Sunset on Lake SandovalToday we toured the “Sacred Valley” which includes many small towns with interesting historic sites.
On the way there we stopped at Awankancha, a conservation project to save the native people’s ancestral process of weaving. The site is associated with 14 communities (420 families) who weave the highest quality pieces. Weavers from the different communities rotate thru the site making pieces in their communities style which is then offered for sale with the proceeds going to help all the communities. The site has many Llamas, Alpacas, Vincunas, and Guanacos. The wool is sheared, cleaned, spun, then dyed with natural dyes obtained from plants and minerals. The whole process is done according to the ancient techniques and the colors where phenomenal. Several weavers worked while we watched, what a fascinating and intricate process.
Next we went to Pisac which is known for it’s ruins as well as it’s market. The photo above was taken here. This site is built on a mountain and has several areas, some for housing, some for ceremonies, and some for astronomical observations. I found the aqueducts and fountains particularly interesting. We did stop at the market, but had less than an hour for me to practice my bargaining skills, which was a bummer.
After lunch we went to Moray the site of the Inca’s agricultural experimental center. Terraces used by the Incas can be seen everywhere in Peru. Actually, experiments show that using the ancient agricultural techniques can be more effective than today's agriculture, at least on the slopes of the Andes. In Moray there is a very special form of terraces. These terraces are concentric circles. Circular terracing, which at first glance looks like a huge amphitheater, forms a giant bowl. There are actually two bowls at Moray, one of which is much larger and more restored than the other. Stone stairs built into the terrace walls allow visitors to walk down to the very bottom level. The different levels of terracing each have their own micro-climate which the Incas used to their advantage. They were thought to have used Moray as an area for testing the optimal growing conditions for their crops. With this information the Incas could determine which areas were best for growing crops and ultimately where they should settle. Pretty advanced technology, eh? The Incas developed 14 different types of corn and 400 types of potatoes!
After Moray we went to Salineras. The Salineras de Maras, or Inca salt pans have been used for 600 years. The site is stunning. It consists of thousands of mismatched white squares plotted along a steep green to brown hillside. The small plots are filled with water and upon evaporation a crystallization process takes place and salt can be panned out. The water comes out from the hillside, we dipped a finger in to taste, yes it was SALTY!!! The plots are allotted to the citizens of Maras and each one gets a certain number of the plots to which they keep the profits of the salt that is packaged out and sold. Families pass the plots down from generation to generation like heirlooms.
After a full day we arrived at Ollantaytambo. Juan promised to show us the ruins here tomorrow. My first priority here was to go to the drug store for cold medicine, yes, I caught a nasty head cold. Nice timing, huh, considering that tomorrow we start hiking. Hopefully it will pass quickly.
We've used Adventure Life for several trips in the past and have always been very pleased with them. The staff is personable and professional at the same time. Erin put this trip together for us in just a few days, and it has everything we were looking for! I recommend them without hesitation.
benn
1 month ago
I served as the person responsible for planning a trip to Galapagos and Machu Picchu for a group of 14 people. Jane with Adventure Life was very helpful throughout the process. Making suggestions, offering insight, and in the end helped me overhaul an initial plan into something even better. Also, Jane makes all the plans including the flights within and between Peru and Ecuador. Thanks to her this is going to be a stress-free adventure. After making the final decision about the trip, Jane gathered the contact information for all the travelers and sent out the details to each traveler individually with links to pay deposits, upload passport info, and personal preferences. She also ensured a group email was sent out to the entire group welcoming us to the trip preparation process. Our trip is a year from now and we are excited to make this once in a life time trek. I am happy to have organized things through Adventure Life. However, two small issues came up that were a little off putting. First, Adventure Life adds $50 per person to the cost for each traveler as a donation to a Galapagos conservation fund. I think this should he offered as something that can be added at each traveler’s discretion. Instead, it is automatically added, and each person must ask to have it removed if they do not want it included. Second, although the trip deposit may be paid with a credit card without incurring an additional fee, the balance must be paid in another way to avoid a 3% credit card fee. Maybe this is standard with all travel agencies. In the end I would definitely go through Adventure Life for the next big trip.
Brenda Nielsen
2 months ago
I think it was very helpful that Franny and I spoke on the phone. I think she had a better idea of what we were looking for, and she planned a great itinerary for us!
Elizabeth
3 months ago
My representative Kevin was very responsive generally and in crafting our itinerary to our specific priorities.
Rocco Labella
3 months ago
Easy.
Great work on the follow up and details by Waru.