The Inca ruins of Pisac are scattered on a large and narrow ridge that descends into the Sacred Valley, terminating at the town of Pisac which is also from Inca times. Pisac is a royal estate founded by the first great Inca king, Patacuti. He also founded the royal...
Tambomachay -> Cusco Walk
There are two reasons to walk from Tambomachay to Cusco. 1] It’s a nice day out on an easy walk where you get to see a good number of ruins under your own power and timing. You visit the popular bus tour sites, as well as others that have...
Visiting Ollantaytambo
Ollantaytambo Town Ollantaytambo has a good vibe. If I had to put my finger on it, I think I like it because it feels like an Inca frontier town. Even now. Ollanta (the shortened local name) sits at the end of the Sacred Valley: upriver lies plentiful farmland, roads,...
A Hike from Pumamarca
The Pumamarca ruins lie about four miles up the Patacancha Valley northeast of Ollantaytambo. You go here for two reasons: to see the ruins and to hike back to Ollanta. And the hike back from Pumamarca might be the better reason. Pumamarca Ruins We got a taxi in Ollanta....
Chinchero Ruins and Market
Chinchero Ruins After breakfast at Pension Alemana, our hotel in Cusco, we took a a shared taxi, or collectivo, to Chinchero. We went to a courtyard in the city where the collectivos to Chinchero wait, and got in a seven seater car and waited for it to fill up....
Visiting Huchuy Qosqo
12 Apr 2017 In reading up on Inca sites in the Sacred Valley, Huchoy Qosqo was occasionally mentioned but usually as an overnight trekking option if at all. Since we would be trekking the Inca Trail a few days after, I didn’t feel like dealing with a guide —...
Inca Trail: Day 4 & Machu Picchu
This is post 4 of 5 in the series “Inca Trail” Inca Trail: Day 1 Inca Trail: Day 2 Inca Trail: Day 3 Inca Trail: Day 4 & Machu Picchu Inca Trail Thoughts It was raining at our 03:45 wake up. It was raining at our 04:00 breakfast. It...
Inca Trail: Day 3
This is post 3 of 5 in the series “Inca Trail” Inca Trail: Day 1 Inca Trail: Day 2 Inca Trail: Day 3 Inca Trail: Day 4 & Machu Picchu Inca Trail Thoughts By the third day we had become accustomed to our morning routine, and were easily on...
Inca Trail: Day 2
This is post 2 of 5 in the series “Inca Trail” Inca Trail: Day 1 Inca Trail: Day 2 Inca Trail: Day 3 Inca Trail: Day 4 & Machu Picchu Inca Trail Thoughts Jaime and a porter greeted us in our tent at 05:30 with more bowls of warm...
Hiking Upper Grand Gulch, Utah
The Grand Gulch is a normally dry creek that goes from near Natural Bridges National Park all the way to the San Juan River — about 25 miles as the crow flies. But because of the meandering canyons, the actual hiking distance is almost double that. And we were...
