Sacred Valley

Early mornings seem to be a theme on this trip, and the beginning of our visit to the Sacred Valley was no different. Felix, our guide for the next few days, arrived bright and early to embark on our journey into the Sacred Valley. We began the day with a stop at what I would call a llama petting zoo where we were introduced up-close and personal to llamas, alpacas, and vicuñas. We also were shown the Andean style of textile weaving by some local women.

Our trip continued on to Pisac, an ancient Inca town where we saw some of the typical agricultural terraces used to grow corn and potatoes in Inca times, as well as some ruins of storage houses, living quarters, a temple and a cemetery in the side of the mountain.

After visiting Pisac, we headed to Urabamba for lunch at a fabulous little place called El Huacatay. Felix then led us to Ollantaytambo, a formidable stone structure where massive terraces climb to the peak of a mountain. This town was the valley's main defense from neighboring enemies. Unfortunately, due to news of the arrival of the Spanish, construction was never completed. Nonetheless, the climb up the 500-something stairs to the top was well worth it (or at least I thought so, however my mom might have her own opinion).

We returned to Urabamba for the night to our private little villas at Sol y Luna. The hotel is a treasure in the middle of nowhere complete with a ranch and botanical gardens on the property. With natural beauty, of course, comes natural things - which Trey and I discovered when encountering a rather large scorpion in the bathroom!