Peru II, Sacred Valley

After spending a few days in the city of Cusco, we headed out to the Sacred Valley, with a few little stops along the way. The first was a wildlife retreat with quite a few different animals, including the Puma and the Condor (both being sacred animals to the Incas). This was the first time I have ever seen a Condor, and I never realized how huge they were, or how long they can actually live. The one we saw flying had a wingspan of about 6 feet and was around 70 years old, quite an impressive beast. Just beyond the retreat, we stopped off at an Alpaca farm, where we got to see a few different types of Alpacas and Llamas. We learned about the different types of wool they produce, and got a demonstration as to how they dye the wool and create lots of the hand made items available in the markets.
More driving through pristine landscapes, and we got to a spot overlooking the Sacred Valley, this was the first stop where the view rendered me speechless. Scenes like this I have only seen in magazines and movies, and even my photos of it don't do it justice. We all got out and took a group photo holding the flag of Trinidad and Tobago, then headed off to Pisac. Here the scenes were just as surreal and I couldn't stop taking photographs. Just outside were vendors selling their various craft, as well as a few selling the giant white corn grown in the area, served with a slice of cheese. Seriously, the kernels on this corn were HUGE.
We then headed off to the town of Urubamba, where we had lunch in a lovely old estate house converted into a restaurant, then off again to the final destination of the day, Ollantaytambo. Just beyond, you could see Pinkuylluna in the distance, which was where the Incas built their store houses.When you see the images of these terraces, it really can't compare to actually being there and seeing it in front of you, all these Inca archaeological sites are truly something to behold, and leaves you feeling somewhat humbled. The Incas were truly a great civilization.
We finally headed back to a hotel in the area to rest up and prepare for our journey to the main attraction the next day.