OLLANTAYTAMBO...SACRED VALLEY

Day 259

Ollantaytambo, Sacred Valley

We awoke early after a sleepless night. I had such a major headache last night i had to take ibruprofen. Apparently this happens. My tongue was really tingly and my throat was dry. I had drunk a lot of water during the night as well. My appetite was non existant. I forced fruit down for breakfast.

Greg felt woosy and giddy and had a headache as well.

I knew i was reacting to the altidute. We were at 35,000 feet in Cusco.

We had to repack our packs and leave one behind. THat took a bit of decision. We didn´t have that much to begin with, we thought. But once we layed everything out we realised we had a lot of STUFF! We need it all..but not for the next week when all we need is trekking stuff. We still needed to buy water bottles and hats and ponchos. Greg has the one David and Angie gave him as a going away pressie..but i needed something for the sun! WHile taking malaria..we shouldn´t be in the sun..and we will be in the sun all the time!!

We met our group again that we were to go on the trek with in the dining room over breakfast. We had briefly met them in the hotel last night but not for long. Jose said he´d introduce us all today. There were Another two couples. Jim and Carly from Sydney and David and Nada from St Kilda Melbourne. They all seemed very used to trekking and over breakfast we learned more about some of the walks they had done.

We thought it was good because it meant we could get tips from them! And we did.

On the way to the Sacred Valley we all swapped our altitude woes and remedies. We wasn´t the only one with headaches!!! We were told to eat even if we didn´t feel like it, it would make the headache go away. And to such on cocoa leaves and drink heaps of cocoa tea. We bought some leaves!!!

We went to Chinchario Plateau first and saw the view of the mountain ranges. The Andes are so spectacular and have a lure. And a real sense of mystery and sacredness. I feel the whole of Perus is like that. A magical sacred place! And here we are..THERE! Such a wonderful feeling to be in this part of the earth! Feels like we´re being enveloped by thousands of years of history.

One of the highlights of today was going to a textile place. It was in the Andes..hidden away and there was a family just weaving all their textile. I knew mum would LOVE it here. There were balls of wall being dyed...women using spinning tops to spin angora and llama...and women weaving with a variety of looms. There was a horizonal frame loom and a foot loom and a waist loom. I couldn´t resist buying a table runner (they said it would be US$130 but i bought it for $100). It´s for mum...and i know it´s going to be so HARD to part with. I keep thinking of all the trips to the post office whenever i think i want to keep it! It´s so GORGEOUS!

The man i bought it from also gave me a little gift of a purse, so i have that to remember the place by. So special seeing all the textiles being produced from first the wool being washed..which we saw! They used a rock to grate the wash off..and it soaps up..and that´s what the wool is washed in. They wouldn´t tell us what the name of the rock was for fear of being exploited! After it was washed, it was spun, then weaved...i will never forget this....and we have a lot of pictures of it all!

We left there thinking we may have paid too much..but..HOW often can you buy textiles in the Andes!!??

After just looking at amazement all around us we drove to the salt mines in Chincharo Plateau. From way above where we precariously walked...we could see all the salt baths..they looked like cheese blocks!

It was 2.30pm by this time..and we were hungry. Jose took us to this restaurant called Alhanbria and there, we listened to more pan flutes and had a delicious buffeet. My headache had gone.....thank goodness!

After lunch...we drove on to a little town that had a corn beer house with a game with a monkey used in it!!! We all had a go of this to see who was going to shout the beers! It´s a game where you have a box on a stand which has a drawer. You throw discs into the monkey and other holes on the top of the box and if you get one in the hole it lands in the drawer. Greg and i got three in each and got 3000 points! Not bad!

The corn beer was something else. Inca beer. There was a red flag hanging outside to show the loclals the beer ws ready! But...We saw it being made..and we tried it...and it was sort of a cross between frothy gingerbeer and beer...and it had a secret recipe. It´s the beer of the Andes!!!

Out the back of the house was a huge pen of guinea pigs...aww so cute! Aww..so delicious...haha....you can pick them and they cook them for you here..at the home restaurant..but to be honest..i dont´think i´ll be eating anymore guinea pigs!

Our little local hostel in Ollantaytambo is nice. We´re sharing a two room section with Barb and Trish and we have two nights here..

Dinner was at a local restaurant...with more music. Not so good this time..and not worth a great tip!! But we did anyway. They really try hard to earn their money here and mainly by music...These guys followed us all the way to the restaurant and then set up their harps and flute and guitar..and they sang their local sad songs...and we were glad when they left!! Aww..

Bed beckoned early..by 9pm there was not a sound in the hostel!