Up early to catch the flight to Cusco. There are about thirty flights per day between Lima and Cusco - this is an insanely popular route. Peru is a well-oiled tourism machine. Being met with coca tea and told to drink it ASAP is a good sign. At 11,004 feet, Cusco is not messing around. Altitude sickness is real, and it is not your friend, especially if you are a sea-level girl like me. I'm breathless quite quickly, even though I've been dosing myself with medication since before I left the states. I manage to avoid the headaches, which is a plus, but any exertion leaves me winded. I'm not in the best shape of my life, but still!
We start our drive through the Sacred Valley on the way to Ollantaytambo. On the way are (literally) breath-taking views. Women and children dot the view stops with hats and goods. I manage to pick up a very useful hat for less than $5.
In Ollantaytambo, lunch is riverside, with just a hint of Inca terraces from the restaurant. The main show is still to come. The legend is that a general fell in love with a princess and built the fortress for her - the terraces were said to be full of gardens for a beautiful lady. However, the fortress served as an administrative hub, and is very strategically placed. But the legend is nicer, of course.
We start our drive through the Sacred Valley on the way to Ollantaytambo. On the way are (literally) breath-taking views. Women and children dot the view stops with hats and goods. I manage to pick up a very useful hat for less than $5.
In Ollantaytambo, lunch is riverside, with just a hint of Inca terraces from the restaurant. The main show is still to come. The legend is that a general fell in love with a princess and built the fortress for her - the terraces were said to be full of gardens for a beautiful lady. However, the fortress served as an administrative hub, and is very strategically placed. But the legend is nicer, of course.
It starts to pour rain, and people begin to flee the fortress. Not surprisingly, women emerge out of the mist offering ponchos and hats. These ladies are prepared. I realize (see day one) that my jacket is NOT rain proof, so I hastily purchase a poncho for the next day, terrified that I will be trapped at Machu Picchu without much protection.
The rain starts to lighten up as we head toward the town of Yucay. The name means "deceit" or "bewitchment" According to legend (ah, those legends again!), in the middle of the 15th century, the Inca Hauan Capac was captivated by the incomparable magnificence of Yucay's setting and decided to settle here. It is a little town nestled between two mountains that seem to embrace you and invite you to stay...maybe forever? The hotel certainly did, it is completely charming and I certainly could have stayed in the bed forever.
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