Peru Day 8: Sacred Valley

So surprised we forced ourselves out of bed for today's trip with a midnight run to the toilet and Kerry getting full-on stomach cramps. Somehow we pulled ourselves out of the doldrums. The journey went passed the previous day's excursion and climbed to 3800m. We felt physically better as soon as the road went down into the Sacred Valley and were spoiled with the stunning views. Every decent parking view point had locals selling the same tat sold everywhere else.

Pisac market at the base of the valley was quite a cultural confrontation as the tour rep took us through the food market. She was picking up maize and vegetables to show us, pulling them apart in front of the selling. It was slightly uncomfortable to watch but the seller didn't seem bothered. The rest of the time was looking up and down the many rows of almost the same souvenir stalls as those everywhere else.

Our next destination, delivered at top speed (our driver seemed addicted to overtaking), to Ollynantambo, an extremely steep terraced Inca outpost. The opposite mountain had a carving of an Inca king silhouette.

Lunch was at a halfway point back to Cusco at a large hotel. It was a simple buffet of roast potatoes, rice and chicken, just right for our sick tums. After lunch, our journey to another Inca ruin was a mixture of rural countryside, old or dilapidated farm buildings, lots of livestock and alot more donkeys than I was expecting. Our driver did us the favour of getting there before the coach loads of other tourists arrived allowing us a quiet and peaceful tour. I can't quite remember the proper name, something like Chicabayo(?), but the ruins themselves weren't really worth the very slow trek up hill (more altitude!). It was the neighbouring Catholic church (16th century) that made up for the visit.

A few more landscape photos on the way back to Cusco then an early night, with fingers-crossed, that we would be in better health for tomorrow's Inca Trail start.