It was evening when our exercise after all arrived at the station in Ollantaytambo, a captivating and picturesque town nestled in Peru’s colorful Sacred Valley, and I was waiting to take a hot shower, hot food and bloodless beer at Las Qolqas where I was staying.
Even from Ollantaytambo, adorably abbreviated as Ollantay by locals, the adventure to Machu Picchu, considered the crown of the Sacred Valley and Peru’s number one tourist attraction, is long. It requires a 90-minute or two-hour luxury exercise ride with no frills. (reservations must be made in advance), followed by a winding and dizzying bus ride to the most sensitive of Machu Picchu, where access is granted that does not exceed 3 hours depending on the price of your ticket, it is an incredible day trip.
It was the moment I arrived in Peru, the moment I visited the fame of the country. I first visited in August 2009, and while I can say with certainty that the adventure to the famous, physically arduous and mentally challenging site via Lares Trek, a choice of the popular Inca Trail, was incredibly rewarding and memorable, I felt guilty. I admit that I found Machu Picchu itself to be disappointing. It was the Torres del Paine in Patagonia, the Salar de Uyuni in Bolithru and the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador ruled the highlights of my backpacking year, but I also sought to get carried away by Machu Picchu.
“I recently took two women here, and they were crying, they were so moved,” my veteran guide, Porfirio Carbajal Gutierrez, told me, perhaps feeling my insufficient appreciation this time as we followed the designated path, conscientiously avoiding the omnipresence of others. Selfie moments
The charm of the cube failed to motivate me again.
The cold and stable drizzle I didn’t expect and the steady flow of other people I had didn’t help. And while Gutierrez’s comment hurt me for a second, which I stayed after returning to the base resort town, where I had about 4 Hours to reflect on the party before boarding the train, the surprising realization that my first impression had not been incorrect, immature, or lost. Just honest.
The fact that I enjoyed my verbal exchange with Gutierrez more over lunch at the perfect Peruvian-influenced Italian restaurant than listening to his illustrated teachings about the Royal Tomb Palace and the Temple of the Condor, some of Machu Picchu’s most respected brands. it meant more to me to exchange stories about our reports at the beginning of the pandemic than to digest fragments of the rented ruins on a path with ropes heading out.
As for the ruins, the Pumamarca ruins that Gutierrez and I had explored the day before were more my speed. Accessible right next to the Las Qolqas assets, the moderate walk of 13. 4 km, without rope and also free, is one of the activities of the Sacred Valley through Carlos González, co-owner of Las Qolqas. Situated on a steep hill, the ruins, thought to be one of the first settlements of the Incas, are now made up of remains of garage houses and ceremonial structures. , overlooking the extensive valley below. From the highest point, at about 11,142 feet, you can see panoramic views of the village houses, farmland and two rivers: Patacancha River and Yuracmayo.
Stray flames (babies too!), deeply fragrant mint that develops like weeds, one or two solitary cows basking in the sun and nibbling on soft green grass, and the absence of a multitude of robots, add to the appeal of the walk. trails with many other tourists along the way, however, rest assured that at some point you will possibly be able to host the site of a cabin promoting Inca Cola, that sweet and yellow drink reminiscent of Mountain Dew, and the local beer, Cusquehana. It’s also where you’d possibly find indigenous women promoting various homemade trinkets (flame keychains, colorful scarves, finely woven purses) for a few suns.
Gonzalez and his team at Las Qolqas, a unique asset among the city’s lodges and rustic inns, inspire off-site exploration even as the ecolodge invites visitors to enjoy the good looks and relaxing nature of the lodge’s facilities. resort. Gonzalez prides herself on hiring and training staff who lack the classic experience and expertise required by many hiring managers in the hospitality industry. They made it easy to explore Pumamarca and other ruins and trails that surround the hotel’s lush gardens through Fat Map, an outdoor adventure platform with geolocation capabilities. Hospitality-minded Gonzalez says, “As long as you have a cellular-aware signal on your phone, you can seamlessly navigate the maps and go out and enjoy the delight on your own. “
When I was on the walking circuit years ago, I was satisfied, not impressed, with my stays in reasonable hostels and hostels, where all I really needed was a bed and a restful sleep before the next day’s adventure, however, in Las Qolqas I had the opportunity to really enjoy that night’s sleep, Thanks to a wood-burning fireplace that roared silently ready through a staff member each night, and a giant, comfortable bed that occupied most of the area in the elevated African safari tent.
The sparse room meant going to the main building every morning for coffee since there is no coffee maker in the room, before retiring to my tent and settling into a porch chair with an e-book or my newspaper. Although I have never attended a classic writer’s retreat, whose tastes seem to suit well places like Vermont, upstate New York and other rural places in the United States, I can believe that writers inspire and spark the creativity of Las Qolqas. But it also works well, as I discovered, as a practice position of mindfulness and gratitude, to the history of Peru and its people.
The communal dining tables inspire the mix of guests, although my stay at Las Qolqas was not at capacity, so those traveling in combination (couples and families) tended to have an entire table to themselves to enjoy food incorporating fish and locally grown produce (trout or trout) caught in the nearby river.
Like the ruins of Pumamarca and the ruins of the same name of the town, whether easily available without problems or prior reservation, Machu Picchu can be explored without the help of a guide. But Gonzalez, who has been stopping at the fifteenth-century Inca village since he was a child, thinks most tourists who stop will get advantages from a guide. Even so, González told me that most tourists who stop in Las Qolqas admit that Machu Picchu is not the most productive component of their stopover in Peru. your journey. . . he is surprised to realize that there were other facets of his trip, especially the local culture, the interaction with the locals, the food and some immersive reports with the local culture that are the center of attention of his trip,” González explained. .
The immersion in the local culture began on my first day in Las Qolqas, when I asked Virginia Ontón, the typist of the house, if we could only speak Spanish during my stay. The staff agreed and I fought for First of all, don’t forget some correct words and tenses, through the time of my Pisco Sour and Pisco Punch doing elegance led by Carlos and Miguel, my Spanish had improved. I knew this would never happen thirteen years ago when immersive couch surfing trips through South America got me to the point where I was not only dreaming in Spanish, but also delighting local Spanish speakers with my memories of them, but at least it was a start.
From Las Qolqas there is a shortcut to the center of town, and from there more ruins, through the walk of the Pinkuylluna Warehouse, which gives incredible perspectives of Ollantaytambo. Like Aguas Calientes, the tourist town at the foot of Machu Picchu, Ollantay can also feel a bit heavy for catering to tourists, especially around the central square where pizza and burger symptoms attract hungry backpackers, however, from the most sensible point of the road, they are all adobe houses, Cobbled streets and green farmland. The benches that dot the main square serve as a beautiful walk to practice for passers-by and a place to pick up a flame keychain or homemade bag. While it is completely conceivable that the souvenir trinkets of Ollantaytambo cannot be distinguished from those sold in Aquas Calientes, the atmosphere in this component of the Sacred Valley is different. The history in the cobbled streets and adobe houses and inside the Mercado San Pedro, feels quietly preserved instead of the noisy advertising. tizando
There is not much to do in Ollantaytambo, less in Las Qolqas (although I also proposed the ceviche class, followed by a ceviche meal, of course, and a stopover in the spa thermal bath), but that quietly, those quiet environments, especially welcome after a stopover in Machu Picchu, inspire a slower way to travel, a less harassed existence. A being in the moment, so to speak. After dark in Las Qolqas, the stars offer a rare opportunity to do nothing more than enjoy everything from your own personal porch. Accompanied by a glass of Peruvian Malbec, it is magical.