After Cuzco city, Intrepid takes us to meet the locals of the Chinchero village. We stay the night in Ollantaytambo, a town known for an Inca fortress under the same name.
Next morning, we take the train to Aguas Calientes, a deep valley below the Machu Picchu ruins.
On board our luxury van, the Chinchero locals await our visit to introduce us to their way of life.
The lovely women in traditional dress welcome us with a cup of ‘chicha de jora’, a fermented beverage of maize, and remisniscent of hard apple cider.
It was commonly drank by the Incas and used for rituals.
The taste verdict: very sour, not a real favourite, but then no one will drink this again any time soon. Cheers to the experience.
The Chinchero community share a beautiful countryside, in which they grow crops all-year-round. A group of men and boys demonstrate their agricultural techniques on broad bean crops, while chewing coca leaf for energy.
Then, Lucy (23), the Chinchero spokeperson, explains their most common customs and rituals.
The most peculiar is situated at the back of her head. She turns around showing a pair of plaits, which signify marriage, she’s definitely taken, and compares it with her neighbour Maria’s only one plait, which denotes single status.
Next on the menu is learning their secrets to dye alpaca and wool.
The Chinchero artisans are recognized for their textiles and designs. Their creations are displayed outside the village’s colonial church, being the main source of income for some. It’s a good opportunity to support their work.
Peter buys several soft terracota alpaca scarfs, and multicoloured Inca themed rugs and quilts. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, and we thank our humble hosts for their friendly reception.
Back on the road, and along the Urumbamba river, locals wave hello as we arrive to the Salinas salt-pans.
The site has been used for salt extraction since Inca times.
A hot spring at the top of the valley discharges a small stream of heavily salt-ladenwater, which is diverted into salt pans (small ponds built on terraces down the side of a steep canyon), and evaporated to produce salt used for cattle licks. We trek in between the salt pans 45 minutes on a partially sunny day.
The heat is still unbearable, and we run to the van upon completion, finding ourselves with mild face sunburn due to the reflection of the salt-ladenwater.
The small tourist town of Ollantaytambo is our final stop. We stay overnight to catch the first train to Aguas Calientes aka Machu Picchu town.
Before it gets any darker, we hike a magnificent example of Inca city planning, the Ollantaytambo fortress. It’s a one-hour burdensome huge terrace climbing, with a small trek trail.
Fugitive Manco Inca retreated here after his defeat in Saqsayhuaman, until another Pizarro brother, Hernando, and his 70 calvary returned to hunt him down.
Only this time, the Incas showered them with arrows, spears, and boulders from atop the steep terracing, and the Spanish never climbed up. A victory short lived, the Spanish came back for revenge, but failed again to capture Manco Inca, who this time retreated to the village of Vilcambamba, close to Machu Picchu. The site marks one of the few places of Spanish defeat.
The rest of the town hosts a cool and relaxed hospitality and gastronomy scene. It’s a small dose of the Cuzco vibe, with a small museum, cheap artisan markets, pubs and a few art expositions. A picturesque and friendly town ideal to rest before our holiday goal: Machu Picchu.
Getting there
Fly to Lima with Lan Chile via Auckland and Santiago. See www.lan.com or call 1800 221 572.
For further information on the Intrepid ‘Peruvian Pathways’, and other tours to Peru, see www.intrepidtravel.com or call 1300 364 512
For information on Peru, see www.peru.info/perueng.asp
An on location in Peru report by TravelMole’s Silvia Garcia
