After two weeks in Cusco, doing camper projects, running errands, being sick, and exploring the historic center, our plans turned a bit tricky. My cousin and her husband, perfect guests who visited us frequently when we sailed in the tropics, had booked plane tickets to join us in the Cusco area for two weeks, towards the end of November, following a two-week bus tour through Southern Peru. Nothing tricky about that, except for the fact that our immigration stamps expired the end of October…
Based on accounts from other overlanders, we believed we had a good chance to obtain another sixty days in Peru, at the border with Bolivia; an ordeal we’d have to figure out later and something I worried about for over a month. It was mid-October now and we had two weeks left in the country.
We expected to visit the Sacred Valley with my family, but what if we wouldn’t be allowed back into Peru? Were we willing to miss out on this country’s highlights, like Machu Picchu, Arequipa, and the villages and archeological sites in the Valle Segrado?
Mark and I opted for an in-between solution: we skipped famous Machu Picchu (expensive and a hassle to get to) – for now – and bought a two-day tourist ticket for 70 soles/$20 each to visit the highlights of the Sacred Valley. This would be a different way of traveling for us, who usually take it slowly, camping wherever it looks attractive. We had two days to explore five sites and two historic villages!
Pisac archeological site
From the Cusco campground, we headed uphill, past the trio of ruins we’d checked out previously, via a viewpoint that offered potable water from a spigot, to a pull-out along a quiet road for the night. The following morning, we descended into the valley and spotted the famous terraced hills of Pisac.
Traveling with a camper makes it easy to leave our dog behind, in a cool and shady environment with plenty of water. Mark and I braved the long climb to the citadel, breathing heavily in the thin air and taking many breaks.
The Pisac archeological site is a large Incan complex of agricultural terraces, residences, guard posts, watchtowers, and a ceremonial center along a mountain ridge above the town of the same name. It was built around 1440.
Little is known about the site’s actual purpose. Researchers believe that old Pisac defended the southern entrance to the Sacred Valley and was an observatory and religious site.
The best way to explore this destination is by taking a taxi or minibus to the entrance, climbing the hill, and then following a path down to Pisac town. Since we had our vehicle with us, we only visited the top part of this impressive site.
Pisac town
“If we find a parking spot on the edge of town, we will stop,” Mark said, as we made our way back from the ruins to the main road. In a way, it was nice to know we would visit these places with my cousin later, in case it didn’t work out now.
Luckily, we found an opening that was wide and off the road enough, to park Thirsty Bella. We had a busy day, so only strolled through this cute, historic town for half an hour. Enough to get a good feeling for its appeal.
The drive to Ollantaytambo, our next destination, would take two hours and was relatively uneventful. The road was paved and navigable, without much garbage scattered alongside. We stopped in hectic Urubamba for a tasty and affordable lunch. This outdoor buffet restaurant (El Maizal) was a favorite among tour groups, so finding a parking spot wasn’t easy. While other gringos were lured into the $10 buffet, Mark and I enjoyed the “day menu” version with less food items to choose from, but equally as tasty, for $4 per person.
Ollantaytambo archeological site
Talk about an old town with narrow streets! Somehow, by following a bus and being super patient, we made it to the other side of Ollantaytambo without incidents. Masses of tourists flooded the alleys and the artisanal market, some of them walking over for a chat and congratulating us for taking this giant vehicle through town.
We reached a sizeable, level parking lot, where we could sleep in the camper for $4. After getting settled, it was time for our next tourist attraction. If it wasn’t for this tight schedule, I’d rather have had a cup of tea at our dinette table and a stroll through town, this late afternoon, and check out the ruins in the morning…
Maya was left in the camper again (something that rarely happens) and Mark and I allowed ourselves an hour and a half to explore the amazing archeological site of Ollantaytambo, which easily became our favorite. It was built and used by the Incas as a city, fort, and royal estate with big terraces and a ceremonial area.
Trying to avoid the groups of tourists and school children, we first explored a quieter area, before climbing Temple Hill, passing the terraces of Pumatallis, framed on both sides by rocky outcrops. Access to the ceremonial center is via a series of stairways that climb to the top of this terrace complex.
Ollantaytambo town
Until we visited this incredibly picturesque town, we had no idea how to pronounce it. That effort had to wait until we set foot in this charming place and meandered through as the sun set.
When it was time for Maya’s morning potty walk at 7:30am the next day, we found ourselves locked inside the parking lot. Luckily, the fence contained a hole to crawl through and lift Maya to the other side. Mark had spotted a smaller archeological site on Google Maps and we set out to “discover” it.
After some trial and error, generally heading towards the river (and the train tracks), we found these ruins, which were a joy the explore and photograph in the morning light. After breakfast back home, it was time to complete our Sacred Valley loop.
Maras salt mine
Ignoring Google’s directions to send us over a bridge and roads we didn’t fit on, we retraced our steps back to Urubamba and found the main road south. When we saw buses and a giant overlanding rig, we knew we were headed the right way. A dusty dirt road brought us to the entrance of the Maras salt mine. The $3 per person entrance fee to this site is not included in the Boleto Turistico (tourist ticket). Again, we had to get used to the amounts of tourists and vans and parked well away from the chaos.
Because Maya was waiting for us in the car – and getting tired of that – we made this a quick stop. It was an impressive sight nevertheless. These salt ponds have been in use for over 3,000 years, well before the Inca Empire. Now owned by local families, Peruvians are still actively producing pink salt, which you can purchase at one of the many stands.
Moray archeological site
As always, Mark and I had no expectations and never saw any photos before we arrived at the next site, Moray.
So, when we approached the cliff edge and looked down into the circular terraces, we were suitably impressed. I just love that feeling of approaching a place you know is popular, but having no idea how it actually looks like.
It took us about half an hour to follow the path around the site and join Maya again. These were good tests for our separation anxiety prone dog. One more time today, sweet pea!
Country drive
Since we really struggled with the narrow streets, illegally parked cars, and wrong directions from our GPS in the town of Moray before reaching the ruins, we decided to leave the area via a different way. Decent dirt roads lead us through quiet and bucolic scenes towards our next destination. While slow, we enjoyed this route immensely, eating lunch somewhere along the way.
Chinchero archeological site
Our last stop of the day was Chinchero, where we could park on a nice lot for 24 hours, paying only 30 cents. And, we had a relatively quiet night as well, despite the barking neighborhood dogs. But first, Mark and I climbed to the ruins via the old, cute, and steep part of town.
We ventured on the different terraces and gazed at the pretty church and plaza from colonial times. This place was deserted and we wondered how the many handicraft vendors made a living. The answer came an hour later, when all the tour vans showed up to conclude their one-day Sacred Valley excursion here.
Inca Trail
The following morning, before leaving towards Cusco and beyond, Mark and I took Maya for a nice walk into the valley. We had seen a sign for a waterfall, but had no idea how far – or steep – down it was located. We’d hike to a viewpoint and regroup there.
Well, the trail went seriously downhill. The surroundings were lush and attractive, and we discovered this foot path was part of the famous Inca Trail. Cool! Yet, the more we descended, the more strenuous it would be returning to our camper… I feared a headache but enjoyed the trail, so we all made it to the viewpoint, from where we could not see a waterfall; a tad disappointing.
This spot was about 2/3 of the way to the actual falls, deep in the canyon. We passed on the continued effort and huffed and puffed our way up, taking our time. We met one Quechua couple and two Peruvian families. It was the weekend.
Halfway back up the trail, Mark realized he’d forgotten Maya’s leash on the bench at the mirador. He swiftly turned around and basically ran back down the trail to the viewpoint, overtaking the local tourists, while I slowly continued uphill with Maya. When he returned home, thirsty and out of breath, he stated the leash had been gone, something we feared. When indigenous people see something they can use, they will take it without thinking. It had happened with a piece of rubber mat that had fallen out of our truck in Central Peru as well.
Our whirlwind Sacred Valley tour came to an end. We headed back to Cusco, navigated the busy streets there, ran errands on the outskirts, and had the valve of our spare tire replaced when leaving the area.
Our next destination would become our highlight of Peru. Stay tuned!
Note: None of these fantastic, ancient, interesting, and important destinations have information provided on site. Nothing! You either research facts ahead of time, or you hire a local guide.
Next up: Our (painful) expense report for October.
Curious about a previous ten-year chapter in our nomadic lives, which includes eight years aboard a 35-foot sailboat in the tropics with dogs, check out my compelling, inspiring, and refreshingly honest travel memoir:
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