Day 23: Sacred Valley, Peru

Because I had read that the sights in Sacred Valley spread out in different places and I was already so tired of taking bus like yesterday, I joined a full day tour to Chincero, Ollantaytambo and Pisac today. When the tourist bus ran over those winding roads, I started to feel so dizzy. I completely understood the motion sickness pill would make me feel so drowsy, but I still took it to refrain me from throwing up.

The first stop of the tour was to visit a small market. It was a bit over to do shopping in the first stop with no historical things to see, yet I was fine with it when there were many llamas and alpacas we could see. The second stop was Pisac market (shopping again?!?!). The guide intentionally brought us to see silver rings, it was another trap to cheat our money. After the scam of Los Uros, I swore I would never get ripped off again. Therefore, I left the group and walked to the other side of the market on my own. While I was walking back to the bus, I was attracted to the llama's mat store. Finally I bought one with 60 PEN. But I was the last person to get on the bus, it's so embarrassing when the tour guide and the driver were looking for me everywhere in the market!

A bunch of llamas/alpacas in the market

Me in the first market

The scared mountain

In fact, lunch was not included in the tour, and we were only brought to a buffet place with no any other restaurants around. I did not know when I could eat if I did not eat there, so I surrendered to pay 20 PEN for the buffet lunch. When I finished eating, I could not help but fell in the deep slumber again. Perhaps the diners thought I had sleepiness disorder!

The market in Pisac

The other side of the Pisac Market

Inca Kola

My favorite matsssss

After lunch we finally started our Inca ruins adventure of Pisac on the hill. I really disliked to listen to the guide while following him. I knew I had A.D.D. and basically did not concentrate a word he said. Moreover, his walking speed was very fast, my muscle pain was not fully healed after the trekking on Isla del Sol, I felt like I paid to make myself suffer once again!

At last, he gave us 30 minutes to walk around. I calculated it would take me more than an hour to walk up and down the hill, but then I would probably not come back anymore, I tried my best to climb up on the hill regardless.

In the meantime, many high school students were taking the same tour to this Inca ruins. Hence I asked one little kid and he told me they were actually from Colombia. I guessed it was their high school trip! It made me recall the high school trip in my generation, we could only go to Wu Kai Sha the farthest. The high school students in South America was so lucky nowadays!

Pisac ruins

Had to climb all the way to the top

I talked with this Colombian family when we were walking back to the bus, the daughters are Alejandra and Carolina. They come to Peru with their parents, husband and boyfriend for a week. In fact, they were very nice to me, since they treated me one cup of fresh orange juice. And unceasingly convinced me that I should go visit Colombia, I was so tempted......

Sacred Valley

The other Inca ruin stop was in Ollantaytambo. From far away I could already see the thousand steps. When I reached the top of the ruin, I almost suffocated to death. The sky was getting darker after we took a quick glance of this ruin. At that time, the Colombian family would take the train to Agua Calientes from there and will stay overnight. And they will go to the Machu Picchu in the early morning the next day. Other people in the tour including me would go to the next place, to see how Peruvian dyed the llama/alpaca's hair. Another trap to cheat us money......