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7 December 2003
Started the tour of sacred valley around 8:00 am the bus picked me up
from the hotel.
The valley has formed around the river Urubamba (Incas called it Willcamayu
or the sacred river). The actual valley and the river begin at the pass of
La Raya, 150 km south east of Cusco and stretches 300 km downstream at the
feet of the sacred Center of Machu Pichu. Even today the valley is a very
productive agricultural region. The valley is a corridor through one of the
most spectacular mountain landscape walled by Urubamba ranges.
Now a day generally the stretch between Pisac and Ollantaytambo is generally
referred to as the sacred valley. In between stands many ruins of the most
sacred ruins of elite Inca sites, such as the temple of Viracocha at Raqchi,
the ruins of Pisac and Huchuy Cusco, the royal palaces at Yucay and Urubamba,
the imposing settlement of Ollantaytambo and may other lesser ruins.
As I will be going only one way with the tour bus up to Ollantaytambo before
taking the train from there to Agua Caliente near Machu Pichu, I will only
be able to visit the Pisac ruins and the settlement at Ollantaytambo, with a short stopover at the village market at Carao and the lunch break at
Urubamba.
I again felt that I have come here with too little time and I will have to
come back again.
Carao
The first stop on our way to Pisac just few kilometres from Cusco the road
winds over the mountains north of Cusco, past the sights I visited
yesterday. It is a small village with a small handicraft market, small but
very colourful market full of goods in bright Inca colours and shopkeepers
dressed in similar colours. I bought few very small souvenir items, as I had
no intention to increase the weight of my backpack. Took few photographs of
the colourful market.
Pisac village and the ruins
Past the village of Carao, the road winds down to the valley further down
it offers a superb view of the village of Pisac and terraces and ruins on
the mountain high above it.
We just had a brief stopover at Pisac village, actually at the famous
handicraft market, which draws hundreds of tourists each week. I was again
tempted to buy few small souvenirs.
Soon we headed towards the ruins; more hardy tourists with more time
normally walk up the Inca pathway from the Pisac village - due to our
limited time, the bus took us up to the road head, 100m below the ruins.
The Pisac ruins clings to a mountainside like a huge and sprawling condors
nest. The complex seem to feature some example of almost everything the
Incas did in terms of architecture, defence, religion, agriculture, roads
and residential construction. However, archaeologists are as baffled with
it, what was its purpose early chroniclers make no mention of it, in spite
of the complex being visible from miles away; on the other hand, in spite of
its awe spiring defences, the Incas made no stand against the Spaniards.
From the road head two converging trails lead to the ruins and the Sun
Temple complex of Intiwatana (hitching post of the Sun) at the top. Our
guide took us through the higher trail towards Intiwatana and we will return
via the lower trail. He cautioned everyone against over exertion and
altitude sickness.
We descended a bit and then followed the slopes of the mountain along the
trail; passed two defensive gateways and the path turned uphill as we
reached the sector called Pisaca, where there is a cluster of buildings
thought to have been the homes of the ruling elite, because of their
proximity to the sun temple.
Just above Pisaca there is a ritual bath at the bottom of a long water
channel leading down from the principal bath in the Intiwatana temple
complex.
Intiwatana is named after a large rock topped with a small pillar with many
carvings. Here there are some finest Inca masonry and stoneworks comparable
to that in Qoricancha in Cusco, but well preserved. Like all Inca temples it
was also an astronomical observatory.
At the south end of the temple complex there is a bath with descending
steps. The bath is fed by a water channel from the natural springs. The
building next to the Sun Temple is thought to be the Temple of the moon.
We did not have much time to explore the rest of the ruins; we returned to
the bus via the lower trail and headed for Urubamba. Regret, regret again
that I came here with so little time I will have to come back again.
Urubamba
About 20 km further down the valley lays the town of Urubamba. It is a
beautiful little town at the center of the sacred valley. Here the road from
Cusco crosses the Urubamba River. We only stopped here to have a good buffet
lunch at a prearranged restaurant along the high way. Did not have time to
explore the town regret again.
Ollantaytambo
Ollantaytambo is located around 21 km from Urubamba at an elevation of
2,800m. The road from Urubamba goes along the river on the both side of
the valley along this road there are many Inca terraces. We arrived there
around 4:00 Pm.
Ollantaytambo is said to be named after a local chieftain named Ollantay and
Tambo is believed to refer to the tribes who inhabited this area in pre-Inca
times.
The town of Ollantaytambo and its ruins stand at a strategic spot at the
north-western end of the Sacred Valley, where the river begins to plunge
steeply towards the Amazon and the valley gradually narrows into a gorge.
This narrow part around Ollantaytambo is called Pachar Valley.
Ollantaytambo is the only Inca settlement in Peru that has survived pretty
much as the Incas laid it out hundreds of years ago, with many people still
living in Inca buildings.
However, due to time limitations we did not have the opportunity to explore
the town, we straightway headed for the ruins.
The ruins are located on a mountainside to the northeast edge of the town,
across the small Patacancha River that runs through the town. Just across
the river lies a large open yard called Manaraki with many souvenir stalls.
Beyond the square a ruined gateway led us to the towering terraces and
defensive walls of the main ruins, with the Intiwatana or the Sun Temple at
the apex. The fortified terraces are known as Pumatallis.
Although, the complex is simply known as a fortress because of the Inca
stand here against the Spaniards in 1537, probably like all other Inca
settlements, it was a multi purpose settlement of the Inca nobles.
We climbed about 200 steps alongside the fortified terraces. At the top of
the stairs there is an impressive gateway this was apparently the main
entrance to the sun temple, but- like much of Ollantaytambo, it was never
finished.
The polygonal stonework around the gate and the terraces immediately below
it display a feature unique to Ollantaytambo: a small lobe at the bottom of
many stones projecting into the rising joint below it, which gives it a fluid appearance, contrasting sharply with the massive linearity of the
nearby Sun Temple.
To the left of the gate stand the remains of a building known as the Temple
of Ten Niches. And above and to the left of the stairs stands the most
impressive part of the ruins, popularly known as the Temple of the Sun; huge
unfinished structure faced by a wall of six enormous rose coloured stones.
The massive stones are straight faced, and separated by narrow spacers made
of smaller stones, fitted with usual Inca precision.
There is a plaza in front of the wall scattered around the plaza, standing
on temporary platforms are finished stones with high degree of polish on
their inner faces and T shaped grooves cut in one face - ready to be
coupled with a similar cut on an adjoining block, then filled with molten
bronze to key them firmly together a testimony to the obsessive
perfectionism of the Incas of that period.
To the left of the wall, on the south side of the plaza is the head of a
great ramp, built for hauling blocks up to the site. Above the temple is a
complex of cruder residential buildings perhaps for the priests of the
temple. Beyond that complex a massive outer wall protects the fort on the
west slope of the mountain.
The mountain opposite the ruins on the other side of the valley is called
Pinculluna (Mountain of Flutes). There is a string of ruined building
clinging to the steep slopes of that mountain. Dominant assumptions are that
those used to be granaries. The guide pointed out a huge sculptured bearded
face on the mountainside, its features are discernible but not so clear
according to the guide it is known as the face of some ancient Inca
messenger. He also pointed that a part of the mountainside is shaped as the
side profile of an Inca face the nose is clearly identifiable.
We were again running out of time again we descended from the ruins
through the stone-hauling ramp. Below the ruins, just left of the entrance
yard and at the foot of the terraces is the Bano De La Nusta or the Bath
of the Princess. A fine Inca sculpture in bedrock and a natural stream
turned into a small waterfall for ceremonial bathing.
My guided tour ended here the bus left with other tourists for Cusco,
leaving behind few of us who will travel onward by train to Agua Caliente,
at the foot of Machu Pichu. My travel agent is supposed to hand over my
train ticket at the gate of the ruins few others were also in the similar
situation, although with different agents. One by one all others got their
tickets from their respective agent but there was no sign of my agent
Carlos have I been conned?
I waited for a while, it was only 5:00 pm, and the train is due at 7:00 pm.
After a while I started to walk towards the railway station along the road
running parallel to the Patacancha River. It was a short one km walk up a
gentle slope, but here either, there is no sign of Carlos; after a little
wait I called his office in Cusco from a public telephone his office
assured me that he will be there shortly. Carlos arrived around 6:00 pm and
handed me the ticket and the hotel booking in Agua Caliente I was
relieved, I was not conned yet.
There were quite a few backpackers and tourists waiting for the train,
including some Peruvians from Lima passed time chatting with two Peruvian
couples and a mixed group of European backpackers.
We boarded the train around 6:45 PM In our cubicle there were only three
people including me; there was Rebecca, an English girl from Birmingham
sitting in front of me and next to her was a stocky young Chilean guy
(forgot his name).
It was already getting dark - nothing much to see through the windows, soon
we were engaged in deep conversations; initially me and Rebecca, introducing
ourselves, a little on mutual background Rebecca has come from UK to Cusco
via Arequipa and Lima, and is going through the Inca valley for few days
before proceeding by road to Cochabamba in Bolivia to do three months
voluntary work with an Orphanage there. She also speaks fluent Spanish,
which she learned in Mexico during her one year stay there as an exchange
student.
I found her very intelligent, quite well read and well informed-
conversations rolled from topic to topics. The Chilean tried to join the
conversation, but he was frustrated because of his limited Spanish seeing
him sitting there with a grumpy face, bilingual Rebecca began to translate
my words to include him in our conversation. He really got elated and
started asking me lot of question assuming me to be an Indian, he asked me
why Indians worship cow? He was probably letting out some of his pent up
frustration on me.
I told him, what I believed was at the root of this practice: in ancient
agrarian India cow was one of the main stay of the economy; providing milk,
tilling the grounds, pulling the carts for transport of people and goods. At
some stage, probably during some drought or famine some king or
influential religious authority may have ruled that cow is a form of God and
thus it is a great sin to kill them to prevent depletion of this vital
economic asset. With the time, as always happens with social customs,
original reasoning was forgotten but the custom became entrenched.
The Chilean became very pensive as Rebecca translated my explanation he
was no more hostile towards me. However, he now began animated Spanish
conversation with Rebecca, leaving me completely out with my limited
Spanish, I could hardly understand it. I sank back into my own thoughts.
Around 9:00 pm we arrived at Agua Caliente. As I was about to disembark from
the Train, Rebecca rushed alongside me and asked me which hotel I was going
to? I showed her the name given to me by Carlos she said, lets check it
out.
So we took the short walk to check out the Hotel; it looked reasonable and
we both got rooms. After freshening up, we first went to an Internet cafι to
check our mails then to a restaurant to have dinner.
We had a long dinner conversation rolling from topic to topic, beginning
with books we are reading. As soon as I mentioned that I am carrying few
books of Gabriel Garcia Marquez she immediately said how much she loved
his books, particularly the one named Love in The Time of Cholera thats
a strange coincidence, few days back I was trying to read that book in the
transit lounge of Santiago Airport. My sceptics antenna was on was it just
a mere coincidence, or somehow she knew, but she did not come via Santiago
being an alert lone traveller, that doubt remained with me.
Anyway, as we were ordering our dinner Rebecca ordered only a vegetarian
dish when I asked whether she was a vegetarian? - She told me a most
strange story She is a Muslim! Converted after 9/11! After fasting for the
month of Ramadan during the American attack on Afghanistan!
She does not drink and does not eat meat while travelling, as there is no
halal meat available. She is also planning to marry an Indian born Muslim
from Birmingham ridicules and harassments she faced for wearing Hijab in
UK, right after 9/11. I was really stunned; I did not expect to hear
anything like this from an English girl in this remote corner of Peru.
Being an eternal sceptic I somewhat believed it, but some scepticism
remained I thought, lets see how it pans out.
Conversation rolled into religion and contemporary international events
exchanging our interpretation of events she was naming various Muslim
scholars, whose lectures she has attended, whom I never heard of I never
had much time for religious scholars. But she seemed to be quite sincere in
her quest for a framework, which she believes, would provide her with a
solid anchor and self control. Obviously she had some trauma in her life,
which has led her to this extraordinary quest. Her sincerity seemed to erode
some of my scepticism.
Around midnight we returned to the hotel. Before heading for our respective
rooms, she requested me to not to for Machu Pichu without her. I agreed to
wake her up at 6:00am in order to catch the first bus leaving for Machu
Pichu, at 7:00am.
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