The Saga Continues

Our next trip was to Cusco which we had planned a long time ago because Taca Airlies came out with an incredible sale on flights. So, in February we planned this trip to the Sacred Valley and Cusco, and Ollantaytambo. Most people associate Cusco with Macchu Picchu, but we had been there 10 years ago, it has gotten very, very expensive and very crowded so we decided to concentrate on many of the other lovely things in the area.

First of all, David decided to surprise me and book us into the Hotel Frankenstein (complete with a large cut-out of him) outside, but when we got to our room we realized this was a backpackers hotel and we had really stayed in the much nicer hotel on the second floor. So, we had a good laugh and enjoyed ourselves, sort of. The city itself an interesting mix of Inca and Spanish.  We spent the day wandering about the town, looking for a piece of fabric art, which we didn't find. Then we visited the ruins of Saccsay (pronounced ) which was an Inca fortress where the only defeat of the Spanish took place.  However, it was short lived and the Spanish, as we know, won the war and the fortress remained unfinished, but impressive nevertheless.        (Yes, the hair is really orange...a bit of a mistake which was to make up for a previous mistake when I died my hair jet black!)    This is a view of the town from the ruins.    This was a rather inappropriate addition to the runs...That night we sent to sleep, which was interrupted every 45 minutes by David's mad dash to the bathroom for a session hanging over the toilet.  What a mess.  The next day we were to go to two markets, the giant one in Pisac and the smaller one in Chincerra, but we only made it to Chinchera because David was so tired.  But we bought this wonderful collage hanging made by the lovely woman in the photo. We made a stop in a place where weaving and spinning were being demonstrated, and although I can spin with a wheel and one type of spindle, clearly I needed help with a different kind of spindle.  So, it was then on to Ollantaytambo where David went to bed and I went to my first taste of the three day festival celebrating their saint's day.      

David had recovered by 4:00 pm and we went off to the bullfights which was a bit of a mistake... So far, so good.  We had seen this action before an quite enjoyed it.  We got a little worried here and left after this Our first and last correa de torro.  But the festival was wonderful!       Even David got into the act when they claimed he had an illegitimate child and would not take it away!    We could not stop looking at the people This was a truly local festival and all the performers were local and, of course, the whole town watched and danced!  As wonderful as the festival was, and it was hard to pull ourselves away, we planned to visit the ruins the next day.  That night it was my turn in the bathroom, so we got a slow start in the morning, but drugs are wonderful and I was all fixed up by late morning.  First of all, the town itself, is a living example of Inca architecture, riddle with active irrigation canals and many of the original Inca buildigs lived in to this day! The ruins loom above the city on both sides of the river.  On this visit we visited the more accessible ones, but still a steep climb up and up the terraces to the temple at the top.   .  These are the ruins we hope to visit on the next visit. Notice the face of the old man to the left of the runs in the second photo!  We met a man who knew a local artist and we visited his home and studio in a former Inca palace and bought this wonderful pot made in the old style.  .  A wonderful trip and a wonderful place that needs another visit!