Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [216]
Pizarro’s men were showered with arrows, spears and boulders from atop the steep terracing and were unable to climb to the fortress. They were further hampered when Manco Inca, in a brilliant move, flooded the plain below the fortress through previously prepared channels. The Spaniards’ horses were bogged down in the water and Pizarro ordered a hasty retreat – which almost became a rout when the conquistadors were followed down the valley by thousands of Manco Inca’s victorious soldiers.
The Incas’ victory was short lived, however. The Spanish forces soon returned with a quadrupled cavalry force and Manco fled to his jungle stronghold in Vilcabamba.
Though Ollantaytambo was a highly effective fortress, it was as much a temple as a fort. A finely worked ceremonial center is at the top of the terracing. Some extremely well-built walls were under construction at the time of the conquest and have never been completed. The stone was quarried from the mountainside 6km away, high above the opposite bank of the Río Urubamba. Transporting the huge stone blocks to the site was a stupendous feat. Their crafty technique to move the massive blocks across the river was to leave the blocks by its side then divert the entire river channel around them!
A good walk from Ollantaytambo is the 6km hike to the Inca quarry on the opposite side of the river. The trail starts from the Inca bridge by the entrance to the village and takes a few hours to reach the site, passing several abandoned blocks known as piedras cansadas – tired stones. Looking back towards Ollantaytambo, you can see the enigmatic optical illusion of a pyramid in the fields and walls in front of the fortress, which a few scholars believe marks the legendary place where the original Incas first emerged from the earth.
Sota Adventure (45-5030; alanelamigo20@hotmail.com; Plaza de Armas s/n) comes highly recommended by readers, particularly for horseback riding. The family-run business also offers mountain biking, multiday hikes and river rafting; however, this area is not recommended for rafting – Click here.
Local community history and ethnography are the main focus of the lovingly tended Museo CATCCO (20-4024; www.ollanta.org; Patacalle s/n; suggested donation S5; 9am-6pm Mon-Sun). Its displays hold a wealth of fascinating information, all in Spanish, about archaeology, agriculture and religious belief.
The whimsical Biomuseo (Convención s/n) explains (only in Spanish, alas!) world biodiversity through the medium of the potato. Opening hours and admission prices are erratic.
Festivals & Events
Epiphany, on January 6, and Pentecost, in late May or early June, which commemorates the local miracle of El Señor de Choquechilca (The Christ of Choquechilca), are celebrated with music, dancing and colorful processions.
Sleeping
There are lots of budget and midrange accommodations in the streets east of the Plaza de Armas.
BUDGET
Hospedaje las Portadas (20-4008; Principal s/n; dm/s/d/tr S15/30/50/60) Although all of the tourist and local buses pass by outside, this family-run place still manages to achieve tranquility. It has a flowery courtyard, a grassy lawn and a rooftop terrace that’s excellent for star-gazing. Camping is allowed for S10 per person.
Chaska Wasi (20-4045; www.hotelchaskawasi.com; katycusco@yahoo.es; Chaupi s/n; r per person with/without bathroom S20/15; ) Backpackers flock here to enjoy the company of the lovely, helpful Katy and her tribe of cats. Cheerful basic rooms with electric showers are excellent value, shared spaces are chilled out and perfect for meeting people, and there are bicycles for rent and a DVD library.