The Heather Jones Bucket List: New Thing #88

August 30, 2017

3:45am. Didn't I just fall asleep?! We managed to get up on time and get ourselves together before heading the long trek back to the airport. We had the same driver as the night before (fairly certain he just parked outside Brenda's apartment and took a nap for the last 4 hours), and traffic was WAY better at 4 in the morning than late at night. Our drive was fairly quick and uneventful, as was our check in and security. Even if it was 4 in the morning, I still needed food, so we grabbed a quick breakfast in the airport (Peruvian scrambled eggs are not so bueno) before boarding our plane to Cusco.

Not too shabby for only 3 hours of sleep.

Flying over the Andes mountains.

Arriving in Cusco

Fortunately, it was a quick flight over the Andes, but that only allowed me a 1/2 hour cat nap before we landed. The airport was small and stuffy inside, but that meant quick luggage pick up. From previous experience, if someone offers to help you with your bags, they will also demand compensation for that help. And they can also get really pushy about helping you unless you're really firm in your refusal. Fast forward to us brushing off a few guys standing there offering to help us with our baggage. Turns out they were part of the travel service that Brenda had used to book our entire trip to the countryside. Whoopsie.

The travel service was quick to whisk us outside into our awaiting van and we could immediately feel the effects of the high altitude. Air was thinner and breathing took some extra effort. Luckily, it wasn't yet miserable, since this was my second biggest fear of the trip (second only to vulture sized mosquitos that might carry me off.) My only other experience with altitude was Colorado earlier in the year, but I was already sick with a head cold then, so I didn't really notice the altitude effects.

Our guide service consisted of a 9 passenger van, equipped with a dedicated driver (Juan Carlos) and guide (Henry) who would be with us for 90% of our time in the Sacred Valley. We usually plan our trips ourselves and handle most of the tours/transportation, but can I say that having someone else do it is the bee's knees! Other than being ready at the time they gave us, we didn't have to worry about navigating crazy Peruvian roads (or drivers), deal with the unpredictable weather or political atmosphere, or juggle dozens of different itineraries. I highly recommend getting yourself a guide for Peru. Well worth the extra money.

3 people for 7 seats. Plenty of room to spread out!

Henry and Juan Carlos immediately started our tour of the Sacred Valley heading straight for Pisac. Because of the mountains and valleys, we actually had to drive up in altitude out of Cusco in order to drive back down to the Sacred Valley at 3800m (or 12K feet). Holy crap, I jumped out of an airplane at 13K feet!

Leaving Cusco

Good thing I brought my Visa card!

En route to Pisac, Henry told us of all the eucalyptus tress that were planted in the 1900s for wood to build the railroads. We saw the locals and their farms where they will grow potatoes, wheat, corn, and quinoa - by hand - once the seasons change. (Keep in mind that even though I'm here at the end of summer, it's actually the end of their winter.) Henry explained why so many Peruvians had a sculpture of a bull and cross on top of their building. The bull represents agriculture and they're used for fertility of crops, and the cross represents Catholicism. You can see some examples and learn more here. We didn't stop the bus, so I couldn't get a clear photo of any of them.

Before reaching Pisac, we had our first surprise of the trip. We stopped for a quick history lesson revolving around Peru's famous alpacas, llamas, vicuñas and guanacos, before we got to feed some of them. While they may all look fairly similar, there are significant differences between each one. For example: alpacas are shy, fluffy and super sweet. Llamas have no qualms spitting directly in your face and will murder you with little provocation. Vicuñas are straight divas because their wool is the most expensive. And guanacos....ummm, I don't even remember. I guess they're the forgettable ones? Even wikipedia's page is pretty limited in information.

There was a seemingly endless supply of grasses and leaves to feed them, but don't make the mistake of taking too long to feed the llamas. Brenda was toying with one and when I walked up, he proceeded to spit. IN. MY. FACE. Brenda thought it was hilarious. Tell that to my mouth. Which was full of llama spit.

So many options!

Well, he's adorable.

Brenda feeding the alpacas!

Such a sweetie.

Come at me, bro.

Sandi is getting in some quality time.

Our awesome guide, Henry!

Failed selfie attempt.

Unsuccessful.

Fence in my way? IDGAF!

This looks uncomfortable. Or some new Peruvian yoga pose.

THEY'RE SO FLUFFY!!

Nope, not quite.

Totes adorbs.

Can someone explain what it is I'm doing here? Please and thank you.

After getting our fill – literally – of Peru's most famous four-legged friends, we headed to Pisac market for a quick pit stop and to look over the gorgeous fabrics, tapestries and goodies to buy. I wanted to buy ALL THE THINGS! Good grief, I'd be broke in 30 minutes if I wasn't careful. I did manage to pick up a small table runner and a pillow cover without breaking the bank, but it was tough trying to decide which ones I wanted. I think between the three of us, we spent way longer here than we should have.

Photo stop!

Gorgeous Sacred Valley

Glad Sandi could join us!

Gimme!

Absolutely in love with all the paintings and watercolors.

Brenda wanted one of these classic colorful Peruvian hats, and he threw in a blessing ritual!

With fire!!

Hashtag blessed.

Henry flagged us down and we grabbed an empanada to go before heading back out. Is it weird that I discovered the den of guinea pigs behind the oven AFTER I finished my snack?! I really hope it was really ham and cheese in that empanada.

Mmmm...fresh empanadas!

Not bad. Just wanted I need to get me through to lunch.

Should I be concerned this was right behind the oven? Hopefully my empanada didn't come from one of them!

Back on the bus and we drove to the terraced Pisac Archaelogical Site. Holy crap. It was absolutely stunning. Those Incans sure knew what they were doing. The agricultural terraces were the most prominent and impressive. Potatoes, wheat, barley, etc are grown at varying levels and then transported to the top where it's colder, to allow for better preservation and make it harder for people to steal.

This is a country full of terraces.

Just a guy washing his car in the stream. No big deal.

On the way up to Pisac.

Pisac market.

They may look small, but those terraces are deeper than they look.

I love old stones.

Each level is deeper than a person.

Shhhhh....Toilet!!! HA! It actually stands for Servicios Higienicos...or bathrooms.

It's hard to see the holes in the mountainside, but this is an ancient Incan burial ground that has been emptied by looters over the years. :(

Closer to the sun. Need hat!

Mah frannnd.

So thankful for these ladies.

Trying to capture the incredible view with the panorama.

Seriously. TERRACES EVERYWHERE!

Pretty typical.

Back on the bus for a 1.5 hour drive to lunch. It was a quaint little place off the beaten path with an abundance of buffet food, desserts and chatty birds to keep us company.

Loving the Peruvian scenery we pass by.

Not loving these advertisement style things carved in to the mountainside though.

PERUVIAN BUFFET!

SO. MANY. THINGS. TO. EAT!

I love me a good buffet! Plus, it's a great way to try things you might not necessarily want to pay for.

Rice and beans and potatoes and alpaca, Oh My! I can't even remember what else.

Quicken quinoa soup. YUM.

Spaghetti and plantains. Dinner of champions. Yes, I sampled a little bit of all of this.

My favorite part. The dessert. Ohhhh, the desserts!

All individually served so you can try a bunch. Forgot to get a pic of the first plate before I devoured it. Strawberry mousse, tres leches cake, coconut something or other. I tried all the things.

Another 20 minute drive after lunch and we made it to Ollantaytambo, the oldest Incan city still in use today. People are still living in houses that were built 500 years ago. They also drive on cobblestones from 500 years ago. Ouch. We hiked up the fortress where General Ollantay tried to prove he was good enough for the King's daughter. I would say that if he could just walk up all those bloody stairs without passing out, he could totally have her.

I definitely noticed the thinner air here, and it was difficult to catch my breath. I've climbed a lot of things in my travels, but none had me breathing as heavily as this did. It was worth it though. The views were breathtaking, and the Temple of the Sun at the top showed the intricate level of detail and skill in the stone work.

Piece of cake, right?!

Let's climb!

This view though.

There's a face of Wiracochan (Incan God of creation) with a crown on the left. Grain storage on the right.

Artist's representation of how they envisioned the mountain should look.

Views are breathtaking. Literally. High altitude was no joke.

The higher we went, the more precisely the stones were cut and the tighter they fit together to represent the higher classes.

Hey girl, hey!

So. Many. Stairs!

This is how I felt about climbing.

Getting into the Temple of the Sun

And more terraces.

Just your typical Incan doorway photo.

Always climbing.

That is one big damn block of stone.

The wind picked up right before the dust storm.

Very wistful, B.

So, I thought going up was bad, but turns out trekking back down was worse. So many loose rocks, just waiting for my ankles to fail.

More llama/alpaca swag than you'd ever need.

"O-yawn-tie-tom-bow" Say that five times fast.

I have a thing for doors.

Drainage.

We finished up at Ollantaytambo, and we were spent. Between the altitude, the dust storm, the hot/cold temperature variations, and 3 hours of sleep, all of us were done. Luckily, this concluded our excursions for the day and Henry and Juan Carlos took us to our hotel for the night, a repurposed monastery. It was beautiful and quiet, and just what we needed. I took a few moments to say a prayer for grandpa and my family in the still functional chapel, before we had a few beers in the bar and retired for the night. Brenda and I stopped in the hotel restaurant for a simple dinner of chicken with quinoa sauce, vegetables and potatoes. I think we were all out before we hit the pillow.