The Sacred Valley of the Incas

So, why am I so sure that Machu Picchu is definitely worth the five-days-four-nights-hike? Simply because Machu Picchu is only one of the many ancient archaeological sites in Peru. There are ruins everywhere in the Sacred Valley and my second weekend in Peru was spent exploring some of these ruins and they are simply magnificent.

Ollantaytambo was our first stop. This attractive little town is situated at the foot of some spectacular Inca ruins and terraces. There is a series of 16 massive, stepped terraces of the very finest stonework after crossing the great high-walled trapezoidal esplanade. These terraces are created in the form of a llama. We hiked up to the Temple of the Sun exactly where the rising sun's rays fall in on the solstices. The breathtaking view of the surrounding SacredValley is simply fascinating.

We then headed to Cusco, on the way visiting Tamboachay, Q'enqo and Sacsayhuaman. These are more ancient stones but the Inca stonework is hugely impressive, especially at Sacsayhuaman. Nobody really knows for sure the purposes of these ancient buildings and various theories exist. Peter Frost, for instance, suggested that Sacsayhuaman served as a kind of unofficial quarry of pre-cut stone for the inhabitants of Cusco. No matter what the precise functions of this site are, the Inca walls are truly magnificent.

The final stop, Pisac, is my favourite. Some say that Pisac is even better than Machu Picchu. The Inca ruins at Pisac are perched precariously on the mountain, above the town. This is one of the largest ruins in the vicinity of Cusco and it clearly had defensive, religious, and agricultural functions. The views of the Sacred Valley are once again magnificent and I seriously have no idea how else to describe Pisac.

Pisac's popular market is another sight to behold. Many souvenir stalls and fresh produce stalls make up this busy market. What's more, everything is cheaper than in Cusco, so we obviously bought lots of souvenirs and crap from the market. I think I'll come back to Pisac again before leaving Peru.

We did mountainbiking to the Salinas (salt pans) on that weekend as well. Mountainbiking through the Andes was superb and cool, but my bike broke down and the chain came off, so I had to walk half of the journey. I'm glad I suffered only a few bruises and cuts and not fall down the cliffs instead. Another friend's bike broke down as well. But the blood (literally) and sweat was worthwhile, simply because the Salinas are another wonderful sight. So, I've done trekking and mountainbiking; paragliding might be next if I have some cash to spare.

Having said so much about Peru, no words can really do justice to this fantastic country. Perhaps pictures will help a little which I will hopefully post in the next few months to come.