First site of Inca Ruins

Yesterday we went into the Sacred Valley on an organised tour to visit Pisac, Ollantaytambo and Chinchero. The guide was brilliant and our brains were not able to retain half of the information he gave us! Pisac was perched on the side of the hill and was the burial ground for the Inca nobility, we had a very short time to explore but was well worth the effort of hiking up the hill (normally not an out of breath experience at the speed we went but due to still being at altitude was good training for the Trek).

Ollantaytambo was an even steeper and longer incline and was a brilliant example of the Incas use of construction. We met some of our fellow trekkers who seem very nice.

Last stop of the day was a village high in the mountains with a church built in the 16th century on Inca foundations (Chinchero - 3800m). We visited a dwelling where the villagers weaved and sold their wares. We were given a very good explaination from Camilla who showed how they got the different colours for their wool...see the photo of her kissing dads cheek with cochineal on her lips!

When we got back to Cusco we took Laurie's advice (Thank you very much Laurie for the great tip!) and dined in a restaurant with a Peruvian band playing who were accompanied by a group of dancers. Top end to a fantastic day!