Take the road less travelled.....

Fantastic weather in Cusco at the moment - beautiful sunny days for walking and exploring.  Especially since this is their wet season.  So we have been out and about.

Finally took a ride on the Tourist Tram - and really enjoyed it too.  You see things from a different perspective than walking around.

 

Also decided on a walking trek - local bus out of town 7km to Inca ruins at Tambomachay - then walk back. But, it typical style, every experience here has its own flavour.  First we walked to the bus station - about an hour, and noticed streets around the university filled with people.  Just had to see what was happening - gates t the uni were locked and barricaded.  Third time we had seen this sort of thing in the last few weeks.

Back to the bus - we caught a bus going to Pisac, and got off at Tambomachay, 7km out of Cusco.  Didn't go into the site - no Tourist Ticket, giving access to many of the sites.  Our plan was to explore the countryside, and enjoy the beautiful weather.  We stopped for our first picnic - empanadas between sites of Tombomachay and Puca Pucara.  

 

Then off to explore Puca Pucara .... no-one checking tickets there.  

  

From this point we headed down the road ... but only for a short bit - then cross country - between some houses, through some newly cultivated fields - onwards and upwards.  Approximate altitude - 3750m.  We came across other significant ruins which are not on the tourist ticket - so we were free to wander around.  It really is incredible how many rock constructions (and I'm talking BIG rocks) as well as carving/sculpting done in existing rocky outcrops there are - all within a short distance of each other.  And I'm guessing we have only seen a few of what is here.   And they are still discovering - uncovering more Inca constructions...

Going cross country....

Through this village ... then left turn..

There were even some rest shelters... appropriately placed on the top of a ridge.  

Lex surveyed the scene ... and decided on our route.

    

 See that path down there .... that's where we're going.  OK?  

I guess so

 So cross country we went....

And in the distance he had spotted some steps carved into rocks .... that was our goal..

And we made it - never doubted him!!!!

 

This was a place we'd been to before - for the first day of Spring ceremony we were privileged to be part of 2 years ago.  Only it was very early morning when we were here last time.  It is an incredible place - rock carvings, archaeological digs, really close community, farmland - and more rocks of interest further up the hill.  We left those for another day.  

 

And we weren't alone ... a group of girls had found a great place to enjoy the warm sunny day.  The other side of this rock had huge steps carved into it - and this side had a shelter.  

Finished off the day with 2 more sites  - and then to find a way down to the Plaza.  

 

 

Heading down - Lex remembered some stairs beside this restaurant .... white building.

526 stairs ..........

Even on the way down ... there were incredible sights to behold.

Kids coming up and down these stairs ... EASILY - on their way to and from school.

People carrying large loads ... on their backs.

But most intriguing was near a construction site.  Rubble (dirt, rocks etc) was being cleared away.  A small path had been made around the side of the mountain side, and workers were taking barrow loads of rubble around (and down) this steep narrow path.  The scene was more like - wheelbarrow taking off downwards, and worker holding on tightly, attempting to guide the barrow around the path.  Dust was flying!!!!

Once he arrived at his destination - rubble was offloaded and tipped into a long pipe - carrying the rubble down the side of the mountain.  But even more bizarre was the next scene.  They obviously needed to get it a significant way down the mountain - not one pipe, but 2 to do the job.  So at the end of the first pipe there was another bloke with a wheelbarrow - ready to catch the rubble and then transport it along to the second pipe.

He was wearing a hard hat and a gas mask - but I doubt he got danger money......

Great day out!!!

Many more pics uploaded to Picassa site - Enjoy!!