Cusco & the Sacred Valley of Ollantaytambo

The bus ride from Puno to vibrant Cusco, THE Inca capital, lasted a full 10 hours. Anyone who wants to visit Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail starts their journey from Cusco. As such, the city is considered the hub for all tourists.

We left the hotel early in the morning and started our bus journey towards Ollantaytambo. Here, you can also admire amazing Inca ruins. The weather became warmer and we enjoyed a stop at a llama farm. There, we learned about all types of alpacas/llamas/vicuñas. The Suri alpaca has different fiber characteristics compared to the Huacaya alpaca. Quite interesting (especially on my plate)!

The Suri fleece (hair of the alpaca) has a strong shine, feels silky soft, has a curly structure, and tends to be longer than Huacaya hair. The fur of the baby alpaca is the most popular, as it is particularly soft. Only animals up to 2 years old are considered baby alpacas.

Here in Peru, however, every trader/seller/traditionally dressed Inca person claims that the clothing they sell is made exclusively from baby alpaca wool. It's a bit like in Turkey. If you're not careful, you might end up buying an overpriced sweater or poncho made of 'maybe alpaca' fabric. It shrinks faster when washed than you can say 'alpaca' and visually resembles a coat made of rat fur.

Afterwards, we visited the impressive ruins of Ollantaytambo. As a preview of Machu Picchu, it was definitely not bad. In the pictures, you can even see Inca faces carved into the rock formation. The Incas believe in three forms of existence: the sky, the present, and the underground. They affectionately call our Mother Earth Pacha Mama. It is incredibly exciting to learn so much about a foreign culture. In the afternoon, we strolled through the market and bought alpaca jackets. Then, we stopped at a cozy restaurant. Mom had alpaca, and I once again tried guinea pig. I realized once again that there is definitely not enough meat on those little creatures for my appetite 😊. Now, we fall tired into bed.

The countdown to Machu Picchu begins!