Monday 13.10.14 – Cusco, Corcor Community, Ollantaytambo.

Up way before breaky – 5.30, tried for internet etc, not much luck. Breaky was good, really nice banana pancakes/fritters, and a nicely boiled egg too.

Suzie and I took off to visit the Cathedral this morning during mass, before it was opened for tourists at 10. Bit disappointing, very dark and paintings were difficult to see in the light in addition to being old and dark themselves. It was interesting to hear some mass, see a kid confessing and we did see another “Last Supper” painting, with Guinea Pig on the plate, with legs pointing skywards.

Had a little bit of a walk around Cusco, then back to hotel as tour is leaving for Ollantaytambo at 9.30.

The fountain in Plaza de Armas,
Cusco of a shining Inca with swans at
the next level.

View of the square.

Some Condors.

Skinny streets and even skinnier footpaths.

Onto the bus we loaded, all the trekkers with their 6kg duffel bags plus day packs and us with our humungus bags/cases. Leaving Cusco we stopped at the viewpoint over the city – with a Christ Redeemer. Amazing terracotta coloured city when you look down on all the mud brick houses/buildings and terracotta tiles. There was also a view over the Sacsaywaman ruins (closest ones to Cusco) we drove up close to them, but didn’t stop for a photo as I had expected – oops!

Terracotta roofed city of Cusco.

Here we are at the viewpoint. 

The Christ the Redeemer and I.

Then a 90 minute bus ride to visit a local community – Corcor - I think, there was also something else in Quechua to do with Beautiful Flowers…but I can’t recall. (interesting to note, that the spelling of Kichwa is now Quechua in Peru.) We were greeted by a small group of women and one elderly man, there was a drummer and the old guy played a pipe. We were all given a small necklace of fresh flowers threaded onto wool as we got off the bus. The people were all in traditional dress, which they wear on a daily basis.

Nellie at the front, was in charge of our visit. The
women behind with a drum accompanied us.

One of the girls was knitting.

Here we are having things explained by Reni.

After we had done the banos (loo stop) and been introduced to them and them to us, we were invited to go and assist with feeding the cows. All the time we were talking with the smaller group, other women were busy working at the stoves, cooking a traditional lunch for us. We walked some little way through the community, past housing, paddocks etc, to a paddock of Alfalfa and clover, here we used scythes to cut some grass for the 5 or so cows tethered nearby.

Suzie scything the grass.

The ladies keeping an eye on things.

The elderly fellow, playing his pipe.

Me feeding one of the cows.

A couple of hairy donkeys at the community.

Mud bricks stacked, drying.

This flock of sheep came hurtling
down the hill and onto the track
we were walking on. The woman
came running behind soon after
to ensure they all went in the right
direction...our direction.

Intrepid Foundation supports communities, we paid S25 (soles) per head (about 8 bucks) for a delicious lunch of quinoa and potato soup, then a buffet of fritters, corn, some weird vegies sauces, quinoa with vegies. Mostly it was very tasty. Finished with Vanilla cake and fruit salad – they had even peeled the grapes. Fresh chamomile to stir into our hot water also.

Cooking our lunch on a mud brick
oven/stove. This is the fritters.

In the dining room eating.

After lunch, we were invited to see how they wash, dye, spin and weave their wool. It was amazing, they had some sort of root, that was grated into a small bowl of water, it foamed up and acted as a soap, then they washed some really grotty wool in this, rinsed it, and rinsed again and it came up clean. 

There were women standing around spinning the wool on spindles, they just did it automatically, it didn’t look like they even needed to think about what they were doing. 

We saw a range of the roots, herbs, leaves etc they use to dye the wool and a couple of examples that had been boiled in terracotta pots. Then the weaving, there was one older lady weaving a piece about 40 cm wide and probably 80cm long, to finish this article was 6 months work. 

One of the guys bought a rug, made up of two of these pieces for a reasonable prices, we were not sure if it was $400 or $150 US, either way, not much for 6 months work.

The ladies had a heap of products for sale, but there was nothing I could see myself using ever again.

The wool dying in the pots in front, the roots, herbs,
etc sued for dying and some wool.

From the community we headed for Ollantaytambo, stopping for a view of some snow capped mountains and some more ruins. A great view over the Sacred Valley down to the Urabamba river.

Me in front of the view looking down the Sacred Valley.

The ruins that were also viewed from the viewpoint,
around to the right.

Looking down on Urubamba, with
a snow capped peak in the background.

Arrived at Ollantaytambo, a very dusty looking town and checked into Tika Wasa Valley Hotel and then a walking tour of Ollantaytambo with Reni. Ollanta has the most complete set of Inca ruins – which we saw from a distance and learnt a bit more about their buildings, terraces, sacred temples and storage houses.

Looking up from the Village of Ollantaytambo to
the Inca Storage houses high up on the hill.

Inca canalisation in the streets, used
to run water. Still used throughout
Ollantaytambo today.

The sun setting behind clouds, above the ruins.

Moss growing in a perfect ball on the wire.

Inca doorway. 

The slim stone walled and cobbled
street.

Did a tiny bit of shopping, then Suzie and I tried a local drink from a street cart – Emoliente (Ok, but I wouldn’t have stacks of it, made up of  toasted barley, flax seed and medicinal herbs. It was quite thick – good for fat, digestion and cholesterol evidently.) 

Then we walked around to the local produce market – meat, fruit and vegies. It was good to see how they buy and sell and what they buy and sell.

Out for dinner with most of the crew leaving for the Inca trail tomorrow. Lovely meal at La Esquina – one of the restaurants that supports Intrepid Foundation. Home for a shower and blogging.

Our little hotel was quite comfortable and the wi-fi was good. Worn out again today. While we seem to be handling the altitude in Cusco better than Quito, I still get breathless up steps and hills. Ollanta is lower than Cusco, so less a problem. Alarm is set, just in case sleeping at lower altitude means we sleep in.

Our tiny, but clean room in Ollantaytambo.

Bathroom selfie.