{"id":176,"date":"2016-07-17T00:56:46","date_gmt":"2016-07-17T00:56:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/askviptravelista.com\/?p=176"},"modified":"2016-07-23T20:50:56","modified_gmt":"2016-07-23T20:50:56","slug":"machu-picchu-day-four","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/askviptravelista.com\/machu-picchu-day-four\/","title":{"rendered":"Machu Picchu | Day Four, Sacred Valley"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today we woke up to go to the Sacred Valley. We packed the small\u00a0suitcase and stored the rest of our luggage at the hotel before eating breakfast on the top floor of\u00a0the hotel.<\/p>\n

O\"Macaw\"ur first stop was the\u00a0Ccochahuasi Animal Sanctuary<\/a>. We saw many animals including macaws, cougars, and hawks. We also saw condors, which are endangered. They are so huge that I was quite frightened as I was taking a photo between two of them. All I kept thinking was “Just don’t move!”<\/p>\n

We then headed into the Sacred Valley and the Pisac market. Here we were able to buy silver and alpaca wool souvenirs. Not only were these items for sale in the market, there were crafts people creating these good on site. Being the central market for the valley, there were also rows on top of rows of fruits and vegetables for sale.<\/p>\n

Seeing the market really opens your eyes to the variety of food that is available in what we now call “heirloom varieties” like purple and red flesh potatoes and corn.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"GuineaWe also had empanadas that were freshly made at the market and saw guinea\u00a0pigs which are a delicacy that is eaten at celebrations.<\/p>\n

Once we left the market, we drove through the towns in the Sacred Valley that follow along the Sacred River. We saw many native people and their villages. They were going about their lives, washing clothes in the streams and making bricks from the mud to build houses.<\/p>\n

We stopped in Ollantaytambo and saw the amazing ruins. We climbed up to the top of the temple and actually walked around the Inca Trail\u00a0to get down. We then toured the ruins at the foot of the temple where the nobility lived.<\/p>\n

What an amazing feat to cut and bring large rocks from far away with ramps, alpaca skin ropes and 1000 people per stone.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"alpaca\"It is sad that it was incomplete because the Spanish conquistadors arrived and demolished the culture.<\/p>\n

After visiting Ollantaytambo (which got its name from “Ollantay”\u00a0who was\u00a0a member of the nobility and\u00a0and “tambo” means resting place) we were driven to our\u00a0hotel in the village. The hotel was\u00a0a group of houses with rooms on a beautiful piece of land with a stream, flowers and hummingbirds. This beautiful hotel even had llamas and alpacas on the grounds that would come up and greet you.<\/p>\n

Tomorrow Machu Picchu!<\/p>\n

Hotel : Hotel Pakaritampu<\/a><\/p>\n

Reflections and tips :<\/strong><\/p>\n