed motorcycles), bicycle carts, tourists from around the world, backpackers, schoolchildren in their uniforms, police men and women, large and small tourist vans and buses navigating tiny little cobblestone streets, and people carrying gigantic bundles of things (usually things like corn husks, but really all sorts of stuff). All on narrow cobblestone streets between buildings of handmade brick, with tiled roofs. Our windows overlook the whole show, with the ruins and the tall peaks in the background. It’s quite a site.

 

One more thing about our hotel. It’s nice. Not luxe but nice. A modern bathroom, a plain but not small bedroom. Breakfast is included. Hostal Sauce (Sah-ooh-say), which means willow. You can’t beat the location (at least not in Ollantaytambo), which is about a block or two off the main square (which is at the foot of the ruins). The hotel is close in but away from the worst of bus noise at the ruins. It’s still a little noisy here. Pluses and minuses. It has reading lamps that are impossible to read by. Can’t have everything I guess. The staff is helpful and friendly but not overly so. Mostly positives.

 

If I’m rambling, it’s because I’m tired. American Airline’s Airbus was more bus than air. Actually, I shouldn’t say that. Mexico’s long distance buses are much more comfortable than this Airbus’s narrow and hard seats. So to call this Airbus a bus would be to make it sound better than it was. And I like American. I got about 3 hours sleep. So that’s three out of the last 36, with airport food court/food and airline food and then no food for a while, driving, hiking, tension and lack of oxygen all mixed in. See? I’m rambling. I’m tired. Bottom Line: we’re here, we’re fine. Do we like Peru? Oh yeah.

 

In case you don’t know, this blog is attached to a website. You can go there to find all about Peru and all the places (and more) that we’re visiting by clicking on HOME above and then clicking on PERU in the navigation bar. Of course, the web site has much more than that. From learning Spanish to learning about all 21 Spanish speaking countries. Enjoy.

Tags:   Aguas Calientes Peru · Cusco · Hostal Sauce · Learn Spanish · Learning Spanish · Machu Picchu · Ollantaytambo · Pisaq · Sacred Valley · Sazon Andina · speak Spanish · UrubambaNo Comments