From Above to Below: High up in the Andes

After leaving the Market Place in Pisaq, we took a taxi up the to the base of the ruins of Inca Pisaq.
After the 40 Sole entrance fee (I've repeatedly regretted on my various trips around Peru not renewing my Student ID), and the obligatory locals selling Alpaca belts and bottled water, we began our hike around the ruins.
The ruins are divided into four main parts, including a fortress, the living quarters and a temple. As well, the slopes are covered with the famed Inca Agricultural Terraces -large 'steps' carved out of the mountain slope and filled with fertile earth from the valley floor, facilitating farming in the higher,  rockier levels. 

I took this Video before the beginning of the hike -notice the Inca flute in the background





The Agricultural Terraces


CY, gracefully schlepping the backpack.



"when Moses raised his hand . . . Israel prevailed"





These steps were used by the Incas to go from one level to the next






Weaving as it's been done for thousands of years









As we walked around what I believe was the the fortress, though it could have been the living quarters, we heard the bray of goats in the hills behind us . . . Suddenly two goats came dashing out of brush and ran down the stairs in front of us.


Photo Credit: Moish



My thoughts turned to the, Se'ir l'azazel, the Scape Goat of Yom Kippur



Fountains




















In the cave

Up the steps and through a cave, we came wound our away around the mountain

Depending on which side of the Mountain we were on, we went from biting cold winds to warm sun drenched calm.


Don't look down





























We bumped into two Israeli backpackers we had seen in the market and the three Brits from Cambridge that we met on the bus -and took turns taking group pictures of each other. 














The pack-mule, err Llama  -always smiling


Sunset in the Yucca





The view of the descent from below to above



We made it down



After doing some more last minute shopping (we thought we would get better prices as the vendors were closing up shops, but when compared now with the prices here in Cuzco, we didn't seem to do much better), bought some grapes, schmoozed with a local boy named Frank -he was eleven years old, and wanted to know if we were Padres;  once told, however, that we were Rabbinos, he wisely asked if we ate "Koser" food, and then walked around the various closing market booths.   








Taking a break with our grapes and some soda (in a glass bottle, the best way to drink it)




All the buses returning to Cuzco originate in Ollantaytambo and were full by the time they came to Pisaq . . . after we missed a microbus (a Sheirut for those of you familiar with the Israeli name for this mode of travel), we opted to take a taxi back for 30 Soles . . .



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