A lot of Inca archaeology is about walls. Not all Inca walls are finely cut and dry jointed. But the more important the building was, the finer the joint and the smoother the face of the stone. So some Inca walls can look like dry stone walling as we know it and some as mud mortared wall as well as the classic Inca carved blocks.
Another visit, again all by ourselves, was to the Inca archaeological remains at Pisac. It was a 45 minute drive in a 'colectivo' minivan which cost just over £1.00 each. We had no idea of any timetable, so we just turned up and sat in the minivan. A young lady with Asian ethnicity sat next to us and,after we got going, we started chatting. She was Australian. From Sydney. She was intrigued by our bike trip as she had had a boyfriend in Sydney who had had a bike and whose parents also had bikes. She hiked a lot especially in the Royal Park and Blue Mountains around Sydney and hung out with a lot of climbers and was a member of a number of 'outdoor activity' social groups. And yes, she had had a boyfriend called Xavier Marc Nuttall... Yet another example of 'it's a small world'... If we had chosen a different day to visit or we had taken a different colectivo or she hadn't sat next to us...
We did get a bit lost in Pisac. The signposting wasn't as good as elsewhere and the overall site was very spread out with lots of quite big terraces. It took us 4.5 hours to find the exit. We then had to get back to the town, and then to Cusco and finally to the hotel. We were exhausted. Really got our steps in that day too.
We also took a day out to go and visit the local mountain of seven colours, Vinikunka. We say' 'local' as there seem to be a number of similar features across Northern Chile and Argentina, with the record being In Argentina where they boasted fourteen colours. Most of these places require a significant off-road stretch to access them, which is why we haven't bothered previously, except to view what we could from the road. This one, near Cusco, was no exception. But we had the time, so we booked a tour. As is often the case with these things the weather is best early morning. So our pick-up in the ubiquitous white minivan was at 0400. We have asked ourselves about the lifespan of these vans. The tyres, the suspension etc. Are there special versions just for South American tour companies? How come they can overtake 4x4 cars? On dirt/gravel/stone? Going uphill? On hairpin bends? In fact everything that gets Paul in a tizz, without even talking about the vertiginous drops.
Anyway the minivan dropped us off at the carpark and we are not sure as to the exact elevation. From there you could walk to the top or take a horse that was led by a local or be a passenger on the back of a motorcycle. The horse and motorcycles options didn't take you right to the top, there was still a bit of walking to climb the last 150m or so. Health and Safety requirements were in full force if you chose the motorcycle option, which is only natural when you are going up tracks on a mountain. Helmets were obligatory for the rider. Some of the riders even fastened their helmets. Gloves were not in evidence at all, but some of the riders had wellies as it was a tad muddy in places depending on recent rainfall. The fee paying pillions got nothing - you rode in what you were wearing!
We walked. To the top. Elevation 5,036m chewing on our coca leaves; we felt very proud of ourselves.
We have now left Cusco and our lovely hosts at No-name Hotel on Qheswa Street. We were the first guests and they now have bookings for more. It was a home from home for us and the ten days we spent in Cusco - including the night we played away at Machu Picchu - represents the longest we have ever stayed in a single place on any of our travels.
