Outing to Ollantaytambo

We had an interesting colectivo ride to Urubamba on our way to visit the Incan ruins in Ollantaytambo.  There was a fiesta going on in the main part of Urubamba so we were sent on a wild goose chase detour on the back roads behind town.  Our colectivo driver didn’t know his way around. At one point the passengers were erroneously directing him.  Eventually he let a van pass us so he could follow it, only to run up against a huge bus coming the other way on a one-lane road.

The Sacred Valley is beautiful and we were thinking that we might be interested in studying Spanish in a smaller town, away from the city.  This unplanned tour of the back roads of Urubamba gave us an opportunity to check it out.  The town has a nice setting but it wasn’t a big turn on.  Perhaps we would feel different if we had seen the center.

Once through the traffic debacle in Urubamba, it was an easy ride to our destination, Ollantaytambo. Immediately upon arriving in town, we happened upon Hearts Café, whose profits are used to support vulnerable children and abandoned elderly adults in the highlands above the Sacred Valley.  After a pleasant lunch, we left with full bellies and a good feeling for supporting Living Hearts.

We hired a guide, Alberto, to teach us about Ollantaytambo and practice our Spanish.  We learned how the Incas transported tremendous rocks 8 km to this site using ropes, rivers and ramps.  All three of us love the large rocks and the interfaces between them.  We heard more about Incan astronomy, spiritual affinities, and fortress defense, but this site interested us most for its water elements, including several well-designed fountains.  We’re hankering to read more about the Incas.

From the top of the ramp that the Incans used to transport the multi-ton rocks, we watched several bullfights (no killing).  Festivities were in full swing in Ollantaytambo, with lots of parades.  This was a really fun town to visit.

See the Inca profile?