Hi Folks,
Today was another mix of incredibly scenic trekking coupled with fascinating exploration of Incan culture. From Lares Pass (14,566′), we hiked down the Incan trail to the small community of Totora (12,070′).
For the roughly four hours we were on the trail, we basked in the rich solitude of the Lares Valley interrupted only by gangs of llama. They mainly kept to themselves.
The llama did seem a little nosy, but we were on their turf.
In addition to the llama, we did run into a group of local women bringing potato seeds up the valley.
As we dropped deeper into the valley, the terrain changed drastically. It was almost like we were on a completely different hike!
Dotted in the cliffs above the trail were countless burial niches. I scrambled up a side trail and peeked into one but there was no mummy home.
While in the town of Totora, I ran into a gal that looked just like me! I wonder how she scored that sweet Rab tech tee. Nice.
After the hike, we headed to our gorgeous hotel outside of the town of Ollantaytambo and refueled with fresh delicious salads and grilled chicken. Yum!
After lunch, we toured the town of Ollantaytambo and explored the town. There were traces of the Inca everywhere from the aqueducts that still run down the streets to the original stone masonry at the bottom of most buildings.
Natural barbed wire?
If you ever wondered how locals raise cuy (guinea pig) wonder no further. Cuy coop!
To wrap up the day, we visited an artisanal brewery. Many of their beers are made with local products. We were impressed.
Do you want to trek through the beautiful Sacred Valley while eating gourmet food, communing with llamas AND getting up close and personal with fascinating Incan archeological sites? You’re in luck! Gordon and I have been so impressed with the Sacred Valley and Lares Adventure that we are going to be adding it to our trekking repertoire for 2018. Stay tuned for more details on that and photos from the rest of our recon mission.
-Mary
