When we finally got going, the drive got prettier and prettier as we progressed. From what I could tell, Ollantaytambo is the only town really worth visiting as you traverse the Sacred Valley, the valley between Cusco & Machu Picchu. The other towns are extremely run down & impoverished.
Ollantaytambo is very small & very likeable. It is maybe 2 times the size of Mindo, Ecuador, with ~900 people. I have dropped in elevation to something like 9,000 feet. There are towering green mountains here, with views of a terraced mountain with Incan ruins on top. It was pouring rain when I arrived here (cold, too! around 50 degrees!), so I decided to save my hiking up mountains for the next few days, rain or shine.
There is an intricate waterway network throughout town used to prevent flooding, and a rushing river running through the middle of town. I imagine the run-off from the surrounding steep mountains would be otherwise very hard to deal with. Small taxis (which look like motorized covered carts!) bounce along on the cobblestoned roads. There are few tourists around. It is a very peaceful town and a nice place to spend half a day.
This morning I boarded the train to Aguas Calientes, aka the town of Machu Picchu, where I will spend 2 nights. I had to leave my big pack back in Ollantaytambo (with the owner of my hotel who is very kind and assures me they do this all the time for travelers to MP) and carry a small day pack with the essentials because there is a 5kg weight limit for luggage per passenger on the train. The following two days will be hiking MP and Huayna Picchu!
Location:Ollantaytambo, Peru
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