The train ticket to Machu Pichu I arranged yesterday at a nice booking office. I also booked a tour to Pisac in the sacred valley and to the fortress of Ollantaytambo where I would stay for one night, catch the train there and travel to Agua Callientes. But first I'm going to visit the sacred valley. The guide of that day is really surprised, I must say huge surprised that I didn't do a Cusco tour. I don't get him really it was really fun and relaxed just to walk around in the city enjoying freedom without doing the obliged stuff. And hey I'm doing it right now?!?! After a short trip with the minivan and enjoying the beautiful sceneries we arrived in Pisac. This was the market day and first we walked to the fruit and vegetable market.
The sacred valley
The guide explained the different kinds of vegetables and grains of which the made the Peruvian soup but I forgot already it's name. Then we visited a bakery, they had delicious bread but also had guinea pigs. Wasn't that a strange combination? Well I know that guinea pigs are a delicacy in Peru but I just can't think of eating one. Especially one month before Gizmo died. I definetely couldn't eat Gizmo right!?!
After the bakery we were free to negotiate, handle and haggle for the best bargains at the market. After walking around the market for about 3 times, I found a south american quilt and a rifrigerator magnet, a Cusco puppet :-) After shopping we lunched in a little town and travelled further to Ollantaytambo. We will visit the fortress.
When it's my turn to buy a ticket they've got no change. Bummer. So I just waited for the ticket lady to sell some more tickets so she would have enough change for me. But suddenly she speeds away in a hurry. After a while she comes back, helps a few other people and than fortunately it's my turn. But unfortunately the guide and the other (international) group members dissapeared :-) I just looked at the fortress myself and I was speaking a Mexican woman who married a Ecuadorian man. She also had Soroche (altitude sickness). She told me if she was visiting her husband in Quito she always have Soroche and will lose about 5 kilo's each break. Mmmm I'm curious but I didn't pack up my scale. Later I bumped into my group again and we looked further at the fortress. The guide thought I stayed down at the kiosk..... well bad guide!!! Hahahaha When the tour was finished it was time for me to say goodbye to the group as I was staying in Ollantaytambo. The other people would go back to Cusco. I walked with my backpack to my hostel and wow it had mountain view. Although the shower was very cold it was a great place to stay :-)
