Valle Sagrado - "The Sacred Valley"

Terraces of Pisaq behind us



Borrachos in the parade!



Ollantaytambo

Today we did an all day trip to the Sacred Valley outside of Cusco.  In some ways, this trip was more interesting than Machu Picchu if you can believe that.  We visited the cities of Pisaq, lunched in Urubamba, Ollantaytambo, and Chinchero.  In Pisaq we stopped at the ruins and then stopped by the Sunday Market.  This probably had the nicest bathroom stop we have seen the entire trip so far (those of you who know the 3rd world understand this comment!).  From Pisaq we travelled to Urubamba where we had lunch.  First though, we got caught in a parade and got to see some lovely characters.  I especially liked the borrachos (drunks).  After lunch we went to the Ollantaytambo.  This place was amazing and we would come stay here again. 
Our last stop was at Chinchero and we had an exhibition by some local women who showed how they spun and dyed the alpaca wool.  They also demonstrated some weaving and then we got a chance to shop.  We bought the table runner they were demonstrating!

Weavers of Chinchero

We liked these places so much because they were really accessible to see and to visualize how the Incas really  lived in these towns.  The stone work was amazing and exactly what you see in guidebooks.  As much as the Spaniards tried to demolish the work of the Incas, much still remains incredibly preserved.  Peru has done a great job of preserving these ruins.  Here is the link to all of our pictures from the day:  El Valle Sagrado
Enjoy!!