Cusco to Ollantaytambo Day 3 Dec. 12
Wednesday, December 13
We're up early today, 7 a.m., and I'm ready for a big breakfast. After being sick last night/early this morning, I'm starved. Pancakes, rolls, yogurt, fruits and some very strong coffee and coca tea.
Today we leave Cusco and travel to the Sacred Valley on our way to Ollantaytambo. Ollanta is where we will catch the train to Aguas Calientes-the town below Machu Picchu. But first we get to see Cusco from high up on hill above town.
Our van takes us up to what I'm calling "White Jesus" on the hill. Cristobal Statue (Pukamuku Lookout 11.03.2018 08:00 S 13°30.5738′ W 071°58.6806′ altitude: 3.645 masl)
We pose for a group photo-Thank you Cho-Cho. And take the obligatory photos of the ladies and their llamas. After the photo is taken the women ask for 1, 2 or 5 soles as payment for taking their picture. There are a lot people selling crafts and food, we bypass them and climb back into the van.
We enter the village of Pisca. Cho-cho points out some farms with plastic covers on the crops-they are growing strawberries. We make a quick stop as a silversmithing store to learn how to look for pure silver or jewelry with nickel added.
Next up Ccaccaccollo.
Planeterra has established a project with the women weavers in this village. Ccaccaccolo Community Women’s Weaving Co-op
(1.03.2018 09:03 S 13°27.2791′ W 071°53.2778′ altitude: 3.647 masl Map)
From the Planeterra website: Since 2005, Planeterra has been working with the Ccaccaccollo community to develop a women’s weaving cooperative. G Adventures groups are able to visit this community as part of the Sacred Valley Tour. Here they meet the women and learn about all the stages of the weaving process: hand-spinning the wool, dying the wool using natural dyes, and participating in a weaving demonstration. Travellers are also given the opportunity to purchase high quality textiles directly from the women who made them. Today, more than 55 women are part of the association, constantly learning new methods of production to make items that our travellers find useful for their trips, while also maintaining the traditional weaving methods to produce textiles made from llama and alpaca wool.
We get to feel the difference between sheep, llama, alpaca and vicuna wool. They are educating us to be wary shoppers.
They show us they process of cleaning, dyeing and spinning the wool. Then we watch as the women weave on hand made looms and also a couple of looms purchased with assistance from G Adventures.
We learn a couple of Quechua phrases from Cho-Cho.
Back in the van and down the winding hill we go.
Our next stop is to Cuyo Chico to learn about their pottery and brickmaking.
(-13.428900,-71.862980 map ) We meet Terry and Betha who tell us about preparing clay to be used for pottery making.
Then we meet the artist and watch him paint delicate designs onto the clay.
Lunch will be at the Parwa Community Restaurant another Planeterra project. A farm to table restaurant helping the women and local farmers in this village to earn some money.
(11.03.2018 12:49 S 13°21.8987′ W 071°55.7966′ altitude: 3.057 masl Map)
We are served salad, breads, tamales, potatoes, quail eggs, potato soup, quinoa, rice pudding and cake.
From the Planeterra website: In Huchuy Qosqo, 50km from the city of Cusco, the male population mostly provides services related to skilled and unskilled labor in public works for the local government. Some people offer their construction services in other districts or regions where they’re needed. Women mostly engage in household activities, as well as farming, with little access to economic opportunities nearby. Many young people are forced leave the community to study and work in the large cities. For many years, Huchuy Qosco residents saw tourism growing, and wished for a way to benefit from it. They had received funding for some projects like handicrafts and homestays but never saw results and still struggled to make ends meet.
Parwa is a restaurant owned by the Huchuy Qosqo Association, a community-based tourism enterprise developed by Planeterra and G Adventures with co-financing from the Multilateral Investment Fund of the Inter-American Development Bank Group. All income earned by the restaurant is used for investment in social projects for the community. The ingredients used in the restaurant are bought directly from the local farmers, providing a local market for direct sales. Parwa Restaurant opened in March 2014 and has an average of 1,500 travellers per month, mostly from G Adventures. Employees have monthly salaries, health insurance, pension funds, and other labor benefits. Over 25 micro entrepreneurs received technical assistance and funds to establish new businesses to supply the Parwa restaurant or sell their goods to our travellers who visit the Huchuy Qosco community.
We leave stuffed and ready for siesta.
Tonight we'll be staying at the Villa Urubamba Lodge
Map
This is a spectacular property. The landscaping is gorgeous and the rooms extremely comfortable.
We check-in and unpack a little before we return to the van so we can check out Ollanta before the sun goes down.
More photos: https://photosbynanci.smugmug.com/Peru-2018/Villa-Urubamba-Lodge/
We're heading to town but stop along the way to watch some tourists rock climbing up to a hotel Natura Vive . They rock climb to their "condor's nest" of a hotel. $400 per night to stay there. Umm, no thank you.
We venture into Ollanta after a narrow treacherous drive up the hill.
Cho-Cho takes alongs some streets to show us how the Inca arranged their streets and created their drainage systems.
We visit a typical home, complete with guinea pigs and altars to their ancestors. And check out a local "Chicha" bar. Chicha is corn beer tha if you see a house with a red corn shaped flag flying it means the bar is open! They serve it in HUGE mugs. Jay and I tried a sip-it was pretty tasty.
The store houses (Tambo) and the angry man rock face.
More photos: https://photosbynanci.smugmug.com/Peru-2018/Ollantaytambo/
Jay and I have dinner at La Esquina
I had a huge grilled cheese, tomato and pesto sandwich with a hot chocolate (hot milk and shaved dark chocolate). Jay had a grilled mixed veggie sandwich with a Quesquena Negra beer.
The others in the group ate at another restaurant and said it was good food and beer. They took their pizza to go as time was getting short.
Back to the Villa Urubamba and to bed-we have a 6;45 a.m. lobby call. Oh boy. Another great day in the Peruvian Andes.
Next up: The train to Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu here we come