Ollantaytambo, Peru - Day 6

On day 6, we decided to test out our leg strength. We headed 30 minutes northwest to the town of Ollantaytambo. They town, set in the Sacred Valley, is known for the Ollantaytambo ruins. These, we learned, are famous for the fortresses that you can explore!

On the way, we passed a cliff-side hotel. This hotel can ONLY be reached by climbing. There are 3-4 sleeping pods and a main building pod which includes a restaurant. The Skylodge Adventure Suits advertise a 'Condor Nest Style Experience". Please check out the link because this was insane to see!

 Along the drive, our driver, who was also the owner of the house, shared that the holes we were seeing in the sides of the mountains were considered sacred burial sites. The more you looked, the more you saw.

The entrance to the city is marked by the remnants of gates. One door for entering and one for exiting. Notice the shape of the doors. All of the doors were in a trapezoid shape, you will see better pictures later. This was done purposely as this shape withstand earthquakes more effectively.

The canal system created by the Incas hundreds of years ago is still used all over the area today! Most of the cities in the Sacred Valley also are Inca-era style grid with stone streets and clay buildings. Ollantaytambo was no different.

The entrance to the ruins is beside the market area. We entered, payed our fee (click here if you are interested to learn about the fees) and began our exploration. 

At this point, someone was kindly telling us that she had enough of all the grown ups planning activities. 

The boys and I explored the base of the ruins for a bit. For this activity, we did not hire a guide. We allowed the children to lead us, to read the information, to use Google to answer questions. We took our time and moved at our own pace. To learn more about the specifics of the Ollantaytambo Ruins, click here!

The plants in this area were massive and ancient looking, art in themselves.

We started up our first steps. Reeve was ready to go! The first steps took us past the agricultural part of the ruins, the terraces created to grow plants without the risk of water or land slides ruining them. This farming technique is used all over the world now, but it is amazing to see on the sides of these huge Andes mountains!

The steps were steep and very uneven. 

Reeve kindly asked mom and dad for a break. They moved out onto one of the terraces and enjoyed some play time. We continued up the ruins, though the boys did not want to go too far without the rest of their family. 

The city of Ollantaytambo is seen in the background. On the mountain behind us, you can see other ruins as well. 

We continued our exploration. Below, you can see forts, canal system, giant slabs of granite, the trapezoidal shaped doors, and religious rooms. 

The trapezoidal niches in the wall served many purposes. One, it provided support from earthquakes. Two, it was used as a place to pay homage to the dead. Three, it was used as a place of prayer. 

Funny story about the family pictures below. Greg and Alden were arguing over where Greg should place his hand. After the picture, he was so mad. "Mommy, we we stand in front of you, you hold us. Daddy would not put his hand on me!" I laughed so hard as I did not even know this was something I did! Now, you will notice in all the pictures!!!!  Obviously, Alden got his way!

We continued walking around the ruins, enjoying the rich history of the place. It is breathtaking to be in the presence of such history, to step in the same place as all of these hard workers. Trying to picture the physical exertion needed to move, carve, and shape these rocks.  

Here, is an old two-story building. Like most buildings created in this era, the downstairs area was accessed in the front. To get upstairs, you had to exit the house, walk up the hill and around to the back, and then enter from the door upstairs. The boys had a hard time visualizing that this was a two-story building. 

As we began to make our decent down the mountain, it began to sprinkle. We had to tak our time as those stones became really slippery. What did they do back then?

At the base of the ruins, looking up, it was again difficult to imagine how this is even possible. The dedication of these people to take a difficult terrain and make it work for them is admirable.

At the base of the mountain, there were many other features. The bath house, fire ceremonial area, canals bringing water to the area from the river. All parts of this city that made it functional.

As planned, and through Greg and Jaime's research, we stopped by a brewery on the way back to the house. Cerveceria del Valle Sagrado. This is a place all of us, even Reeve, would recommend. They had many types of beers, even flights! They had artesanal soda that both boys LOVED. And the food...phenomenal. For a small, independent brewery, we were all impressed. 

They offered a small, inside seating area near the bar and looking into the brewery. Outside, they had picnic tables, a grassy area in which people would sit directly on the ground, and some games. They even had an upstairs event space. To get to the brewery, you had to walk through a beautiful garden area. To top it all off, it sits right on the river.

The owner and gentleman who helped us, and spoke English, enjoyed teaching the boys a new game. The would toss coins on the top of the box, it would come out at the bottom and indicate a point value. I am not sure who had more fun...Zane, Alden or Uncle Jared.

Then came our food! Look at this deliciousness! A mushroom and vegetable calzone, tomato soup, trout, chicken sandwich, mushroom ceviche, chips and dip. Greg, Jaime and Jared were creative mixing items together to create new concoctions. All we did was pass around the plates and share. Everything was so good!

This would be the coldest that that we experienced on the trip. We ended up having to move inside because those of us without jackets were miserable. 

Alden and Zane enjoyed their artesanal sodas!

Jared was complaining about being cold and asked Zane for his jacket. Zane said he was too big for it and that his jacket would not fit. Jared took that dare and proved him wrong!

Back home, we build a fire to warm us all up before heading to bed for the evening. How could we NOT build a fire in this fireplace. Kind of reminds me of 'The Haunting' movie. Sometimes the entire house did! Greg kept waiting for something to scare him in the dark!

Next up: What everyone has been waiting for! Machu Picchu