Ollantaytambo & Sacred Valley, Peru

This morning we drove through the Sacred Valley of the Incas to the village of Ollantaytambo.  This valley has lush, fertile terraced land where farmers still grow potatoes, corn and other tubers just as in Incan times. Enroute, we passed through Pisac, a typical modern city in the valley.  Thirty-five years ago, I can remember hiking into this small rural village noted for its painted clay beads.  When we tried to buy beads with a 20 soles note, the entire town had to pool its money to make change.  Proximity to the start of the Incan trail and access to hikers and tourist dollars has dramatically changed Pisac and contributed to the town’s prosperity. 

Ollantaytambo has also prospered and gentrified in the past 35 years. It is now the staging area for outfitters taking hikers on the Incan Trail.  Surrounding the main plaza are Patagonia and North Face retailers, restaurants, hostels and a porter for rent business.  We walked the narrow residential streets away from the main plaza.  Most of the walls, streets, water channels and doorways are original Incan construction still in excellent condition after 600 years. 

The archeological site was built by the Incans as a fort after the Spanish invasion.  It was not completed but did have multiple terraces, watch towers and even an Inca’s chair at the top that was perfectly aligned with the sun as it rose and set over the mountains. 

The word ‘tambo’ in Quechua means respite place – the Incas used runners or chasquis to deliver messages across the empire – the men who carried messages ran quickly over great distances until reaching a ‘tambo’ where they were relieved by rested chasquis who would continue to carry the communication.  Chasquis were able to traverse the entire 26 mile Incan Trail with its significant elevation changes in hours.  Most hikers, including us on our prior trip, take four days.  Today a marathon is run each year along the trail and local Peruvian runners still hold the record for the fastest time – under 3 hours. 

It was clear that Ollantaytambo was a work in progress and was likely deserted after Spanish invasion.  Many large stones in the process of being carved, were abandoned.  We could also see the ‘road’ or path along which workers dragged the large granite boulders to the top of the fort.  These boulders weighed as much as 100 tons and scientists believe the Incans used small rocks as a smooth surface upon which to drag the larger stones.  It is estimated that it takes 20 men to drag a one ton boulder so the effort required to drag a 100 ton stone from a mountain several miles away down and up step grades at altitude is mind boggling.  The view from the top of Ollantaytambo was amazing and well worth the take your breath away climb!