Yesterday Alex and Aiden and I set off to Ollantaytambo, a little town about 40 miles outside of Cusco. Everyone had raved about this little gem of a town- beautiful, peaceful, and historical. It was truly a wonderful little place, however, before we arrived there I was already completely satisfied- the 2 hour drive out there was unbelievably gorgeous! The mountains were massive and snow capped and against the big blue sky and fluffy white clouds, I couldn't imagine many things more stunning. I was definitely in my happy place.
Once we arrived, we had coffee at Hearts Cafe, a delicious and wholesome spot on the plaza which puts its profits towards bettering the lives of people in the surrounding areas. Then we took a little tour of the town (which did not take long, it is tiny!), and then climbed up the ruins. It really is in a valley (affectionately referred to here as the Sacred Valley) so you really feel like you've just been dropped in the middle of the mountains.
For those interested, some history on the ruins: The Ollantaytambo complex was still under construction at the time of the conquest and was never completed. After Incan ruler Manco Inca was defeated by the Spanish at Sacsayhuaman (1536) he retreated to Ollantaytambo. There the Spaniards attacked with a force of 70 cavalry, 30 foot soldiers and a large contingent of natives to capture Manco Inca. The Incans, in a wise battle move, flooded the valley, making it difficult for the horses to maneuver. Once they were stuck in the mud, the Incan forces rained down showers of arrows, spears and rocks upon the Spanish troops. Ollantaytambo then became the only place ever to have resisted attacks from the Spanish! However, their victory was short-lived when the Spanish returned with four times their previous force, and Ollantaytambo fell into the hands of the Spanish. (Thanks andeantravelweb.com for help with that history.)
Once we arrived, we had coffee at Hearts Cafe, a delicious and wholesome spot on the plaza which puts its profits towards bettering the lives of people in the surrounding areas. Then we took a little tour of the town (which did not take long, it is tiny!), and then climbed up the ruins. It really is in a valley (affectionately referred to here as the Sacred Valley) so you really feel like you've just been dropped in the middle of the mountains.
For those interested, some history on the ruins: The Ollantaytambo complex was still under construction at the time of the conquest and was never completed. After Incan ruler Manco Inca was defeated by the Spanish at Sacsayhuaman (1536) he retreated to Ollantaytambo. There the Spaniards attacked with a force of 70 cavalry, 30 foot soldiers and a large contingent of natives to capture Manco Inca. The Incans, in a wise battle move, flooded the valley, making it difficult for the horses to maneuver. Once they were stuck in the mud, the Incan forces rained down showers of arrows, spears and rocks upon the Spanish troops. Ollantaytambo then became the only place ever to have resisted attacks from the Spanish! However, their victory was short-lived when the Spanish returned with four times their previous force, and Ollantaytambo fell into the hands of the Spanish. (Thanks andeantravelweb.com for help with that history.)
IS THIS HEAVEN?!
Ollantaytambo: It's so prettyyyyy!
Why hello hammock, yes I will lie in you!
One of the cleaner rivers I've seen in Peru... a nice change.
Peru is full of silly hats.
Most of Ollantaytambo, from above
Ruins
Nicely done
Dear Incans: how did you get those enormous stones there, and how did you make them so flat? Please enlighten me. Love, Elise
You are massive.
Nice stones
A nice place to raise a family
We love Incan ruins!
It's like Mt. Rushmore, but it's an Incan king! See his crown on the top?
Ok this picture did not accurately capture what I wanted it to, but I wanted to put something about the ride home- the sun was going down, and the way the light was changing over the mountains and hitting the clouds was spectacular. Even though I was exhausted, I kept my eyes open and looked out my window the whole ride back. I felt like I was at the best planetarium ever. It was an unforgettable, magnificent day!
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