Tag-Archive for ◊ Incas ◊

Views 432 06 Apr The Sacred Valley of the Incas

After our first “lazy” day in Cusco, having drunk lots of “mate de coca” (coca tea) in order to prevent the “soroche” or altitude illness from hitting us, we were ready for our first excursion in the Cusco region: the Sacred Valley of the Incas. We had bought some notebooks and pens at a local store in Cusco so that we could hand them out to the kids that we would meet along the way. In fact, at our first stop along the road somewhere outside Cusco, children dressed up in traditional clothing were already waiting for us.

The kids try to draw the tourist’s attention with their colourful costumes in order to earn some soles in exchange for having a picture taken with them, while their parents sell handicrafts or clothing. You will come across many small markets along the route of the Sacred Valley, some only consisting of a few plaids on the side of the road with all kinds of craft products; others more “ structured” in the hope to attract big groups of tourists.

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Views 452 24 Feb MACHU PICCHU

After a few days enjoying Cusco and its surroundings, we were ready to see one of the world’s most impressive cultural sites: Machu Picchu. Early in the morning we took the backpacker’s train from Cusco to Aguas Calientes, a small town, full of hotels and restaurants, and famous for its hot baths. We had planned to go to Machu Picchu the next day, so on this first day in town, we walked around the village and visited the baths. As my purpose was to sunbathe and not to have a swim, the mosquitoes found pleasure in my pale skin. A tip for all visitors: put on anti- repellent, and loads of it!!.

But my itching legs could not retain my excitement for our journey to Machu Picchu. The bus ride, uphill to a height of about 2.350 meters above sea level, takes about 30 minutes. It is recommendable to take the bus early in the morning, in order to arrive at the site as early as possible, around 6.00 or 6.30 am. As our official tour was going to start at around 8.30, we had some time to discover the place on our own. We decided to get the tickets for the hike to Huayna Picchu (“young peak” in quechua, as opposed to old peak / Machu Picchu), for which there are only a limited number (400) per day given out.

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