Heading
Monday was our last morning with ATEK. We met with the team where we discussed our experiences in the village, our thoughts on the mission, and finally, how much we appreciated them and their sacrifices. It was a bittersweet goodbye.
From there, we took the bus for 3 hours from Cusco to the Sacred Valley; Ollantaytambo, an old historic town with ruins of the ancient Inca people, and one of the last living Inca towns. We checked into our resort- which was nothing short of beautiful. The flowers that grow in Peru and the hummingbirds that fly around them are stunning. After a classic meal in the town, we took three Tuktuks back to our place. After a campfire and some good conversation, we headed to our tents.
Tuesday morning brought rain, and after enjoying a couple different spa treatments (included in the stay,) we packed up and headed for the ruins of Ollantaytambo. Most of us caved and bought the plastic rain ponchos while we followed our guide up the steps of the ruins. We learnt that the Quechuan name “Ollantaytambo “ comes from the ancient general Ollantay. and the word “tambo” means “resting place.” One of the most mind boggling things about the Inca people is the way they worked together to get the gigantic granite stones from 6km away across the valley and up the mountain. They were perfectly cut and placed together, like a puzzle. Not even a piece of paper could fit in between the stones.
When the tour ended, we boarded the IncaRail- the 1 1/2 hour train ride that took us from Ollantaytambo to Agua Caliente, the town of Machu Picchu. This town sits on the edge of the Amazon Rainforest, and the climate is already different than a couple hours away. We’ve learnt that in Peru, you can never know what to expect weather-wise. It’s always the best option to pack both sunglasses and short sleeves, and also a rain jacket and a fleece. We settled into our hotel, grabbed some dinner, and went to bed.
Wednesday morning we awoke bright and early to catch one of the first busses to MachuPicchu: one of the seven great wonders of the world. We made it to the ruins and were awestruck with its beauty. Enormous mountains on all sides, a rushing river down below, and in the middle: MachuPicchu, sitting in the sun. The old Inca trails lead to this high area, specifically chosen to be safe from enemies and to be able to lookout to either canyon. Structures like the Temples of the Sun were aligned with the sun during solstices, showing how advanced Inca astronomy was. The only way the Inca people were able to build were with stone tools and manpower. After a couple team photos we headed back down for lunch, a restaurant located on the edge of the raging river, where a few of us tried Octopus for the first time. The constant bartering and calling out from the sellers in the marketplace made it hard to resist being a typical tourist and buying a few things for family back home. After dinner we headed back to our rooms for our last night in Peru.
