My daughter, Alison, and I just got back from an epic trip to hike the Inca Trail in Peru and see the Sacred Valley. The Inca Trail is a four-day trek that I’ve had on my bucket list for about 20 years. It exceeded all of my expectations (both good and bad) and it’s no joke. The whole trail is 26 miles, ebbing and flowing between 11,000 and 14,000 feet in elevation. Because of this, we needed a few days to acclimatize before starting. So, we began our journey with a day exploring the many Incan ruins and beautiful scenery around Cusco and within the Sacred Vally of the Incas. Next week, I’ll post the details of our trek.
Where Is The Sacred Valley?
To get to the Sacred Valley of the Incas, we first had to fly south to Lima, Peru, then take a bumpy plane ride over the Andes Mountain Range to Cusco, which used to be the most important town in the Incan Empire.
We could immediately tell that we were going to like Cusco a lot. Its historic center and Plaza Mayor were charming, and filled with wonderful architecture and smells. We ended up going to Qorikancha on our first day, which was the most important Incan Site in Cusco. Most of the Inca’s favorite temples paid homage to the Sun God, and this one was no different. In fact, they built dozens of other temples around Cusco emanating out in straight lines from Qorikancha like rays from the sun. Nowadays, part of the site is an ornate Catholic church that also has wonderful gardens with everything from roses to succulents. The photo at the beginning of this article is of the gardens of Qorikancha.
We lost no time finding a wonderful restaurant, Nuna Raymi, that was trying to support local farmers’ efforts to preserve their heritage varieties of foods. One thing that is certain about Peru, the food is amazing!
Textiles, Alpacas, & Llamas in Cacacollo
The next day, was our Sacred Valley tour. Our first stop was just outside of Cusco, a place built for tourists to connect us with the local women and craft culture. We, delightfully, got to see several species of alpacas & llamas, guinea pigs (which, yes, they eat), and even a rehabilitated condor.
On this trip I did try alpaca and guinea pig (cuy). While cuy was fairly dark and oily (still good, though), alpaca was amazing. I think I liked my alpaca steak better than beef!
Amazon River
I didn’t do a ton of homework before going on this trip, mostly because I knew our tour guides would fill in the details. So, I was thrilled to find out that the river that cuts through the Sacred Valley is, in fact, the beginning of the world’s second-largest river, The Amazon. This was our first glimpse of the Sacred Valley and the Amazon River!
Pisac Inca Site
Next, we went to Pisac, one of the best-preserved Incan sites in Peru. The first thing you notice about Pisac is the wonderful terraces that Incas built alongside all of their towns.
Then, you see a hoard of tour vans. Despite the congestion on the road, the ruins were a peaceful walk, up and down the terraces and through the city to an incredible view. We learned all about living in Incan times — what they grew, how they stored it, and the many, many mathematical, cultural, and astronomical advances the Incas enjoyed.
I have to admit, of all of the ancient civilizations I’ve gotten to know through travel, the Incas are the most impressive! They had numerous interesting innovations (like building little pools of water at the top of their towns so they could study the stars without craning their necks) and even understood the value of working hard and then resting. Incas would work from about 7am to Noon, then spend the rest of the day relaxing with friends and drinking their corn beer (which you can still find today). They also took off June, July, and August (their winter) as there was no need to overwork themselves throughout the year.
Ollantaytambo Inca Site
The final site we visited was the best: Ollantaytambo. This town was located in a valley surrounded by mountains, almost all of which have ancient Incan Ruins perched on them. The most of impressive of these has massive terraces and stairs up to a temple and group of houses that gives you a great view of the town below.
We stayed in Ollantaytambo that night in a hotel named Sol Natura that had beautiful gardens inside and out. This would be our last night of decent sleep for four days.
Next week, I’ll post about the Inca Trail, which truly was an amazing adventure!