22.09.09 The Inca Trail - The Sacred Valley (Pisac)

The Sacred Valley gets its name from the richness of the produce which is grown there. It’s fertility is due to the microclimate of the area, allowing otherwise arid land to be heavily cultivated with maize and potatoes. Naturally the Inca used this ecosystem to their advantage, creating thousands of farming terraces covering the steep mountainsides. We visit the agricultural village of Pisac where the ruins of the Inca houses sit atop a craggy hilltop for protection.

The opposite cliff face is dotted with the holes of ancient tombs, which again have been looted of their treasures buried with the dead. The valley is impressive and I feel it is the most ’Peruvian’ we’ve seen so far. By this I mean the Andes peak in sharp pyramids with huge sister mountains rising up behind to the final snow-capped tips. The weather is fantastic and we hope tomorrow will be the same as it’s the first day of our epic trek up the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.

NB: On leaving Cusco, we make a stop to view the city fort, Saksayhuaman, the most impressive example of Inca stone masonry.