Ollantaytambo
Ollantaytambo is a small Quechuan town located at the western end of the Sacred Valley some 89 km (55 mi) northwest from Cusco. Local people call this city Ollanta in honor of General Ollanta, the Head General for Inca King Pachacuti. Homes and buildings are built on top of original Inca stone foundations, and the town is described as being among the best-preserved Inca villages in Peru. The town itself is located at the foot of some steep terracing which leads up a mountain and to Inca-era archeological ruins. I made the stiff hike to the Temple of the Sun. The ruins includes residential areas, temples, platforms, storehouses (colcas) and others enclosures whose purpose is sketchy. The ruins are called a fortress but our guide called it an Inca ceremonial center. With the arrival of the Spanish in the 1500's, the complex was converted by the Incas from a ceremonial center into a fortress to protect the strategic entrance to the lower Urubamba Valley. Monolithic granite blocks used for this complex were hauled out from the Cachicata quarry more than 8 km (5 mi) away. This quarry is high up on the mountainside way over on the opposite side of the Urubamba River. How the Inca moved and shaped these stones and built Ollantaytambo is unknown. The construction of this site was never completed. Although Ollantaytambo eventually fell into the hands of the Spanish it is the only Inca stronghold ever to have defeated the Spanish army.
On the way to the ruin site we stopped at a chincheria or fermented maize drink shop and were treated to a chicha making demonstration. Chicha is a homemade fermented drink made from maize, manioc root (also called yucca or cassava), grape, apple, strawberries or various other fruits. It is fermented just by leaving out in room temperature, covered with cheesecloth.
Accommodations: Hotel Pakaritampu; Tasty Dining: Hotel Pakaritampu
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